the three Croatian military forces
(2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service, with six-month
service obligation; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary
service (December 2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,005,058
females age 18-49: 1,008,511 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 725,914
females age 18-49: 823,611 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 29,020
females age 18-49: 27,897 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$620 million (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.39% (2002 est.)

Transnational Issues Croatia

Disputes - international:
discussions continue with Bosnia and Herzegovina over several small
disputed sections of the boundary related to maritime access that
hinders ratification of the 1999 border agreement; the
Croatia-Slovenia land and maritime boundary agreement, which would
have ceded most of Pirin Bay and maritime access to Slovenia and
several villages to Croatia, remains un-ratified and in dispute; as
a European Union peripheral state, neighboring Slovenia must conform
to the strict Schengen border rules to curb illegal migration and
commerce through southeastern Europe while encouraging close
cross-border ties with Croatia

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 4,200-7,000 (Croats and Serbs displaced in 1992-95 war) (2006)

Illicit drugs:
transit point along the Balkan route for Southwest Asian heroin to
Western Europe; has been used as a transit point for maritime
shipments of South American cocaine bound for Western Europe

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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@Cuba

Introduction Cuba

Background:
The native Amerindian population of Cuba began to decline after the
European discovery of the island by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1492 and
following its development as a Spanish colony during the next
several centuries. Large numbers of African slaves were imported to
work the coffee and sugar plantations, and Havana became the
launching point for the annual treasure fleets bound for Spain from
Mexico and Peru. Spanish rule, marked initially by neglect, became
increasingly repressive, provoking an independence movement a