For many people, Catholicism is a symbol of nationality even though they may not attend mass or participate in other religious activities or ceremonies. Most young people are baptized, and most marriages are conducted in a church. Other religions include Eastern or Serbian Orthodox, Islam, Judaism, and Protestantism. Since the war, there has been a more visible presence of Protestant missionaries, including members of the Church of the Latter Day Saints and Jehovah's Witness. There is some interest in Eastern religions, such as Buddhism, among young adults.
The subdivisions of Croatia on the first level are the 20 counties (županija, pl. županije) and one city-county (grad, "city"). On the second level these are municipalities (općina, pl. općine) and towns (also named grad, pl. gradovi).Both of these type of subdivisions consist of settlements(naselje, pl. naselja). The 1st- and 2nd-level subdivisions are self-governed, while naselja are used mainly for statistical purposes, though they can also institute one or more levels of self-government, typically in cities.
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.