Croatia Set to Join EU

Beautiful beaches, great basketball players, and now, EU membership! What DOESN'T Croatia have?

The European Union has signalled that it's totally cool with Croatia joining their club, bringing membership in the body to 28. All that's left is for each country to ratify an accession agreement to bring Croatia (pop: 4.4 million; capital: Zagreb; Prime Minister: Jadranka Kosor;). Only 20 years removed from its involvement in the various Balkan wars, Croatia has matured more steadily and healthily than all other of the former Yugoslav states beside Slovenia, and will gain full membership in the EU in 2013. It's the first time the EU has expanded since 2007, when Romania and Bulgaria joined up (many of whom would say prematurely). Montenegro, Turkey, and Iceland are all currently candidates to join during the next englargement, slated for 2015 or so.