........The history of Croatia is interwoven with the name "Hrvat", a Slavic extraction, meaning friend, sunny land, or owning much land. Enjoying an attractive landscape, with thousands of diverse islands along the crystal clear Adriatic coast, with sandy beaches and breathtaking cliffs, the lands have been fought over as far back as the Roman Empire. Croatia’s rich political and cultural history derives from the multitude of influences from it’s past rulers. Located close the world’s trading center, Venice, Croatia indulged in exotic riches from India and Arabia, and thus grew as a retreat for the elite, with palaces, villas and -from later times- castles.

........The Croatian people, believed to be purely Slavic, arrived from Ukraine to their present homeland in the 7th century. After the collapse of the East Roman rule, the region was taken over by the Frankish Realm. By 925, these lands develop into the Kingdom of Croatia. Not for long, however, because in 1102 Hungary took over and so Croatia shares Hungary’s history until 1868, when it gains domestic autonomy but remains under Hungarian authority.

........Following the downfall of the Habsburgian rule in 1918 Croatia joins Serbia and Slovenia to form the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. During WWII, the Germans occupy Yugoslavia and Croatia is created an ‘independent’ puppet state. Much which happens in Croatia at this time highly depends on Yugoslavia, which becomes liberated from it’s communist dictatorship in 1945.

........The Republic of Croatia does not become independent until 1991. The peace, however, does not last long whereas the conflict between the Serbs and Croats in Croatia gives way to a civil war just one month after declaring Croatia’s independence. Croatia’s land is lost to Serbia, Slavonia, and Branja until 1995, when it is re-united to the country under the Croatian Democratic Community.

........Croatia’s multifaceted history is due to the want of such a beautiful land - the battles it took to make it an independent country. Fortunatly, today Croatia can be admired, cherised and shared by us all.