CROATIA & USA - 1996 AND BEYOND A Short History of Croatia Timeline of Defining Events Croatian history is intrinsically interwoven with the history of the name "Hrvat". Although there is no definitive history of the origin or meaning of the name "Hrvat" (Croat), there are several theories that explain the origins of Croats and their name. Some contend that "Hrvat" is of Slavic extraction while others suggest that it is of Persian origin. Still others, however, maintain that the name is indigenous, meaning "friend," "sunny land," or "owning much land." Croatia enjoys a rich political and cultural history, marked by the following moments: Emergence of Croatian Statehood Croats arrived in their present homeland in the 7th century.  In 679, Croats entered into a treaty with Pope Agatho, and Croats accepted Christianity during the rule of Prince Viseslav in 800.  Viceroy Trpimir, an ancestor of the Croatian dynasty of Trpimirovic, ruled Dalmatian Croatia. In a letter dated 852, the name Hrvat (Croat) was recorded for the first time on the Adriatic coast.  Pope John VII blessed Croatian Prince Branimir, Croatian clergy and Croatian people in St. Peter Church in Rome on May 21, 879, the first international recognition of Croatia.  Croatia first emerged as a nation-state in 925 when Ban Tomislav united Pannonian and Dalmatian Croatia and was crowned the first Croatian King.  In 1094 the Bishopric of Zagreb was founded. Under the archdiocese of Ostrogon until 1180, and the archdiocese of Kalocza from 1180 to 1152, Zagreb was in 1852 elevated to the rank of an independent archdiocese.  The Baska tablet, one of the oldest and most valuable texts in the Croatian language and Glagolic script, was written in 1100. It details land King Zvonimir gave to the abbey of St. Lucia in Draga Bascanska and the construction of the St. Lucia Church.  Croatia as part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire  In 1102 Croatia and Hungary entered into a special arrangement (Pacta conventa), under which Croatia remained independent but recognized the Hungarian King as its sovereign.  In 1527, at Cetingrad the greater part of the Croatian nobility elected Ferdinand of Habsburg, who promised to respect the rights, laws and customs of the Croatian kingdom and to defend Croatia against the Ottomans.  In the 19th century, the Croatian national revival emerged, striving to end the Germanic and Hungarian grip on Croatia.  In 1848, Croatians led by Ban Josip Jelacic demanded the reorganization of the Habsburg Monarchy on federal principles.  In 1868, the Croatian-Hungarian Treaty was adopted to regulate relations between the two states. This treaty was the political recognition of the Croatian people and guaranteed that Croatia had the right to its own parliament, the Ban as Viceroy, and autonomy in administration, education, religion and the judiciary. Croatian was also recognized as the official language in Croatia.  Croatia in Yugoslavia  Croatia became a part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes against the will of its people after the dissolution of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. For the first time in its history, Croatia's continuous self-rule was interrupted, with all activity of the Croatian parliament suspended and the Croatian state divided within the Kingdom.  In 1928, Croatian representatives were shot in the Belgrade Assembly, killing several of them, including the leader of the Croatian Peasant Party, Stjepan Radic. The following year, Serbian King Alexander Karadjordjevic proclaimed a royalist dictatorship.  In 1939 the Banovina of Croatia was established by which Croatian state identity was restored in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.  In 1941, after Germany occupied and partitioned the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the "Independent State of Croatia" was proclaimed under the auspices of the Axis powers with large territorial sacrifices in favor of their sponsors, particularly Italy. Although the idea of Croatian statehood was supported, the majority of Croatians opposed the Axis occupation of Croatia and founded the anti-fascist movement under the leadership of Josip Broz Tito and Andrija Hebrang. The communist domination of Yugoslavia stifled the development of Croatian statehood and democracy after the war.  In 1971, the Croatian democratic movement, known as the "Croatian Spring," was quashed by dogmatic centralistic forces that were opposed to pluralism and democracy in Croatia. Croatia as a sovereign and independent state  The frst free democratic elections were held in Croatia in April and May 1990. The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), led by its founder and president Dr. Franjo Tudjman, won the election on a platform that united all Croats around the idea of a sovereign, democratic state and national reconciliation. The first democratically elected Parliament was constituted on May 30, the day that has come to mark Croatian statehood.  In the referendum held in May 1991, 94 percent of Croatian voters declared their support for a sovereign and independent Croatia.  The Croatian Parliament declared Croatian independence on June 25, 1991.  On October 8, 1991 after the three month "Brijuni moratorium" on the implementation of the declaration of independence had expired, the Croatian Parliament broke all ties with former Yugoslavia and proclaimed Croatia a sovereign and independent state.  Croatia was recognized on January 13 by the Holy See, and on January 15, 1992 by the European Community Ministerial Council and other states in Europe and beyond. By the end of January, Croatia has been recognized by 42 countries. On May 22, 1992 Croatia was admitted to the United Nations. Today, over a 120 states have recognized Croatia and Croatia has established diplomatic relations with more than 100 countries.