Croats

Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group primarily associated with Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. They speak Croatian, a South Slavic language written in the Latin script. Standard Croatian is based on several regional dialects, with pronunciation varying by area.

Croats trace their roots to medieval Slavic populations that settled in the western Balkans in the 6th and 7th centuries. By the Middle Ages a Croatian polity emerged in Dalmatia and the Pannonian regions. In 1102 Croatia entered a personal union with Hungary, a political arrangement that shaped the region for centuries. Much of Croatian territory later came under the Habsburg Monarchy and, after World War I, became part of Yugoslavia. Following World War II, Croats were one of the constituent peoples of socialist Yugoslavia. Croatia declared independence in 1991, leading to the Croatian War of Independence and eventual recognition as a sovereign state in 1992.

Demographically, Croats form the majority in Croatia and constitute a significant community in Bosnia and Herzegovina. There are Croatian communities in Serbia, Montenegro, and throughout the diaspora in Europe, North America, Australia, and elsewhere. The majority religion is Roman Catholicism, with minority communities of Orthodox Christians, Muslims, and Protestants.

Culturally, Croat identity includes language, literature, music, and customs. The Croatian flag features the red and white šahovnica, a national symbol. Croatian culture has produced notable writers, scientists, and artists and remains tied to the region’s heritage and history.