Islands, sport and spotted dogs: Five facts about Croatia

Croatians vote Sunday in a close parliamentary election that pits ruling conservatives led by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic against the centre-left Social Democrats.

Here are five facts about the Adriatic country which proclaimed independence from Yugoslavia in 1991:

READ: Croats go to polls amid sharp economic downturn, rising coronavirus infections

Croatia is blessed with a stunning coastline dotted with more than 1,000 islands and islets attracting some 20 million tourists yearly.

But tourism, generating a fifth of gross domestic product, has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic even though Croatia's own outbreak has not been severe.

The country of 4.2 million people has registered around 100 deaths and some 3,000 infections.

Yet the tourism industry is still expected to shrink by 70 percent this year due to huge disruptions in the travel and aviation sectors.

The pandemic has emptied some of Croatia's most famous sites, like Dubrovnik, the medieval "Pearl of the Adriatic", for the first time since the 1990s independence war.

As Europe eases out of lockdown Croatia hopes that the closeness of its main markets -- Austria, Germany and Slovenia, all reachable by road -- will help maintain some tourist flow.

Camping and boating holidays are also a draw as they enable easier keeping to social distancing measures.

Apart from the coast, other top tourist attractions include the Istria hinterland, known for its truffles, the Velebit mountain range, and the Krka and Plitvice national parks.

The small nation boasts an impressive number of sporting stars.

Its footballers made a historic run to the World Cup final in 2018 under captain Luka Modric before losing 4-2 to France.

The water polo squad and national handball team have both scooped up world championship titles and Olympic golds.

Tennis legend Goran Ivanisevic and current star Marin Cilic, as well as high-jump champion Blanka Vlasic, have also made names for themselves.

And although Croatia has practically no ski resorts, it boasts Alpine ski champions such as sister and brother Janica and Ivica Kostelic.

Like many of its Balkan neighbours, Croatia is struggling to keep young people at home as huge numbers pack their bags for wealthier European capitals.

The exodus could lead to a "demographic collapse" with birthrates also plunging, demographers have warned.

Since joining the European Union in 2013, about 190,000 people have left, official data shows, but analysts put the real number closer to 300,000.

Most leave for better wages and job opportunities, though many also cite widespread corruption at home.

At the same time Croatia is also taking a hardline stance against migrants from the Middle East, North Africa and Asia who have been trying to enter its territory through Bosnia.

Most hope to continue on to Western Europe.

Croatian border police are routinely accused of violently pushing migrants back to Bosnia, although Zagreb denies this.

The white dogs with brown or black spots are one of Croatia's most universally known and beloved exports.

Of Croatia's seven native dog breeds, Dalmatians won global fame thanks to Walt Disney's animated film "101 Dalmatians", first released in 1961.

Originating from the coastal region of Dalmatia on the Adriatic Sea, the friendly dogs were first depicted in paintings and church chronicles from the 16th to 18th century, before becoming sought-after pets.

Croatia hopes to join the two-year waiting room for eurozone candidates in July, and could adopt the euro by 2023 at the earliest.

In the meantime, the currency is the kuna, which was adopted in 1994 during the independence war.

Kuna means marten, a weasel-like carnivore whose fur was used as currency in the Middle Ages.

The animal's image graces the face of many Croatian coins.

The choice, however, stirred controversy as the kuna was also used by Croatia's pro-Nazi World War II regime.