Antun Gustav Matos Statue

Zagreb #6 - A.G. Matos

A life sized statue of the poet in old town Zagreb. For more info on the medical trials I am taking part in to restore my sight read my blog SlobodaPatient.me

Help us caption & translate this video!

Eddie & Kit Cooney - Belief and Beauty - played live in Zagreb, Croatia - Continental Drifting

'Belief And Beauty' played live in the old town of Zagreb next to the statue of Antun Gustav Matoš 12th April 2010

Zagreb In Your Pocket - Strossmayer Promenade (Strossmayerovo šetalište)

In the middle ground between Donji and Gornji Grad, this is a place to rediscover peace, love, harmony and why you've never liked bombs or ammunition in general. A sculpture of Antun Gustav Matoš beckons you to sit next to him.
For more on sights, hotels and restaurants in Zagreb check out Zagreb In Your Pocket

Eddie Cooney - Come Home Sometimes - busking in Zagreb, 6th October 2011

A new song written recently for my son, Kit, who left home for university. I went to the statue of Croatian poet, Atun Gustav Matos, in Zagreb where we sang together last year. I thought it would be a nice quiet place to sing the song, and one special for Kit and me, but as I started to sing the area was invaded by hundreds of school kids... The sound on this is a bit poor and noisy but a precious memory. You have to laugh. Camera is by Marina Pintaric.

Come Home Sometimes

Though something is lost
I've always known
A day would come
When you'd walk on your own
And we'd move around the space you'd leave behind

Chorus
Be bold
Beguile
But come home sometimes
Work hard
And shine
But please come home sometimes

Child in bloom
This bitter-sweet time
We'll watch you go
With memories sublime
And we'll move around the space you leave behind

Repeat chorus

For as long as I breathe
You will always have a home
And all of my love
Is with you as you go

Repeat chorus

Words and music by Eddie Cooney
Written October 2011

Otvorenje spomenika Augustu Šenoi [1988]

TOP 10 Spomenika - Heroji koji su zaslužili vječnost u bronci

1. Bogorodica s Četiri anđela

Autor Bogorodice je Anton Dominik Fernkorn, dok su fontana i cijelo idejno rješenje djelo Hermana Bolleá. Bogorodica je izrađena od pozlaćene bronce 1865. i bila je predviđena za Trg sv. Marka. Međutim, pokazalo se da je spomenik za taj trg predimenzioniran pa je 1878. godine smješten na današnju lokaciju na Kaptolu, ispred katedrale. Spomenik Bogorodici i anđelima alegorija je Kreposti, Vjere, Nade, Nevinosti i Poniznosti, a sam je spomenik prepoznatljivi simbol Kaptola.

2. Sveti Juraj ubija zmaja

Autor spomenika je Anton Dominik Fernkorn. Originalno je izrađen 1853. za palaču Montenuovo u Beču, a 1867. godine zagrebački nadbiskup Juraj Haulik otkupio je cinčani odljev i postavio ga u Maksimirskom perivoju. U međuvremenu je bio postavljen i na Stross -mayerovu trgu, da bi od 1908. novi odljev u bronci stajao na današnjem mjestu - Trgu maršala Tita. Spomenik je kasnobarokne inspi- racije, stari se odljev čuva u Gliptoteci HAZU.

3. Kralj Tomislav

Spomenik je trebao biti podignut 1925. u povodu tisuću godina hrvatske državnosti, ali naručen je tek tri godine kasnije. Glinena maketa spremna za odljev u bronci izrađena je tek 1930., a odljev je napravljen 1933. Zbog dugotrajnih polemika o mjestu postavljanja spomenika i rata, spomenik je podignut tek 1947. godine na današnjem mjestu, na Trgu kralja Tomislava, a dva postranična reljefa postavljena su mnogo kasnije.

4. Ban Josip Jelačić

Gradska je općina odlučila još 1854. podići spomenik banu Jelačiću na glavnom gradskom trgu. Spomenik je svečano otkriven 7. prosinca 1866. i bio je prva velika javna skulptura u Zagrebu. Zbog političkih promjena demontiran je 1947. godine i pohranjen u današnjoj Gliptoteci HAZU. Na novouređeni gradski trg, kojem je tada i vraćeno ime Trg bana Jelačića, ponovno je postavljen 1990. godine, i to promijenjene orijentacije.

5. August Šenoa

Skulptura autorice Marije Ujević, koja prikazuje velikog književnika naslonjenog na stup na križanju Vlaške i Palmotićeve, izrađen je 1986., a na današnje mjesto postavljen 1988., u povodu 150. godišnjice piščeva rođenja.

6. Nikola Tesla

Ivan Meštrović spomenik je izradio 1954. godine, a prvotno je postavljen 1957. u park Instituta Ruđer Bošković. Na današnju lokaciju, križanje Tesline i Masarykove ulice, premješten je 2006. godine u povodu 150. obljetnice rođenja velikog znanstvenika.

7. Antun Gustav Matoš

Na Strossmayerovu šetalištu spomenik Matošu postavljen je 1978. godine, a bio je prvi spomenik s otklonom od tradicijskih tijekova jer prikazuje pjesnika i književnika kako bezbrižno sjedi na klupi i, rekli bi neki, vjerojatno smišlja nove predivne stihove. Izradio ga je Ivan Kožarić 1978. godine.
8. Josip Juraj Strossmayer

Spomenik je podignut na inicijativu Građanskog odbora, zalaganjem Odbora zagrebačkih gospođa za Strossmayerov spomenik. Izradio ga je Ivan Meštrović 1924. godine, a od 1926. ponosito stoji na Strossmayerovu trgu.
9. Kumica Barica

Skulptura prikazuje seljanku odjevenu u prigorsku nošnju, a simbol je prodavačica na glavnom zagrebačkom placu. Ime spomeniku su izabrali građani Zagreba. Autor spomenika je Stjepan Gračan, a postavljen je 2006.
10. Zdenac života

Ivan Meštrović izradio je jednu od danas najpoznatijih zagrebačkih fontana 1905., a postavljena je 1912. ispred HNK . Grad Zagreb kupio je Meštrovićev Zdenac života na izložbi, te ga postavio kao svojevrsni spomenik Gradskom vodovodu.

Croatia | Wikipedia audio article

This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Croatia

Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written
language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.

Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain

Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through
audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio
while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using
a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.


You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:


In case you don't find one that you were looking for, put a comment.
This video uses Google TTS en-US-Standard-D voice.



SUMMARY
=======
Croatia ( ( listen), kroh-AY-shə; Croatian: Hrvatska Serbo-Croatian pronunciation: [xř̩ʋaːtskaː]), officially the Republic of Croatia (Croatian: Republika Hrvatska, listen ) is a country at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, on the Adriatic Sea. Its capital Zagreb forms one of the country's primary subdivisions, along with twenty counties. Croatia has an area of 56,594 square kilometres (21,851 square miles) and a population of 4.28 million, most of whom are Roman Catholics.
The Croats arrived in the area in the 6th century and organised the territory into two duchies by the 9th century. Tomislav became the first king by 925, elevating Croatia to the status of a kingdom, which retained its sovereignty for nearly two centuries, reaching its peak during the rule of kings Petar Krešimir IV and Dmitar Zvonimir. Croatia entered a personal union with Hungary in 1102. In 1527, faced with Ottoman conquest, the Croatian Parliament elected Ferdinand I of Austria to the Croatian throne. In October 1918, in the final days of World War I, the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, independent from Austria-Hungary, was proclaimed in Zagreb, and in December 1918 it was merged into the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Following the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, most of the Croatian territory was incorporated into the Nazi-backed client-state which led to the development of a resistance movement and the creation of the Federal State of Croatia which after the war become a founding member and a federal constituent of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. On 25 June 1991, Croatia declared independence, which came wholly into effect on 8 October of the same year. The Croatian War of Independence was fought successfully for four years following the declaration.
The sovereign state of Croatia is a republic governed under a parliamentary system and a developed country with a very high standard of living. It is a member of the European Union (EU), the United Nations (UN), the Council of Europe, NATO, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and a founding member of the Union for the Mediterranean. As an active participant in the UN peacekeeping forces, Croatia has contributed troops to the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan and took a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2008–2009 term. Since 2000, the Croatian government has constantly invested in infrastructure, especially transport routes and facilities along the Pan-European corridors.
Croatia's economy is dominated by service and industrial sectors and agriculture. Tourism is a significant source of revenue, with Croatia ranked among top 20 most popular tourist destinations in the world. The state controls a part of the economy, with substantial government expenditure. The European Union is Croatia's most important trading partner. Croatia provides a social security, universal health care system, and a tuition-free primary and secondary education, while supporting culture through numerous public institutions and corporate investments in media and publishing.

Croatia | Wikipedia audio article

This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Croatia

Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written
language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.

Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain

Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through
audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio
while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using
a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.


You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:


In case you don't find one that you were looking for, put a comment.
This video uses Google TTS en-US-Standard-D voice.



SUMMARY
=======
Croatia ( ( listen), kroh-AY-shə; Croatian: Hrvatska Serbo-Croatian pronunciation: [xř̩ʋaːtskaː]), officially the Republic of Croatia (Croatian: Republika Hrvatska, listen ) is a country at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, on the Adriatic Sea. Its capital Zagreb forms one of the country's primary subdivisions, along with twenty counties. Croatia has an area of 56,594 square kilometres (21,851 square miles) and a population of 4.28 million, most of whom are Roman Catholics.
The Croats arrived in the area in the 6th century and organised the territory into two duchies by the 9th century. Tomislav became the first king by 925, elevating Croatia to the status of a kingdom, which retained its sovereignty for nearly two centuries, reaching its peak during the rule of kings Petar Krešimir IV and Dmitar Zvonimir. Croatia entered a personal union with Hungary in 1102. In 1527, faced with Ottoman conquest, the Croatian Parliament elected Ferdinand I of Austria to the Croatian throne. In October 1918, in the final days of World War I, the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, independent from Austria-Hungary, was proclaimed in Zagreb, and in December 1918 it was merged into the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Following the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, most of the Croatian territory was incorporated into the Nazi-backed client-state which led to the development of a resistance movement and the creation of the Federal State of Croatia which after the war become a founding member and a federal constituent of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. On 25 June 1991, Croatia declared independence, which came wholly into effect on 8 October of the same year. The Croatian War of Independence was fought successfully for four years following the declaration.
The sovereign state of Croatia is a republic governed under a parliamentary system and a developed country with a very high standard of living. It is a member of the European Union (EU), the United Nations (UN), the Council of Europe, NATO, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and a founding member of the Union for the Mediterranean. As an active participant in the UN peacekeeping forces, Croatia has contributed troops to the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan and took a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2008–2009 term. Since 2000, the Croatian government has constantly invested in infrastructure, especially transport routes and facilities along the Pan-European corridors.
Croatia's economy is dominated by service and industrial sectors and agriculture. Tourism is a significant source of revenue, with Croatia ranked among top 20 most popular tourist destinations in the world. The state controls a part of the economy, with substantial government expenditure. The European Union is Croatia's most important trading partner. Croatia provides a social security, universal health care system, and a tuition-free primary and secondary education, while supporting culture through numerous public institutions and corporate investments in media and publishing.

Croatia | Wikipedia audio article

This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Croatia


00:03:17 1 Etymology
00:04:54 2 History
00:05:03 2.1 Early history
00:05:48 2.2 Greek and Roman rule
00:07:22 2.3 Middle Ages
00:10:15 2.4 Habsburg Monarchy and Austria-Hungary
00:14:10 2.5 Yugoslavia (1918–1991)
00:20:37 2.6 Independence (1991–present)
00:24:09 3 Geography
00:27:09 3.1 Biodiversity
00:31:33 4 Politics
00:34:03 4.1 Law and judicial system
00:35:39 4.2 Administrative divisions
00:38:27 4.3 Foreign relations
00:41:03 4.4 Military
00:43:47 5 Economy
00:46:50 5.1 Tourism
00:49:05 5.2 Infrastructure
00:52:50 6 Demographics
00:55:57 6.1 Religion
00:57:12 6.2 Languages
01:00:13 6.3 Education
01:03:59 6.4 Health
01:06:14 7 Culture
01:09:43 7.1 Arts and literature
01:12:24 7.2 Media
01:15:38 7.3 Cuisine
01:16:58 7.4 Sports
01:19:57 8 See also



Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.

Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain

Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.

You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:


You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:




The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates



SUMMARY
=======
Croatia ( (listen), kroh-AY-shə; Croatian: Hrvatska Serbo-Croatian pronunciation: [xř̩ʋaːtskaː]), officially the Republic of Croatia (Croatian: Republika Hrvatska, listen ) is a country at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, on the Adriatic Sea. Its capital Zagreb forms one of the country's primary subdivisions, along with twenty counties. Croatia has an area of 56,594 square kilometres (21,851 square miles) and a population of 4.28 million, most of whom are Roman Catholics.
The Croats arrived in the area in the 6th century and organised the territory into two duchies by the 9th century. Tomislav became the first king by 925, elevating Croatia to the status of a kingdom, which retained its sovereignty for nearly two centuries, reaching its peak during the rule of kings Petar Krešimir IV and Dmitar Zvonimir. Croatia entered a personal union with Hungary in 1102. In 1527, faced with Ottoman conquest, the Croatian Parliament elected Ferdinand I of Austria to the Croatian throne. In October 1918, in the final days of World War I, the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, independent from Austria-Hungary, was proclaimed in Zagreb, and in December 1918 it was merged into the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Following the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, most of the Croatian territory was incorporated into the Nazi-backed client-state which led to the development of a resistance movement and the creation of the Federal State of Croatia which after the war become a founding member and a federal constituent of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. On 25 June 1991, Croatia declared independence, which came wholly into effect on 8 October of the same year. The Croatian War of Independence was fought successfully for four years following the declaration.
The sovereign state of Croatia is a republic governed under a parliamentary system and a developed country with a very high standard of living. It is a member of the European Union (EU), the United Nations (UN), the Council of Europe, NATO, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and a founding member of the Union for the Mediterranean. As an active participant in the UN peacekeeping forces, Croatia has contributed troops to the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan and took a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2008–2009 term. Since 2000, the Croatian government has constantly invested in infrastructure, especially transport routes and facilities along the Pan-European corridors.
Croatia's economy is dominated by service and industrial sectors and agriculture. Tourism is a significant source of revenue, with Croatia ranked among top 20 most popular tourist destinations in the world. The state controls a part of the economy, with substantial government expenditure. The European Union is Croatia's most important trading partner. Croatia provides a social security, universal health care system, and a tuition-free primary and secondary education, while supporting culture through numerous public institutions and corporate investments in media and publishing.

Croatia | Wikipedia audio article

This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Croatia

Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written
language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.

Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain

Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through
audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio
while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using
a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.


You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:


In case you don't find one that you were looking for, put a comment.
This video uses Google TTS en-US-Standard-D voice.



SUMMARY
=======
Croatia ( ( listen), kroh-AY-shə; Croatian: Hrvatska Serbo-Croatian pronunciation: [xř̩ʋaːtskaː]), officially the Republic of Croatia (Croatian: Republika Hrvatska, listen ) is a country at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, on the Adriatic Sea. Its capital Zagreb forms one of the country's primary subdivisions, along with twenty counties. Croatia has an area of 56,594 square kilometres (21,851 square miles) and a population of 4.28 million, most of whom are Roman Catholics.
The Croats arrived in the area in the 6th century and organised the territory into two duchies by the 9th century. Tomislav became the first king by 925, elevating Croatia to the status of a kingdom, which retained its sovereignty for nearly two centuries, reaching its peak during the rule of kings Petar Krešimir IV and Dmitar Zvonimir. Croatia entered a personal union with Hungary in 1102. In 1527, faced with Ottoman conquest, the Croatian Parliament elected Ferdinand I of Austria to the Croatian throne. In October 1918, in the final days of World War I, the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, independent from Austria-Hungary, was proclaimed in Zagreb, and in December 1918 it was merged into the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Following the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, most of the Croatian territory was incorporated into the Nazi-backed client-state which led to the development of a resistance movement and the creation of the Federal State of Croatia which after the war become a founding member and a federal constituent of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. On 25 June 1991, Croatia declared independence, which came wholly into effect on 8 October of the same year. The Croatian War of Independence was fought successfully for four years following the declaration.
The sovereign state of Croatia is a republic governed under a parliamentary system and a developed country with a very high standard of living. It is a member of the European Union (EU), the United Nations (UN), the Council of Europe, NATO, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and a founding member of the Union for the Mediterranean. As an active participant in the UN peacekeeping forces, Croatia has contributed troops to the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan and took a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2008–2009 term. Since 2000, the Croatian government has constantly invested in infrastructure, especially transport routes and facilities along the Pan-European corridors.
Croatia's economy is dominated by service and industrial sectors and agriculture. Tourism is a significant source of revenue, with Croatia ranked among top 20 most popular tourist destinations in the world. The state controls a part of the economy, with substantial government expenditure. The European Union is Croatia's most important trading partner. Croatia provides a social security, universal health care system, and a tuition-free primary and secondary education, while supporting culture through numerous public institutions and corporate investments in media and publishing.

Croatia | Wikipedia audio article

This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Croatia


00:03:17 1 Etymology
00:04:54 2 History
00:05:03 2.1 Early history
00:05:48 2.2 Greek and Roman rule
00:07:22 2.3 Middle Ages
00:10:15 2.4 Habsburg Monarchy and Austria-Hungary
00:14:10 2.5 Yugoslavia (1918–1991)
00:20:37 2.6 Independence (1991–present)
00:24:09 3 Geography
00:27:09 3.1 Biodiversity
00:31:33 4 Politics
00:34:03 4.1 Law and judicial system
00:35:39 4.2 Administrative divisions
00:38:27 4.3 Foreign relations
00:41:03 4.4 Military
00:43:47 5 Economy
00:46:50 5.1 Tourism
00:49:05 5.2 Infrastructure
00:52:50 6 Demographics
00:55:57 6.1 Religion
00:57:12 6.2 Languages
01:00:13 6.3 Education
01:03:59 6.4 Health
01:06:14 7 Culture
01:09:43 7.1 Arts and literature
01:12:24 7.2 Media
01:15:38 7.3 Cuisine
01:16:58 7.4 Sports
01:19:57 8 See also



Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.

Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain

Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.

You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:


You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:




The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates



SUMMARY
=======
Croatia ( (listen), kroh-AY-shə; Croatian: Hrvatska Serbo-Croatian pronunciation: [xř̩ʋaːtskaː]), officially the Republic of Croatia (Croatian: Republika Hrvatska, listen ) is a country at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, on the Adriatic Sea. Its capital Zagreb forms one of the country's primary subdivisions, along with twenty counties. Croatia has an area of 56,594 square kilometres (21,851 square miles) and a population of 4.28 million, most of whom are Roman Catholics.
The Croats arrived in the area in the 6th century and organised the territory into two duchies by the 9th century. Tomislav became the first king by 925, elevating Croatia to the status of a kingdom, which retained its sovereignty for nearly two centuries, reaching its peak during the rule of kings Petar Krešimir IV and Dmitar Zvonimir. Croatia entered a personal union with Hungary in 1102. In 1527, faced with Ottoman conquest, the Croatian Parliament elected Ferdinand I of Austria to the Croatian throne. In October 1918, in the final days of World War I, the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, independent from Austria-Hungary, was proclaimed in Zagreb, and in December 1918 it was merged into the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Following the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, most of the Croatian territory was incorporated into the Nazi-backed client-state which led to the development of a resistance movement and the creation of the Federal State of Croatia which after the war become a founding member and a federal constituent of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. On 25 June 1991, Croatia declared independence, which came wholly into effect on 8 October of the same year. The Croatian War of Independence was fought successfully for four years following the declaration.
The sovereign state of Croatia is a republic governed under a parliamentary system and a developed country with a very high standard of living. It is a member of the European Union (EU), the United Nations (UN), the Council of Europe, NATO, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and a founding member of the Union for the Mediterranean. As an active participant in the UN peacekeeping forces, Croatia has contributed troops to the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan and took a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2008–2009 term. Since 2000, the Croatian government has constantly invested in infrastructure, especially transport routes and facilities along the Pan-European corridors.
Croatia's economy is dominated by service and industrial sectors and agriculture. Tourism is a significant source of revenue, with Croatia ranked among top 20 most popular tourist destinations in the world. The state controls a part of the economy, with substantial government expenditure. The European Union is Croatia's most important trading partner. Croatia provides a social security, universal health care system, and a tuition-free primary and secondary education, while supporting culture through numerous public institutions and corporate investments in media and publishing.

Croatia | Wikipedia audio article

This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Croatia

Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.

Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain

Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.

You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:


You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:




The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates



SUMMARY
=======
Croatia ( (listen), kroh-AY-shə; Croatian: Hrvatska Serbo-Croatian pronunciation: [xř̩ʋaːtskaː]), officially the Republic of Croatia (Croatian: Republika Hrvatska, listen ) is a country at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, on the Adriatic Sea. Its capital Zagreb forms one of the country's primary subdivisions, along with twenty counties. Croatia has an area of 56,594 square kilometres (21,851 square miles) and a population of 4.28 million, most of whom are Roman Catholics.
The Croats arrived in the area in the 6th century and organised the territory into two duchies by the 9th century. Tomislav became the first king by 925, elevating Croatia to the status of a kingdom, which retained its sovereignty for nearly two centuries, reaching its peak during the rule of kings Petar Krešimir IV and Dmitar Zvonimir. Croatia entered a personal union with Hungary in 1102. In 1527, faced with Ottoman conquest, the Croatian Parliament elected Ferdinand I of Austria to the Croatian throne. In October 1918, in the final days of World War I, the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, independent from Austria-Hungary, was proclaimed in Zagreb, and in December 1918 it was merged into the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Following the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, most of the Croatian territory was incorporated into the Nazi-backed client-state which led to the development of a resistance movement and the creation of the Federal State of Croatia which after the war become a founding member and a federal constituent of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. On 25 June 1991, Croatia declared independence, which came wholly into effect on 8 October of the same year. The Croatian War of Independence was fought successfully for four years following the declaration.
The sovereign state of Croatia is a republic governed under a parliamentary system and a developed country with a very high standard of living. It is a member of the European Union (EU), the United Nations (UN), the Council of Europe, NATO, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and a founding member of the Union for the Mediterranean. As an active participant in the UN peacekeeping forces, Croatia has contributed troops to the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan and took a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2008–2009 term. Since 2000, the Croatian government has constantly invested in infrastructure, especially transport routes and facilities along the Pan-European corridors.
Croatia's economy is dominated by service and industrial sectors and agriculture. Tourism is a significant source of revenue, with Croatia ranked among top 20 most popular tourist destinations in the world. The state controls a part of the economy, with substantial government expenditure. The European Union is Croatia's most important trading partner. Croatia provides a social security, universal health care system, and a tuition-free primary and secondary education, while supporting culture through numerous public institutions and corporate investments in media and publishing.