Bosnia and Herzegovina
(Bosna i Hercegovina or BiH)
Location: 44 00 N, 18 00 E in Southeastern Europe.
Bordered by Croatia to the North and West, Serbia to the East, and Montenegro to the Southeast. Less than 20 km of coastline on the Adriatic Sea to the West.
Capital: Sarajevo
Other Major Cities: Banja Luka, Brcko, Mostar, Tuzla
Size: 51,129 sq km
(slightly smaller than West Virginia)
| State: | Bosnia and Herzegovina seceded
from Yugoslavia in 1991-92. This led to war between the three main ethnic groups:
Bosniaks (Muslims), Croats, and Serbs (who wanted to remain a part of Serb-dominated
Yugoslavia). In 1994, the Bosniaks and Croats agreed to form a Federation, but the war with ethnic Serbs (supported by Yugoslavia) continued until 1996. Following the 1995 Dayton Agreement, Bosnia-Herzegovina was divided into the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina (Muslim/Croat entity, covering 51% of the territory) and Republika Srpska (Serb entity, covering 49% of the territory). NATO-led forces continue to remain in BiH with a mission of keeping the peace.
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| Population: | 3,835,777 (2000 very rough estimate)
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| Ethnic groups: | (1991 statistics) Serb 31%, Bosniak
(Bosnian Muslim) 44%, Croat 17%, "Yugoslav" 5.5%, other 2.5%. Due to ethnic cleansing during the war, different ethnic groups now
tend to be concentrated in particular regions, cities, or parts of cities. |
| Religion: | (1991 statistics) Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, Protestant
4%, other 10% |
| Access to Waterways: | Bosnia has a very narrow area of coastline on the Adriatic (surrounded
both north and south by Croatia). Its major waterway is the Sava River which
connects it to Serbia and Croatia. However, the war damaged many ports along this
waterways.
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| Climate: | Generally hot summers and cold
winters. Mountainous areas have short, cool summers and long, severe winters.
Earthquakes common.
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| Natural resources: | Coal, iron, bauxite, manganese,
forests, copper, chromium, lead, zinc, hydropower .
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| Industries and Agriculture: | Bosnia and Herzegovina was
traditionally one of the poorest republics in socialist Yugoslavia. Its main
industrites were steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, vehicle assembly,
textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, tank and aircraft assembly, domestic
appliances, oil refining. Agricultural products included wheat, corn, fruits,
vegetables, and livestock. The 1992-96 war was devastating and post-war Bosnia continues to face difficulties in rebuilding its infrastructure and economy. Much trade takes place on the black market.
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| Currency: | 1 convertible marka
(KM) = 100 convertible pfenniga (tied to Deutschmark)
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Facts from CIA Worldbook