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| Background: |
Bosnia and Herzegovina's declaration of
sovereignty in October 1991, was followed by a referendum
for independence from the former Yugoslavia in February
1992. The Bosnian Serbs - supported by neighboring Serbia
- responded with armed resistance aimed at partitioning
the republic along ethnic lines and joining Serb-held
areas to form a "greater Serbia." In March 1994,
Bosniaks and Croats reduced the number of warring factions
from three to two by signing an agreement creating a joint
Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 21
November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties signed
a peace agreement that brought to a halt the three years
of interethnic civil strife (the final agreement was
signed in Paris on 14 December 1995). The Dayton Agreement
retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's international boundaries
and created a joint multi-ethnic and democratic
government. This national government is charged with
conducting foreign, economic, and fiscal policy. Also
recognized was a second tier of government comprised of
two entities roughly equal in size: the Bosniak/Croat
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bosnian
Serb-led Republika Srpska (RS). The Federation and RS
governments are charged with overseeing internal
functions. In 1995-96, a NATO-led international
peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops served in
Bosnia to implement and monitor the military aspects of
the agreement. IFOR was succeeded by a smaller, NATO-led
Stabilization Force (SFOR) whose mission is to deter
renewed hostilities. SFOR remains in place at a level of
approximately 21,000 troops. |
| Location: |
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic
Sea and Croatia |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
44 00 N, 18 00 E |
| Map
references: |
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Europe |
| Area: |
total: 51,129 sq km
land: 51,129 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area -
comparative: |
slightly smaller than West Virginia |
| Land
boundaries: |
total: 1,459 km
border countries: Croatia 932 km, Yugoslavia
527 km |
| 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 |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Maglic 2,386 m |
| Natural
resources: |
coal, iron, bauxite, manganese, forests,
copper, chromium, lead, zinc, hydropower |
| Land use: |
arable land: 14%
permanent crops: 5%
permanent pastures: 20%
forests and woodland: 39%
other: 22% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
20 sq km (1993 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
destructive earthquakes |
| Environment -
current issues: |
air pollution from metallurgical plants;
sites for disposing of urban waste are limited; water
shortages and destruction of infrastructure because of the
1992-95 civil strife |
| Environment -
international agreements: |
party to: Air Pollution,
Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the
selected agreements |
| Geography -
note: |
within Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized
borders, the country is divided into a joint Bosniak/Croat
Federation (about 51% of the territory) and the Bosnian
Serb-led Republika Srpska or RS (about 49% of the
territory); the region called Herzegovina is contiguous to
Croatia and traditionally has been settled by an ethnic
Croat majority |
| Population: |
3,922,205
note: all data dealing with population are
subject to considerable error because of the dislocations
caused by military action and ethnic cleansing (July 2001
est.) |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: 20.13% (male
405,713; female 383,850)
15-64 years: 70.78% (male 1,422,796; female
1,353,410)
65 years and over: 9.09% (male 150,802;
female 205,634) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
1.38% (2001 est.) |
| Birth rate: |
12.86 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death rate: |
7.99 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Net migration
rate: |
8.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001
est.) |
| Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
24.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population: 71.75 years
male: 69.04 years
female: 74.65 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
1.71 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS -
adult prevalence rate: |
0.04% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS -
people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| HIV/AIDS -
deaths: |
less than 100 (1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Bosnian(s),
Herzegovinian(s)
adjective: Bosnian, Herzegovinian |
| Ethnic groups: |
Serb 31%, Bosniak 44%, Croat 17%, Yugoslav
5.5%, other 2.5% (1991)
note: Bosniak has replaced muslim as an
ethnic term in part to avoid confusion with the religious
term Muslim - an adherent of Islam |
| Religions: |
Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic
15%, Protestant 4%, other 10% |
| Languages: |
Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian |
| Literacy: |
definition: NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA% |
| Country name: |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bosnia and
Herzegovina
local long form: none
local short form: Bosna i Hercegovina |
| Government
type: |
emerging democracy |
| Administrative
divisions: |
there are two first-order administrative
divisions - the Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and
Herzegovina (Federacija Bosna i Hercegovina) and the
Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska; note - Brcko in
northeastern Bosnia is a self-governing administrative
unit under the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina; it
is not part of either the Federation or Republika Srpska |
| Independence: |
1 March 1992 (from Yugoslavia) |
| National
holiday: |
National Day, 25 November (1943) |
| Constitution: |
the Dayton Agreement, signed 14 December
1995, included a new constitution now in force |
| Legal system: |
based on civil law system |
| Suffrage: |
16 years of age, if employed; 18 years of
age, universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of state: Chairman of
the Presidency Jozo KRIZANOVI (chairman since 14 June
2001, presidency member since NA March 2001 - Croat);
other members of the three-member rotating (every 8
months) presidency: Zivko RADISIC (since 13 October 1998 -
Serb) and Beriz BELKIC (since NA March 2001 - Bosniak);
note - Ante JELAVIC was dismissed from his post by the UN
High Representative in March 2001
head of government: Chairman of the Council
of Ministers Zlatko LAGUMDZIJA (since 18 July 2001)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by
the council chairman; approved by the National House of
Representatives
elections: the three members of the
presidency (one Bosniak, one Croat, one Serb) are elected
by popular vote for a four-year term; the member with the
most votes becomes the chairman unless he or she was the
incumbent chairman at the time of the election; election
last held 12-13 September 1998 (next to be held NA
September 2002); the chairman of the Council of Ministers
is appointed by the presidency and confirmed by the
National House of Representatives
election results: percent of vote - Zivko
RADISIC with 52% of the Serb vote was elected chairman of
the collective presidency for the first 8 months; Ante
JELAVIC with 52% of the Croat vote followed RADISIC in the
rotation; Alija IZETBEGOVIC with 87% of the Bosniak vote
won the highest number of votes in the election but was
ineligible to serve a second term until RADISIC and
JELAVIC had each served a first term as Chairman of the
Presidency; IZETBEGOVIC retired from the presidency 14
October 2000 and was temporarily replaced by Halid GENJAC;
Ante JELAVIC was replaced by Jozo KRIZANOVIC in March 2001
note: President of the Federation of Bosnia
and Herzegovina: Karlo FILIPOVIC (since 27 February 2001);
Vice President Safet HALILOVIC (since 27 February 2001);
note - president and vice president rotate every year;
President of the Republika Srpska: Mirko SAROVIC (since 11
November 2000) |
| Legislative
branch: |
bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or
Skupstina consists of the National House of
Representatives or Predstavnicki Dom (42 seats - 14 Serb,
14 Croat, and 14 Bosniak; members elected by popular vote
to serve two-year terms) and the House of Peoples or Dom
Naroda (15 seats - 5 Bosniak, 5 Croat, 5 Serb; members
elected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's House of
Representatives and the Republika Srpska's National
Assembly to serve two-year terms); note - as of 1 January
2001, Bosnia and Herzegovina does not have a permanent
election law; a draft law specifies four-year terms for
the state and first-order administrative division entity
legislatures; officials elected in 2000 were elected to
two-year terms on the presumption that a permanent law
would be in place before 2002
elections: National House of Representatives
- elections last held 11 November 2000 (next to be held in
the fall of 2002); House of Peoples - last constituted
after the 11 November 2000 elections (next to be
constituted in the fall of 2002)
election results: National House of
Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition -
NA%; seats by party/coalition - SDP 9, SDA 8, SDS 6,
HDZ-BiH 5, SBH 5, PDP 2, NHI 1, BPS 1, DPS 1, SNS 1,
SNSD-DSP 1, DNZ 1, SPRS 1; House of Peoples - percent of
vote by party/coalition - NA%; seats by party/coalition -
NA
note: the Bosniak/Croat Federation has a
bicameral legislature that consists of a House of
Representatives (140 seats; members elected by popular
vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 11
November 2000 (next to be held NA 2002); percent of vote
by party - NA%; seats by party/coalition - SDA 38, SDP 37,
HDZ-BiH 25, SBH 21, DNZ 3, NHI 2, BPS 2, DPS 2, BOSS 2,
GDS 1, RP 1, HSS 1, LDS 1, Pensioners' Party of FBiH 1,
SNSD-DSP 1, HKDU 1, HSP 1; and a House of Peoples (74
seats - 30 Bosniak, 30 Croat, and 14 others); last
constituted November 2000; the Republika Srpska has a
National Assembly (83 seats; members elected by popular
vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 11
November 2000 (next to be held NA 2002); percent of vote
by party - NA%; seats by party/coalition - SDS 31, PDP 11,
SNSD 11, SDA 6, DSP 4, SDP 4, SPRS 4, SBH 4, DNS 3, SNS 2,
NHI 1, DSRS 1, Pensioners' Party 1; as of 1 January 2001,
Bosnia and Herzegovina does not have a permanent election
law; a draft law specifies four-year terms for the state
and first-order administrative division entity
legislatures; officials elected in 2000 were elected to
two-year terms on the presumption that a permanent law
would be in place before 2002 |
| Judicial
branch: |
BiH Constitutional Court (consists of nine
members: four members are selected by the Bosniak/Croat
Federation's House of Representatives, two members by the
Republika Srpska's National Assembly, and three
non-Bosnian members by the president of the European Court
of Human Rights)
note: a new state court, established in
November 1999, has jurisdiction over cases related to
state-level law and appellate jurisdiction over cases
initiated in the entities; the entities each have a
Supreme Court; each entity also has a number of lower
courts; there are ten cantonal courts in the Federation,
plus a number of municipal courts; the Republika Srpska
has five municipal courts |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Bosnian Party or BOSS [Mirnes AJANOVIC];
Bosnian Patriotic Party or BPS [Sefer HALILOVIC]; Civic
Democratic Party of BiH or GDS [Ibrahim SPAHIC]; Croat
Christian Democratic Union or HKDU BiH [Ante PASALIC];
Croatian Democratic Union of BiH or HDZ-BiH [leader
vacant]; Croatian Party of Rights or HSP [Zdravko HRSTIC];
Croatian Peasants Party of BiH or HSS-BiH [Ilija SIMIC];
Democratic Action Party or SDA [Alija IZETBEGOVIC];
Democratic National Alliance or DNS [Dragan KOSTIC];
Democratic Party of Pensioners or DPS [Alojz KNEZOVIC];
Democratic Party of RS or DSRS [Dragomir DUMIC];
Democratic Peoples Union or DNZ [Fikret ABDIC]; Democratic
Socialist Party or DSP [Nebojsa RADMANOVIC]; Liberal
Democratic Party or LDS [Rasim KADIC]; New Croatian
Initiative or NHI [Kresimir ZUBAK]; Party for Bosnia and
Herzegovina or SBH [Haris SILAJDZIC]; Party of Democratic
Progress or PDP [Mladen IVANIC]; Party of Independent
Social Democrats or SNSD [Milorad DODIK]; Pensioners'
Party of FBiH [Husein VOJNIKOVIC]; Pensioners' Party of SR
[Stojan BOGOSAVAC]; Republican Party of BiH or RP [Stjepan
KLJUIC]; Serb Democratic Party or Serb Lands or SDS [Dragan
KALINIC]; Serb National Alliance (Serb People's Alliance)
or SNS [Biljana PLAVSIC]; Social Democratic Party BIH or
SDP-BiH [Zlatko LAGUMDZIJA]; Socialist Party of Republika
Srpska or SPRS [Zivko RADISIC] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
BIS, CE (guest), CEI, EBRD, ECE, FAO, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM
(guest), OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OPCW, OSCE, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNTAET, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO (observer) |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador
Igor DAVIDOVIC
chancery: 2109 E Street NW, Washington, DC
20037
telephone: [1] (202) 337-1500
FAX: [1] (202) 337-1502
consulate(s) general: New York |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador
Clifford G. BOND
embassy: Alipasina 43, 71000 Sarajevo
mailing address: use street address
telephone: [387] (33) 445-700
FAX: [387] (33) 659-722
branch office(s): Banja Luka, Mostar |
| Flag
description: |
a wide medium blue vertical band on the fly
side with a yellow isosceles triangle abutting the band
and the top of the flag; the remainder of the flag is
medium blue with seven full five-pointed white stars and
two half stars top and bottom along the hypotenuse of the
triangle |
| Government -
note: |
The Dayton Agreement, signed in Paris on 14
December 1995, retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's exterior
border and created a joint multi-ethnic and democratic
government. This national government - based on
proportional representation similar to that which existed
in the former socialist regime - is charged with
conducting foreign, economic, and fiscal policy. The
Dayton Agreement also recognized a second tier of
government, comprised of two entities - a joint Bosniak/Croat
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bosnian Serb
Republika Srpska (RS) - each presiding over roughly
one-half the territory. The Federation and RS governments
are charged with overseeing internal functions. The Dayton
Agreement established the Office of the High
Representative (OHR) to oversee the implementation of the
civilian aspects of the agreement. About 250 international
and 450 local staff members are employed by the OHR. |
| Economy -
overview: |
Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked next to The
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as the poorest
republic in the old Yugoslav federation. Although
agriculture is almost all in private hands, farms are
small and inefficient, and the republic traditionally is a
net importer of food. Industry has been greatly
overstaffed, one reflection of the socialist economic
structure of Yugoslavia. TITO had pushed the development
of military industries in the republic with the result
that Bosnia hosted a large share of Yugoslavia's defense
plants. The bitter interethnic warfare in Bosnia caused
production to plummet by 80% from 1990 to 1995,
unemployment to soar, and human misery to multiply. With
an uneasy peace in place, output recovered in 1996-98 at
high percentage rates from a low base; but output growth
slowed appreciably in 1999 and 2000, and GDP remains far
below the 1990 level. Economic data are of limited use
because, although both entities issue figures,
national-level statistics are not available. Moreover,
official data do not capture the large share of activity
that occurs on the black market. The marka - the national
currency introduced in 1998 - has gained wide acceptance,
and the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina has
dramatically increased its reserve holdings.
Implementation of privatization, however, has been slower
than anticipated. Banking reform accelerated in early 2001
as all the communist-era payments bureaus were shut down.
The country receives substantial amounts of reconstruction
assistance and humanitarian aid from the international
community but will have to prepare for an era of declining
assistance. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $6.5 billion
(2000 est.) |
| GDP - real
growth rate: |
8% (2000 est.) |
| GDP - per
capita: |
purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2000
est.) |
| GDP -
composition by sector: |
agriculture: 19%
industry: 23%
services: 58% (1996 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation rate
(consumer prices): |
8% (2000 est.) |
| Labor force: |
1.026 million |
| Labor force -
by occupation: |
agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% |
| Unemployment
rate: |
35%-40% (1999 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $1.9 billion
expenditures: $2.2 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1999 est.) |
| Industries: |
steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc,
manganese, bauxite, vehicle assembly, textiles, tobacco
products, wooden furniture, tank and aircraft assembly,
domestic appliances, oil refining |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
10% (2000 est.) |
| Electricity -
production: |
2.585 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity -
production by source: |
fossil fuel: 38.68%
hydro: 61.32%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity -
consumption: |
2.684 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity -
exports: |
150 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity -
imports: |
430 million kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture -
products: |
wheat, corn, fruits, vegetables; livestock |
| Exports: |
$950 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports -
commodities: |
NA |
| Exports -
partners: |
Croatia, Switzerland, Italy, Germany |
| Imports: |
$2.45 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Imports -
commodities: |
NA |
| Imports -
partners: |
Croatia, Slovenia, Germany, Italy |
| Debt -
external: |
$3.4 billion (2000 est.) |
| Economic aid -
recipient: |
$1 billion (1999 est.) |
| Exchange
rates: |
marka per US dollar - 2.086 (January 2001),
2.124 (2000), 1.837 (1999), 1.760 (1998), 1.734 (1997),
0.015 (1996) |
| Fiscal year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones -
main lines in use: |
303,000 (1997) |
| Telephones -
mobile cellular: |
9,000 (1997) |
| Telephone
system: |
general assessment: telephone
and telegraph network is in need of modernization and
expansion; many urban areas are below average when
compared with services in other former Yugoslav republics
domestic: NA
international: no satellite earth stations |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 8, FM 16, shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
33 (plus 277 repeaters) (September 1995) |
| Internet
country code: |
.ba |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
3 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
3,500 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total: 1,021 km (electrified
795 km; operating as diesel or steam until grids are
repaired)
standard gauge: 1,021 km 1.435-m gauge; note
- many segments still need repair and/or reconstruction
(2000) |
| Highways: |
total: 21,846 km
paved: 14,020 km
unpaved: 7,826 km
note: road system is in need of maintenance
and repair (2001) |
| Waterways: |
NA km; large sections of the Sava blocked
by downed bridges, silt, and debris |
| Pipelines: |
crude oil 174 km; natural gas 90 km (1992) |
| Ports and
harbors: |
Bosanska Gradiska, Bosanski Brod, Bosanski
Samac, and Brcko (all inland waterway ports on the Sava),
Orasje |
| Merchant
marine: |
none (2000 est.) |
| Airports -
with paved runways: |
total: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
| Airports -
with unpaved runways: |
total: 19
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 11 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Federation Army or VF (composed of both
Croatian and Bosniak elements), Republika Srpska Army or
VRS (composed of Bosnian Serb elements); note - within
both of these forces air and air defense are subordinate
commands |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
19 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49: 1,127,146
(2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49: 895,780 (2001
est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males: 29,757 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$NA |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
NA% |
| Disputes -
international: |
none |
| Illicit drugs: |
minor transit point for marijuana and
opiate trafficking routes to Western Europe |
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