Wikijunior:Europe/Bosnia Herzegovina
From Wikibooks, the open-content textbooks collection
Bosnia Herzegovina (also known as Bosnia & Hercegovina) is a country in southern Europe. It shares borders with Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro. Bosnia Herzegovina consists of two geographic regions - Bosnia (in the north, east and centre) and Herzegovina (in the south west). Bosnia Herzegovina is divided into two political states - the Federation of Bosnia Herzegovina and Republika Srpska. People who live in Bosnia Hercegovina are called Bosniak (or Bosnian), Croatian or Serbian. The capital city is Sarajevo (capital of the whole country and the capital of the federation). Banja Luka is the capital of the Republika Srpska state. Other big cities in B&H are Mostar, Tuzla and Doboj. Bosnia Herzegovina is best known for the brutal conflict in the 1990s and its stunning scenery, cities and mix of different cultures.
Contents |
[edit] History of Bosnia Herzegovina
The Bosnian War between 1992 and 1995 killed around 110,000 people and devastated historic cities like Sarajevo and Mostar and continues to disrupt normal life today because of land mines and ruined houses which pose a hazard to citizens.
[edit] Geography of Bosnia Herzegovina
The country's name comes from the two regions Bosnia and Herzegovina, which have a very vaguely defined border between them. Bosnia occupies the northern areas which are roughly four fifths of the entire country, while Herzegovina occupies the rest in the south part of the country.
The region of Bosnia is the largest geographic region with moderate continental climate, marked by hot summers and cold, snowy winters. Smaller Herzegovina is the southern tip of the country, with Mediterranean climate. Bosnia and Herzegovina's have many natural resources. The name of Herzegovina was forced upon Bosnia by Otto Von Bismarck during the Congress of Berlin in 1878. Central Bosnia is the most mountainous part of Bosnia featuring predominate mountains Vlašić, Čvrsnica, and Prenj. Eastern Bosnia also features mountains like Trebević, Jahorina, Igman, Bjelašnica and Treskavica. It was here that the 1984 Winter Olympics were held.
[edit] People of Bosnia Herzegovina
Due to the conflicts in the 1990s, the Bosnian people can be nationalistic and often claim to be Bosniak, Croatian or Serbian. The term 'Bosnian' usually describes people who are Bosniak (Muslim).
B&H has 3 major religions. Islam is practiced by around 50% of the population. Christian Orthodox is practiced by around 30% of the population and by the majority living in Republika Srpska. Catholicism is practiced by around 20% of the population of B&H - mainly by Croatians.
[edit] Sights of Bosnia Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina has been a top performer in recent years in terms of tourism development; tourist arrivals have grown by an average of 24% annually from 1995 to 2000. Some of the tourist attractions in Bosnia and Herzegovina include:
- Sarajevo "Olympic City" a Science, Space City.
- Banja Luka, the "Green City"
- Bihać and the Una River
- Doboj and its 13th century fortress
- Jajce and its waterfall
- Mount Bjelašnica and Jahorina, sites of the XIV Olympic Winter Games.
- Neum on the coast
- Stolac, the Begovina neighborhood and Radimlja tombstones
- Višegrad and its old bridge
- Visoko, site of the alleged Bosnian pyramids
- Tešanj, one of the oldest cities in Bosnia with its old town.
