Croatia: A Brief Introduction

“The Croats were originally a Slav tribe who were invited by the Emperor Heraclius to free the Dalmatian coast and the Croatian hinterland from the Avars, one of the most noxious pillaging hordes who operated from a centre on the Danube far and wide:”
--Black Lamb and Grey Falcon by Rebecca West

From the eastern shores of Italy, if you travel across the Adriatic Sea, a gateway to the Mediterranean Sea, you'll encounter the Republic of Croatia. It is alternatively known as a Balkan country or a Central European country, dependent on how one wants to depict the country. Croatia has a land area that's roughly equivalent to that of West Virginia, a population of about 4.5 million, and 90% of that population identifies as ethnic Croats. With a mainland coastline of about 1100 miles, it also possesses over 1,200 islands in the Adriatic Sea, about 50 of them which are inhabited.

It's history extends back thousands of years, with the Illyrians being one of the first most noticeable civilizations, even though little is still know of them. The ancient Greeks established colonies in Croatia, especially on a few islands, and by the 2nd century BC, the Romans began taking control of much of the land. Numerous Roman ruins are visible in the current day, especially Diocletian's Palace in Split.

Throughout the further centuries, the lands of Croatia would often immersed in war, being seized and controlled by various factions, including the Byzantine Empire, the Croatian Kingdom, the Republic of Venice, the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire. Around 1918, Croatia was absorbed into what would soon become the nation of Yugoslavia. It took over seventy years before, in 1991, Croatia declared its independence, leading to a war that ended, fortunately, in Croatia's favor, around August 1995.

“Those who seek paradise on Earth should come to Dubrovnik.”
--George Bernard Shaw

Croatia now borders the countries of Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Montenegro. Bosnia & Herzegovina actually splits Croatia, at a section known as the Neum Corridor, an oddity that extends back to a treaty in 1699. It is only about 9 kilometers long, giving Bosnia & Herzegovina a tiny coastline. Croatia joined the European Union in July 2013 and though some consider Croatia a small country, it's actually larger than a number of other EU countries, including Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Culturally, Croatia can roughly be divided into three main areas, each reflective of its neighbors. The most eastern area, that closest to Hungry and Serbia, is more similar to Hungarian and Slavic cuisine and culture. The more coastal and southern area of Dalmatia, is more Mediterranean in nature while the region of Istria, to the northwest, is more Italian in nature. Great diversity in this relatively small country.

"..., for the Croatians of every degree are an amiable, open-hearted, open-handed people, who give to hospitality a very high place among the cardinal virtues and take a sincere pleasure in exercising it."
--The Times (London), August 9, 1884

Some other fun facts about Croatia, its cities and island:

• The island of Korčula is claimed to be the birthplace of the famed explorer Marco Polo.
• In 1783, the Dubrovnik Republic was the first country in the world that recognized the new United States.
• In 1617, the Croatian inventor Faust Vrančić was the first to test the parachute by jumping from a tower in Venice in 1617.
• The first prototypes of the torpedo were invented by the Croat inventor Ivan Blaž Lupic Vukić. He called it Spasilac obale, which roughly translates to "savior of coastline." 
• Croatians invented the necktie, the cravate, which was basically a scarf tied in a knot around their necks. In 1635, the cravate impressed King Louis XIII of France who helped to launch the fashion for the rest of Europe.
• In 1432, Croatia opened the first orphanage in Europe. 
• The oldest inhabited city in Europe is the Croatian city of Vinkovci, which has been continually inhabited for about 8,000 years.
• The Walls of Ston are the world's second longest preserved fortification system, after the Great Wall of China.

My explorations of Croatia will eventually lead to plenty of articles, especially concerning their wine and food, about this fascinating country. It's a country that many people know little about, and the more I learn about it, the more I understand it deserves greater attention.

"Croatia is a country of great potential and greater opportunities."
Understanding Croatia: A Collection of Essays on Croatian Identity by Božo Skoko