2007 Edition

Administrative divisions

2 first-order administrative divisions and 1 internationally supervised district* - Brcko district (Brcko Distrikt)*, the Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federacija Bosna i Hercegovina) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska; note - Brcko district is in northeastern Bosnia and is an administrative unit under the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina; the district remains under international supervision

Age structure

0-14 years: 15.5% (male 359,739/female 336,978) 15-64 years: 70.1% (male 1,590,923/female 1,564,665) 65 years and over: 14.4% (male 265,637/female 381,034) (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

wheat, corn, fruits, vegetables; livestock

Airports

28 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

total

8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

under 914 m

3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

20 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7

under 914 m

12 (2006)

Area

land

51,129 sq km

total

51,129 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than West Virginia

Background

Bosnia and Herzegovina's declaration of sovereignty in October 1991 was followed by a declaration of independence from the former Yugoslavia on 3 March 1992 after a referendum boycotted by ethnic Serbs. The Bosnian Serbs - supported by neighboring Serbia and Montenegro - 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 initialed a peace agreement that brought to a halt three years of interethnic civil strife (the final agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December 1995). The Dayton Peace Accords retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's international boundaries and created a joint multi-ethnic and democratic government charged with conducting foreign, diplomatic, 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 were charged with overseeing most government functions. The Office of the High Representative (OHR) was established to oversee the implementation of the civilian aspects of the agreement. 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 was to deter renewed hostilities. European Union peacekeeping troops (EUFOR) replaced SFOR in December 2004; their mission is to maintain peace and stability throughout the country. EUFOR plans to phase out its mission beginning in 2007. Geography Bosnia and Herzegovina

BH 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); BH State Court (consists of nine judges and three divisions - Administrative, Appellate and Criminal - having jurisdiction over cases related to state-level law and appellate jurisdiction over cases initiated in the entities); note - a War Crimes Chamber opened in March 2005

note

the entities each have a Supreme Court; each entity also has a number of lower courts; there are 10 cantonal courts in the Federation, plus a number of municipal courts; the Republika Srpska has five municipal courts

Birth rate

8.77 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$5.677 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

revenues

$5.643 billion

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

geographic coordinates

43 52 N, 18 25 E

name

Sarajevo

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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

Constitution

the Dayton Agreement, signed 14 December 1995, included a new constitution now in force; note - each of the entities also has its own constitution

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Bosnia and Herzegovina

former

People's Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina

local long form

none

local short form

Bosna i Hercegovina

Currency (code)

marka (BAM)

Currency code

BAM

Current account balance

$-1.73 billion (2006 est.)

Death rate

8.27 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$3.927 billion (2006 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Douglas L. McELHANEY

embassy

Alipasina 43, 71000 Sarajevo

mailing address

use street address

telephone

[387] (33) 445-700

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2109 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20037

chief of mission

Ambassador Bisera TURKOVIC

telephone

[1] (202) 337-1500

Disputes - international

Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro have delimited most of their boundary, but sections along the Drina River remain in dispute; discussions continue with Croatia on several small disputed sections of the boundary related to maritime access that hinder ratification of the 1999 border agreement

Distribution of family income - Gini index

26.2 (2001)

Economic aid - recipient

$650 million (2001 est.)

Economy - overview

Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked next to 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 remains greatly overstaffed, a holdover from the socialist economic structure of Yugoslavia. TITO had pushed the development of military industries in the republic with the result that Bosnia was saddled with a host of industrial firms with little commercial potential. The interethnic warfare in Bosnia caused production to plummet by 80% from 1992 to 1995 and unemployment to soar. With an uneasy peace in place, output recovered in 1996-99 at high percentage rates from a low base; but output growth slowed in 2000-02. Part of the lag in output was made up in 2003-06. National-level statistics are limited and do not capture the large share of black market activity. The konvertibilna marka (convertible mark or BAM)- the national currency introduced in 1998 - is pegged to the euro, and confidence in the currency and the banking sector has increased. Implementation of privatization, however, has been slow, and local entities only reluctantly support national-level institutions. Banking reform accelerated in 2001 as all the Communist-era payments bureaus were shut down; foreign banks, primarily from Western Europe, now control most of the banking sector. A sizeable current account deficit and high unemployment rate remain the two most serious economic problems. 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.

Electricity - consumption

11.03 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

3.05 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

2 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production

12.98 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

53.5%

hydro

46.5%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Maglic 2,386 m

lowest point

Adriatic Sea 0 m

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; deforestation

Environment - international agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Ethnic groups

Bosniak 48%, Serb 37.1%, Croat 14.3%, other 0.6% (2000)

note

Bosniak has replaced Muslim as an ethnic term in part to avoid confusion with the religious term Muslim - an adherent of Islam

Exchange rates

marka per US dollar - 1.55818 (2006), 1.5727 (2005), 1.5752 (2004), 1.7329 (2003), 2.0782 (2002)

note

the marka is pegged to the euro

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers nominated by the council chairman; approved by the National House of Representatives

chief of state

Chairman of the Presidency Nebojsa RADMANOVIC (chairman since 6 November 2006; presidency member since 1 October 2006 - Serb); other members of the three-member presidency rotating (every eight months): Zeljko KOMSIC (since 1 October 2006 - Croat) and Haris SILAJDZIC (since 1 October 2006 - Bosniak)

election results

percent of vote - Nebojsa RADMANOVIC with 53.3% of the votes for the Serb seat; Zeljko KOMSIC received 39.6% of the votes for the Croat seat; Haris SILAJDZIC received 62.8% of the votes for the Bosniak seat

elections

the three members of the presidency (one Bosniak, one Croat, one Serb) are elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term, but then ineligible for four years); the member with the most votes becomes the chairman unless he or she was the incumbent chairman at the time of the election, but the chairmanship rotates every eight months; election last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in 2010); the chairman of the Council of Ministers is appointed by the presidency and confirmed by the National House of Representatives

head of government

Chairman of the Council of Ministers Nikola SPIRIC (since 4 January 2007)

note

current government is caretaker in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; President of the Federation of Bosnia and

Exports

$3.5 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

metals, clothing, wood products

Exports - partners

Croatia 18.4%, Italy 17.1%, Slovenia 14.7%, Germany 12.8%, Austria 6.5%, Hungary 5.2%, China 4.2% (2005)

FAX

[1] (202) 337-1502

[387] (33) 659-722

branch office(s)

Banja Luka, Mostar

consulate(s) general

Chicago, New York

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Bosnia and Herzegovina

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 Economy Bosnia and Herzegovina

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

14.2%

industry

30.8%

services

55% (2002)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$5,500 (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5.3% (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$9.158 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$24.8 billion

note

Bosnia has a large informal sector that could also be as much as 50% of official GDP (2006 est.)

Geographic coordinates

44 00 N, 18 00 E

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 Serbia and Montenegro (Montenegro), and traditionally has been settled by an ethnic Croat majority in the west and an ethnic Serb majority in the east People Bosnia and Herzegovina

Government type

emerging federal democratic republic

Heliports

5 (2006)

Herzegovina

Niko LOZANCIC (since 27 January 2003); Vice Presidents Sahbaz DZIHANOVIC (since in 2003) and Desnica RADIVOJEVIC (since in 2003); new government will be appointed in coming months; President

of the Republika Srpska

Milan JELIC (since 9 November 2006)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

100 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

900 (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

IDPs

180,251 (Bosnian Croats, Serbs, and Muslims displaced in 1992-95 war) (2006)

Illicit drugs

minor transit point for marijuana and opiate trafficking routes to Western Europe; remains highly vulnerable to money-laundering activity given a primarily cash-based and unregulated economy, weak law enforcement, and instances of corruption This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

Imports

$8.25 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

Croatia 24.7%, Germany 13.6%, Slovenia 13%, Italy 11%, Austria 6.9%, Hungary 5.5% (2005)

Independence

1 March 1992 (from Yugoslavia; referendum for independence was completed 1 March 1992; independence was declared 3 March 1992)

Industrial production growth rate

5.5% (2003 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

Infant mortality rate

female

8.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

11.26 deaths/1,000 live births

total

9.82 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8.2% (2006 est.)

International organization participation

BIS, CE, CEI, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNWTO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Internet country code

.ba

Internet hosts

31,490 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

3 (2000)

Internet users

806,400 (2005) Transportation Bosnia and Herzegovina

Irrigated land

30 sq km (2003)

Labor force

1.026 million (2001)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

Land boundaries

border countries

Croatia 932 km, Montenegro 225 km, Serbia 302 km

total

1,459 km

Land use

arable land

19.61%

other

78.5% (2005)

permanent crops

1.89%

Languages

Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian

Legal system

based on civil law system

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina consists of the national House of Representatives or Predstavnicki Dom (42 seats - elected by proportional representation, 28 seats allocated from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 14 seats from the Republika Srpska; members elected by popular vote to serve four-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 four-year terms); note - Bosnia's election law specifies four-year terms for the state and first-order administrative division entity legislatures

election results

national House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA%; seats by party/coalition - SDA 9, SBiH 8, SNSD 7, SDP 5, SDS 3, HDZ-BH 3, HDZ 1990 2, other 5; House of Peoples - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - NA

elections

national House of Representatives - elections last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in 2010); House of Peoples - last constituted in January 2003 (next to be constituted in 2007)

note

the Bosniak/Croat Federation has a bicameral legislature that consists of a House of Representatives (98 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in October 2010); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party/coalition - SDA 28, SBiH 24, SDP 17, HDZ-BH 8, HDZ100 7, other 14; and a House of Peoples (58 seats - 17 Bosniak, 17 Croat, 1i7 Serb, 7 other); last constituted December 2002; the Republika Srpska has a National Assembly (83 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in the fall of 2010); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party/coalition - SNSD 41, SDS 17, PDP 8, DNS 4, SBH 4, SPRS 3, SDA 3, other 3; as a result of the 2002 constitutional reform process, a 28-member Republika Srpska Council of Peoples (COP) was established in the Republika Srpska National Assembly including eight Croats, eight Bosniaks, eight Serbs, and four members of the smaller communities

Life expectancy at birth

female

81.88 years (2006 est.)

male

74.39 years

total population

78 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

91.1% (2000 est.) Government Bosnia and Herzegovina

male

98.4%

total population

94.6%

Location

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia

Manpower available for military service

females age 18-49

1,079,435 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

1,119,508

Manpower fit for military service

females age 18-49

881,446 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

910,539

Manpower reaching military service age annually

females age 18-49

31,466 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

32,942

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

no data available

Median age

female

39.5 years (2006 est.)

male

37.2 years

total

38.4 years

Military branches

VF Army (the air and air defense forces are subordinate commands within the Army), VRS Army (the air and air defense forces are subordinate commands within the Army)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$234.3 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

4.5% (FY02) Transnational Issues Bosnia and Herzegovina

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory military service in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; 16 years of age in times of war; 18 years of age for Republika Srpska; 17 years of age for voluntary military service in the Federation and in the Republika Srpska; by law, military obligations cover all healthy men between the ages of 18 and 60, and all women between the ages of 18 and 55; service obligation is four months (July 2004)

National holiday

National Day, 25 November (1943)

Nationality

adjective

Bosnian, Herzegovinian

noun

Bosnian(s), Herzegovinian(s)

Natural gas - consumption

300 million cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports

300 million cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural hazards

destructive earthquakes

Natural resources

coal, iron ore, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, cobalt, manganese, nickel, clay, gypsum, salt, sand, forests, hydropower

Net migration rate

13.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

23,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2004)

Political parties and leaders

Alliance of Independent Social Democrats or SNSD [Milorad DODIK]; Bosnian Party or BOSS [Mirnes AJANOVIC]; Civic Democratic Party or GDS [Ibrahim SPAHIC]; Croat Christian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HKDU [Marin TOPIC]; Croat Party of Rights or HSP [Zvonko JURISIC]; Croat Peasants Party or HSS [Marko TADIC]; Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HDZ-BH [Dragan COVIC]; Croatian Democratic Union 1990 or HDZ1990 [Bozo LJUBIC]; Croatian Peoples Union [Milenko BRKIC]; Democratic National Union or DNZ [Rifet DOLIC]; Democratic Peoples Alliance or DNS [Marko PAVIC]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDS [Rasim KADIC]; New Croat Initiative or NHI [Kresimir ZUBAK]; Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina or SBiH [Haris SILAJDZIC]; Party for Democratic Action or SDA [Sulejman TIHIC]; Party of Democratic Progress or PDP [Mladen IVANIC]; Serb Democratic Party or SDS [Mladen BOSIC]; Serb Radical Party of the Republika Srpska or SRS-RS [Milanko MIHAJLICA]; Serb Radical Party-Dr. Vojislav Seselj or SRS-VS [Radislav KANJERIC]; Social Democratic Party of BIH or SDP [Zlatko LAGUMDZIJA]; Social Democratic Union or SDU [Sejfudin TOKIC]; Socialist Party of Republika Srpska or SPRS [Petar DJOKIC]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population

4,498,976 (July 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

25% (2004 est.)

Population growth rate

1.35% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Bosanska Gradiska, Bosanski Brod, Bosanski Samac, and Brcko (all inland waterway ports on the Sava), Orasje Military Bosnia and Herzegovina

Public debt

24.5% of GDP (2006 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 8, FM 16, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios

940,000 (1997)

Railways

standard gauge

608 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)

total

608 km (777 km electrified)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

7,458 (Croatia)

Religions

Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, other 14%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$2.7 billion (2006 est.)

Roadways

paved

11,425 km (4,686 km of interurban roads)

total

21,846 km

unpaved

10,421 km (2005)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.07 male(s)/female

total population

0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age, universal

Telephone system

domestic

NA

general assessment

telephone and telegraph network needs modernization and expansion; many urban areas are below average as contrasted with services in other former Yugoslav republics

international

country code - 387; no satellite earth stations

Telephones - main lines in use

968,900 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.594 million (2005)

Television broadcast stations

33 (plus 277 repeaters) (September 1995)

Televisions

NA

Terrain

mountains and valleys

Total fertility rate

1.22 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

45.5% official rate; grey economy may reduce actual unemployment to 25-30% (31 December 2004 est.)

Waterways

Sava River (northern border) open to shipping but use limited (2006)