So now that the World Cup happened you’ve probably heard about Croatia, right? Officially it is named the Republic of Croatia and it is just a speck of a country in central and southeastern Europe. Most people don’t know much about this place or its people, so here are 20 interesting facts to get you started:
It’s The Economy, Stupid!
Croatia had a tough time becoming independent, but it finally did in June of 1991. It transformed from the Socialist Republic of Croatia into the Republic of Croatia. Its independence was solidified with a referendum back in 1991. Since that time, Croatia has experienced a significant boom in its economy and is now classified as a high-income economy by the United Nations! The IMF reported the Croatian nominal GDP is roughly $53.5 billion, or $12,863 per capita.
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Game Of Thrones Was Filmed There
Did you know Games of Thrones Kings Landing is, in fact, the Croatian town Dubrovnik? English poet Lord Byron dubbed the town the “Adriatic Pearl” in the early 19th century. It is gorgeous and not only the filming location as “Game of Thrones” King’s Landing but also where much of the Star Wars movie was filmed!
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The Perfect Place To Retire
Dreaming of your early retirement? Think of Croatia! In 2011, FORBES named Croatia in the top 12 best places to retire. Why? It turns out retirees in Croatia don’t have to pay income tax. Pretty awesome, right?
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Walls Of Ston
Croatia’s Walls of Ston is a series of stone walls built to protect the city of Ston in Dalmatia. Its construction began way back in 1358. It is commonly called the “European Wall Of China.” Why? It is actually the 2nd largest preserved fortification system in the world behind The Great Wall Of China in Beijing.
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Whoever Said Slavs Didn’t Write Was Totally Wrong
So, who said Slavs didn’t write? They are inaccurate! Croatians very much used their Glagolitic script which is the oldest Slavic script to write and communicate.
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How International!
This is pretty interesting. Did you know abot 78% of Croatians claim knowledge of at least one foreign language? Pretty impressive!
How-International
Islands Galore
Croatia has among the most islands of any country in the world! Croatia has 1,246 islands in total. Get your sailboat and bathing suits ready!
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Money, Money, Money
Croatian money is called Kuna. This name is due to trappers who used to use fur as a medium of exchange. Eventually, fur was transformed into coins and named Kuna.
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Croats Are EVERYWHERE
Yep, they are even on the moon! 2 scientists in particular named J. R. Boskovic and A. Mohorovicic have their names appear on the map of the moon.
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Croatia Is Super Animal Friendly
Yep, and it has amazing biodiversity! Did you know the last specimen of the Mediterranean seal lived in the Croatian aquarium? Croatia is also home to our favorite breed of dog: the Dalmatian!
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In Need Of Some Vitamin D?
Well, then Croatia is your best choice if you want to sunbathe! Croatia has more hours of sunlight per year than even Sydney, Austrailia. Croatia gets about 2,715 hours of sunlight per year.
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Croatia Is Not The Biggest Country
It is really not that big at all! It is currently ranked as the 127th largest country in the world.
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Tesla Hearts Croatia
You might be wondering why Tesla loves Croatia. This is probably because Nicola Tesla was actually born there! He was born in the Croatian village called Smiljan.
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Home of The Giant Truffles
Did you know Croatia is the home of the world’s biggest truffles? If you go there you can even take a truffle tour! It turns out Croatia’s largest exporter of Istrian truffles is Zigante Tartufi. In 1999 he along with his dog Diana, found the world’s largest truffle in Istria. It reportedly weighed 1.31kg and even made it into the Guinness Book of World Records!
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The Glagolitic Alphabet Is A Thing
Besides the script, did you know Croatians had their own alphabet? It is called the Glagolitic alphabet. It was preserved by Croats who used it regularly from the 12th to the 20th century. It was mostly used in liturgy.
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