5 Facts Bosnia and Herzegovina

The capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina is Sarajevo

Some of the better known facts about the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina are that its largest city is the capital city of Sarajevo and is in Southern Europe forming part of the Balkan Peninsula. It is surrounded on the south, west, and north by Croatia, Serbia on the east and Montenegro on the southeast, has only 16 miles of coastline on the Adriatic Sea and its size in area is slightly smaller than that of the U.S. state of West Virginia. However, there are many things about Bosnia and Herzegovina that are lesser known. Let's take a look at five interesting facts that you may not know about the country.

5 Facts You Might Not Know

1

Bosnia and Herzegovina declared its independence from the former Yugoslavia on March 3rd, 1992 following a declaration of sovereignty in October of 1991. This declaration spawned an inter-ethnic war lasting until 1995, during which time Bosnian Muslims and Croats formed the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina which would separate Bosnians in the north and Herzegovinians in the south by region rather that ethnicity. The country also consists of the Republika Srpska, which is mainly Serbian.

2

The country is mainly mountainous and is part of the central Danaric Alps, with close to 50% covered by forests. Bosnia and Herzegovina's highest point is point Maglic' which rises 2,386 meters at the Montenegrin border. Bosnian regions are very agriculturally rich while Herzegovinian regions have a drier climate. The country is known for its hot summers and brutally cold winters.

3

Bosnia and Herzegovina major population is comprised mainly of Muslims as well as Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox. The country's official languages are Bosnian, Serbian and Croatian. Its main ethnic groups are Serb, Croat and Bosnian, with a population of roughly 4,377,000 according to a 1991 census.

4

The country is home to many athletes, artists, and film makers. Perhaps the most notable residents are Nobel Prize winning author Ivo Andric', and Academy Award and Golden Globe award winning film maker Danis Tanovic'.

5

The most popular sport in the country is Association football, although no team has qualified for a European or World Championship. In 1984, Sarajevo hosted the 14th Winter Olympic games.