<Tr> <Th> Area (km) </Th> <Td> 165,048 </Td> <Td> 56,594 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Population </Th> <Td> 18,583,598 </Td> <Td> 4,284,889 </Td> </Tr> <P> The 2013 enlargement of the European Union saw Croatia join the European Union as its 28th member state on 1 July 2013 . </P> <P> The country applied for EU membership in 2003, and the European Commission recommended making it an official candidate in early 2004 . Candidate country status was granted to Croatia by the European Council in mid-2004 . The entry negotiations, while originally set for March 2005, began in October that year together with the screening process . </P>

When did croatia become part of the eu