Croatia

Where the name comes from

Croatia comes from Latin Croātia and Croatian Hrvat, “Croat”; a suggested Iranian link is debated, and the deeper origin is uncertain.

First people

Illyrian tribes lived here in ancient times, and Croats, speakers of a South Slavic language, settled in the 600s.¹

Known for

Croatia is known for its Adriatic coast and islands, with Dubrovnik’s walled old town, and the necktie comes from the cravats of Croatian soldiers.²

Outside contact

Its medieval kingdom entered a long union with Hungary in 1102, elected a Habsburg king in 1527, and much of its coast had a separate Venetian history.³

The modern country

Croatia joined the South Slav kingdom in 1918, became one of Yugoslavia’s six republics and declared independence in 1991.¹