Country Summary: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Country Name: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Capital: Sarajevo
Official Visa & Travel Information: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Visa Services)
Government Type: parliamentary republic
Background: After four centuries of Ottoman rule over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria-Hungary took control in 1878 and held the region until 1918, when it was incorporated into the newly created Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. After World War II, Bosnia and Herzegovina joined the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY).
Bosnia and Herzegovina declared sovereignty in October 1991 and independence from the SFRY on 3 March 1992 after a referendum boycotted by ethnic Serbs. Bosnian Serb militias, with the support of Serbia and Croatia, then tried to take control of territories they claimed as their own. From 1992 to 1995, ethnic cleansing campaigns killed thousands and displaced more than two million people. On 21 November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties initialed a peace agreement, and the final agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December 1995.
The Dayton Accords retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's international boundaries and created a multiethnic and democratic government composed of two entities roughly equal in size: the predominantly Bosniak-Bosnian Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the predominantly Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska (RS). The Dayton Accords also established the Office of the High Representative to oversee the agreement's implementation. In 1996, the NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR) took over responsibility for enforcing the peace. In 2004, European Union peacekeeping troops (EUFOR) replaced SFOR. As of 2022, EUFOR deploys around 1,600 troops in Bosnia in a peacekeeping capacity. Bosnia and Herzegovina became an official candidate for EU membership in 2022.
Continent: Europe
Population: 3,807,764 (2023 est.)
Ethnic Groups: Bosniak 50.1%, Serb 30.8%, Croat 15.4%, other 2.7%, not declared/no answer 1% (2013 est.)
Languages: Bosnian (official) 52.9%, Serbian (official) 30.8%, Croatian (official) 14.6%, other 1.6%, no answer 0.2% (2013 est.)
Religions: Muslim 50.7%, Orthodox 30.7%, Roman Catholic 15.2%, atheist 0.8%, agnostic 0.3%, other 1.2%, undeclared/no answer 1.1% (2013 est.)
Economic Overview: import-dominated economy; remains consumption-heavy; lack of private sector investments and diversification; jointly addressing structural economic challenges; Chinese energy infrastructure investments; high unemployment; tourism industry impacted by COVID-19
Currency: Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark (BAM)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange & Gold: $8.762 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $54.12 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2017 dollars
Real GDP Growth Rate: 4.11% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP per Capita: $16,700 (2022 est.) note: data in 2017 dollars
Exports:
$11.794 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Comparison Ranking: 105
Export Commodities: electricity, seating, insulated wiring, lumber, furniture (2021)
Export Partners: Germany 14%, Italy 12%, Croatia 11%, Serbia 11%, Austria 9%, Slovenia 8% (2019)
Imports:
$15.162 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Comparison Ranking: 106
Import Commodities: refined petroleum, cars, packaged medicines, coal, electricity (2019)
Import Partners: Croatia 15%, Serbia 13%, Germany 10%, Italy 9%, Slovenia 7%, China 6% (2019)
Natural Resources: coal, iron ore, antimony, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, cobalt, manganese, nickel, clay, gypsum, salt, sand, timber, hydropower
Agricultural Products: maize, milk, vegetables, potatoes, wheat, plums/sloes, apples, barley, cabbages, poultry
Industries: steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, ammunition, domestic appliances, oil refining
Industrial Production Growth Rate:
1.77% (2022 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Comparison Ranking: 132
Labor Force: 1.382 million (2022 est.)
Unemployment Rate: 12.66% (2022 est.)
Natural Hazards: Geography:
Total: 51,197 sq km
Land: 51,187 sq km
Water: 10 sq km
(Country Summary, The World Factbook, CIA.gov)
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