Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia is a country in Southeastern Europe, at the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean Sea. Croatia borders Slovenia and Hungary to the north, Serbia to the northeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the east and Montenegro to the southeast. Its southern and western flanks border the Adriatic Sea. The President of the Republic is the head of state, directly elected to a five-year term... and is limited by the Constitution to a maximum of two terms. Croatia is divided into 21 counties and the capital Zagreb's city district.

The country is famous for its many national parks. Its terrain is diverse, including plains, lakes and rolling hills in the continental north and northeast; densely wooded mountains in Lika and Gorski Kotar, part of the Dinaric Alps; rocky coastlines on the Adriatic Sea. Offshore Croatia consists of over one thousand islands varying in size. Croatia has a mixture of climates. In the north and east it is continental, Mediterranean along the coast and a semi-highland and highland climate in the south-central region. Istra has a temperate climate, while the Palagruža archipelago is home to a subtropical climate. The territory of Croatia can be subdivided into three ecoregions: the Pannonian mixed forests, Dinaric Mountains mixed forests and Illyrian deciduous forests.

The Croatian economy has a stable functioning market economy. The industrial sector is dominated by shipbuilding, food processing and the chemical industry. Tourism is a notable source of income during the summer, with over 11 million foreign tourists in 2008 generating revenue of €8 billion. Croatia is ranked as the 18th most popular tourist destination in the world.

Croatia is a member of the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, NATO, the World Trade Organization, the Council of Europe, CEFTA, and is a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2008–09 term. The country is also a candidate for membership of the European Union. Additionally, Croatia is also a founding member of the Union for the Mediterranean upon its establishment in 2008.

Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of Croatia. Zagreb is the cultural, scientific, economic and governmental center of Croatia, and a global city. According to the city government, the population of Zagreb in 2008 was 804,200 (approx. 1.2 million in the metropolitan area). It is situated between the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain and both northern and southern bank of the Sava river at an elevation of approximately 122 m (400 ft) above sea level. Its favorable geographic position in the southwestern part of the Pannonian Basin, which extends to the Alpine, Dinaric, Adriatic and Pannonic regions, provides an excellent connection for traffic between Central Europe and the Adriatic Sea.