Bosnia and Herzegovina

The synonym Bosnia and Herzegovina generally refers to Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Bosnia and Herzegovina has been inhabited by humans since the Neolithic Age, and the early inhabitants were Illyrians.

Occupied by the Roman Empire in 168 BC. In 455, the Ostrogoths occupied the area. In the 6th century, the Ostrogoths were defeated by the Eastern Roman Empire. Now the southern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina once became a part of the Eastern Roman Empire.

The Avars began to invade in the 6th and 7th centuries, and the Slavs also entered the Balkans. In the next few centuries, the Bosnia and Herzegovina region was divided into surrounding countries many times.

In 1377, Tvrtko Kotromanić (Tvrtko Kotromanić) established an independent Bosnian kingdom, but in 1463 the Ottoman Empire invaded and Bosnia was annexed by the Ottoman Empire.

During the rule of the Ottoman Empire, local Slavs were persecuted by force and religious poll tax. It also stipulates that all Muslims can enter the upper class; farmers who convert to Islam can be exempted from paying certain taxes. Scholars in the past believed that most of the Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina are caused by this policy.

The Ottoman Empire also forced the children in the occupied areas to separate from their parents and families from an early age, to conduct intensive education and training, making them a source of troops for the Guards, and forcing the Turkification of the descendants of Slavs. They also rank the people in their occupied areas and give them different status. All landlords and soldiers who served and served for their rule enjoyed high status, while ordinary Slavic civilians who still believed in Christianity were called "Laiya" (derived from the Arabic word "beast").

In 1908, Bosnia and Herzegovina became the territory of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. On June 28, 1914, the patriotic Serbian youth Principe resented the Austro-Hungarian occupation and took advantage of the Austro-Hungarian Crown Prince Ferdinand’s visit to Sarajevo. It was assassinated on the occasion, which became the fuse that triggered the First World War. Eventually, the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s camp allies were defeated and the empire fell apart. The Serbian Kingdom, which joined the Allied Powers, gained sovereignty over Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, and unified the southern Slavs. The name merged the two, and the kingdom was later renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

During World War II, Nazi Germany successfully invaded Yugoslavia and the royal family fled to the United States. Bosnia and Herzegovina became part of the independent state of Croatia, the puppet state of the Axis powers. After the war, it was in the name of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Returned to Yugoslavia under Tito's leadership. At this time, Bosnia and Herzegovina was officially recognized as a federal republic of Yugoslavia, and its borders were from the Ottoman Empire, which was quite different from the actual distribution of local ethnic groups.

In the 1970s, Yugoslavia recognized “Slavic Muslims who speak Serbo-Croatian” as a Muslim ethnic group (ie, the Bosniaks after Bosnia and Herzegovina’s independence). Five to six. The newly recognized Muslim ethnic group ranks third in Yugoslavia in population after Serbs and Croats. In 1999, the Brčko Special Zone was established, directly under the state.

Since June 1991, the former Yugoslavia began to disintegrate. The Muslims of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (one of the six former Yugoslavia) and the three main ethnic groups of Serbia and Croatia have serious differences over the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina: the Muslims advocate independence from Yugoslavia and the establishment of a Muslim republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina; the Croats also advocate Independent, but want to establish a loose federal state; the Serbs are firmly opposed to independence.

On February 19, 1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina held a referendum on the issue of independence despite the boycott of Serbs in the territory. The voting results show that Muslims and Croatians, who account for 62.8% of the population, support independence. On March 3, the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence in the absence of a Serbian member of parliament to resist, which intensified ethnic conflicts. On April 6th and 7th, the European Community and the United States successively recognized it.

On the day when the European Community recognized the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the five Serbian autonomous regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina announced the joint establishment of the Serb Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, refused to recognize the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and stayed in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The actions of the Serbs immediately drew attacks from the Muslim and Croatian armed forces. The Yugoslav People’s Army stationed in Bosnia and Herzegovina was also attacked by Muk. The armed conflict suddenly escalated and the contradictions among the three main ethnic groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina violently intensified. The conflict spread from the capital Sarajevo to an all-out civil war, leading to the outbreak of the "War in Bosnia and Herzegovina" (April 1992-December 1995).

In March 1994, Muslims and Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina agreed to form a federation together to fight against Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina. On November 21, 1995, the parties signed the Dayton Peace Agreement, ending the civil war and dividing Bosnia and Herzegovina into two political entities, the Muk Federation and the Serb Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this civil war, 200,000 people died in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and more than 2 million people were displaced. After the war, NATO continued to station peacekeeping forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and was replaced by the European Union at the end of 2004.

On October 1, 2006, the general election was held. On October 18, the Central Election Commission announced that Harris Silajdzic of the Bosniac, Nebojsa Radmanovic of the Serb and Zelik Kom of the Croatian nationality Xiqi was elected as a member of the presidium. Among the 42 seats in the House of Representatives, the Democratic Action Party won 9 seats, the Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina won 8 seats, the Independent Social Democratic Union and the Social Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina won 7 seats and 5 seats respectively, and the remaining seats were won by other political parties and party alliances. On February 9, 2007, the government with Nikola Špilic as the chairman of the Council of Ministers was sworn in.

Natural environment

Regional location

The Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina is located in the central part of the former Yugoslavia, bordering Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to the west and north. The land area is 51,129 square kilometers. The Sava River (a tributary of the Danube) is the border between northern Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.

Topography

The southern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina has a 20-kilometer estuary on the Adriatic Sea. The coastline is about 25 kilometers long.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

The terrain of Bosnia and Herzegovina is dominated by mountains, with an average elevation of 693 meters. Most of the Dinara mountain range (also called the "Dinar Alps") runs through the entire territory from northwest to southeast. The highest peak is Mount Magrigi, 2,386 meters above sea level.

There are many rivers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, mainly including Neretva, Bosna, Drina, Una and Varbas.

Climate characteristics

The northern part has a mild continental climate, and the southern part has a Mediterranean climate.

The four seasons are distinct, the summer is hot, and the winter is very cold. The warm and dry period from May to October is the best time to travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Due to the large temperature difference between day and night, it is best to bring a warm jacket even in summer. The winter in Bosnia and Herzegovina is very cold, often with strong winds, rain and snow.

Herzegovina and the southern region of the country are dominated by the Mediterranean climate, with an average annual rainfall of between 600 and 800 mm. In the central and northern regions, the climate is dominated by high mountains, with an average annual rainfall of between 1500 and 2500 mm. The average temperature in Sarajevo in January is around minus 5 degrees Celsius, and the average temperature in July is 20 degrees Celsius.

Natural resources

The mineral resources are rich, mainly including coal, iron, copper, manganese, lead, mercury, silver, lignite, bauxite, lead-zinc ore, asbestos, rock salt, Barite, etc., of which coal reserves reach 3.8 billion tons. The Tuzla region has the largest reserves of edible salt in Europe. Bosnia and Herzegovina has abundant hydropower resources, with a potential hydropower generation of 17 billion kilowatts. The forest cover area accounts for 46.6% of the whole area of ​​Bosnia and Herzegovina, of which 65% are deciduous plants and 35% are coniferous plants.

Administrative divisions

Administrative divisions

Bosnia and Herzegovina consists of two entities, the Muk Federation and the Serb Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Muk Federation consists of 10 states: Unna-Sana, Posavina, Tuzla-Podrinje, Zenica-Doboj, Posna- Podrinje, Central Bosnia, Herzegovina-Neretva, West Herzegovina, Sarajevo, West Bosnia.

The Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina has 7 districts: Banja Luka District, Doboj District, Belina District, Vlasenica District, Sokolac District, Sr Binje and Trebinje.

Brcko District in the northeast is nominally jointly owned by the Muk Federation and the Serbian Republic. This area is an important commercial city and transportation center in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The capital

The capital Sarajevo(6 photos)

The capital Sarajevo is located in the upper reaches of the Bosnia River in the east of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is surrounded by mountains and has a mild climate. Built in 1263, it became the fuse of the First World War in 1914, and was involved in the Bosnia-Herzegovina War from 1992 to 1996. Divided into the old city and the new city, the old city has preserved a large number of buildings from the Turkish era, and the new city is a modern city.

National symbol

Country name

Bosnia and Herzegovina (English: Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bosnian/Croatian: Bosnai Hercegovina; Serbian (Cyrillic version): БоснаиХерцеговина) referred to as Bosnia and Herzegovina .

"Bosnia" is named after "Bosnia River", Serbian meaning "cold" or "clear"; Herzegovina is derived from Old High German, meaning "duke".

Flag

The flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina is rectangular with a ratio of length to width of 2:1. The blue flag has a large golden triangle pattern with a row of white stars along one side of the triangle. The three sides of the big triangle symbolize the three main ethnic groups that make up the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, namely the Muslim, Serbian and Croatian ethnic groups. Gold is the brilliance of the sun, symbolizing the hope in the hearts of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The blue background and the white five-pointed star symbolize Europe and signify that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a part of Europe. This national flag was adopted on February 10, 1998.

National Emblem

The national emblem of Bosnia and Herzegovina has the same pattern as the national flag. It was opened on February 10, 1998. The national emblem is a blue shield. A wide white strip runs diagonally across the shield surface, and three yellow lilies dot the shield surface. The yellow triangles represent the three regions that make up the country, as well as the sun, symbolizing the desire for peace; the blue and stars symbolize the country’s relationship with Europe, the European Union and the European Parliament.

Population and ethnicity

According to the census of Bosnia and Herzegovina in October 2013, the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina was 3.531 million, of which the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina accounted for 62.8% and the Republic of Serbia accounted for 34.8% , Brcko District accounted for 2.4%. The main ethnic groups are: Bosniaks account for about 50.11%; Serbs account for about 30.78%; Croatians account for about 15.43%.

According to data from the World Bank website, the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina was 3.507 million in 2017. Due to the low birth rate and population loss, the trend of population decline continues to expand. Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the least urbanized countries in Europe, with about 60% of the population living in rural areas.

The report shows that Bosnia and Herzegovina has a total population of 3.53 million, of which 50.94% are women and 49.06% are men. In terms of entities, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has a population of 2.22 million, accounting for 63% of the total population, the Republika Srpska has 1.23 million, accounting for 35% of the total population, and Brcko Special Zone has 80,000 people, accounting for 2% of the total population.

From the perspective of ethnic attributes, the residents of Bosnia and Herzegovina registered as Bosniacs accounted for about 50.11% of the total population, Serbs accounted for 30.78%, and Croatians accounted for 15.43%. Another 0.77% of residents chose not to declare their ethnicity in accordance with the law. In terms of entity, the Muk Federation is dominated by the two ethnic groups of Poles and Croats. The proportions of the three main ethnic groups are: Boss 70.4%, Croats 22.4%, and Serbs 3.6%. The Republic of Serbia is dominated by Serb residents, and the proportions of the three ethnic groups are: Serbs 81.51%, Bosniacs 13.99%, and Croats 2.41%. In Brcko, the proportions of the three ethnic groups are: 42.36% of Bosnia, 34.58% of Serbs, and 20.66% of Croats.

From the perspective of religious sects, the results of the census show that 50.7% of people in Bosnia and Herzegovina believe in Islam, 30.75% believe in Orthodox Christians, and 15.19% believe in Catholics.

From the perspective of native language, 52.86% of residents in the census were registered as speaking Bosnian, 30.76% of residents were registered as speaking Serbian, and 14.6% of residents were speaking Croatian.

The average population density of Bosnia and Herzegovina is 68.9 people per square kilometer. Among them, the district with the lowest population density is East Delvar in the Republic of Serbia, with only 1.05 people per square kilometer. The "New Sarajevo" district in the capital Sarajevo has the highest population density with 7,085 people per square kilometer.

From the distribution point of view, the cities with a population of more than 100,000 in Bosnia and Herzegovina are Sarajevo (276,000), Banja Luka (185,000), Tuzla (111,000), Zenica ( 111,000), Bijelina (108,000) and Mostar (106,000).

In terms of education level, 21.4% of the population in Bosnia and Herzegovina has a primary school education level, 51.1% has a secondary school education level, 3.2% graduated from a junior college, and 9.6% graduated from a university. Illiteracy accounts for 2.82% of the total population.

From the perspective of marital status, 27.15% of the population in BiH is unmarried, 58.88% are married, 3.38% are divorced, and 10.59% are widows or widows.

There are 363,000 households in Bosnia and Herzegovina engaged in agricultural activities, accounting for 31.44% of the total number of households. Among them, there are 217,000 farmers in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 141,000 farmers in the Republic of Republika Srpska, and 4,704 in Brčko Special Zone.

In the labor force of BiH, the employed population accounted for 75.88%, and the unemployed population accounted for 24.12% (of which the employed population accounted for 12.94%, and the population without work experience accounted for 11.18%); among the non-labor population, students accounted for 17.06%, retirees accounted for 37%, home workers accounted for 27.4%, and the incapable of working accounted for 3.9%. 294,000 respondents have registered health problems.

This demographic statistics was conducted under the guidance of international organizations such as the European Union. Due to disputes over statistical methods, the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina does not accept the demographic results of the National Bureau of Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It will be approved by the Entity Parliament

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