84 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74 years
male: 70.69 years
female: 77.52 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.52 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Croat(s)
adjective: Croatian

Ethnic groups: Croat 78%, Serb 12%, Muslim 0.9%, Hungarian 0.5%,
Slovenian 0.5%, others 8.1% (1991)

Religions: Catholic 76.5%, Orthodox 11.1%, Muslim 1.2%,
Protestant 0.4%, others and unknown 10.8%

Languages: Serbo-Croatian 96%, other 4% (including Italian,
Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and German)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 99%
female: 95% (1991 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Croatia
conventional short form: Croatia
local long form: Republika Hrvatska
local short form: Hrvatska

Data code: HR

Government type: presidential/parliamentary democracy

Capital: Zagreb

Administrative divisions: 21 counties (zupanije,
zupanija--singular): Bjelovar-Bilogora, City of Zagreb,
Dubrovnik-Neretva, Istra, Karlovac, Koprivnica-Krizevci,
Krapina-Zagorje, Lika-Senj, Medimurje, Osijek-Baranja,
Pozega-Slavonia, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, Sibenik, Sisak-Moslavina,
Slavonski Brod-Posavina, Split-Dalmatia, Varazdin,
Virovitica-Podravina, Vukovar-Srijem, Zadar-Knin, Zagreb
note: there are two special self-governing districts (kotari,
kotar--singular) under local Serb control: Glina, Knin

Independence: 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

National holiday: Statehood Day, 30 May (1990)

Constitution: adopted on 22 December 1990

Legal system: based on civil law system

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if
employed)

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Franjo TUDJMAN (since 30 May 1990)
head of government: Prime Minister Zlatko MATESA (since 7 November
1995); Deputy Prime Ministers Mate GRANIC (since 8 September 1992),
Ivica KOSTOVIC (since 14 October 1993), Jure RADIC (since NA October
1994), Borislav SKEGRO (since 3 April 1993), and Ljerka MINTAS-HODAK
(since November 1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 15 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); prime
minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
election results: President Franjo TUDJMAN