Counties of Croatia

The counties of Croatia (Croatian: hrvatske županije) are the main ways the Republic of Croatia is divided for governing its land and people. Since 1992, Croatia has been split into 20 counties and one special area: the capital city of Zagreb. Zagreb is unique because it works like both a city and a county, separate from the nearby Zagreb County.

By 2015, these counties were further divided into smaller parts, including 128 cities and 428 smaller areas called municipalities, most of which are in the countryside. Over many years, how Croatia’s land is split has changed a lot. These changes happened because of history, like when parts of the country were lost or gained, and because of politics — for example, how Dalmatia, Dubrovnik, and Istria were treated, and the relationship between the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia and the Kingdom of Hungary.

Government

Each county in Croatia has a group of elected members called a county assembly. These members are chosen by people living in the county during local elections. They serve for four years and help make decisions for their county.

The leader of each county’s government is called a county prefect, except in Zagreb, where the leader is called a mayor. These leaders are also elected by the people and serve for four years. If no one gets enough votes the first time, there is a second round of voting to choose the leader.

Funding and tasks

The counties in Croatia get their money from the central government and from taxes and fees they collect. These taxes include a small tax on inheritance and gifts, as well as taxes on motor vehicles, boats, and arcade games. The counties help provide important services like primary and secondary education, healthcare, and social welfare. They also manage roads and handle building permits in their areas.

Counties spend about 15% of all local government money in Croatia. Much of this money goes to schools and healthcare services. Sometimes, counties help with services usually provided by smaller local areas. There has been discussion about whether the way counties spend money could be improved, especially since they often pass along money they receive from the central government without much change.

Lists of counties

Current

See also: List of Croatian counties by GDP

History

Middle Ages

In olden times, Croatia was split into areas called župa. Each župa was managed either by the king himself or by someone the king chose, called a župan. Over time, župa started being called županija, meaning the land ruled by a župan.

The number of these areas changed a lot over the years because of wars, power struggles, and other big changes. Some of the oldest areas were Livno, Cetina, Imotski, Pliva, Pset or Pesenta, Primorje or Klis, Bribir, Nin, Knin, Sidraga, and Nona (later called Luka).

Habsburg era

When the rulers changed in 1527, only three areas stayed: Zagreb, Varaždin, and Križevci. Later, after wars ended, more areas were added. By 1745, new areas like Virovitica, Požega, and Syrmia were created. In 1778, a new area called Severin was made but later removed.

In the 1850s, some areas were removed and others added, bringing the total to five. By 1868, things changed again, and the number went back to seven.

Abolition of the Military Frontier

In 1873, military control ended in some areas, and new districts were made. By 1875, these areas were changed again, with some getting bigger and others smaller.

In 1886, more changes happened. Some areas were removed, and new ones like Lika-Krbava, Bjelovar-Križevci, and Modruš-Rijeka were created. These changes stayed until 1922.

Modernity

The old way of splitting Croatia into areas ended in 1922. Later, new ways were used until after World War II. In 1992, the areas were brought back, but with new borders. The latest change happened in 2006.