Coffee drinking is one of Croatia's favorite pastimes. It's generally done with friends or family at a caf;, which is the local neighborhood meeting place for most Croatians, much like the pub in Ireland. Locals have perfected the art of "taking a coffee", as it is called, often making a single coffee last for hours.
The population of Croatia in 2003 was estimated by the United Nations at 4,428,000, which placed it as number 115 in population among the 193 nations of the world. In that year approximately 13% of the population was over 65 years of age, with another 20% of the population under 15 years of age.
Couples arrange their own marriages. Young people usually meet in school, through friends, or at work. They often begin to spend time together in the company of a larger group of friends. A young man and woman usually have a serious relationship before they meet each other's families. Individuals theoretically have a great deal of choice about marriage partners, but Croats tend to marry people of the same nationality and religion and with the same educational level and social status.