Croatia is governed.
Croatia ( [ kroʊˈeɪʃə ] ; Hrvatska [ xř̩ʋaːtskaː ] ) , officially the Republic of Croatia ( [ Republika Hrvatska , links = no ] , ) , is a sovereign state between Central Europe , Southeast Europe , and the Mediterranean . The Kingdom of Croatia retained its sovereignty for nearly two centuries , reaching its peak during the rule of Kings Petar Krešimir IV and Dmitar Zvonimir . In 1527 , faced with Ottoman conquest , the Croatian Parliament elected Ferdinand I of the House of Habsburg to the Croatian throne . On 25 June 1991 Croatia declared independence , which came wholly into effect on 8 October of the same year . A unitary state , Croatia is a republic governed under a parliamentary system .