Mother Croatia

Mother Croatia (Croatian: Mati Hrvatska) is the national personification of Croatia. She is seen as a national symbol and represents the historic concept of Croatia as the motherland of the Croat people, Croatian citizens and the Croatian diaspora. Mother Croatia is a significant symbol of Croatian nationalism and its geopolitical influence throughout Southeast Europe. She is often cast in a protective capacity, seen as defending or otherwise nurturing her homeland.

Since the 19th-century Illyrian movement she has been emblematic of Croatian statehood, national identity, and the independence of Croatia. She is depicted throughout Croatian culture as well as displayed in many places in Croatia and its neighboring countries. Croatia's complex nation-building has led to variants of Mother Croatia over time, such as Mother Dalmatia, reflecting the country's Dalmatian coast.