Croatia, a country located in the Balkans, the southeast of Europe. Officially the Republic of Croatia, this country shares a maritime border with Italy. The capital of this place is Zagreb and this country has a population of 4.058 million people in 2020. The national animal of Hrvatska, (Croatia in Croatian), is Kuna, otherwise known as the Marten in English. This is why their currency is called Croatian Kuna, but 1 Kuna equals 100 lipas. The religion is mainly Christian in the population, but 86% of all Croatians are Roman Catholics. Hrvatska has a unique and rich cuisine, culture, tourist attractions and historical significance.
Cuisine in Croatia has a mix of modern and traditional food. A notable traditional dish is Black Risotto, locally known as crni rizot. This meal is prepared with cuttlefish or squid, olive oil, garlic, red wine and squid ink. The squid ink gives an extraordinary seafood flavour and a dark colour. Another local food is Croatian Truffles, or Istrian Truffles. The remarkable taste of them comes from the hinterlands and dense forests. Deep in the clay, an underground truffle mecca can be found. Some traditional Croatian ingredients include AJVAR, a condiment made from red bell peppers and oil, POLENTA, a maize flour similar to cornmeal, and garlic, to add flavour.
The rich culture of Croatia is mixed with residues of earlier Greek, Roman and Bronze Age Civilisations. Its visual elements were also influenced by the Venetian Renaissance period. This was a major force of painting Italy. Croatian celebrations have in-depth meaning, like the Korčula Sword Dance Festival. This is celebrated on an island in Croatia, called Korcula. Going back hundreds of years ago, this dance is an intricate production displaying two, veiled, young women involving a mock battle. Many well-known staples in pop culture are from old Croatian mythology, first called Slavic Mythology. Before Christianity came, the first Croatians originated from a larger group of Slavic people. Slavic is a branch of Indo-European language family that includes a combination of many EUROPEAN and other languages. An example of their gods are Perun. He is the highest god of the Slavic Panthenon. He is the raging lord of heaven and the god of lightning and thunder.
Hrvatska is known for its beaches. One of the beaches is called Zlatni rat beach. This beach is one of the most representative landscapes of Bol, Croatia. The tip of this beach keeps changing its shape continuously, because of the winds, waves and sea currents. Split, a city in Croatia is built over an ancient Roman Palace. It is called Diocletian’s Palace, named after their Emperor. Parts of this bygone structure still remain preserved in Split. Currently, about 3,000 people live in the structure with 220 buildings and a plethora of bars, restaurants and shops. A scene in the movie, Game of Thrones was filmed in Minceta Tower. This tower is a fortress, a defence point of Hrvatska. Minceta Tower was originally built in 1319, to be a shielding fort after the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire.
Croatia’s national anthem, Lijepa naša domovino, was made in 1835. It wasn’t until 1972 they made the anthem official. The title translates to Our Beautiful Homeland. Hrvatska declared its independence in 1991 when Yugoslavia split into six different countries. Nonetheless, Serbia and Croatia still have some border disputes over areas along the Danube River. Did you know that the Croatian Engineer, Slavoljub Penkala invented the mechanical pencil?
Praseeda's Blog 