Bosnia and Herzegovina

Quick Facts

[edit]

Capital

Sarajevo

Population

3,920,000

Government

Federal Democratic Republic

Religions

Islam, Christianity (Orthodox, Catholic)

Languages

Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian

Calling Code

+387

Nationality

Bosnian, Herzegovinian

Local name

Bosna i Hercegovina

Introduction

Sebilj, Sarajevo

© All Rights Reserved pampeliska

The attractions of Bosnia and Herzegovina have certainly been shrouded by the brutal conflict which raged here in the early half of the nineties. But while caution should still be exercised if travelling here, the smoke of the war is slowly rising, revealing a nation whose recent history is set against a background of hundreds of years of cross-cultural heritage.

Home to Muslims, Protestants, Catholics, Jews and the Eastern Orthodox church for centuries, Bosnia and Herzegovina is a melting pot of traditions. While the various religious groups may never be able to restore complete trust in each other, violent conflict between them has thankfully subsided, paving the way for tourists to trickle back into the region.

Bosnia and Herzegovina shares international borders with Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro.

Regions

Bosnia and Herzegovina is divided into two primary regions: Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This division was established in 1995 as part of the Dayton peace agreement, and reflects the country's split ethnic and religious demographic. Whereas the Republika Srpska's population is primarily Serbian, Muslim/Croats are the dominant group in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

There is also a third, smaller, division: the Brcko District. It is located in the northeast and is separate from both of the other main regions.

Cities

• Sarajevo - The capital
• Mostar
• Zenica
• Banja Luka
• Bihac
• Neum - The place you have to drive through on your way south to Dubrovnik
• Srebrenica
• Tuzla

Getting There

By Plane

There are three international airports in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the main one found in Sarajevo. Sarajevo International Airport (SJJ) served half a million passengers in 2007 and has connections to Turkey, the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia, Austria, Macedonia, Croatia, Hungary and Norway. The other international airports are in Mostar and Banja Luka.

B&H Airlines (in Bosnian) is the national airline.