Bosnia and Herzegovina - Tourism and Travel

The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is located in southern Europe in the Balkan Mountains.

Bosnia and Herzegovina was once part of Yugoslavia. After declaring independence in 1992, the country was engaged in a civil war that lasted until 1995, when NATO launched air strikes.

Many industrial plants were destroyed during the war.

The country is now heavily dependent on aid from overseas.

In 1993, shelling destroyed a famous 16th century Turkish bridge that was located in Mostar, a historic center in the south.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has an area of 19,741 square miles (51,130 square kilometers).

It is a mountainous country, with ridges run from the northwest to the southeast.

There are lowlands around the Sava Valley in the north.

Part of Bosnia and Herzegovina lies on the coast of the Adriatic Sea.

Summers in Bosnia and Herzegovina are warm, and winters are very cold.

The capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina is Sarajevo.

3,767,000 people live in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

44% are Bosniak, 31% are Serb and 17% are Croat.

Official languages are Bosnian, Serbian and Croatian.

40% of the people are Muslim, primarily Sunni Muslim. 31% are Christian Orthodox, 15% are Roman Catholic and 4% are Protestant.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has a parliamentary system of government.

The official currency is the marka, which is made up of 100 pfeninga.