Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Bosnia and Herzegovina's Information


Capital	Sarajevo
Languages	Bosnian (official) 52.9%, Serbian (official) 30.8%, Croatian (official) 14.6%, other 1.6%, no answer 0.2% (2013 est.)
Ethnic Groups	Bosniak 50.1%, Serb 30.8%, Croat 15.4%, other 2.7%, not declared/no answer 1%
Religion	Muslim 50.7%, Orthodox 30.7%, Roman Catholic 15.2%, atheist 0.8%, agnostic 0.3%, other 1.2%, undeclared/no answer 1.1% (2013 est.)
Government	Parliamentary republic
Independance	1 March 1992 (from Yugoslavia); note - referendum for independence completed on 1 March 1992; independence declared on 3 March 1992
Area	51,197.00 km²
Water Area	10.00 km²
Land Area	51,187.00 km²
Population	3,861,912.00 The northern and central areas of the country are the most densely populated
Location	Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia
No. Bordering Countries	3
Bordering Countries	Croatia 956 km, Montenegro 242 km, Serbia 345 km
GDP(PPP)	$42,530,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$11,000.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are Slovenia, Italy, and Germany.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are metals, clothing, and wood products.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are Croatia, Germany, and Slovenia.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include machinery and equipment, chemicals, and fuels.
Climate	Hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast
Terrain	Mountains and valleys

Where is Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Located in Southeastern Europe, Bosnia and Herzegovina has a 1,543.00 km border with Croatia (956 km), Montenegro (242 km) and Serbia (345 km). It has a 20.00 km coastline. Sections along the Drina River remain in dispute between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Sarajevo is the capital, largest and most populous city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was founded in the mid-15th century and was officially made the capital of Bosnia after independence in 1992. The urban population is about 280,000 while the metro population is about 560,000. The city has been nicknamed the Jerusalem of Europe due to its cultural and religious diversity. The city experiences a humid continental climate with influence from the oceanic zones.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a European country covering 51,197.00 km² of which 0.02% is water and 51,187.00 km² is land. This makes it the 70th smallest country in the world and slightly smaller than West Virginia. Its geographic coordinates are 44 00 N, 18 00 E and Sarajevo is the capital city.

Bosnia is named for the Bosna River, while Herzegovina gets its name from the German word "herzog", meaning duke.

Its ISO code is BA.

Geography

Bosnia and Herzegovina has a mean elevation of 500 m above sea level.

It experiences hot summers and cold winters, with extreme temperatures in areas of high elevation and mild, rainy winters near the coastline. Its terrtain consists of mountains and valleys.

Population

Bosnia and Herzegovina has a population of 3,861,912 making it the 129th largest in the world. The most densely populated areas are in the northern and central areas of the country.

Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian are all official languages. The majority ethnic groups reported are Bosniak, Serb and Croat. The population is mostly made up of Muslims, Orthodox Christians, and Roman Catholics.

The Bosnian constitution does not state the national languages of Bosnia, but a majority of residents speak Bosnian, Croatian, or Serbian. A majority of Bosniaks (52.86%) consider Bosnian to be their mother tongue. 30.76% of the population speak Serbian, while 14.6% use Croatian. Several other minority languages are used in the country including Czech, Italian: German, Polish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Hungarian, Slovak, and Slovene.

The dialing code for the country is 387.

Government

Bosnia and Herzegovina is an independent country. It became independent with the dissoluton of Yugoslavia in 1992. Its constitution was last ratified in 1995.

Bosnia is a representative parliamentary democracy. The system of government in the country is unique and one of the most complicated in the world. There are three presidents in the country, who each must represent the Serbian, Bosnian, and Croatian ethnic groups. They are elected through popular vote by their groups. The presidents are headed by a chairman with the role circulating every eight months. The Presidency Building in Sarajevo acts as the official residence and workplace of the presidents. The BiH parliament consists of the House of Representatives (42 members) and the House of Peoples (15 members).

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Bosnia and Herzegovina's GDP is $42,530,000,000.00 (USD) with $11,000.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 112th largest economy and its citizens the 132nd richest in the world. The currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the Marka (BAM).

Its major export partners are Slovenia, Italy, and Germany. Its main exports are metals, clothing, and wood products. Its major import partners are Croatia, Germany, and Slovenia. Its major imports include machinery and equipment, chemicals, and fuels.

Flag

The official flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina consists of a yellow triangle against a deep blue background, with seven stars lining the side of the triangle. Seven five-pointed white stars and two half stars stretch along the hypotenuse of the triangle. It was adopted as the national flag on February 4, 1998. The stars represent Europe with the two half stars symbolizing continuity and infinity. The blue color represents Europe while the yellow and white represent peace.

This page was last modified on January 17th, 2018