Croatia begins new euro and Schengen zone era- PublishedCroatia is embarking on a historic year as it joins the border-free Schengen zone and ditches its own currency, the kuna, adopting the euro.Croatia's Prime Minister, Andrej Plenkovic, said on Sunday the country - a former Yugoslav republic that fought a war of independence in the 1990s - had "achieved its strategic, state and political goals" by the two historic changes.Mr Plenkovic said that Schengen membership would "mean a lot for Croatia as a tourist country, which is to a large extent a destination where tourists travel by car".Croatia's entry into the Schengen zone is expected to boost its tourism industry, which accounts for 20% of its GDP and welcomes millions of visitors each year.The use of the euro is already widespread in the country, with key assets such as homes valued in the currency and a large percentage of bank deposits also denominated in euros."