Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia (Republika Hrvatska), is a country at the crossroads of the Mediterranean and Central Europe. Its capital is Zagreb. Croatia shares land borders with Slovenia and Hungary on the north, Serbia on the east, Bosnia and Herzegovina on the south and east, and Montenegro on the south, as well as a sea border with Italy to the west. It is a candidate for membership in the European Union and NATO.
History
The Croats settled in the Balkans in early 7th century and formed two principalities: Dalmatia and Pannonia. The establishment of the Trpimirovic dynasty ca 850 brought strengthening to the Dalmatian Croat Duchy, which together with the Pannonian principality became a Kingdom in 925 under King Tomislav.
In 1102, Croatia entered into a personal union with the Hungarian Kingdom. After the 1526 Battle of Mohacs the "reliquiae reliquiarum" of Croatia became a part of the Habsburg Monarchy in 1527.
In 1941-1945 an Axis puppet-state known as the Independent State of Croatia was set up, and after the victory of the Allies, Croatia became a constitutive republic of Yugoslavia.
Copyright manuele Ferlito 2009-2010