Stepping Out of the Past—Developmental Tendencies of Croatia Since the 1990s

Abstract

The recent history of contemporary Croatia represents a step out of the domain of historical geography. This is the period of overwhelming change in every sense. Toward the end of the twentieth century, the political map of the world changed with the collapse of Yugoslavia and the emergence of new states—the Republic of Croatia among them. This was just one part of the whirlwind of change that engulfed the world following the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe. These changes drastically affected the position of Croatia in relation to the former constituent republics of Yugoslavia. The changes took place within Croatia itself, mostly due to the Croatian War of Independence, which had the consequence of creating many spatial, demographic, and economic burdens, as well as changes in relation to other European regions. A period of three decades, however, is too short to define substantial cultural landscape change that could be understood as a kind of a landmark of post-socialist Croatia. Therefore, this chapter aims to tie together the basic processes of the post-socialist and post-war period that have initiated geographically relevant trends. Within the general political–geographical context of change, the chapter explores the geographical dimensions of the War and economic transition, the new administrative–territorial organisation within the framework of the new Croatian state, and the consequent implications for its urban and nodal networks. The trajectories of wider integration processes in Croatia and the implications thereof for the quality of life of its residents are also examined.