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1102
Croatia was Forced to Enter a Union with Hungary
They entered a union with Hungary after a period of rule of kings from the Trpimirovic and Svetoslavic dynasties. They were then united under the Hungarian King. They were ruled by King Ladislaus I. -
Offical Language was Changed to Croatian
Croatian replaced the old Latin language they had. This language is mainly spoken in Croatia. More than 96% of people in Croatia speak Croatian. -
Joined Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
This Kingdom was formed on December 1, 1918. It was ruled by the Serbian Karadjordjević dynasty. They were then renamed Yugoslavia. -
Demands for Independence after Leaders Death
After the death of the Yugoslavia leader, Tito, Croatia demanded independence. The majority of Croats wanted Croatia to leave Yugoslavia so they could become a sovereign country. They finally cut all ties with Yugoslavia on October 8, 1991. -
Election of the First Croatian President
Franjo Tudman became Croatia's first president after their independence from Yugoslavia. He then founded a political party which won the country's first parliamentary elections. He led a successful ballot which then led to Croatia's independance. -
Declared Independence from Yugoslavia
They declared their independence the same day that Slovenia did. They were finalizing its effort to end its status as a constituent republic. They were recognized as an independent state on June 26 by Slovenia. -
Resumed Control Over Eastern Slavonia
The United Nations gave Croatia control over Eastern Slavonia. For the first time in 6 years, they had control over all of its territories. It was turned over as part of the Dayton peace accords which ended the war in Bosnia. -
Submitted Application for an EU Membership
By submitting the application to the EU Croatia reaffirmed is European vocation. The application also demonstrated Croatia's determination. This marked a critical turning point for Croatia. -
Joined the NATO
They officially became a member on April 1, 2009. Croatia was invited to join the NATO in the Bucharest Summit. Croatia has cooperated with the NATO and partner countries in a wide range of other areas through the Partnership for Peace programs. -
First Woman was Elected President
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović was the first female that was elected president. She is the 4th Croatian President and she is the current one. She took office on February 19, 2015, she was the first conservative president in 15 years.
