Croatia - Europe

Croatia is a small but beautiful nation at the crossroads of Central Europe, Southern Europe and the Mediterranean. It is bordered by Bosnia on the southeast, Serbia on the east, Hungary on the north, Slovenia on the northwest and the Adriatic Sea on the west. Croatia covers an area of 21,851 square miles with a population as of 2012 of 4.28 million.

The government of the country is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic. Croatia became the 28th member state of the European Union on July 1, 2013. Along with their European Union membership, Croatia is also a member of NATO, the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the World Trade Organization.

Ethnically, Croatia is comprised of Croats (89.6%) and Serbs (4.5%) with Bosniaks, Hungarians, Slovenes, Czechs, Romanis, Albanians, Montenegrins and various other ethnic groups making up less than 1% each. The main religion in Croatia is Roman Catholicism (88%). The remainder of the people are Orthodox 4%, Muslim 1% and other Christian groups having less than 1% each. Five percent of the population claim no religion at all.

As with all nations in this area, Croatia has a history of conflict, especially in the last 25 years. There continue to be some minor border disputes. However, the political climate has stabilized and now the nation is seeing growth economically and industrially, especially in the area of tourism. Croatia is the 18th most popular tourist location in the world. It is a strikingly beautiful country.

Croatia is in desperate need of the Gospel! There are very, very few missionaries working there. As with all the emerging nations in the region, the people are more concerned with materialism than with spiritual concerns. Although unrecognized by the population at large, the Croatian nation's greatest need is a relationship with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

---