Croatia became part of the Schengen region and switched to the euro
On January 1, Croatia became the 20th member of the European Union and the 27th member of the Schengen region, as well as the country with the longest land border of the EU - 1,350 km, the BBC reports.
Over the next two weeks, the euro will gradually replace the local currency of the kuna in the country, and for now, pan-European and Croatian money will be used simultaneously. Paper bills have the same design, but the coins minted by the eurozone countries have national specifics. Now there will also be a trifle with Croatian motives.
The Treaty establishing the European Union was signed in 1992 in the Netherlands. About 420 million people live in the Schengen member countries and this region is the world's largest free travel zone without border control.
Long queues at 73 land border crossings of Croatia with Slovenia and Hungary will now be a thing of the past, and border control at airports will still be in effect until March 26, 2023. The checks will end after solving technical problems.
Also, according to experts, Croatia's entry into the Schengen area should give a noticeable boost to the country's tourism industry, which accounts for 20% of its GDP, the report says.
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