Page last updated on January 31, 2014

Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia

Geographic coordinates:
45 10 N, 15 30 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 56,594 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 127
land: 55,974 sq km
water: 620 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries:
total: 1,982 km
border countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km, Hungary 329 km, Serbia 241 km, Montenegro 25 km, Slovenia 455 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
5,835 km (mainland 1,777 km, islands 4,058 km)
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast
More Climate Details

Terrain:
geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border, low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: Dinara 1,831 m

Natural resources:
oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, gypsum, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 15.85%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 1.47%
other: 82.69% (2011)

Irrigated land:
36.27 sq km (2010)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
105.5 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Natural hazards:
destructive earthquakes

Environment - current issues:
air pollution (from metallurgical plants) and resulting acid rain is damaging the forests; coastal pollution from industrial and domestic waste; landmine removal and reconstruction of infrastructure consequent to 1992-95 civil strife

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and Turkish Straits; most Adriatic Sea islands lie off the coast of Croatia - some 1,200 islands, islets, ridges, and rocks