Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina (local: Bosna i Hercegovina) lies in the Balkan Peninsula, in the Southeast Europe, with 20 km of coast in the Adriatic Sea. Bosnia covers the north and central part of the country. The southern region is occupied by Herzegovina. The capital is Sarajevo.
Bosnia and Herzegovina's declaration of sovereignty in October 1991, was followed by a declaration of independence from the former Yugoslavia, in 1992, after a referendum boycotted by ethnic Serbs.
Locals walk over the Old Bridge at Mostar during its reopening in 2004. A divide between the town's Muslim and Croat communities. The "Old Bridge", or Stari Most, which is the towns symbol, was destroyed during the Balkan war in 1993 (U.S. Air Force photo).
Geography
Administrative divisions: 3 first-order administrative divisions - Brcko District (Brcko Distrikt) (ethnically mixed), Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federacija Bosne i Hercegovine) (predominantly Bosniak-Croat), Republika Srpska (predominantly Serb).
Terrain: mountains and valleys.
Total area: 51,129 km². Coastline: 20 km. Highest point: Maglic 2,386 m.
Climate: hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast.
Ports and harbors: Bosanska Gradiska, Bosanski Brod, Bosanski Samac, and Brcko (all inland waterway ports on the Sava), Orasje.
People
Population: 3.8 million (2018).
Religions: Muslim 50.7%, Orthodox 30.7%, Roman Catholic 15.2%, atheist 0.8%, agnostic 0.3%, other 1.2%, undeclared/no answer 1.1%.
Ethnic groups: Bosniak 50.1%, Serb 30.8%, Croat 15.4%, other 2.7%, not declared/no answer 1%.
Language: Bosnian (official) 52.9%, Serbian (official) 30.8%, Croatian (official) 14.6%, other 1.6%, no answer 0.2%.
Main source: CIA - The World Factbook.
Neum, a resort in southern Adriatic Sea coast (photo bhtourism.ba).
Sutjeska National Park in Bosnia. A good place for climbing, skiing, camping and fishing. The park hosts the highest point of the country: Maglic, with 2,386 m (photo bhtourism.ba).
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