Croatia Facts

Interesting Facts for Kids

• Population: about 4 million people live in the country (2021)
• Capital: Zagreb with 800,000 inhabitants
• Name: Republic of Croatia (Republika Hrvatska)
• Motto: ‘Our beautiful homeland’
• Government: Democracy
• Language: Croatian
• Religion: mainly Christians (86% of all Croatians are Roman Catholics)
• Currency: 1 kuna =100 lipas
• History: First multi-party elections were held in 1990, Croatia declared its independence in 1991 and Yugoslavia broke up into six different countries: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia (changed from Macedonia in 2019). Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 but is only partly recognised as independent country.
• National Flag: red, white and blue stripes with the checkerboard coat of arms in the middle
• National Symbols: Marten (national animal), iris (national flower) and oak (national tree)
• National Anthem: the Croatian anthem is called ‘Our Beautiful Homeland’ (Lijepa naša domovino). Listen to the sound of the Croatian national anthem here (link to YouTube)
• National Day: 8 October (Independence Day)
• President: Zoran Milanović (elected in January 2020)