Croatia
Croatia was the second most prosperous and industrialized republic in the Yugoslavia federation with a per capita output close to one-third above the Yugoslav average. In 1991, Croatia and its wealthier neighbor Slovenia seceded from Yugoslavia . Whereas Slovenia's secession was relatively peaceful, Croatia's resulted in a massive internal conflict between the Catholic majority and the Orthodox Serbians. In the struggle thousands of residents died on both sides and many more lost their homes. Over 700,000 Croatian residents, including all three of the main religious groups, found themselves living as refugees within the borders of their own country. This has put additional strain on an already troubled post-war economy.
Before the dissolution of Yugoslavia, 10 million tourists would travel to Croatia for its picturesque Adriatic shoreline. The nation has 5790 km (3590 miles) of coastline on its mainland and 1185 offshore islands. The country is now recovering its tourist attraction that it lost during its civil war.
Although the decades-long reign of communism sought to completely suppress Christianity, independence from this form of government led to another kind of recovery, a recovery of religon. Seventy-six percent of the population now claim an affiliation to the Roman Catholic Church. Unfortunately, this resurgence of religion has mainly been a hollow one, since most still do not know what it means to have a personal relationship with Christ. However, some Croats have come to understand their need for this personal relationship with Christ and are now sharing their faith with their countrymen. Would you consider joining them in this effort?
If you would like to find how you can help the people of Croatia learn what it means to have a personal relationship with Christ, contact us at hope4cee@pobox.com.