Zagreb, << ZAH grehb >> (pop. 663,592), is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It lies on the banks of the Sava River in northern Croatia.
Zagreb is Croatia’s chief industrial center. Factories in the city produce chemicals, leather, machinery, paper, and textiles. Museums in Zagreb include the Museum of Arts and Crafts, the Archaeological Museum, and the Ethnographic Museum. The University of Zagreb was established in the city in 1669.
Historical records mention Zagreb for the first time in 1094, when it became the seat of a Roman Catholic bishopric. In the 1800’s, Zagreb became an important political, scientific, and literary center for Croats. In 1918, Croatia became part of the new Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, later renamed Yugoslavia. In 1991, war broke out between Croats and Serbs in Croatia after Croatia declared its independence. Tens of thousands of people fled to Zagreb after their villages were destroyed in the fighting.
