2015 Edition

Background

Bosnia and Herzegovina declared sovereignty in October 1991 and 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 ended 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 multiethnic and democratic government charged with conducting foreign, diplomatic, and fiscal policy. Also recognized was a second tier of government composed of two entities roughly equal in size: the Bosniak-Bosnian Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska (RS). The Federation and RS governments are responsible for overseeing most government functions. Additionally, the Dayton Accords established the Office of the High Representative to oversee the implementation of the civilian aspects of the agreement. The Peace Implementation Council at its conference in Bonn in 1997 also gave the High Representative the authority to impose legislation and remove officials, the so-called "Bonn Powers." An original NATO-led international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops assembled in 1995 was succeeded over time by a smaller, NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR). In 2004, European Union peacekeeping troops (EUFOR) replaced SFOR. Currently EUFOR deploys around 600 troops in theater in a security assistance and training capacity.

Area

land

51,187 sq km

total

51,197 sq km

water

10 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

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

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 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 Montenegro, and traditionally has been settled by an ethnic Croat majority in the west and an ethnic Serb majority in the east

Irrigated land

30 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries (3)

Croatia 956 km, Montenegro 242 km, Serbia 345 km

total

1,543 km

Land use

arable land 19.7%; permanent crops 2%; permanent pasture 20.5%

agricultural land

42.2%

forest

42.8%

other

15% (2011 est.)

Location

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

NA

Natural hazards

destructive earthquakes

Natural resources

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

Terrain

mountains and valleys

Total renewable water resources

37.5 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

13.48% (male 269,086/female 252,189)

15-24 years

12.36% (male 246,849/female 231,007)

25-54 years

46.48% (male 902,704/female 894,787)

55-64 years

14.01% (male 259,579/female 282,371)

65 years and over

13.67% (male 206,288/female 322,195) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

8.87 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Child labor - children ages 5-14

percentage

5% (2006 est.)

total number

24,722

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

1.5% (2012)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

45.8% (2011/12)

Death rate

9.75 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

21.7%

potential support ratio

4.6% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

40.7%

youth dependency ratio

19%

Drinking water source

urban: 99.7% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 99.9% of population

urban: 0.3% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0.1% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

Bosniak 48.4%, Serb 32.7%, Croat 14.6%, other 4.3%

note

final 2013 census results are pending; Bosniak has replaced Muslim as an ethnic term in part to avoid confusion with the religious term Muslim - an adherent of Islam (2013 est.)

Health expenditures

9.6% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Hospital bed density

3.5 beds/1,000 population (2010)

Infant mortality rate

female

5.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

5.79 deaths/1,000 live births

total

5.72 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Bosnian (official), Croatian (official), Serbian (official)

Life expectancy at birth

female

79.77 years (2015 est.)

male

73.54 years

total population

76.55 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

97.5% (2015 est.)

male

99.5%

total population

98.5%

Major urban areas - population

SARAJEVO (capital) 318,000 (2015)

Median age

female

42.6 years (2015 est.)

male

39.8 years

total

41.2 years

Nationality

adjective

Bosnian, Herzegovinian

noun

Bosnian(s), Herzegovinian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

19.2% (2014)

Physicians density

1.93 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

Population

3,867,055 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.13% (2015 est.)

Religions

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

Sanitation facility access

urban: 98.9% of population

rural: 92% of population

total: 94.8% of population

urban: 1.1% of population

rural: 8% of population

total: 5.2% of population (2015 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.07 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.07 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.01 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.92 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.64 male(s)/female

at birth

1.07 male(s)/female

total population

0.95 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.27 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

62.8% (2012 est.)

male

62.8%

total

62.8%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.14% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

39.8% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

2 first-order administrative divisions and 1 internationally supervised district* - the Bosniak-Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federacija Bosne i Hercegovine), the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska, Brcko District (Brcko Distrikt)*; note - Brcko District is in northeastern Bosnia and is a self-governing administrative unit under the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina and formally held in condominium between the two entities

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)

Constitution

14 December 1995 (constitution included as part of the Dayton Peace Accords); amended several times, last in 2003; note - each of the entities has its own constitution (2011)

Country name

abbreviation

BiH

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

branch office(s)

Banja Luka, Mostar

chief of mission

Ambassador Maureen CORMACK (since 16 January 2015)

embassy

1 Robert C. Frasure Street, 71000 Sarajevo

FAX

[387] (33) 659-722

mailing address

use embassy street address

telephone

[387] (33) 704-000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2109 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20037

chief of mission

Ambassador Jadranka NEGODIC (since 19 July 2012)

consulate(s) general

Chicago, New York

FAX

[1] (202) 337-1502

telephone

[1] (202) 337-1500

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers nominated by the council chairman, approved by the state-level House of Representatives

chief of state

Chairman of the Presidency Dragan COVIC (chairman since 17 July 2015; presidency member since 17 November 2014 - Croat) ; other members of the three-member presidency rotate every eight months

election results

percent of vote - Mladen IVANIC 48.7% - Serb seat; Dragan COVIC 52.2% - Croat seat; Bakir IZETBEGOVIC 32.9% - Bosniak seat

elections/appointments

3-member presidency (one Bosniak, one Croat, one Serb) directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term, but then ineligible for 4 years) by constituencies of the 3 ethnic groups; the chairmanship rotates every 8 months and resumes where it left off following each general election; election last held on 12 October 2014 (next to be held in October 2018); the chairman of the Council of Ministers appointed by the presidency and confirmed by the state-level House of Representatives

head of government

Chairman of the Council of Ministers Denis ZVIZDIC (since 11 February 2015)

note

President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Marinko CAVARA (since 11 February 2015); Vice Presidents Melika MAHMUTBEGOVIC (since 11 February 2015), Milan DUNOVIC (since 11 February 2015); President of the Republika Srpska Milorad DODIK (since 15 November 2010); Vice Presidents Ramiz SALKIC (since 24 November 2014), Josip JERKOVIC (since 24 November 2014)

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; the triangle approximates the shape of the country and its three points stand for the constituent peoples - Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs; the stars represent Europe and are meant to be continuous (thus the half stars at top and bottom); the colors (white, blue, and yellow) are often associated with neutrality and peace, and traditionally are linked with Bosnia

Government type

federal democratic republic

Independence

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

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

BIS, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

BiH Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members); Court of BiH (consists of 44 national judges and 7 international judges organized into 3 divisions - Administrative, Appellate, and Criminal, which includes a War Crimes Chamber)

judge selection and term of office

BiH Constitutional Court judges - 4 selected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's House of Representatives, 2 selected by the Republika Srpska's National Assembly, and 3 non-Bosnian judges selected by the president of the European Court of Human Rights; Court of BiH president and national judges appointed by the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council; Court of BiH president appointed for renewable 6-year term; other national judges appointed to serve until age 70; international judges recommended by the president of the Court of BiH and appointed by the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina; international judges appointed to serve until age 70

subordinate courts

the Federation has 10 cantonal courts plus a number of municipal courts; the Republika Srpska has a supreme court, 5 district courts, and a number of municipal courts

Legal system

civil law system; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina consists of the House of Peoples or Dom Naroda (15 seats - 5 Bosniak, 5 Croat, 5 Serb; members designated by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's House of Peoples and the Republika Srpska's National Assembly to serve 4-year terms) and the state-level House of Representatives or Predstavnicki Dom (42 seats to include 28 seats allocated to the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 14 to the Republika Srpska; members directly elected by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms); note - the Bosniak/Croat Federation has a bicameral legislature that consists of the House of Peoples (58 seats - 17 Bosniak, 17 Croat, 17 Serb, 7 other) and the House of Representatives (98 seats; members directly elected by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms); Republika Srpska's unicameral legislature is the National Assembly (83 directly elected delegates serve four-year terms)

election results

House of Peoples - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - NA; state-level House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - Federation votes: SDA 27.9%, DF 15.3%, SBB BiH 14.4%, HDZ BiH-HSSS-NHI-HKDU-HSP-dr. Ante Starcevic-HSP Herceg-Bosne 12.2%, SDP BiH 9.5%, HDZ-1990 4.1%, BPS-Sefer Halilovic 3.7%, A-SDA 2.3%, other 10.6%; Republika Srpska votes: SNSD 38.5%, SDS 32.6%, PDP-NDP 7.8%, DNS 5.7%, SDA 4.9%, other 10.5%; seats by party/coalition - SDA 10, SNSD 6, SDS 5, DF 5, SBB BiH 4, HDZ BiH-HSS-NHI-HKDU-HSP-Dr. Ante Starcevic-HSP Herceg-Bosne 4, SDP BiH 3, PDP-NDP 1, HDZ-1990 1, BPS-Sefer Halilovic 1, DNS 1, A-SDA 1

elections

House of Peoples - last constituted in 11 February 2015 (next likely to be constituted in 2018); state-level House of Representatives - election last held on 12 October 2014 (next to be held in October 2018)

National anthem

lyrics/music

none officially; Dusan SESTIC and Benjamin ISOVIC/Dusan SESTIC

name

"Drzavna himna Bosne i Hercegovine" (The National Anthem of Bosnia and Herzegovina)

note

music adopted 1999; lyrics accepted 2009 but not yet approved

National holiday

National Day (Statehood Day), 25 November (1943); note - observed only in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity

National symbol(s)

golden lily; national colors: blue, yellow, white

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for a Better Future of BiH or SBB BiH [Fahrudin RADONCIC]

Alliance of Independent Social Democrats or SNSD [Milorad DODIK]

Bosnian-Herzegovinian Patriotic Party-Sefer Halilovic or BPS-Sefer Halilovic [Sefer HALILOVIC]

Croat Peasants' Party-New Croat Initiative or HSS-NHI [Ante COLAK]

Croatian Christian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HKDU [Ivan MUSA]

Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HDZ-BiH [Dragan COVIC]

Croatian Democratic Union 1990 or HDZ-1990 [Martin RAGUZ]

Croatian Party of Rights dr. Ante Starcevic or HSP dr. Ante Starcevic

Croatian Party of Rights of Herceg-Bosne or HSP Herceg-Bosne [Vesna PINJUH]

Democratic Front of DF [Zeljko KOMSIC]

Democratic Peoples' Alliance or DNS [Marko PAVIC]

Party of Democratic Action or SDA [Acting President Bakir IZETBEGOVIC]

Party of Democratic Activity or A-SDA [Nermin OGRESEVIC]

Party of Democratic Progress or PDP [Mladen IVANIC]

People's Democratic Movement or NDP [Dragan CAVIC] (unification of the Democratic Party or DP and the People's Democratic Party or NDS)

Serb Democratic Party or SDS [Mladen BOSIC]

Social Democratic Party of BiH or SDP BiH [Nermin NIKSIC]

Political pressure groups and leaders

other

war veterans; displaced persons associations; family associations of missing persons; private media

Suffrage

18 years of age, 16 if employed; universal

Agriculture - products

wheat, corn, fruits, vegetables; livestock

Budget

expenditures

$9.363 billion (2014 est.)

revenues

$8.672 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-3.5% of GDP (2014 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

6.39% (31 December 2014 est.)

7.23% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

-$1.268 billion (2014 est.)

-$939.5 million (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$11.37 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$11.14 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

36.2 (2007)

Economy - overview

Bosnia has a transitional economy with limited market reforms. The economy relies heavily on the export of metals, energy, textiles and furniture as well as on remittances and foreign aid. A highly decentralized government hampers economic policy coordination and reform, while excessive bureaucracy and a segmented market discourage foreign investment. Interethnic warfare in Bosnia and Herzegovina caused production to plummet by 80% from 1992 to 1995 and unemployment to soar, but the economy made progress until 2009, when the global economic crisis caused a downturn. Foreign banks, primarily from Austria and Italy, now control most of the banking sector. 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 remained stable. Bosnia's private sector is growing slowly, but foreign investment has dropped sharply since 2007. Government spending - including transfer payments - remains high, at roughly 40% of GDP, because of redundant government offices at the national, sub-national, and municipal level. High unemployment remains the most serious macroeconomic problem. Successful implementation of a value-added tax in 2006 provided a steady source of revenue for the government and helped rein in gray-market activity. National-level statistics have also improved over time but a large share of economic activity remains unofficial and unrecorded. Bosnia and Herzegovina became a full member of the Central European Free Trade Agreement in September 2007. Bosnia and Herzegovina's top economic priorities are: acceleration of integration into the EU; strengthening the fiscal system; public administration reform; World Trade Organization (WTO) membership; and securing economic growth by fostering a dynamic, competitive private sector. Flooding caused significant damage in the spring of 2014, and Bosnia will struggle to recover from it in 2015.

Exchange rates

konvertibilna markas (BAM) per US dollar -

1.47 (2014 est.)

1.42 (2013 est.)

1.52 (2012 est.)

1.407 (2011 est.)

1.4767 (2010 est.)

Exports

$5.892 billion (2014 est.)

$5.687 billion (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

metals, clothing, wood products

Exports - partners

Slovenia 16.4%, Italy 16.1%, Germany 12.8%, Austria 12.3%, Croatia 12% (2014)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

(2012 est.)

exports of goods and services

29%

government consumption

22.1%

household consumption

82.1%

imports of goods and services

-52.4%

investment in fixed capital

17.7%

investment in inventories

1.5%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

8%

industry

26.3%

services

65.7% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$9,800 (2014 est.)

$9,800 (2013 est.)

$9,500 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

0.8% (2014 est.)

2.5% (2013 est.)

-1.2% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$17.98 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$38.06 billion (2014 est.)

$37.76 billion (2013 est.)

$36.85 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

11.1% of GDP (2014 est.)

11% of GDP (2013 est.)

8.9% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

27.3% (2007)

lowest 10%

2.7%

Imports

$10.99 billion (2014 est.)

$10.3 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

Croatia 20.2%, Germany 12.6%, Slovenia 12.2%, Italy 9.8%, Russia 6.8%, Austria 5.7%, Hungary 5% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

0% (2014 est.)

Industries

steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, ammunition, domestic appliances, oil refining

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-0.9% (2014 est.)

-0.1% (2013 est.)

Labor force

1.281 million (2014 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

19%

industry

30%

services

51% (2013)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

17.2% (2011 est.)

Public debt

45.5% of GDP (2014 est.)

44.7% of GDP (2013 est.)

note

data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions.

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$4.75 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$4.868 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of broad money

$11.75 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$10.95 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$0 (2014)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$7.92 billion (2014 est.)

$7.721 billion (2013 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$11.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$11.57 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$4.972 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$4.554 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

44.4% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

43.6% (2014 est.)

44.3% (2013 est.)

note

official rate; actual rate is lower as many technically unemployed persons work in the gray economy

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

26 million Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - imports

22,140 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)

Electricity - consumption

12.56 billion kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - exports

5.097 billion kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

54.8% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

43.6% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

1.5% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

Electricity - imports

1.353 billion kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

4.3 million kW (2013 est.)

Electricity - production

16.3 billion kWh (2013 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

275 million cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - imports

275 million cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

36,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

10,460 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

16,330 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

22,430 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Broadcast media

3 public TV broadcasters: Radio and TV of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Federation TV (operating 2 networks), and Republika Srpska Radio-TV; a local commercial network of 5 TV stations; 3 private, near-national TV stations and dozens of small independent TV stations broadcasting; 3 large public radio broadcasters and many private radio stations (2010)

Internet country code

.ba

Internet users

percent of population

67.5% (2014 est.)

total

2.6 million

Radio broadcast stations

AM 8, FM 16, shortwave 1 (1998)

Telephone system

domestic

fixed-line teledensity roughly 25 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership has been increasing rapidly and stands at roughly 80 telephones per 100 persons

general assessment

post-war reconstruction of the telecommunications network, aided by an internationally sponsored program, resulting in sharp increases in fixed-line telephone availability

international

country code - 387; no satellite earth stations (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

22 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

850,000

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

90 (2014 est.)

total

3.5 million

Television broadcast stations

33 (1995)

Airports

24 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1

2,438 to 3,047 m

4

total

7

under 914 m

2 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

11 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

5

total

17

Heliports

6 (2013)

Pipelines

gas 147 km; oil 9 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

river port(s)

Bosanska Gradiska, Bosanski Brod, Bosanski Samac, Brcko, Orasje (Sava River)

Railways

standard gauge

965 km 1.435-m gauge (565 km electrified) (2014)

total

965 km

Roadways

paved

19,426 km (4,652 km of interurban roads)

total

22,926 km

unpaved

3,500 km (2010)

Waterways

(Sava River on northern border; open to shipping but use limited) (2011)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

1,143,919 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

1,180,829

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

937,327 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

968,242

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

24,879 (2010 est.)

male

26,601

Military branches

Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Oruzanih Snaga Bosne i Hercegovine, OSBiH): Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Air Force and Air Defense (Brigada Zracnih Snaga i Protuzracne Odbrane, br ZSiPZO), Tactical Support Brigade (Brigada Takticke Podrske, br TP) (2015)

Military expenditures

0.98% of GDP (2014)

1.04% of GDP (2013)

1.35% of GDP (2012)

1.15% of GDP (2011)

1.35% of GDP (2010)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; mandatory retirement at age 35 or after 15 years of service for E-1 through E-4, mandatory retirement at age 50 and 30 years of service for E-5 through E-9, mandatory retirement at age 55 and 30 years of service for all officers (2014)

Disputes - international

Serbia delimited about half of the boundary with Bosnia and Herzegovina, but sections along the Drina River remain in dispute

Illicit drugs

increasingly a transit point for heroin being trafficked to Western Europe; minor transit point for marijuana; remains highly vulnerable to money-laundering activity given a primarily cash-based and unregulated economy, weak law enforcement, and instances of corruption

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

100,400 (Bosnian Croats, Serbs, and Bosniaks displaced by inter-ethnic violence, human rights violations, and armed conflict during the 1992-1995 war) (2014)

refugees (country of origin)

6,703 (Croatia) (2014)

stateless persons

101 (2014)

Trafficking in persons

current situation

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children (including the developmentally disabled) subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; Bosnian women and girls are sexually exploited domestically; Roma children are forced to beg and to marry by local organized crime groups; Bosnians are also trafficked to other European countries

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List – Bosnia and Herzegovina does not comply fully with the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; some progress was made in 2013 in prosecuting and convicting trafficking offenders, but authorities significantly decreased their identification of victims; the national referral mechanism did not involve labor inspectors, hampering efforts to identify forced labor victims; the government has not amended all sub-national laws to criminalize all forms of trafficking consistent with national and international law (2014)