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's mission changed from peacekeeping to civil policing in October 2007 with its presence reduced from nearly 7,000 to 2,500 troops.

Geographic coordinates: 44 00 N 18 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 51,209.2 km²
Land: 51,197 km²
Water: 12.2 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries
Total: 1,538 km
Border countries: (3) Croatia 932 km; , Montenegro 249 km; , Serbia 357 km

Coastline: 20 km

Maritime claims: no data available

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
Extremes highest point: Maglic 2,386 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 19.61%
Permanent crops: 1.89%
Other: 78.5% (2005)

Irrigated land: 30 km² (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 37.5 km³ (2003)

Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes

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

Population: 4,590,310 (July 2008 est.)
Growth rate: 0.666% (2008 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Bosnian, Herzegovinian
Adjective: Bosnian, Herzegovinian

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

Languages: Bosnian Croatian Serbian

Religions: Muslim 40% Orthodox 31% Roman Catholic 15% other 14%

Age structure
0-14 years: 14.7% (male 347,679/female 326,091)
15-64 years: 70.6% (male 1,634,053/female 1,606,341)
65 years and over: 14.7% (male 277,504/female 398,642) (2008 est.)

Median age
Total: 39.4 years
Male: 38.2 years
Female: 40.5 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.666% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 8.82 births/1000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 8.54 deaths/1000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: 6.38 migrant(s)/1000 population (2008 est.)

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
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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.07 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.07 male/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male/female
Total population: 0.97 male/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 9.34 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 10.71 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 7.87 deaths/1000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.33 years
Male: 74.74 years
Female: 82.19 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.24 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 900 (2003 est.)
Deaths: 100 (2001 est.)

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 96.7%
Male: 99%
Female: 94.4% (2000 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local long form: none
Local short form: Bosna i Hercegovina
Former: People's Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Government type: emerging federal democratic republic

Capital
Name: Sarajevo
Geographic coordinates: 43 52 N, 18 25 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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

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

National holiday: National Day 25 November (1943)

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

Legal system: based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Chairman of the Presidency Nebojsa RADMANOVIC (chairman since 6 November 2008; presidency member since 1 October 2006 - Serb); other members of the three-member presidency rotating (every eight months): Haris SILAJDZIC (presidency member since 1 October 2006 - Bosniak); and Zeljko KOMSIC (presidency member since 1 October 2006 - Croat)
Head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Nikola SPIRIC (since 11 January 2007)
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 (eligible for a second term, but then ineligible for four years); the chairmanship rotates every eight months and resumes where it left off following each national election; 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
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
Note: President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Borjana KRISTO (since 21 February 2007); Vice Presidents Spomenka MICIC (since NA 2007) and Mirsad KEBO (since NA 2007); President of the Republika Srpska: Rajko KUSMANOVIC (since 28 December 2007)

Legislative branch
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)
Election results: national House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - SDA 9, SBH 8, SNSD 7, SDP 5, SDS 3, HDZ-BH 3, HDZ1990 2, other 5; 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 (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, SBH 24, SDP 17, HDZ-BH 8, HDZ100 7, other 14; and a House of Peoples (58 seats - 17 Bosniak, 17 Croat, 17 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

Judicial branch
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

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 Democratic Union 100 or HDZ100; 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 SBH [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]

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Bisera TURKOVIC
In the us chancery: 2,109 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20,037
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 337-1500
In the us fax: [1] (202) 337-1502
In the us consulates general: Chicago, New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Charles L. ENGLISH
From the us embassy: Alipasina 43, 71,000 Sarajevo
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: [387] (33) 445-700
From the us fax: [387] (33) 659-722
From the us branch offices: 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

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. The private sector is growing and foreign investment is slowly increasing but government spending at nearly 40% of adjusted GDP remains unreasonably high. 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 2003-07 when GDP growth exceeded 5% per year. 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. Implementing privatization however has been slow particularly in the Federation although more successful in the Republika Srpska. 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 macroeconomic problems. On 1 January 2006 a new value-added tax (VAT) went into effect. The VAT has been successful in capturing much of the gray market economy and has developed into a significant and predictable source of revenues for all layers of government. Bosnia and Herzegovina became a full member of the Central European Free Trade Agreement in September 2007. The country receives substantial reconstruction assistance and humanitarian aid from the international community but will have to prepare for an era of declining assistance.

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Note: Bosnia has a large informal sector that could also be as much as 50% of official GDP (2007 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 6% (2007 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $6,100 (2007 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 10.2%
Industry: 23.9%
Services: 66% (2006 est.)

Agriculture products: wheat corn fruits vegetables; livestock

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: 6.7% (2007 est.)

Labor force: 1.026 million (2001)
By occupation agriculture: NA%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

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

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.9%
Highest 10: 21.4% (2001)

Distribution of family income gini index: 26.2 (2001)

Budget
Revenues: $7.094 billion
Expenditures: $7.137 billion (2007 est.)

Public debt: 34% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.6% (2007 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 7.17% (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit: $8.895 billion (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: -$1.939 billion (2007 est.)

Exports: $4.243 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: metals clothing wood products
Partners: Croatia 21% Slovenia 16.5% Italy 16.1% Germany 13.3% Austria 9.6% Hungary 5.7% (2007)

Imports: $9.947 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment chemicals fuels foodstuffs
Partners: Croatia 24.7% Slovenia 13.3% Germany 13.1% Italy 10.4% Austria 7% Turkey 6.5% Hungary 5.4% (2007)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $4.525 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt external: $6.734 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Exchange rates
Note: the convertible mark is pegged to the euro

Electricity
Production: 12.84 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Consumption: 8.501 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Exports: 5.123 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Imports: 3.015 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Consumption: 400 million m³ (2006 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2005)
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2006)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 1.065 million (2007)
Mobile cellular: 2.45 million (2007)

Telephone system
General assessment: post-war reconstruction of the telecommunications network, aided by a internationally sponsored program under ERBD, resulted in sharp increases in the number of main telephone lines available; mobile cellular subscribership has been increasing rapidly
Domestic: fixed-line teledensity roughly 25 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density exceeds 50 per 100 persons
International: country code - 387; no satellite earth stations (2007)

Internet
Country code: .ba
Hosts: 56,032 (2008)
Users: 1.055 million (2007)

Military expenditures: 4.5% of GDP (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation: 17 years of age for voluntary military service in the Federation and in the Republika Srpska; conscription abolished January 2006; 4-month service obligation (2006)

Airports: 28 (2007)
With paved runways total: 8
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 3 (2007)
With unpaved runways total: 20
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 12 (2007)

Heliports: 5 (2007)

Railways
Total: 608 km
Standard gauge: 608 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)

Roadways
Total: 21,846 km
Paved: 11,425 km (4,714 km of interurban roads)
Unpaved: 10,421 km (2006)

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

Ports and terminals: Bosanska Gradiska Bosanski Brod Bosanski Samac and Brcko (all inland waterway ports on the Sava) Orasje

Disputes international: sections along the Drina River remain in dispute between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia; discussions continue with Croatia on several small disputed sections of the boundary related to maritime access that hinder final ratification of the 1999 border agreement

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 7,269 (Croatia)
Idps: 131,600 (Bosnian Croats, Serbs, and Muslims displaced in 1992-95 war) (2007)

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