1997 Edition

Area

total: 51,233 sq km land: 51,233 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than West Virginia

Climate

hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast

Coastline

20 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m highest point: Maglic 2,386 m

Environment - current issues

air pollution from metallurgical plants; sites for disposing of urban waste are limited; widespread casualties, water shortages, and destruction of infrastructure because of the 1992-95 civil strife

Environment - international agreements

party to: Air Pollution, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

44 00 N, 18 00 E

Geography - note

within Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized borders, the country is divided into a joint Muslim-Croat Federation (about 51% of the territory) and a Serb Republic, The Republika Srpska [RS] (about 49% of the territory); the region called Herzegovina is contiguous to Croatia and traditionally has been settled by an ethnic Croat majority

Irrigated land

20 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 1,459 km border countries: Croatia 932 km, Serbia and Montenegro 527 km (312 km with Serbia, 215 km with Montenegro)

Land use

arable land: 14% permanent crops : 5% permanent pastures: 20% forests and woodland: 39% other: 22% (1993 est.)

Location

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia

Map references

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Europe

Maritime claims

NA

Natural hazards

frequent and destructive earthquakes

Natural resources

coal, iron, bauxite, manganese, forests, copper, chromium, lead, zinc

Terrain

mountains and valleys

Age structure

0-14 years: 18% (male 301,637; female 284,694) 15-64 years: 70% (male 1,123,477; female 1,140,604) 65 years and over: 12% (male 145,711; female 226,461) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

8.29 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

13.88 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

Serb 40%, Muslim 38%, Croat 22% (est.)

Infant mortality rate

37 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

Serbo-Croatian (often called Bosnian) 99%

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 59.42 years male : 54.58 years female: 64.59 years (1997 est.)

Literacy

NA

Nationality

noun: Bosnian(s), Herzegovinian(s) adjective: Bosnian, Herzegovinian

Net migration rate

56.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population

3,222,584 (July 1997 est.) note: all data dealing with population is subject to considerable error because of the dislocations caused by military action and ethnic cleansing

Population growth rate

5.09% (1997 est.)

Religions

Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Catholic 15%, Protestant 4%, other 10%

Sex ratio

at birth : 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.09 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Administrative divisions

there are no first-order administrative divisions approved by the US Government, but it has been reported that the Muslim/Croat Federation is comprised of 10 cantons called by either number or name - Goradzde (5), Livno (10), Middle Bosnia (6), Neretva (7), Posavina (2), Sarajevo (9), Tuzla Podrinje (3), Una Sana (1), West Herzegovina (8), Zenica Doboj (4)

Constitution

the Dayton Agreement, signed 14 December 1995, included a new constitution now in force

Country name

conventional long form : none conventional short form: Bosnia and Herzegovina local long form : none local short form: Bosna i Hercegovina

Data code

BK

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Robert BEECROFT embassy: 43 Ul. Djure Djakovica, Sarajevo mailing address: American Embassy Sarajevo, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7130 telephone: [387] (71) 445-700

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Sven ALKALAJ chancery: Suite 760, 1707 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 833-3612, 3613, 3615

Executive branch

chief of state : Chairman of the Presidency Alija IZETBEGOVIC (since 14 September 1996); other members of the three-member rotating presidency: Kresimir ZUBAK (since 14 September 1996 - Croat) and Momcilo KRAJISNIK (since 14 September 1996 - Serb) head of government: Cochairman of the Council of Ministers Haris SILAJDZIC (since NA January 1997); Cochairman of the Council of Ministers Boro BOSIC (since NA January 1997) NA cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the council chairmen note: president of the Muslim-Croat Federation of Bosnia and

FAX

[1] (202) 833-2061 consulate(s) general: New York

[387] (71) 659-722

Flag description

white with a large blue shield; the shield contains white fleurs-de-lis with a white diagonal band running from the upper hoist corner to the lower outer side

Government - note

Until declaring independence in spring 1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina existed as a republic in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Bosnia was partitioned by fighting during 1992-95 and governed by competing ethnic factions. Bosnia's current governing structures were created by the Dayton Accords, the 1995 peace agreement which was officially signed in Paris on 14 December 1995 by Bosnian President IZETBEGOVIC, Croatian President TUDJMAN, and Serbian President MILOSEVIC. This agreement retained Bosnia'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 Accords also recognized a second tier of government, comprised of two entities - a joint Muslim-Croat Federation and the Bosnian Serb Republika Srpska (RS) - each presiding over roughly one-half the territory. These Federation and RS governments are charged with overseeing internal functions. As mandated by the Dayton Accords, the Bosnians on 14 September 1996 participated in the first post-war elections of national, entity, and cantonal leaders. The Bosnians have been slow to form and install new joint institutions. A new Federation cabinet was sworn in 18 December 1996 and the new Bosnian central government cabinet was confirmed on 3 January 1997.

Government type

emerging democracy

Herzegovina

Vladimir SOLJIC (since March 1997); president of the

Independence

NA April 1992 (from Yugoslavia)

International organization participation

CE (guest), CEI, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), OIC (observer), OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court; Constitutional Court

Legal system

based on civil law system

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina consists of the National House of Representatives or Vijece Opcina (42 seats - 14 Serb, 14 Croat, and 14 Muslim; members serve NA-year terms) and the House of Peoples or Vijece Gradanstvo (15 seats - 5 Muslim, 5 Croat, 5 Serb; members serve NA-year terms) elections: National House of Representatives - elections last held 14 September 1996 (next to be held NA); note - the House of Peoples are elected by the Muslim-Croat Federation's 140-seat House of Representatives (two-thirds) and the Bosnian Serb Republic's 83-seat National Assembly (one-third) election results: National House of Representatives: two-thirds chosen from the Muslim-Croat Federation: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SDA 16, HDZ-BiH 7, Joint List of Social Democrats 3, Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2; one-third chosen from the Bosnian Serb

National capital

Sarajevo

National holiday

Republika Srpska - "Republic Day", 9 January; Independence Day, 1 March; Bosnia - "Republic Day", 25 November

Political parties and leaders

Party of Democratic Action or SDA [Alija IZETBEGOVIC]; Croatian Democratic Union of BiH or HDZ-BiH [Bozo RAJIC]; Serb Democratic Party or SDS [Alexander BUHA, acting president]; Party for Bosnia [Haris SILAJDZIC]; Joint List of Social Democrats; Democratic Patriotic Front/Union for Peace and Progress; Civic Democratic Party or GDS [Ibrahim SPAHIC]; Croatian Peasants' Party of BiH or HSS [Stanko STISKOVIC]; Independent Serbian Democratic Party or NSDS [Milorad DODIK]; Liberal Bosniak Organization or LBO [Muhamed FILIPOVIC]; Liberal Party or LS [Rasim KADIC, president]; Muslim-Bosniac Organization or MBO [Adil ZULFIKARPASIC]; Republican Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina [Stjepan KLJUIC]; Serb Civic Council or SGV [Mirko PEJANOVIC]; Serb Consultative Council [Ljubomir BERBEROVIC]; Social Democratic Party or SDP (formerly the Democratic Party of Socialists or DSS) [Zlatko LAGUMOZIJA, president]; Socialist Party of Republika Srpska [Zivko RADISIC]; Union of Social Democrats or SSDB [Selim BESLAGIC]; United Left of the Bosnian Serb Republic or ULRS [Mile IVOSEVIC]; Yugoslav United Left or JUL [CAREVIC]; Social Liberal Party [Miodrag ZIVANOVIC]; Serb Radical Party [Miodrag RAKIC]; Serb Patriotic Party [Slavko ZUPLJANIN]; Serb Homeland Party; Party of Serbian Unity; Republik Srpska Independent Social Democrats [Branko DOKIC, president]; Serb Party of Posavina and Krajina [Predrag LAZAREVIC]; National Democratic Union [Fikret ABDIC] note : 82 parties are registered for the September 1997 municipal elections

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Republic

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SDS 9, SDA 3, Democratic Patriotic Front/Union for Peace and Progress 2 note: the Muslim-Croat Federation has a House of Representatives with 140 seats: seats by party - SDA 80, HDZ-BiH 33, Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina 11, Joint List of Social Democrats 10, other 6; the Republika Srpska has a National Assembly with 83 seats: seats by party - SDS 50, Democratic Patriotic Front/Union for Peace and Progress 10, Serb Radical Party 7, SDA 6, other 10

Republika Srpska

Biljana PLAVSIC (since September 1996) elections: the three presidency members (one each Muslim, Croat, Serb) are elected by direct election (first election for a two-year term, thereafter for a four-year term); the president with the most votes becomes the chairman; election last held 14 September 1996 (next to be held September 1998); the cochairmen are nominated by the presidency election results: Alija IZETBEGOVIC elected chairman of the collective presidency with the highest number of votes; percent of vote - Alija IZETBEGOVIC received 80% of the Muslim vote to Haris SILAJDZIC's 14%; Kresimir ZUBAK received 88% of the Croat vote to Ivo KOMSIC's 11%; Momcilo KRAJISNIK received 68% of the Serb vote to Mladen IVANIC's 30%

Suffrage

16 years of age, if employed; 18 years of age, universal

Agriculture - products

wheat, corn, fruits, vegetables; livestock

Budget

revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Currency

1 dinar = 100 para; Croatian kuna used in Croat-held area; old and new Serbian dinars used in Serb-held area; the deutsche mark (DM) has supplanted local currencies throughout Bosnia

Debt - external

$3.5 billion (yearend 1995 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $600 million (1996 est.)

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 has been almost all in private hands, farms have been small and inefficient, and the republic traditionally has been a net importer of food. Industry has been greatly overstaffed, one reflection of the rigidities of communist central planning and management. 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 perhaps 90% since 1990, unemployment to soar, and human misery to multiply. No reliable economic statistics for 1992-96 are available, although output almost certainly is well below $1,000 per head. In the Federation, unemployment remains in the 40%-50% range and inflation is low. By contrast, growth in the Republika Srpska in 1996 was flat and inflation surpassed 30%. The country receives substantial amounts of humanitarian aid from the international community. Wide regional differences in war damage and access to the outside world have resulted in substantial variations in living conditions among local areas.

Electricity - capacity

3.991 million kW (1991)

Electricity - consumption per capita

475 kWh (1995 est.)

Electricity - production

1.87 billion kWh (1994)

Exchange rates

NA

Exports

total value: $152 million (1995 est.) commodities: NA partners: NA

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $1.9 billion (1995 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $600 (1995 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

Imports

total value : $1.1 billion (1995 est.) commodities: NA partners: NA

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, vehicle assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, tank and aircraft assembly, domestic appliances, oil refining; much of capacity damaged or shut down (1995)

Inflation rate - consumer price index

NA%

Labor force

total: 1,026,254 by occupation: NA%

Unemployment rate

officially about 70% but probably much lower, perhaps 40%-50% (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 9, FM 2, shortwave 0

Radios

840,000

Telephone system

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

Telephones

727,000

Television broadcast stations

6

Televisions

1,012,094

Airports

24 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 14 2,438 to 3,047 m : 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 7 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total : 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 (1996 est.)

Highways

total : 21,168 km paved: 11,436 km unpaved: 9,732 km (1991 est.) note: roads need maintenance and repair

Merchant marine

none

Pipelines

crude oil 174 km; natural gas 90 km (1992); note - pipelines now disrupted

Ports and harbors

Bosanski Brod (access to Ploce, Croatia)

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 (1995); note - some segments need repair and/or reconstruction

Waterways

NA km; Sava blocked by downed bridges

Military branches

Army

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 865,763 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males: 696,202 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - military age

19 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males : 23,771 (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

disputes with Serbia over Serbian populated areas

Illicit drugs

transit point for minor regional marijuana trafficking routes ______________________________________________________________________ BOTSWANA