The spatial structure of Croatia

Abstract

The spatial structure and territorial development of independent Croatia is an interesting research subject in many aspects. Until the Millennium, the country had gone through a number of profound processes – e.g. state formation, war, the population’s territorial reconfiguration – all having their own regional impact. Even more, the historically established territorial differences had been further affected by the post-socialist transition process, the Euro- Atlantic integration, and, later on, the world economic crisis. This paper outlines the most important factors and processes shaping the country’s spatial structure, focusing on the end of the period during which Croatia became a member of the European Union.

Croatia, despite its relatively small territory, is composed of strikingly different areas. This is mainly due to the country’s geographic location and its unusual shape. The country integrates a number of, in many aspects different, but partially also overlapping regions. These natural, social, historic, and other factors significantly – however, never deterministically – impact the spatial structure. Consequently, to a certain degree, regional differences within Croatia can be considered normal.

This study takes into account the most important factors differentiating counties and cities which gained an advantage from the last decade’s social, economic, and other processes from those which could not. It reviews the most important natural, social, administrative and economic developments and the territorial structures they produced.

It can be stated that on the macro-regional level the Croatian development partially changed orientation: while the coastal areas and the metropolitan region (Central Croatia) went through an expansion, Slavonia, the Eastern part of the country, is clearly a loser of the same transformations. Just like in other post-Yugoslavian and Central European countries, the importance of the capital city’s role and development increased.

In spite of the fact that, due to its historical roots, the present Croatia is a very centralized country, it still can be described as rather polycentric as a result of its heterogeneous and uniquely shaped territory.