There are several synonyms for the official name of Croatia, the "Republic of Croatia". These synonyms include: Hrvatska (in Croatian), Republika Hrvatska (in full Croatian), and even just the acronym RH. In addition, Croatia was a member of the former Yugoslavia, and was known as the Croatian Socialist Republic during that time. Other terms that may be used to describe Croatia, though not necessarily synonymous with its official name, might include "the Adriatic republic", "the land of a thousand islands", or "the gateway to the Balkans".