Geography of Croatia
Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia
Geographic coordinates: 45 10 N, 15 30 E
Map references: Europe: at Wikipedia, at CIA World Factbook
Area:
continent: 56,542 km²
- land: 56,414 km²
- water: 128 km²
grand total: 89,742 km²
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
total:
2,197 km
border countries:
Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km,
Slovenia 670 km,
Hungary 329 km,
Serbia and Montenegro (north) 241 km,
Serbia and Montenegro (south) 25 km
Coastline: 5,835 km (mainland 1,777 km, islands 4,058 km)
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
territorial sea:
12 nm
Climate: Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast
Terrain: geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border, low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands
Elevation extremes:
lowest point:
Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point:
Dinara 1,830 m
Natural resources: oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 23.55%
permanent crops: 2.24%
other: 74.21% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 30 km² (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes
Environment - current issues: air pollution (from metallurgical plants) and resulting acid rain is damaging the forests; coastal pollution from industrial and domestic waste; landmine removal and reconstruction of infrastructure consequent to 1992-95 civil strife
Environment - international agreements:
party to:
Air Pollution,
Air Pollution-Sulphur 94,
Biodiversity,
Climate Change,
Desertification,
Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea,
Marine Dumping,
Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants,
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note: controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and Turkish Straits
- See also : Croatia
