CroatiaHistory


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 * Native People **

Slavic peoples migrated into the Balkans and along the Dalmatian coast in the sixth century. They displaced or absorbed the Illyrians, who may be the ancestors of modern Albanians. These Slavs encountered other nomadic peoples, primarily from the Middle East, including the Avars, Alans, and Antes. The mixture of these peoples produced the southern Slavs.

The various southern Slavs remained disparate tribal groups with no clear identity as Croats or Serbs until the ninth century.

In the late 1980s tension began to build between Croats and Serbs in the former Yugoslavia. Violent incidents began to erupt in Croatia in February 1991. Croatia declared independence from socialist Yugoslavia in 1991. War broke out in 1991 with Yugoslav National Army "The newly independent state has had to recreate a national culture by drawing from history and folk culture. In this sense, Croatia is an imagined community. The modern national identity draws on its medieval roots, association with Viennese "high culture," culturally diverse rural traditions, and Roman Catholicism."


 * Significant Days in Croatian History **
 * **October 8, 1991**: Independence Day**.**
 * -** Parliament adopted the decision to be independent on 8 October 1991 to sever constitutional relations with Yugoslavia
 * **1991 to 1995**: The Croatian War of Independence, Croatia became free in 1995. "It was fought between the Croatian government (which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) and both the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) and Serb forces (who established the self-proclaimed Republic of Serbian Krajina (RSK) within Croatia).**"**[|Timeline of Croatian history])
 * **May 22, 1992**: Croatia is admitted to the United Nations
 * **April 1, 2009**: Croatia becomes a full member of NATO.

Today, Croatia is stronger today than it was a decade ago. Croatians are back on their feet after the war over a decade ago. One reason for this is that Croatia has become a popular tourist destination and tourism brings in money to the country, and money allows the country to support itself, have resources, and improve. One of the most popular destinations is the city of Split in Central Dalmatia. This location has much history and is often compared to Rome, Italy. Croatians, and those who viist it, take pride in protecting the coast and the mainland and try to be as eco-friendly as possible. Croatia is also in national debt, but they are continuing to build their economy (tourism is helping!) and lessen the debt. Croatians place a large emphasis on family and their culture, including incorporating dance into many occasions. Boating and card playing still remain popular past times for the people. Lastly, many Croatians still get upset about the war / it is a 'hot topic' so everyone is advised to be careful what they are discussing and who they are discussing the issues with, as everyone has an opinion on the war, as well as Yugoslavia and Serbia.
 * Glimpse of the Country as it is Today **

"The lands that today comprise Croatia were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the close of World War I. In 1918, the Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes formed a kingdom known after 1929 as Yugoslavia. Following World War II, Yugoslavia became a federal independent Communist state under the strong hand of Marshal TITO. Although Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, it took four years of sporadic, but often bitter, fighting before occupying Serb armies were mostly cleared from Croatian lands. The natives who live in Croatia are proud to be a part of their country as the struggle to become independent was great." ([|from CIA The World Factbook])
 * How the Country came to be **


 * Tale, Story, or Interesting Fact about its History **
 * __Quick, kid friendly, Timeline that recants how Croatia came to be__ **
 * Croatia was originally part of the Roman Empire **
 * Slavs settled the region in the 7th century **
 * In the 11th & 12th century the nation of Hungary controlled Croatia **
 * In 1463 the Ottoman Turks conquered the region **
 * In 1868, Croatia gained domestic autonomy while remaining under Hungarian authority **
 * Following World War I Croatia joined the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes which became Yugoslavia in 1929 **
 * World War II - Croatia was named the Independent State of Croatia **
 * The 1950's saw the establishment of the Communist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia under Josip Broz Tito **
 * Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 **
 * The Croatian national flag was adopted in 1991 **
 * Inter-ethnic Croatian civil strife for three years from 1992 until 1995 between the Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats **
 * Peace agreement was signed in Paris on December 14, 1995, and Croatia became a independent country. **
 * [|Croatian Timeline] **

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