Bosnia and Herzegovina
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2008-07-16T04:35:44Z
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{{distinguish|Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina}}
{{otheruses4|the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina|other uses of the term Bosnia|Bosnia (disambiguation){{!}}Bosnia}}
{{Infobox Country
|native_name = <span style="line-height:1.33em;">''Bosna i Hercegovina''<br/>Босна и Херцеговина</span>
|conventional_long_name = Bosnia and Herzegovina
|common_name = Bosnia and Herzegovina
|image_flag = Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg
|image_coat = Bosnia and Herzegovina Coats of Arms modified.svg
|years = 1992-1995
|image_map = Europe location BHG.png
|map_caption = {{map caption |region=Europe |legend=European location legend en.svg}}
|national_anthem = ''[[Intermeco|Državna himna Bosne i Hercegovine]]''
|official_languages = [[Bosnian language|Bosnian]], [[Serbian language|Serbian]],[[Croatian language|Croatian]]
|demonym = [[Bosnians|Bosnian]], [[Herzegovina|Herzegovinian]] (Bosniak, Bosnian Serb, Bosnian Croat)
|capital = [[Sarajevo]]
|latd=43 |latm=52 |latNS=N |longd=18 |longm=25 |longEW=E
|largest_city = capital
|government_type = [[Federal republic|Federal democratic republic]]
|leader_title1 = [[High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina|High Representative]]
|leader_name1 = {{nowrap|[[Miroslav Lajčák]]}}{{smallsup|4}}
|leader_title2 = [[Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Presidency members]]
|leader_name2 = [[Haris Silajdžić]]{{smallsup|1}}<br/>[[Željko Komšić]]{{smallsup|2}}<br/>[[Nebojša Radmanović]]{{smallsup|3}}
|leader_title3 = Chairman of the<br/>[[Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Council of Ministers]]
|leader_name3 = [[Nikola Špirić]]
|area_rank = 127th
|area_magnitude = 1_E10
|area_km2 = 51,197
|area_sq_mi = 19,767 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
|percent_water = negligible
|population_estimate = 3,981,239 <!--Do NOT place higher estimates here such as those from the CIA World Factbook: see talk page for justifications! The correct figure is 3,981,239.-->
|population_estimate_rank = 126th<sup>5</sup>
|population_estimate_year = 2007
|population_census = 4,377,053
|population_census_year = 1991
|population_density_km2 = 76
|population_density_sq_mi = 230 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
|population_density_rank = 116th<sup>5</sup>
|GDP_PPP = $42.998 billion<ref>http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2007/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=92&pr.y=17&sy=2004&ey=2008&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=963&s=NGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC&grp=0&a=</ref>
|GDP_PPP_rank = 94th
|GDP_PPP_year = 2008
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $10,714.48<ref>http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2007/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=92&pr.y=17&sy=2004&ey=2008&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=963&s=NGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC&grp=0&a=</ref>
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 87th
|Gini = 26.2
|Gini_year = 2001
|Gini_category = <font color="#009900">low</font>
|sovereignty_type = [[Independence]]
|established_event1 = Mentioned
|established_date1 = [[9th century]]
|established_event2 = Formed
|established_date2 = [[29 August]] [[1189]]
|established_event3 = Kingdom established
|established_date3 = [[26 October]] [[1377]]
|established_event4 = Independence lost<br/>{{spaces|3}}to [[Ottoman Empire]]
|established_date4 = 1463
|established_event5 = National Day
|established_date5 = November 25, 1943
|established_event6 = Independence from [[SFR Yugoslavia]]
|established_date6 = [[March 1]] [[1992]]
|established_event7 = Recognized
|established_date7 = [[April 6]] [[1992]]
|HDI = {{increase}} 0.803
|HDI_rank = 66th
|HDI_year = 2004
|HDI_category = <font color="#009900">high</font>
|currency = [[Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark|Convertible mark]]
|currency_code = BAM
|country_code =
|time_zone = [[Central European Time|CET]]
|utc_offset = +1
|time_zone_DST = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
|utc_offset_DST = +2
|cctld = [[.ba]]
|calling_code = 387
|ISO_3166-1_alpha2 = BA
|ISO_3166-1_alpha3 = BIH
|ISO_3166-1_num =
|vehicle_code = BIH
|alt_sport_code = BIH
|aircraft_code = T9
|footnote1 = Current presidency chair; [[Bosniaks|Bosniak]].
|footnote2 = Current presidency member; [[Croats|Croat]].
|footnote3 = Current presidency member; [[Serbs|Serb]].
|footnote4 = Not a government member; the High Representative is an international civilian peace-implementation overseer with full authority to dismiss elected and non-elected officials and inaugurate legislation.
|footnote5 = Rank based on 2007 UN estimate of ''[[de facto]]'' population.
}}
'''Bosnia and Herzegovina''' ([[Bosnian language|Bosnian]]/[[Croatian language|Croatian]] ([[Latin script]]): ''Bosna i Hercegovina'', [[Serbian language|Serbian]] ([[Cyrillic script]]): ''Босна и Херцеговина'') is a country on the [[Balkans|Balkan]] peninsula of [[Southern Europe]] with an area of 51,129 [[square kilometre]]s (19,741 sq mi). The last official census in 1991 recorded 4.4 million people, which was prior to the [[Bosnian war|1992-1995 war]], while an unofficial census in 1996 by [[UNHCR]] recorded a post-war population of 3.9 million. Its 2007 residential population is estimated at approximately 4 million.
Formerly one of the six federal units constituting the [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]], Bosnia and Herzegovina gained its independence during the [[Yugoslav wars]] of the 1990s.
Bosnia and Herzegovina can be described as a [[Federal republic|federal democratic republic]] that is transforming its economy into a market-oriented system, and it is a [[enlargement of the European Union|potential candidate]] for [[EU member states|membership]] in the [[European Union]] and [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization|NATO]].
The country is home to three ethnic "[[Constitutive nations of Bosnia and Herzegovina|constituent peoples]]": [[Bosniaks]], [[Serbs]] and [[Croatians]]. Regardless of ethnicity, a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina is often identified in [[English language|English]] as a [[Bosnians|Bosnian]]. In Bosnia, the distinction between a Bosnian and a [[Herzegovina|Herzegovinian]] is maintained as a regional, rather than an ethnic distinction. The country is politically decentralized and comprises two governing entities, the [[Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina]] and [[Republika Srpska]], with [[District Brčko]] as a de facto third entity.
Bordered by [[Croatia]] to the north, west and south, [[Serbia]] to the east, and [[Montenegro]] to the south, Bosnia and Herzegovina is [[Landlocked#Nearly landlocked|almost landlocked]], except for 26 kilometres of the [[Adriatic Sea]] coastline,<ref name="coastline">[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2060.html Field Listing - Coastline], ''[[The World Factbook]]'', 2006-08-22</ref><ref>[http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761563626/Bosnia_and_Herzegovina.html Bosnia and Herzegovina: I: Introduction], ''[[Encarta]]'', 2006</ref> centered around the town of [[Neum]]. The interior of the country is mountainous in the center and south, hilly in the northwest, and flat in the northeast. The nation's capital and largest city is [[Sarajevo]]. Sarajevo was the host site of the [[1984 Winter Olympic Games]].
The region of [[Bosnia (region)|Bosnia]] is the largest geographic region of the modern state with moderate [[continental climate]], marked by hot summers and cold, snowy winters. Smaller [[Herzegovina]] is the southern tip of the country, with [[Mediterranean climate]] and topography. Bosnia and Herzegovina's natural resources are highly abundant. The name of Herzegovina was forced upon Bosnia by Otto Von Bismarck during the Congress of Berlin in 1878. This was a continuation of Hungarian hegemony upon Slavic tribes in the Austro-Hungarian empire.
==Etymology==
[[Image:SmostMostar.jpg|thumb|250px|left|[[Stari most|The Old Bridge]] in [[Mostar]], a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]]]]
The first preserved mention of the name "Bosnia" is in the ''[[De Administrando Imperio]]'', a politico-geographical handbook written by [[List of Byzantine emperors|Byzantine emperor]] [[Constantine VII]] in 958. However, by this time Bosnia was mostly converted from a [[Manichaeism|manichaistic]] religion introduced by Slavs to [[Bogomilism]] (a Christian sect that Slavic Bulgarians spread to Bosnia). The exact meaning and origin of the word is somewhat cloudy. The name "Bosnia" most probably comes from the name of the [[Bosna]] river around which it has been historically based, which was recorded in the Roman Age under the name ''Bossina''.<ref name="Malcolm">Malcolm, Noel (1994). Bosnia A Short History. New York University Press. ISBN 0-8147-5520-8.</ref> More direct root of the river's names are unknown. Philologist Anton Mayer proposed a connection with the [[Proto-Indo-European language|Indo-European]] root ''bos'' or ''bogh'', meaning "running water".<ref name="Imamovic">Imamović, Mustafa (1996). Historija Bošnjaka. Sarajevo: BZK Preporod. ISBN 9958-815-00-1</ref> Certain [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] sources similarly mention ''Bathinus flumen'', or the [[Illyrian languages|Illyrian]] word ''Bosona'', both of which would mean "running water" as well.<ref name="Imamovic"/> Other theories involve the rare [[Latin]] term ''Bosina'', meaning boundary, and possible [[Slavic peoples|Slavic]] origins.<ref name="Imamovic"/>
The origins of the word ''Herzegovina'' can be identified with more precision and certainty. During the [[Middle Ages#The Early Middle Ages|Early Middle Ages]] the region was known as [[Zahumlje|Hum or Zahumlje]], named after the ''Zachlumoi'' tribe of Serbs which inhabited it. In the 1440s, the region was ruled by powerful nobleman Stefan Vukčić Kosača. In a document sent to [[Friedrich III, Elector of Saxony|Friedrich III]] on [[January 20]], [[1448]], Stefan Vukčić Kosača called himself ''Herzog of [[Saint Sava]], lord of Hum and Primorje, great duke of the Bosnian kingdom'' (''[[Herzog (name)|Herzog]]'' means [[duke]] in [[German language|German]]) and so the lands he controlled would later become known as ''Herzog's lands'' or ''Herzegovina''.<ref name="Malcolm"/> The name Herzegovina was first included in the official name of the then Ottoman province in the mid-[[19th century|nineteenth century]].
On initial proclamation of independence in 1992 the country's official name was the ''Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina'' but following the 1995 [[Dayton Agreement]] and the new constitution that came with it the name was officially changed to only ''Bosnia and Herzegovina''.
==History==
{{History of Bosnia and Herzegovina}}
{{main|History of Bosnia and Herzegovina}}
===Pre-Slavic period===
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{{main|History of Bosnia and Herzegovina (until 958)}}
Bosnia has been inhabited at least since the [[Neolithic]] age. In the early [[Bronze Age]], the Neolithic population was replaced by more warlike [[Indo-Europeans|Indo-European]] tribes known as the Illyres or [[Illyrians]]. [[Celts|Celtic]] migrations in the [[4th century BC|fourth century BC]] and [[3rd century BC|third century BC]] displaced many Illyrian tribes from their former lands, but some Celtic and Illyrian tribes mixed. Concrete historical evidence for this period is scarce, but overall it appears that the region was populated by a number of different peoples speaking distinct languages. Conflict between the Illyrians and [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] started in [[229 BC|229 BC]], but Rome would not complete its annexation of the region until [[AD 9|AD 9]]. In the Roman period, Latin-speaking settlers from all over the [[Roman empire]] settled among the Illyrians and Roman soldiers were encouraged to retire in the region.<ref name="Malcolm"/>
The land originally was part of the Illyria up until the Roman occupation. Following the split of the Roman Empire between 337 and 395, Dalmatia and Pannonia became parts of the [[Western Roman Empire]]. Some claim that the region was conquered by the [[Ostrogoths]] in 455. It subsequently changed hands between the [[Alans]] and [[Huns]]. By the sixth century, Emperor [[Justinian]] had reconquered the area for the [[Byzantine Empire]]. The Slavs, a people from eastern Europe (now territory of Ukraine), were conquered by the [[Eurasian Avars|Avars]] in the sixth century.
===Medieval Bosnia===
[[Image:Bosna.jpg|thumb|250px|left|<small><font color="#EE7CA3">Bosnia during the tenth century.</font><br/>
<font color="#EF6E30">Bosnian state during Ban Kulin 1180-1204</font><br/>
<font color="#2859A3">Bosnian state during king Tvrtko 1353-1391</font><br/>
<font color="#B0B005">Borders of Bosnian state in second part of fifteenth century</font><br/>
<font color="#30925F">Bosnia and Herzegovina in second part of nineteenth century</font><br/></small>]]
<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[Image:Photo14-1-.jpg |thumb|250px|left|Sahat Kula (tower) in [[Donji Vakuf]]]] -->
{{main|History of Bosnia and Herzegovina (958–1463)}}
Modern knowledge of the political situation in the west Balkans during the [[Early Middle Ages]] is patchy and confusing. Upon their arrival, the Slavs brought with them a tribal social structure, which probably fell apart and gave way to [[Feudalism]] only with [[Franks|Frankish]] penetration into the region in the late [[9th century|ninth century]]. It was also around this time that the south Slavs were Christianized. Bosnia, due to its geographic position and terrain, was probably one of the last areas to go through this process, which presumably originated from the urban centers along the [[Dalmatia]]n coast. The principalities of [[Serbia]] and [[Croatia]] split control of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the ninth and tenth century, but by the [[High Middle Ages]] political circumstance led to the area being contested between the [[Kingdom of Hungary]] and the Byzantine Empire. Following another shift of power between the two in the early twelfth century, Bosnia found itself outside the control of both and emerged as an independent state under the rule of local [[ban (title)|bans]].<ref name="Malcolm"/>
[[Image:Poveljakulinbana.png|thumb|The Charter of Kulin Ban - treaty with Dubrovnik. Now in Ermitrage in [[Saint Petersburg]], [[Russia]].]]
[[Image:Plocakulinabana.GIF|thumb|157px|Kulin Ban's plate found in Biskupići, near [[Visoko]].]]
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The first notable Bosnian monarch, [[Ban Kulin]], presided over nearly three decades of peace and stability during which he strengthened the country's economy through treaties with [[Republic of Ragusa|Dubrovnik]] and [[Republic of Venice|Venice]]. His rule also marked the start of a controversy with the [[Bosnian Church]], an indigenous Christian sect considered heretical by both the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] and [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Serbian Orthodox]] churches. In response to Hungarian attempts to use church politics regarding the issue as a way to reclaim sovereignty over Bosnia, Kulin held a council of local church leaders to renounce the heresy and embraced Catholicism in 1203. Despite this, Hungarian ambitions remained unchanged long after Kulin's death in 1204, waning only after an unsuccessful invasion in 1254.
Bosnian history from then until the early [[14th century|fourteenth century]] was marked by the power struggle between the [[Šubić]] and [[House of Kotromanić|Kotromanić]] families. This conflict came to an end in 1322, when [[Stjepan II Kotromanić]] became ''ban''. By the time of his death in 1353, he was successful in annexing territories to the north and west, as well as Zahumlje and parts of Dalmatia. He was succeeded by his nephew [[Tvrtko]] who, following a prolonged struggle with nobility and inter-family strife, gained full control of the country in 1367. Tvrtko crowned himself on [[26 October]] [[1377]] as Stefan Tvrtko I ''by the mercy of God King of [[Serbs]], [[Bosnia (region)|Bosnia]] and the Seaside and the Western Lands''.
Historians considered that he was crowned in the [[Serbian Orthodox Church|Serbian Orthodox]] [[Mileševa monastery]].<ref name=Rastko> [http://rastko.org.yu/istorija/zfajfric-kotromanici.html#_Toc486040907 Dr. Željko Fajfric: Kotromanići]</ref> Another possibility, advanced by P. Anđelić and based on archeological evidence, is that he was crowned in Mile near [[Visoko during the Middle Ages|Visoko]] in the church which was built in time of [[Stephen II Kotromanić]]'s reign, where he was also buried alongside his uncle Stjepan II.<ref name=Mile> [http://www.aneks8komisija.com.ba/main.php?id_struct=6&lang=1&action=view&id=1341 Mile declared as national monument]. 2003.</ref><ref name=Anđelić>Anđelić Pavao, Krunidbena i grobna crkva bosanskih vladara u Milima (Arnautovićima) kod Visokog. Glasnik Zemaljskog muzeja XXXIV/1979., Zemaljski muzej Bosne i Hercegovine, Sarajevo, 1980,183-247</ref> Following his death in 1391 however, Bosnia fell into a long period of decline. The [[Ottoman Empire]] had already started its [[Ottoman wars in Europe|conquest of Europe]] and posed a major threat to the [[Balkans]] throughout the first half of the fifteenth century. Finally, after decades of political and social instability, Bosnia officially fell in 1463. Herzegovina would follow in 1482, with a Hungarian-backed reinstated "Bosnian Kingdom" being the last to succumb in 1527.
===Ottoman era===
[[Image:Ottomanbosnia.PNG|thumb|250px|left|The Ottoman province of Bosnia in the seventeenth century.]]
[[Image:VisegradMost.jpg|thumb|250px|left|The [[Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge]] in [[Višegrad]], a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]]]]
[[Image:Stara Kuca.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Ottoman-style house in [[Mostar]]]]
[[Image:Stara Kuca2.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Ottoman-style house in [[Travnik]]]]
{{main|History of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1463–1878)}}
The Ottoman conquest of Bosnia marked a new era in the country's history and introduced tremendous changes in the political and cultural landscape of the region. Although the kingdom had been crushed and its high nobility executed, the Ottomans nonetheless allowed for the preservation of Bosnia's identity by incorporating it as an integral province of the Ottoman Empire with its historical name and territorial integrity - a unique case among subjugated states in the Balkans.<ref name="Riedlmayer">Riedlmayer, Andras (1993). [http://www.kakarigi.net/manu/briefhis.htm A Brief History of Bosnia-Herzegovina]. The Bosnian Manuscript Ingathering Project.</ref> Within this [[sancak|sandžak]] (and eventual [[vilayet]]) of Bosnia, the Ottomans introduced a number of key changes in the territory's socio-political administration; including a new landholding system, a reorganization of administrative units, and a complex system of social differentiation by class and religious affiliation.<ref name="Malcolm"/>
The four centuries of Ottoman rule also had a drastic impact on Bosnia's population make-up, which changed several times as a result of the empire's conquests, frequent wars with European powers, migrations, and epidemics. A native Slavic-speaking Muslim community emerged and eventually became the largest of the ethno-religious groups (mainly as a result of a gradually rising number of [[The Islamization of Bosnia and Herzegovina|conversions]] to [[Islam]]),<ref name="Imamovic"/> while a significant number of [[Sephardi Jews]] arrived following their [[Spanish Inquisition|expulsion]] from Spain in the late fifteenth century. The Bosnian Christian communities also experienced major changes. The Bosnian [[Franciscans]] (and the [[Catholicism|Catholic]] population as a whole) were protected by official imperial decree. The [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox]] community in Bosnia, initially confined to Herzegovina and Podrinje, spread throughout the country during this period and went on to experience relative prosperity until the nineteenth century. Meanwhile, the schismatic Bosnian Church disappeared altogether.<ref name="Malcolm"/>
As the Ottoman Empire thrived and expanded into Central Europe, Bosnia was relieved of the pressures of being a frontier province and experienced a prolonged period of general welfare and prosperity. A number of cities, such as Sarajevo and [[Mostar]], were established and grew into major regional centers of trade and urban culture. Within these cities, various Sultans and governors financed the construction of many important works of [[Bosnian architecture]] (such as the [[Stari most]] and [[Gazi Husrev-beg's Mosque]]). Furthermore, numerous Bosnians played influential roles in the Ottoman Empire's cultural and political history during this time.<ref name="Riedlmayer"/> Bosnian soldiers formed a large component of the Ottoman ranks in the battles of [[Battle of Mohács|Mohács]] and [[Battle of Krbava field|Krbava field]], two decisive military victories, while numerous other Bosnians rose through the ranks of the Ottoman military bureaucracy to occupy the highest positions of power in the Empire, including admirals, generals, and grand viziers. Many Bosnians also made a lasting impression on Ottoman culture, emerging as mystics, scholars, and celebrated poets in the Turkish, Arabic, and Persian languages.<ref name="Imamovic"/>
However, by the late seventeenth century the Empire's military misfortunes caught up with the country, and the conclusion of the [[Great Turkish War]] with the [[treaty of Karlowitz]] in 1699 once again made Bosnia the Empire's westernmost province. The following hundred years were marked by further military failures, numerous revolts within Bosnia, and several outbursts of plague. The Porte's efforts at [[Ottoman military reform efforts|modernizing]] the Ottoman state were met with great hostility in Bosnia, where local aristocrats stood to lose much through the proposed reforms. This, combined with frustrations over political concessions to nascent Christian states in the east, culminated in a famous (albeit ultimately unsuccessful) revolt by [[Husein Gradaščević]] in 1831.<ref name="Imamovic"/> Related rebellions would be extinguished by 1850, but the situation continued to deteriorate. Later agrarian unrest eventually sparked the [[Herzegovinian rebellion]], a widespread peasant uprising, in 1875. The conflict rapidly spread and came to involve several Balkan states and Great Powers, which eventually forced the Ottomans to cede administration of the country to [[Austria-Hungary]] through the [[treaty of Berlin]] in 1878.<ref name="Malcolm"/>
===Austro-Hungarian rule===
[[Image:Ferhadija Street (Sarajevo).jpg|thumb|250px|right| Main Pedestrian (Ferhadija) Street in [[Sarajevo]]]]
[[Image:ArchitectureSarajevo.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Downtown Sarajevo]]
[[Image:Academy of Fine Arts.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Academy of Fine Arts of [[University of Sarajevo]]]]
{{main|History of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1878–1918)}}
Although an Austro-Hungarian side quickly came to an agreement with Bosniaks, tensions remained in certain parts of the country (particularly Herzegovina) and a mass emigration of predominantly Slavic dissidents occurred.<ref name="Malcolm"/> Some think that it was a planned Austro-Hungarian takeover of the land called Herzegovina because many Croats from Croatia were settled there. However, a state of relative stability was reached soon enough and Austro-Hungarian authorities were able to embark on a number of social and administrative reforms which intended to make Bosnia and Herzegovina into a "model [[colony]]". With the aim of establishing the province as a stable political model that would help dissipate rising South Slav [[nationalism]], Habsburg rule did much to codify laws, to introduce new political practices, and generally to provide for modernization. The Austro-Hungarian Empire built the three Roman Catholic churches in Sarajevo and these three churches are among the only 20 Catholic churches in the state of Bosnia.
<!--Unsourced, terminology unclear:Image:BosniaHerzegovina.gif|thumb|right|Ethnic map from 1910; Blue - Serbs; Red - Croats; Green - Bosnians-->
Although successful economically, Austro-Hungarian policy - which focused on advocating the ideal of a pluralist and multi-confessional Bosnian [[nation]] (largely favored by the Muslims) - failed to curb the rising tides of nationalism.<ref name="Malcolm"/> The concept of Croat and Serb nationhood had already spread to Bosnia and Herzegovina's Catholics and Orthodox communities from neighboring Croatia and Serbia in the mid nineteenth century, and was too well-entrenched to allow for the wide-spread acceptance of a parallel idea of Bosnian nationhood.<ref name="Malcolm"/> By the latter half of the 1910s, nationalism was an integral factor of Bosnian politics, with national political parties corresponding to the three groups dominating elections.
The idea of a [[Yugoslavia|unified South Slavic state]] (typically expected to be spear-headed by independent Serbia) became a popular political ideology in the region at this time, including in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Austro-Hungarian government's decision to formally annex Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1908 (see [[Bosnian Crisis]]) added to a sense of urgency among these nationalists. The political tensions caused by all this culminated on [[June 28]], [[1914]], when Serb nationalist youth [[Gavrilo Princip]] [[Assassination in Sarajevo|assassinated]] the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, [[Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria|Archduke Franz Ferdinand]], in Sarajevo; an event that proved to be the spark that set off [[World War I]]. Although some Bosnians died serving in the armies of the various warring states, Bosnia and Herzegovina itself managed to escape the conflict relatively unscathed.<ref name="Riedlmayer"/>
===The first Yugoslavia===
{{main|History of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1918–1941)}}
Following the war, Bosnia and Herzegovina joined the South Slav [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia|kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes]] (soon renamed Yugoslavia). Political life in Bosnia at this time was marked by two major trends: social and economic unrest over [[property redistribution]], and formation of several political parties that frequently changed coalitions and alliances with parties in other Yugoslav regions.<ref name="Riedlmayer"/> The dominant ideological conflict of the Yugoslav state, between Croatian regionalism and Serbian centralization, was approached differently by Bosnia's major ethnic groups and was dependent on the overall political atmosphere.<ref name="Malcolm"/> Even though there were over three million Bosnians in Yugoslavia, outnumbering Slovenes and Montenegrins combined, Bosnian nationhood was denied by the new Kingdom. Although the initial split of the country into 33 [[oblast]]s erased the presence of traditional geographic entities from the map, the efforts of Bosnian politicians such as [[Mehmed Spaho]] ensured that the six oblasts carved up from Bosnia and Herzegovina corresponded to the six sanjaks from Ottoman times and, thus, matched the country's traditional boundary as a whole.<ref name="Malcolm"/>
The establishment of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929, however, brought the redrawing of administrative regions into [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia#Internal divisions|banates]] that purposely avoided all historical and ethnic lines, removing any trace of a Bosnian entity.<ref name="Malcolm"/> Serbo-Croat tensions over the structuring of the Yugoslav state continued, with the concept of a separate Bosnian division receiving little or no consideration. The famous [[Dragiša Cvetković|Cvetković]]-[[Vladko Maček|Maček]] agreement that created the Croatian banate in 1939 encouraged what was essentially a partition of Bosnia between Croatia and Serbia.<ref name="Imamovic"/> However, outside political circumstances forced Yugoslav politicians to shift their attention to the rising threat posed by [[Adolf Hitler]]'s [[Nazi Germany]]. Following a period that saw attempts at [[appeasement]], the signing of the [[Tripartite Treaty]], and a [[coup d'état]], Yugoslavia was finally invaded by Germany on [[April 6]], [[1941]].<ref name="Malcolm"/>
===World War II===
[[Image:TijentisteSutjeska.jpg|thumb|260px|left|Monument commemorating the [[Sutjeska offensive|Battle of Sutjeska]] in eastern [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]].]]
{{main|History of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1941–1945)}}
Once the kingdom of Yugoslavia was conquered by Nazi forces in [[World War II]], all of Bosnia was ceded to the [[Independent State of Croatia]]. The Nazi rule over Bosnia led to widespread persecution of Jewish, Serbian and Gypsy civilians. The Jewish population was nearly exterminated and roughly 300,000 Serbs died as a result of genocide perpetrated by the Croatian [[Ustasha]]. Many Serbs in the area took up arms and joined the [[Chetniks]]; a nationalist and royalist resistance movement that conducted [[guerrilla warfare]] against both the fascist Ustashe and the communist [[Partisans (Yugoslavia)|Partisans]]. The Chetniks received initial support from the UK and USA.{{Fact|date=November 2007}} Most Chetniks were Serbs and [[Montenegrins]], although the army also included some [[Slovenes]], [[Croats]], and [[Muslims by nationality]].
Starting in 1941, Yugoslav communists under the leadership of [[Josip Broz Tito]] organized their own multi-ethnic resistance group, the Partisans, who fought against both Axis and Chetnik forces. On [[November 25]], [[1943]] the [[Anti-Fascist Council of National Liberation of Yugoslavia]] with Tito at its helm held a founding conference in [[Jajce]] where Bosnia and Herzegovina was reestablished as a republic within the Yugoslavian federation in its Habsburg borders. Military success eventually prompted the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] to support the Partisans, but [[Josip Broz Tito]] declined their offer to help and relied on his own forces instead. All the major military offensives by the antifascist movement of Yugoslavia against Nazis and their local supporters were conducted in Bosnia-Herzegovina and its peoples bore the brunt of fighting. Eventually the end of the war resulted in the establishment of the [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]], with the [[Constitution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|constitution of 1946]] officially making Bosnia and Herzegovina one of six constituent republics in the new state.<ref name="Malcolm"/>
===Socialist Yugoslavia===
<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:Untis.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Momo and Uzeir towers in [[Sarajevo]].]] -->
{{main|History of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1945–1992)}}
Because of its central geographic position within the Yugoslavian federation, post-war Bosnia was strategically selected as a base for the development of the military defense industry. This contributed to a large concentration of arms and military personnel in Bosnia; a significant factor in the [[Bosnian war|war]] that followed the break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.<ref name="Malcolm"/> However, Bosnia's existence within Yugoslavia, for the large part, was peaceful and prosperous.
Though considered a political backwater of the federation for much of the 50s and 60s, the 70s saw the ascension of a strong Bosnian political elite fueled in part by Tito's leadership in the [[Non-Aligned Movement]] and Bosniacs serving in Yugoslavia's diplomatic corps. While working within the [[Communism|communist]] system, politicians such as [[Džemal Bijedić]], [[Branko Mikulić]] and [[Hamdija Pozderac]] reinforced and protected the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina<ref name="Stojic">Stojic, Mile (2005). [http://www.bosnia.org.uk/bosrep/report_format.cfm?articleid=3058&reportid=170 Branko Mikulic - socialist emperor manqué]. BH Dani </ref> Their efforts proved key during the turbulent period following Tito's death in 1980, and are today considered some of the early steps towards Bosnian independence. However, the republic hardly escaped the increasingly nationalistic climate of the time unscathed. With the fall of communism and the start of the break-up of Yugoslavia, the old communist doctrine of tolerance began to lose its potency, creating an opportunity for nationalist elements in the society to spread their influence.
===The 1992-1995 Bosnian War===
[[Image:Bih 1991.jpg||thumb|left|Ethnic map based on the [[1991 population census in Bosnia and Herzegovina|1991 census]]. The different colors show majority in every settlement:
{{legend|blue|[[Serbs]]}}
{{legend|green|[[Bosniaks|Bosniak]]}}
{{legend|orange|[[Croats]]}}
{{legend|yellow|no majority}}]]
{{main|Bosnian War}}
The 1990 parliamentary elections led to a national assembly dominated by three ethnically-based parties, which had formed a loose coalition to oust the communists from power. [[Croatia]] and [[Slovenia]]'s subsequent declarations of independence and the warfare that ensued placed Bosnia and Herzegovina and its three constituent peoples in an awkward position. A significant split soon developed on the issue of whether to stay with the [[SFRJ|Yugoslav federation]] (overwhelmingly favored among Serbs) or seek independence (overwhelmingly favored among Bosniaks and Croats). The [[Serb]] members of parliament, consisting mainly of the [[Serb Democratic Party]] members, abandoned the central parliament in Sarajevo, and formed the [[National Assembly of Republika Srpska|Assembly of the Serb People of Bosnia and Herzegovina]] on [[October 24]], [[1991]], which marked the end of the tri-ethnic coalition that governed after the elections in 1990. This Assembly established the [[Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina]] on [[January 9]], [[1992]], which became [[Republika Srpska]] in August 1992. On [[November 18]], [[1991]], the party branch in Bosnia and Herzegovina of the ruling party in the [[Republic of Croatia]], the [[Croatian Democratic Union]] (HDZ), proclaimed the existence of the [[Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia]], as a separate "political, cultural, economic and territorial whole," on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with [[Croat Defence Council]] (HVO) as its military part. <ref name="ICTY: Prlić et al. (IT-04-74)">{{cite web|url=http://www.un.org/icty/indictment/english/prl-ii040304e.htm|title=ICTY: Prlić et al. (IT-04-74)|}}</ref> The Bosnian government didn't recognize it. The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared Herzeg-Bosnia illegal, first on [[September 14]], 1992 and again on January 20, 1994.
A declaration of Bosnia and Herzegovina sovereignty in October 1991 was followed by a referendum for independence from [[Yugoslavia]] in February and March 1992 boycotted by the great majority of the Serbs. The turnout in the independence referendum was 63.7% and 99.4% voted for independence. Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence shortly afterwards. Following a tense period of escalating tensions and sporadic military incidents, open warfare began in Sarajevo on [[April 6]].<ref name="Malcolm"/>
[[Image:Evstafiev-sarajevo-building-burns.jpg|thumb|right|The parliament building in the centre of Sarajevo burns after being hit by tank fire during the siege in 1992.]]
Secret discussions between [[Franjo Tuđman]] and [[Slobodan Milošević]] on the division of Bosnia and Herzegovina between [[Serbia]] and [[Croatia]] were held as early as March 1991 known as [[Karađorđevo agreement]]. Following the declaration of [[independence]] of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbs attacked different parts of the country. The state administration of Bosnia and Herzegovina effectively ceased to function having lost control over the entire territory. The Serbs wanted all lands where Serbs had a majority, eastern and western Bosnia. The Croats and their leader [[Franjo Tuđman]] also aimed at securing parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina as Croatian. The policies of the Republic of Croatia and its leader Franjo Tuđman towards Bosnia and Herzegovina were never totally transparent and always included Franjo Tuđman’s ultimate aim of expanding Croatia’s borders. Bosnian Muslims, the only ethnic group loyal to the Bosnian government, were an easy target, because the Bosnian government forces were poorly equipped and unprepared for the war.<ref name="ICTY: Naletilić and Martinović verdict - A. Historical background">{{cite web|url=http://www.un.org/icty/naletilic/trialc/judgement/nal-tj030331-1.htm#IIA|title=ICTY: Naletilić and Martinović verdict - A. Historical background|}}</ref>
International recognition of Bosnia and Herzegovina increased diplomatic pressure for the [[Yugoslav People's Army]] (JNA) to withdraw from the republic's territory which they officially did. However, in fact, the Bosnian Serb members of JNA simply changed insignia, formed the [[Army of Republika Srpska]], and continued fighting. Armed and equipped from JNA stockpiles in Bosnia, supported by volunteers and various paramilitary forces from Serbia, and receiving extensive humanitarian, logistical and financial support from the [[Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]], Republika Srpska's offensives in 1992 managed to place much of the country under its control.<ref name="Malcolm"/>
Initially, the Serb forces attacked the non-Serb civilian population in Eastern Bosnia. Once [[towns]] and villages were securely in their hands, the Serb forces - military, police, the paramilitaries and, sometimes, even Serb villagers – applied the same pattern: Bosniak houses and apartments were systematically ransacked or burnt down, Bosniak civilians were rounded up or captured, and sometimes beaten or killed in the process. 2.2 million refugees were displaced by the end of the war.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unhcr.org/research/RESEARCH/3ae6a0c58.pdf|title= The humanitarian operation in Bosnia, 1992-95: the dilemmas of negotiating humanitarian access|date=May, 1999|author=United Nations High Commission for Refugees|accesdate=2008-06-24}}</ref> Men and women were separated, with many of the men detained in the camps. The women were kept in various detention centres where they had to live in intolerably unhygienic conditions, where they were mistreated in many ways including being raped repeatedly. Serb soldiers or policemen would come to these detention centres, select one or more women, take them out and rape them.<ref name="ICTY: Kunarac, Kovač and Vuković judgement - Foča">{{cite web|url=http://www.un.org/icty/kunarac/trialc2/judgement/kun-tj010222e-5.htm#VC|title=ICTY: The attack against the civilian population and related requirements|}}</ref>
In June 1992 the focus switched to [[Novi Travnik]] and [[Gornji Vakuf]] where the Croat Defence Council (HVO) efforts to gain control were resisted. On [[June 18]], 1992 the Bosnian Territorial Defence in Novi Travnik received an [[ultimatum]] from the HVO which included demands to abolish existing Bosnia and Herzegovina institutions, establish the authority of the Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia and pledge allegiance to it, subordinate the Territorial Defense to the HVO and expel Muslim refugees, all within 24 hours. The attack was launched on [[June 19]]. The elementary school and the Post Office were attacked and damaged.<ref>ICTY - Kordic and Cerkez judgment - II. PERSECUTION: THE HVO TAKE-OVERS B. Novi Travnik - [http://www.un.org/icty/kordic/trialc/judgement/kor-tj010226e-4.htm#IIB]</ref> Gornji Vakuf was initially attacked by Croats on [[June 20]], [[1992]], but the attack failed. The [[Graz agreement]] caused deep division inside the Croat community and strengthened the separation group, which led to the conflict with Bosniaks. One of the primary pro-union Croat leaders, [[Blaž Kraljević]] (leader of the [[Croatian Defence Forces|HOS]] armed group) was killed by HVO soldiers in August 1992, which severely weakened the moderate group who hoped to keep the Bosnian Croat alliance alive<ref>''Sarajevo, i poslije'', Erich Rathfelder, [[München]] [[1998]] [http://www.hsp1861.hr/vijesti/201129erra.htm]</ref>. The situation became more serious in October 1992 when Croat forces attacked Bosniak civilian population in [[Prozor]] burning their homes and killing civilians. According to ''[[Jadranko Prlić]] indictment'', HVO forces cleansed most of the Muslims from the town of Prozor and several surrounding villages.<ref name="ICTY: Prlić et al. (IT-04-74)">{{cite web|url=http://www.un.org/icty/indictment/english/prl-ii040304e.htm|title=ICTY: Prlić et al. (IT-04-74)|}}</ref>
By 1993, when an armed conflict erupted between the predominantly Bosniak government in Sarajevo and the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia, about 70% of the country was controlled by Republika Srpska. [[Ethnic cleansing]] and civil rights violations against non-Serbs were rampant in these areas. DNA teams are still digging{{Fact|date=February 2008}}<!-- As of when? --> through the mass graves which were left as a result of the campaign. One single most prominent example is the [[Srebrenica Massacre]], ruled [[genocide]] by the [[International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia]].
In March 1994, the signing of the Washington Accords between the leaders of the republican government and Herzeg-Bosnia led to the creation of a joint Bosniak-Croat [[Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina]], which absorbed the territory of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia and that held by the [[Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina]]. The Federation soon conquered the small [[Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia]].
A [[1995 NATO bombing in Bosnia and Herzegovina|NATO bombing campaign]] began in August, 1995, against the Army of Republika Srpska, after the [[Srebrenica massacre]].
In December 1995, the signing of the [[Dayton Agreement]] in [[Dayton, Ohio]] by the presidents of Bosnia and Herzegovina ([[Alija Izetbegović]]), Croatia ([[Franjo Tuđman]]), and Serbia ([[Slobodan Milošević]]) brought a halt to the fighting, roughly establishing the basic structure of the present-day state. The number of identified victims is currently at 97,207, and the recent research estimates the total number to be less than 110,000 killed (civilians and military),<ref name="hundred thousand">{{cite news |url=http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/klu/eujp/2005/00000021/F0020002/00006852 |publisher=European Journal of Population |title=War-related Deaths in the 1992–1995 Armed Conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina: A Critique of Previous Estimates and Recent Results |date=June, 2005}}</ref><ref name="hundredthousand">{{cite news |url=http://today.reuters.com/News/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=L23677389 |publisher=Reuters |title=Research halves Bosnia war death toll to 100,000 |date=[[November 23]], [[2005]]}}</ref><ref name="hundredthousandplus">{{cite news |url=http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=April&x=20060428134331MVyelwarC0.9095423&t=is/is-latest.html |publisher=U.S. Department of State |title=Review of European Security Issues |date=[[28 April]] [[2006]]}}</ref> and 1.8 million displaced. This is being addressed by the [[International Commission on Missing Persons]].
According to numerous [[ICTY]] judgments the conflict involved Bosnia and the [[Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]] (later [[Serbia and Montenegro]]) <ref>{{cite web|year=|url=http://hrw.org/reports/2004/ij/icty/2.htm#_Toc62882595|title=ICTY: Conflict between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia}}</ref> as well as [[Croatia]].<ref>{{cite web|year=|url=http://hrw.org/reports/2004/ij/icty/2.htm#_Toc62882594|title=ICTY: Conflict between Bosnia and Croatia}}</ref>
The Bosnian government charged Serbia of complicity in genocide in Bosnia during the war at the [[International Court of Justice]] (ICJ). The [[International Court of Justice]] (ICJ) ruling of [[26 February]] [[2007]] effectively determined the war's nature to be international, though exonerating Serbia of direct responsibility for the genocide committed by Serb forces of [[Republika Srpska]]. The ICJ concluded, however, that Serbia failed to prevent genocide committed by Serb forces and failed to punish those who carried out the genocide, especially general [[Ratko Mladić]], and bring them to justice.<ref>{{cite web|year=|url=http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/91/13685.pdf|title=ICJ: The genocide case: Bosnia v. Serbia}}</ref>
Despite the evidence of widespread killings, the siege of towns, mass [[rape]], [[ethnic cleansing]] and torture in [[concentration camp|camps]] and detention centers conducted by different Serb forces including [[JNA]] (VJ), especially in [[Prijedor]], [[Zvornik]], [[Banja Luka]] and [[Foča massacres|Foča]], the judges ruled that the criteria for genocide with the specific intent (''[[dolus specialis]]'') to destroy Bosnian Muslims were met [[Srebrenica Genocide|only in Srebrenica]] or Eastern Bosnia in 1995.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/02/26/international/i033600S38.DTL&type=politics|title=Courte: Serbia failed to prevent genocide, UN court rules|date=[[2007-02-26]]|publisher=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>
The court concluded that the crimes committed during the 1992-1995 war, may amount to [[crimes against humanity]] according to the international law, but that these acts did not, in themselves, constitute genocide per se.<ref>{{cite web|year=|url=http://www.sense-agency.com/en/stream.php?sta=3&pid=9273&kat=3|title=Sense Tribunal: SERBIA FOUND GUILTY OF FAILURE TO PREVENT AND PUNISH GENOCIDE}}</ref> The Court further decided that, following [[Montenegro]]'s declaration of independence in May 2006, Serbia was the only respondent party in the case, but that "any responsibility for ''past'' events involved at the relevant time the composite State of Serbia and Montenegro".<ref>[http://www.icj-cij.org/icjwww/ipresscom/SPEECHES/ispeech_president_higgins_bhy_20070226.htm Statement of the President of the Court]</ref>
==Politics and government==
{{main|Politics of Bosnia and Herzegovina}}
[[Image:BiHParliament.jpg|250px|right|thumb|The Bosnian Parliament building after reconstruction.]] As a result of the [[Dayton Accords]], the civilian peace implementation is supervised by the [[High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina]] selected by the [[Bosnia and Herzegovina Peace Implementation Council|Peace Implementation Council]]. The High Representative has many governmental and legislative powers, including the dismissal of elected and non-elected officials. More recently, several central institutions have been established (such as defense ministry, security ministry, state court, indirect taxation service etc.) in the process of transferring part of the jurisdiction from the entities to the state.
The representation of the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina is by elites who represent the country's three major groups, with each having a guaranteed share of power.
The Chair of the [[Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina]] rotates among three members ([[Bosniaks|Bosniak]], [[Serb]], [[Croat]]), each elected as the Chair for an eight-month term within their four-year term as a member. The three members of the [[Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Presidency]] are elected directly by the people (Federation votes for the Bosniak/Croat, [[Republika Srpska]] for the [[Serb]]).
The Chair of the [[Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Council of Ministers]] is nominated by the Presidency and approved by the House of Representatives. He or she is then responsible for appointing a Foreign Minister, Minister of Foreign Trade, and others as appropriate.
The Parliamentary Assembly is the lawmaking body in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It consists of two houses: the House of Peoples and the House of Representatives. The House of Peoples includes 15 delegates, two-thirds of which come from the Federation (5 Croat and 5 Bosniaks) and one-third from the Republika Srpska (5 Serbs). The House of Representatives is composed of 42 Members, two-thirds elected from the Federation and one-third elected from the Republika Srpska.
The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the supreme, final arbiter of legal matters. It is composed of nine members: four members are selected by the House of Representatives of the Federation,two by the Assembly of the Republika Srpska, and three by the President of the [[European Court of Human Rights]] after consultation with the Presidency.
However, the highest political authority in the country is the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the chief executive officer for the international civilian presence in the country. Since 1995, the High Representative has been able to bypass the elected parliamentary assembly, and since 1997 has been able to remove elected officials. The methods selected by the High Representative have been criticized as undemocratic.<ref>[http://www.law.nyu.edu/eecr/vol7num2/special/bosnia.html ''The Contradictions of "Democracy" without Consent'', East European Constitutional Review, New York University Law School, 1998]</ref> International supervision is to end when the country is deemed politically and democratically stable and self-sustaining.
==Administrative divisions==
[[Image:Bosniadivisions1.PNG|right|left|140px|Bosnia and Herzegovina comprises the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), [[Republika Srpska]] (RS), and [[Brčko District]] (BD).]]
[[Image:Bosniadivisions2.PNG|right|thumb|140px|The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina consists of ten cantons.]]
[[Image:Bosniadivisions3.PNG|right|thumb|140px|Republika Srpska is split into sixty-three municipalities, while the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is split into seventy-four.]]
{{main|Subdivisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina}}
Bosnia and Herzegovina has several levels of political structuring under the federal government level. Most important of these levels is the division of the country into two entities: [[Republika Srpska]] and the [[Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina]]. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina covers some 51% of Bosnia and Herzegovina's total area, while Republika Srpska covers around 49%. The entities, based largely on the territories held by the two warring sides at the time, were formally established by the Dayton peace agreement in 1995 due to the tremendous changes in Bosnia and Herzegovina's ethnic structure. Since 1996 the power of the entities relative to the federal government has decreased significantly. Nonetheless, entities still have numerous powers to themselves. The Brcko district in the north of the country was created in 2000 out of land from both entities. It officially belongs to both, but is governed by neither, and functions under a decentralized system of local government. The Brčko district has been praised for maintaining a multiethnic population and a level of prosperity significantly above the national average.<ref name="OHR">OHR Bulletin 66 ([[February 3]], [[1998]]). [http://www.ohr.int/ohr-dept/presso/chronology/bulletins/default.asp?content_id=4991#8 - Final hearing of the Arbitration Tribunal in Vienna]. OHR.</ref>
The third level of Bosnia and Herzegovina's political subdivision is manifested in [[Cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina|cantons]]. They are unique to the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity, which consists of ten of them. All of them have their own cantonal government, which is under the law of the Federation as a whole. Some cantons are ethnically mixed and have special laws implemented to ensure the equality of all constituent peoples.
The fourth level of political division in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the municipalities. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is divided in 74 municipalities, and Republika Srpska in 63. Municipalities also have their own local government, and are typically based around the most significant city or place in their territory. As such, many municipalities have a long tradition and history with their present boundaries. Some others, however, were only created following the recent war after traditional municipalities were split by the [[Inter-Entity Boundary Line|IEBL]]. Each canton in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina consists of several municipalities, which are divided into local communities.
Besides entities, cantons, and municipalities, Bosnia and Herzegovina also has four "official" cities. These are: [[Banja Luka]], [[Mostar]], [[Sarajevo]], and [[Istočno Sarajevo|East Sarajevo]]. The territory and government of the cities of Banja Luka and Mostar corresponds to the municipalities of the same name, while the cities of Sarajevo and East Sarajevo officially consist of several municipalities. Cities have their own city government whose power is in between that of the municipalities and cantons (or the entity, in the case of Republika Srpska).
== Geography ==
[[Image:Bk-map.png|thumb|250px|Map of Bosnia and Herzegovina.]]
[[Image:Mountain Vlašić - Bosnia and Herzegovina.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Vlašić (mountain)]], part of [[Dinaric Alps]]]]
[[Image:PrenjHerzegovina.jpg|thumb|250px|Prenj Mountain, part of [[Dinaric Alps]]]]
[[Image:ColdBrookBjelasnica.jpg|right|thumb||250px|[[Bjelašnica Mountain]]]]
[[Image:LjubisaMountain.jpg|right|thumb||250px|Ljubišnja Mountain]]
{{main|Geography of Bosnia and Herzegovina}}
Bosnia is located in the western [[Balkans]], bordering [[Croatia]] (932 km) to the north and south-west, [[Serbia]] (302 km) to the east, and [[Montenegro]] (225 km) to the southeast. The country is mostly mountainous, encompassing the central [[Dinaric Alps]]. The northeastern parts reach into the [[Pannonian plain|Pannonian basin]], while in the south it borders the [[Adriatic]]. The country has only 20 kilometres (12 mi) of coastline,<ref name="coastline"/> around the town of [[Neum]] in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, although surrounded by Croatian peninsulas it is possible to get to the middle of the Adriatic from Neum. Although the city is surrounded by Croatian peninsulas, by United Nations law, Bosnia has a right of passage to the outer sea. Neum has many hotels and is an important tourism destination.
The country's name comes from the two regions [[Bosnia (region)|Bosnia]] and [[Herzegovina]], which have a very vaguely defined border between them. Bosnia occupies the northern areas which are roughly four fifths of the entire country, while Herzegovina occupies the rest in the south part of the country.
The major cities are the capital [[Sarajevo]], [[Banja Luka]] in the northwest region known as [[Bosanska Krajina]], [[Bijeljina]] and [[Tuzla]] in the northeast, Zenica and Doboj in the central part of Bosnia and [[Mostar]], the capital of [[Herzegovina]].
The south part of Bosnia has Mediterranean climate and a great deal of agriculture. Central Bosnia is the most mountainous part of Bosnia featuring predominate mountains Vlašić, Čvrsnica, and Prenj. Eastern Bosnia also features mountains like Trebević, Jahorina, Igman, Bjelašnica and Treskavica. It was here that the [[1984 Winter Olympics]] were held.
Eastern Bosnia is heavily forested along the river Drina, and overall close to 50% of Bosnia and Herzegovina is forested. Most forest areas are in Central, Eastern and Western parts of Bosnia. Northern Bosnia contains very fertile agricultural land along the river Sava and the corresponding area is heavily farmed. This farmland is a part of the Parapannonian Plain stretching into neighbouring Croatia and Serbia. The river Sava and corresponding [[Posavina]] river basin hold the cities of Brčko, Bosanski Šamac, Bosanski Brod and Bosanska Gradiška.
The northwest part of Bosnia is called Bosanska Krajina and holds the cities of Banja Luka, Prijedor, Sanski Most, Cazin, Velika Kladuša and Bihać. Kozara National Park is in this forested region.
There are seven major rivers in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina:
The [[Una river]] in the northwest part of Bosnia flows along the northern and western border of Bosnia and Croatia and through the Bosnian city of Bihać. It is a very beautiful river and popular for rafting and adventure sports.
The [[Sana River|Sana]] flows through the city of Sanski Most and Prijedor and is a tributary of the river Sava in the north.
The [[Vrbas]] flows through the cities of Gornji Vakuf - Uskoplje, Bugojno, Jajce, Banja Luka, Srbac and reaches the river Sava in the north. The Vrbas flows through the central part of Bosnia and flows outwards to the North.
The River [[Bosna]] is the longest river in Bosnia and is fully contained within the country as it stretches from its source near Sarajevo to the river Sava in the north. It gave its name to the country.
The [[Drina River|Drina]] flows through the eastern part of Bosnia, at many places in the border between Bosnia and Serbia. The Drina flows through the cities of Foča, Goražde and Višegrad.
The [[Neretva]] river is a large river in Central and Southern Bosnia, flowing from Jablanica south to the Adriatic Sea. The river is famous as it flows through the famous city of Mostar.
The [[Sava]] river is the largest river in Bosnia and Herzegovina but not the largest river that is flowing through Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Sava river flows through Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. Sava is making a natural border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia and towns like Brčko, Bosanski Šamac, Bosanska Gradiška lies on the river.
[[Phytogeography|Phytogeographically]], Bosnia and Herzegovina belongs to the [[Boreal Kingdom]] and is shared between the Illyrian province of the [[Circumboreal Region]] and Adriatic province of the [[Mediterranean Region]]. According to the [[World Wide Fund for Nature|WWF]], the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina can be subdivided into three [[ecoregion]]s: the [[Pannonian mixed forests]], [[Dinaric Mountains mixed forests]] and [[Illyrian deciduous forests]].
{{further|[[List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina]]}}
== Economy ==
<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:novo.jpg|thumb|250px|100 KM (Convertible Mark) bill]] -->[[Image:200km front.jpg|thumb|250px|200 KM (Convertible Mark) bill. The Convertible Mark is Bosnia and Herzegovina's currency.]]
[[Image:BIH001.jpg|250px|right|Coins of Bosnia-Herzegovina|thumb|Legal tender coins from Bosnia-Herzegovina. (Missing: 5KM Coin and 5Kf coin)]]
[[Image:SarajevoCofBiH.jpg|thumb|right|250px|right|[[Sarajevo]], the capital and the largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
[[Image:BanjaLukaBiH.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Banja Luka]], the second largest city and ''de facto'' capital of the [[Republika Srpska]]]]
[[Image:TuzlaCentralBosnia.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Tuzla]], the third largest city]]
[[Image:Zenica night.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Zenica]], the fourth largest city]]
[[Image:MostarHerzegovina.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Mostar]], the fifth largest city]]
{{main|Economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina}}
Bosnia faces the dual problem of rebuilding a war-torn country and introducing market reforms to its formerly centrally-planned economy. One legacy of the previous era is a greatly overstaffed military industry; under former leader [[Josip Broz Tito]], military industries were promoted in the republic, resulting in the development of a large share of Yugoslavia's defense plants but fewer commercially viable firms.
For the most of Bosnia's history, [[agriculture]] has been based on small and inefficient privately-owned farms; food has traditionally been a net import for the republic.<ref>[http://www.scc.rutgers.edu/serbian_digest/225/t225-4.htm A Divided Bosnia, January 29, 1996, Aleksandar Ciric]</ref>
When it was a part of Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina financed many large construction projects throughout that country.{{Fact|date=June 2007}} The [[Highway "Bratstvo i jedinstvo"]], a pan-Yugoslavian project, which linked [[Ljubljana]] (Slovenia) - [[Zagreb]] (Croatia) - [[Belgrade]] (Serbia) - [[Skopje]] (Macedonia), was financed by Bosnia and Herzegovina, despite the lack of direct benefit to that region. The funneling of capital to that project resulted in an increase in unemployment and a decrease in production in the region.{{Fact|date=January 2007}}
The war in the 1990s caused a dramatic change in the Bosnian economy.<ref>Daclon, Corrado Maria (1997). Bosnia. Maggioli. Italy</ref> GDP fell 75% and the destruction of physical infrastructure devastated the economy.{{Fact|date=November 2007}} While much of the production capacity has been restored, the Bosnian economy still faces considerable difficulties. Figures show GDP and per capita income increased 10% from 2003 to 2004; this and Bosnia's shrinking national debt being positive trends, but high unemployment and a large trade deficit remain cause for concern.
The national currency is the [[Euro]]-pegged [[Convertible Mark]] (BAM), controlled by a [[currency board]]. Annual inflation is the lowest relative to other countries in the region at 1.9% in 2004.<ref>{{cite book |author=[[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] |title=[[The World Factbook|World Factbook]]}}</ref> The international debt was $3.1 billion (2005 est) - the smallest amount of debt owed of all the former Yugoslav republics. Real GDP growth rate was 5% for 2004 according to the Bosnian Central Bank of BiH and Statistical Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has one of the highest [[List of countries by income equality|income equality rankings]] in the world, ranking eighth out of 193 nations.{{cite web
|url=http://hdr.undp.org/hdr2006/pdfs/report/HDR06-complete.pdf#page=335
|title=Table 15: Inequality in income or expenditure
|accessdate=2007-01-09
|author= [[United Nations]]
|year=2006
|format=PDF
|work=Human Development Report 2006
|publisher=United Nations Development Programme
|pages=335
}}
Overall value of [[foreign direct investment]] (1999–2007):
<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:307514940_7ac3e8aa14-1-.jpg|thumb|200px| new [[architecture]] in [[Sarajevo]] after war]] -->
*1999: 166 million €
*2000: 159 million €
*2001: 133 million €
*2002: 282 million €
*2003: 338 million €
*2004: 534 million €
*2005: 421 million €
*2006: 556 million €
*2007: 1.628 billion €
'''*Total (1994 - 2007): 4.6 billion €'''<ref name="Lemo">[http://nezavisne.com/vijesti.php?vijest=17929&meni=5 Najveći investitor Srbija sa 707 miliona evra]</ref>
<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[Image:sarajb.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Bosnian National Bank in [[Sarajevo]]]] -->
'''The top investor countries''' (1994 - 2007) in Bosnia and Herzegovina are:
*[[Austria]] (1,294 million €)
*[[Serbia]] (773 million €)
*[[Croatia]] (434 million €)
*[[Slovenia]] (427 million €)
*[[Switzerland]] (337 million €)
*[[Germany]] (270 million €)
*[[Italy]] (94.29 million €)
*[[Netherlands]] (63.52 million €)
*[[United Arab Emirates]] (56.70 million €)
*[[Turkey]] (54.81 million €)
*[[World|All Other Countries]] (892.54 million €)
*[[Foreign Direct Investment|TOTAL FDI]] (4.6 billion €)
Foreign investments by sector for 1994-June 2007:<ref name="Lemo" />
*37.7% [[Manufacturing]]
*21% [[Banking]]
*4.9% [[Service (economics)|Services]]
*9.6% [[Trade]]
*0.30% [[Transport]]
*1% [[Tourism]]
== Tourism ==
[[Image:RamskoLake2.jpg|thumb|250px|Ramsko Lake]]
[[Image:UnaVodopad.jpg|thumb|250px|Waterfalls on [[Una River]]]]
[[Image:SMMostar.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Stari Most]] in [[Mostar]], a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]].]]
{{main|Tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina}}
<!--Waffle?:'''Tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina''' offers a favourable [[tourist]] business investment environment with an increasingly active [[tourism]] promotional system. <ref>http://www.seeurope.net/en/Content.php?file=sights/bih</ref>-->
Bosnia and Herzegovina has been a <!--Rephrase:-->top performer in recent years in terms of [[tourism]] development; tourist arrivals have grown by an average of 24% annually from 1995 to 2000 (360,758 in 2002, 500,000 in 2006).{{Fact|date=July 2007}}
According to an estimation of the [[World Tourism Organization]], Bosnia and Herzegovina will have the third highest tourism growth rate in the world between 1995 and 2020.<ref name="Newfound">[http://features.us.reuters.com/destinations/news/L20239376.html Bosnia's newfound tourism], [[Reuters]].</ref>
[[Lonely Planet]], in ranking the best cities in the world, ranked [[Sarajevo]], the national capital and host of the [[1984 Winter Olympic Games]], as #43, ahead of [[Dubrovnik]] at #59, [[Ljubljana]] at #84, [[Bled]] at #90, [[Belgrade]] at #113, and [[Zagreb]] at #135.<ref>[http://www.bosniatravel.net/news/2006/lonely-planet-on-sarajevo.html Bosnia Travel]</ref> Tourism in Sarajevo is chiefly focused on historical, religious, and cultural aspects (see [[Sites of interest in Sarajevo]]). Bosnia has also become an increasingly popular skiing and [[Ecotourism]] destination.<ref name="Newfound" />
More recently, the town of [[Visoko]] has experienced a major increase in tourist arrivals due to the alleged discovery of the [[Bosnian pyramids]], attracting in excess of 10,000 tourists in the first weekend of June 2006.{{Fact|date=June 2007}}
Some of the tourist attractions in Bosnia and Herzegovina include:
* [[Sarajevo]] "Olympic City" a Science, Space City.
* [[Banja Luka]], the "Green City";
* [[Bihać]] and the [[Una River]];
* [[Doboj]] and its 13th century fortress;
* [[Jajce]] and its waterfall;
* [[Međugorje]], site of an alleged [[Marian apparition]];
* [[Mostar]], the site of [[Stari Most]];
* Mount [[Bjelašnica]] and [[Jahorina]], sites of the [[XIV Olympic Winter Games]].
* [[Neum]] on the coast;
* [[Stolac]], the [[Begovina]] neighborhood and [[Radimlja]] tombstones;
* [[Višegrad]] and its old bridge;
* [[Visoko]], site of the alleged [[Bosnian pyramids]];
* [[Tešanj]], one of the oldest cities in Bosnia with its old town.
== Education ==
{{main|Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina}}
Primary education lasts for nine years. Secondary education is provided by general and technical secondary schools where studies last for four years. All forms of secondary schooling include an element of vocational training. Pupils graduating from general secondary schools obtain the Matura and can enroll in any faculty or academy by passing a qualification examination prescribed by the institution. Students graduating technical subjects obtain a Diploma.<ref>[http://www.euroeducation.net/prof/boherco.htm EuroEduction.net - The European Education Directory]</ref>
== Demographics ==
[[Image:Ethnic relations 1991.GIF|thumb|200px|Ethnic map based the [[1991 population census in Bosnia and Herzegovina|1991 census]] ([[municipality]] data). The different colours show the largest single ethnic group in each municipality:
{{legend|blue|[[Croats]]}}
{{legend|red|[[Serbs]]}}
{{legend|green|[[Bosniaks|Bosniak]]}}]]
{{main|Demographics of Bosnia and Herzegovina}}
{{seealso|1991 population census in Bosnia and Herzegovina}}
Bosnia is home to three ethnic "[[Constitutive nations of Bosnia and Herzegovina|constituent peoples]]": [[Bosniaks]], [[Serbs]] and [[Croats]]. The former are overwhelmingly [[Muslim]]s, whereas Serbs tend to be [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Orthodox Christians]] and Croats [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholics]]. A [[Y-chromosome]] [[haplogroups]] study published in 2005 found that "three main groups of Bosnia-Herzegovina, in spite of some quantitative differences, share a large fraction of the same ancient gene pool distinctive for the Balkan area".<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1529-8817.2005.00190.x|title=The peopling of modern Bosnia-Herzegovina: Y-chromosome haplogroups in the three main ethnic groups|last=Marjanovic|first=D|coauthors=Fornarino, S, Montagna, S, Primorac, D, Hadziselimovic, R, Vidovic, S, Pojskic, N, Battaglia, V, Achilli, A, Drobnic, K, Andjelinovic, S, Torroni, A, Santachiara-Benerecetti, AS, Semino, O|journal=Annals of Human Genetics|volume=69|issue=6|pages=757–763|date=2005|doi=10.1111/j.1529-8817.2005.00190.x}}</ref>
In 1910 Bosnia and Herzegovina had a population of 1,898,044 where 825,918 (43.49%) were Orthodox, 612,137 were Muslims (32.25 per cent), 434,061 were Catholics (22.87 per cent) and 26,428 (1.39 per cent) others. <br>
According to the 1931 census, there were 2,323,555 persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Orthodox 1,028,139 (44.25 per cent); Muslims 718,079 (30.90 per cent); Catholics 547,949 (23.58 per cent); other: 29,388 (1.27 per cent) of the total population.
The list of victims of the 1941-1945 war, made in 1964, is kept in the Documentation of the Federal Bureau of Statistics in [[Belgrade]]. It contains the names of 179,173 persons killed in the war born in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This list is not complete.
[[Image:DemoBIH2006a.png|250px|thumb|left|This is a map of the ethnic composition of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2006. Serb shown in blue, Croat in red, Bosniaks in green.]]
Large population migrations during the Yugoslav wars in the 1990s have caused a large demographic shift in the country. No census has been taken since 1991, and none is planned for the near future due to political disagreements. Since censuses are the only statistical, inclusive, and objective way to analyze demographics, almost all of the post-war data is simply an estimate. Most sources, however, estimate the population at roughly 4 million (representing a decrease of 350,000 since 1991).
According to the [[1991 population census in Bosnia and Herzegovina|1991 census]], Bosnia and Herzegovina had a population of 4,377,033. Ethnically, 1,902,956 (43.47 per cent) were [[Bosniaks|Bosniak]], 1,366,104 (31.21 per cent) [[Serbs]], and 760,852 (17.38 per cent) [[Croats]], with 242,682 (5.54 per cent) [[Yugoslavs]]. The remaining 2.38 per cent of the population - numbering 104,439 - consists of various other ethnicities. According to 2000 data from the [[CIA World Factbook]], Bosnia's largest ethnic groups are [[Bosniaks]] (48.0 per cent), [[Serbs]] (37.1 per cent) and Croats (14.3 per cent).<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bk.html CIA - The World Factbook - Bosnia and Herzegovina<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Likewise, 40 per cent of the population are Muslims, 31 per cent are Orthodox Christians, 15 per cent are Roman Catholics, and 14 per cent are listed as other.
There is a strong correlation between ethnic identity and [[religion in Bosnia and Herzegovina]], as is shown by the fact that 95 per cent of Bosniaks would identify themselves as [[Muslims]], 95 per cent of [[Croats]] are [[Catholics]] whilst 95 per cent of Serbs are [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christians]]. Tensions between the three constitutional peoples remain high in BiH and often provoke political disagreements.
==Culture==
Bosnia is considered the country's name.
[[Image:Stecci (Stolac).jpg|thumb|250px|[[Radimlja]] [[necropolis]] of ''stećak'' in [[Stolac]]]]
[[Image:Stecci (Stolac)2.jpg|thumb|250px|Radimlja necropolis of ''stećak'' in Stolac]]
{{main|Culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina}}
===Literature===
[[Image:Sarajevo Theater 02.jpg|250px|thumb|The National Theater, located in Sarajevo.]]
Bosnia has a rich culture, including [[poetry|poets]] such as [[Antun Branko Šimić]], [[Aleksa Šantić]], [[Jovan Dučić]] and [[Mak Dizdar]] and [[writer]]s such as [[Ivo Andrić]] (who won the [[Nobel Prize for Literature]] in 1961), [[Meša Selimović]], [[Branko Ćopić]], [[Miljenko Jergović]], [[Petar Kočić]] and Nedžad Ibrišimović.
The National [[Theater]] was founded 1919 in Sarajevo and its first director was famous drama-play writer Branislav Nušić. Sarajevo philharmonic orchestra was founded in 1923. From 1946 Sarajevo opera and Sarajevo Ballet started; until year 2000, it had over 1000 theater shows and 300 ballets and operas. The Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo was founded in 1981. MESS is International theater festival founded during the war in 1992.
===Visual arts===
The [[visual arts]] in Bosnia and Herzegovina were always constant; from prehistoric era, through original medieval tombstones ([[stecak]]) to paintings in Kotromanić court. However, only with arrival of Austro-Hungarians in Bosnia real painting renaissance have begun. First artists that were educated in Europe academies appeared with the beginning of 20th century. With their talent and imaginative force we can point out: [[Gabrijel Jurkić]], Petar Tiješić, Karlo Mijić, Špiro Bocarić, Petar Šain, Đoko Mazalić, Roman Petrović i Lazar Drljača. Their ascenders are: [[Ismet Mujezinović]], [[Vojo Dimitrijević]], Ivo Šeremet, Mica Todorović and others. After World War II we have artists like: Virgilije Nevjestić, Bekir Misirlić, Ljubo Lah, Meha Sefić, Franjo Likar, [[Mersad Berber]], Ibrahim Ljubović, [[Dževad Hozo]], Affan Ramić, Safet Zec, Ismar Mujezinović, Mehmed Zaimović ... ARS AEVI (founded in Sarajevo 1995) is international cultural project of Visual Arts and includes famous world artist.
===Music===
Traditional Bosnian and Herzogovinian [[song]]s are ''ganga, rera'', and from Ottoman era the most popular is [[sevdalinka]]. Pop and Rock music has a tradition here as well, with the more famous [[music]]ians including [[Goran Bregović]], Davorin Popović, Kemal Monteno, [[Zdravko Čolić]], [[Johnny Štulić]], [[Edo Maajka]], [[Dino Merlin]] and [[Tomo Miličević]]. Also, it would be unfair not to mention some of the talented composers such as Đorđe Novković, Esad Arnautalić, Kornelije Kovač, and many pop and rock bands, e.g. Bijelo Dugme, Indexi, Zabranjeno Pušenje, who were among the leading ones in the former Yugoslavia. Bosnia is home to the composer [[Dušan Šestić]], the creator of the current national anthem of Bosnia and Herzegovina and father of singer [[Marija Šestić]], and pianist [[Sasha Toperich]].
===Film===
{{main|List of Bosnia-Herzegovina films}}
Noted Bosnian [[film]]-makers are Mirza Idrizović, Aleksandar Jevđević, Ivica Matić, [[Danis Tanović]] (oscar winner for best foreign movie with his ''No Man's Land''), Ademir Kenoviċ, Benjamin Filipoviċ, [[Jasmin Dizdar]], [[Pjer Žalica]], Jasmila Žbaniċ, Dino Mustafić, Srđan Vuletić, and finally most awarded [[Emir Kusturica]]. [[Sarajevo Film Festival]], founded in 1994, has become the biggest and most influencing in southeast Europe.
==Cuisine==
{{main|Cuisine of Bosnia and Herzegovina}}
[[Image:Bosnian cuisine9.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Variety of Bosnian dishes]]
Bosnian cuisine uses many [[spice]]s; but usually in very small quantities. Most dishes are light, as they are cooked in lots of water; the sauces are fully natural, consisting of little more than the natural juices of the vegetables in the dish. Typical ingredients include [[tomato]]es, [[potato]]es, [[onion]]s, [[garlic]], [[capsicum|peppers]], [[cucumber]]s, [[carrot]]s, [[cabbage]], [[mushroom]]s, [[spinach]], [[Zucchini|courgette]]s, dried beans, fresh beans, [[plum]]s, [[milk]], and cream called [[Pavlaka]]. Bosnian cuisine is balanced between [[Western culture|Western]] and [[Eastern world|Eastern]] influences. Bosnian food is closely related to [[Turkish cuisine|Turkish]], [[Greek cuisine|Greek]], and other [[Cuisine of the Mediterranean|Mediterranean]] cuisines. However, due to years of [[Austria]]n rule, there are many influences from [[Central Europe]]. Typical meat dishes include primarily [[beef]] and [[Lamb and mutton|lamb]]. Some local specialties are [[ćevapi]], [[burek]], [[dolma]], [[sarma (food)|sarma]], [[pilaf]], [[goulash]], [[ajvar]] and a whole range of Eastern sweets. The best local wines come from [[Herzegovina]] where the climate is suitable for growing grapes. Plum or apple [[rakia]] is produced in [[Bosnia (region)|Bosnia]].
==Sports==
The most important international sporting event in the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina was the hosting of the '''[[1984 Winter Olympics|14th Winter Olympics]]''', held in [[Sarajevo]] from the 8th to the 23rd of February 1984.
[[Image:Vucko.jpg|thumb|250px|Vučko, the official mascot of the [[1984 Winter Olympics]] held in Sarajevo.]]
Bosnia and Herzegovina has produced many athletes. Many of them were famous in the Yugoslav national teams before Bosnia and Herzegovina's independence.
Some notable local [[Olympic Games|Olympians]] were:
*Rome, 1960: Tomislav Knez and Velimir Sombolac (football),
*Munich, 1972: Abaz Arslanagić, Milorad Karalić, Nebojša Popović, Đorđe Lavrinić, Dobrivoje Seleć (handball)
*Moscow, 1980: Mirza Delibašić and Ratko Radovanović (basketball)
*Los Angeles, 1984: Zdravko Rađenović, Zlatan Arnautović (handball) and Anto Josipović (boxing).
The [[Borac]] [[handball]] club has won seven Yugoslav National Championships, as well as the European Championship Cup in 1976 and the International Handball Federation Cup in 1991.
The [[KK Bosna|Bosna]] [[basketball]] club from Sarajevo were European Champions in 1979. The [[Yugoslav national basketball team]], which medaled in every world championship from 1963 through 1990, included Bosnian players such as [[Dražen Dalipagić]] and [[Mirza Delibašić]]. Bosnia and Herzegovina regularly qualifies for the [[Eurobasket|European Championship in Basketball]]. Jedinstvo [[Women's basketball]] club, based in Tuzla, has won the 1979 European Championships in Florence.
The Tuzla-Sinalco [[karate]] club from Tuzla has won the most Yugoslav championships, as well as four European Championships and one World Championship.
The Bosnian [[chess]] team has been Champion of Yugoslavia seven times , in addition to winning four European championships: 1994 in Lyon, 1999 in Bugojno, 2000 in Neum, and 2001 in Kalitea. Borki Predojević (from Teslić) chess club has also won two European Championships: Litohoreu (Greece) in 1999, and Kalitei (Greece) in 2001.
Middle-weight [[boxing|boxer]] [[Marjan Beneš]] has won several B&H Championships, Yugoslavian Championships and the European Championship. In 1978 he won the World Title against Elish Obeda from Bahamas. Another middle-weight boxer, [[Ante Josipović]] won the Olympic Gold in Los Angeles, 1984. He also won Yugoslavian Championship in 1982, the Championship of the Balkans in 1983, and the Beograd Trophy in 1985.
[[Association football|Football]] is the most popular sport in B&H. It dates from 1903, but its popularity grew significantly after the World War II. At local level, [[Sarajevo]] (1967 and 1984), [[FK Željezničar Sarajevo|Željezničar]] (1972) have both won the Yugoslavian Championship. The former [[Yugoslav national football team]] has included a number of Bosnian players, such as [[Josip Katalinski]], [[Dušan Bajević]], [[Miroslav – Ćiro Blažević]], [[Ivica Osim]], [[Safet Sušić]], and [[Mirsad Fazlagić]].
In football, the independent [[Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team]] has not qualified for a European or World Championship. Bosnian national teams have struggled to draft the best national players. Many players born in Bosnia and Herzegovina choose to play for other countries due to their ethnic identification and because of higher salaries offered by other teams. For example [[Mario Stanić]] and [[Mile Mitić]] were both born in Bosnia, but play for Croatia and Serbia respectively. Other internationally famous players from Bosnia and Herzegovina, who have made similar choices, are: [[Zoran Savić]], [[Vladimir Radmanović]], [[Zoran Planinić]] , [[Aleksandar Nikolić]] and [[Savo Milošević]].
Bosnia and Herzegovina is the current world champion in [[Volleyball at the 2004 Summer Paralympics|paralympic volleyball]]. Many of the players lost their legs in the War of 1992-1995.
== See also ==
{{portal|Bosnia and Herzegovina|Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg}}
*[[Bosnian architecture]]
*[[1991 Bosnia and Herzegovina Population Census]]
*[[Oriental Institute in Sarajevo]]
*[[List of settlements in Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:Bosniacountryside2.jpg|Bosnian countryside
Image:BosnianFood2.jpg|A plate of [[Bosnian cuisine|Bosnian food]]
Image:Kayak32.jpg|[[Una River]]; [[Kayaking]] is popular in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Image:MosqueMostar2.jpg|Mosque in [[Mostar]]
Image:Sarajevo ortodox church.JPG|[[Serb Orthodox Cathedral (Sarajevo)|Orthodox Cathedral]] in [[Sarajevo]]
Image:House (Sarajevo)2.jpg|Modern house in Sarajevo
Image:KraviceWaterfall.jpg|Kravice Waterfalls south of Mostar
Image:Crkva42.jpg|[[Cathedral of Jesus' Heart]] in Sarajevo
Image:NatureBiH.jpg|[[Neretva River]], the jewel of [[Herzegovina]]
Image:Ramsko Lake (Bosnia-Herzegovina).JPG|Ramsko Lake, west from [[Prozor]]
Image:SarajevoNightLife.jpg|Sarajevo Nightlife
Image:Volujak Mountain.jpg|Volujak Mountain, northeast of [[Gacko]]
Image:TrebinjeBiH.jpg|[[Trebinje]], southern Herzegovina
Image:Stanisic Village (Bijeljina).jpg|Stanišić ethno-village near [[Bijeljina]]
<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: Image:Pocitelj 09.JPG|Počitelj -->
Image:Vares.jpg|[[Vareš]], east of [[Zenica]]
Image:Bjelasnica Mountain (Sarajevo).jpg|Lone skier on [[Bjelašnica Mountain]]
Image:Bosnian Winter.jpg|Mountain Cabin on Bjelašnica Mountain
Image:BosnianBread.jpg|Traditional Bread
Image:Rakitnica Canyon.jpg|Rakitnica Canyon, between Bjelašnica and Visočica mountains
Image:Neretva River (Bosnia-Herzegovina).jpg|Nature Park and Bird Reserve [[Hutovo Blato]]
Image:ParkChess.jpg|Park Chess in Sarajevo
Image:Sarajevo9.jpg|Cafe Culture in Sarajevo
Image:Restoran Vinoteka.jpg|Gourmet Food
Image:HeartLake.jpg|Heart Lake in central Bosnia
Image:Bilecko Lake.jpg|Bilećko Lake, south from [[Bileća]]
Image:Countryside.jpg|Countryside near Tarčin, south of Sarajevo
Image:Una River (Bosnia-Herzegovina)10.jpg|Una River; diving is popular among Bosnians
Image:Cvrsnica.jpg|[[Čvrsnica Mountain]], southwest of [[Jablanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina|Jablanica]]
</gallery>
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://www.fbihvlada.gov.ba Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina]
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[[ko:보스니아 헤르체고비나]]
[[haw:Bosenia me Hesegowina]]
[[hy:Բոսնիա և Հերցեգովինա]]
[[hi:बॉस्निया और हर्ज़ेगोविना]]
[[hsb:Bosniska a Hercegowina]]
[[hr:Bosna i Hercegovina]]
[[io:Bosnia e Herzegovina]]
[[bpy:বসনিয়া বারো হার্জেগোভিনা]]
[[id:Bosnia-Herzegovina]]
[[ia:Bosnia e Herzegovina]]
[[ie:Bosnia e Herzegovina]]
[[os:Босни æмæ Герцеговинæ]]
[[is:Bosnía og Hersegóvína]]
[[it:Bosnia-Erzegovina]]
[[he:בוסניה והרצגובינה]]
[[jv:Bosnia-Herzegovina]]
[[pam:Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
[[kn:ಬೊಸ್ನಿಯ ಮತ್ತು ಹೆರ್ಜೆಗೊವಿನ]]
[[ka:ბოსნია და ჰერცეგოვინა]]
[[ks:बास्निया]]
[[csb:Bòsnijô ë Hercegòwina]]
[[kk:Босна-Гершек]]
[[kw:Bosni–Hercegovina]]
[[sw:Bosnia na Herzegovina]]
[[ht:Bosni ak Erzegovin]]
[[ku:Bosniya û Herzegovîna]]
[[la:Bosnia et Herzegovina]]
[[lv:Bosnija un Hercegovina]]
[[lb:Bosnien-Herzegowina]]
[[lt:Bosnija ir Hercegovina]]
[[lij:Bòsnia-Erçegòvina]]
[[li:Bosnië en Hercegovina]]
[[ln:Bosnia na Erzegovina]]
[[hu:Bosznia-Hercegovina]]
[[mk:Босна и Херцеговина]]
[[ms:Bosnia dan Herzegovina]]
[[nah:Bosnitlān īhuān Herzegovintlān]]
[[na:Bosnia me Herzegowina]]
[[nl:Bosnië en Herzegovina]]
[[ne:बोस्निया र हर्जगोविना]]
[[ja:ボスニア・ヘルツェゴビナ]]
[[nap:Bosnia-Erzegovina]]
[[no:Bosnia-Hercegovina]]
[[nn:Bosnia-Hercegovina]]
[[nov:Bosnia e Hertsegovina]]
[[oc:Bòsnia e Ercegovina]]
[[ug:بوسنىيە ۋە ھېرسېگوۋىنا]]
[[uz:Bosniya va Gerzegovina]]
[[ps:بوسنيا او هېرزګوينا]]
[[pms:Bòsnia e Erzegòvina]]
[[nds:Bosnien-Herzegowina]]
[[pl:Bośnia i Hercegowina]]
[[pt:Bósnia-Herzegovina]]
[[crh:Bosna ve Hersek]]
[[ro:Bosnia şi Herţegovina]]
[[qu:Busna-Hirsiquwina]]
[[ru:Босния и Герцеговина]]
[[se:Bosnia-Hercegovina]]
[[sa:बास्निया]]
[[sco:Bosnie an Herzegovinae]]
[[sq:Bosnja dhe Hercegovina]]
[[scn:Bosnia-Erzegovina]]
[[simple:Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
[[sk:Bosna a Hercegovina]]
[[cu:Босна]]
[[sl:Bosna in Hercegovina]]
[[sr:Босна и Херцеговина]]
[[sh:Bosna i Hercegovina]]
[[fi:Bosnia ja Hertsegovina]]
[[sv:Bosnien och Hercegovina]]
[[tl:Bosnia at Herzegovina]]
[[ta:பொசுனியா எர்செகோவினா]]
[[th:ประเทศบอสเนียและเฮอร์เซโกวีนา]]
[[vi:Bosna và Hercegovina]]
[[tg:Босния ва Ҳерсеговина]]
[[chr:ᏉᏍᏂᏯ]]
[[tr:Bosna-Hersek]]
[[udm:Босния но Герцеговина]]
[[uk:Боснія і Герцеґовина]]
[[vec:Bosnia e Erzsegòvina]]
[[vo:Bosnän e Härzegovän]]
[[fiu-vro:Bosnia ja Hertsegoviina]]
[[war:Bosnya ngan Hersegovina]]
[[wo:Bosni]]
[[wuu:鲍斯尼亚搭仔黑自绞维那]]
[[zh-yue:波斯尼亞]]
[[diq:Bosna-Hersek]]
[[bat-smg:Bosnėjė ėr Hercuogovėna]]
[[zh:波斯尼亚和黑塞哥维那]]