Bosnia and Herzegovina

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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). <br><br>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. <br><br>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.

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Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia

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44 00 N, 18 00 E

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Europe

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slightly smaller than West Virginia

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20 km

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NA

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hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast

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mountains and valleys

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coal, iron ore, antimony, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, cobalt, manganese, nickel, clay, gypsum, salt, sand, timber, hydropower

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30 sq km (2012)

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the northern and central areas of the country are the most densely populated

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destructive earthquakes

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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

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Bosniak 50.1%, Serb 30.8%, Croat 15.4%, other 2.7%, not declared/no answer 1% (2013 est.)

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<strong>note:</strong> Republika Srpska authorities dispute the methodology and refuse to recognize the results; Bosniak has replaced Muslim as an ethnic term in part to avoid confusion with the religious term Muslim - an adherent of Islam

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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.)

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-0.67% (2025 est.)

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6.88 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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12.29 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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-1.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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the northern and central areas of the country are the most densely populated

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346,000 SARAJEVO (capital) (2023)

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27.7 years (2019 est.)

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6 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

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1.15 children born/woman (2025 est.)

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0.56 (2025 est.)

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2.58 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

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2.3 beds/1,000 population (2019 est.)

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17.9% (2016)

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air pollution; deforestation and illegal logging; inadequate wastewater treatment and flood management facilities; urban waste disposal; uncleared land mines from the 1990s

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hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast

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26.2 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

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37.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

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parliamentary republic

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3 first-order administrative divisions - Brcko District (Brcko Distrikt) (ethnically mixed), Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federacija Bosne i Hercegovine) (predominantly Bosniak-Croat), Republika Srpska (predominantly Serb)

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civil law system; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts

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<strong>note:</strong> each of the political entities has its own constitution

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has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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18 years of age, 16 if employed; universal

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<strong>note:</strong> President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Lidiia BRADARA (since 28 February 2023)

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Alliance of Independent Social Democrats or SNSD <br>Bosnian-Herzegovinian Initiative or BHI KF <br>Civic Alliance or GS <br>Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HDZ-BiH <br>Democratic Front or DF <br>Democratic Union or DEMOS<br>For Justice and Order<br>Our Party or NS/HC <br>Party for Democratic Action or SDA <br>Party of Democratic Progress or PDP <br>People and Justice Party or NiP <br>People's European Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or NES <br>Serb Democratic Party or SDS <br>Social Democratic Party or SDP<br>United Srpska or US

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BIS, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

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<strong>note</strong>: Bosnia-Herzegovina is an EU candidate country whose satisfactory completion of accession criteria is required before being granted full EU membership

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1 March 1992 (from Yugoslavia)

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<strong>note:</strong> referendum for independence completed on 1 March 1992; independence declared on 3 March 1992

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Independence Day, 1 March (1992) and Statehood Day, 25 November (1943) - both observed in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity; Victory Day, 9 May (1945) and Dayton Agreement Day, 21 November (1995) - both observed in the Republika Srpska entity

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<strong>note:</strong> there is no national-level holiday

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<strong>description:</strong> a wide blue vertical band on the right side, with a large yellow isosceles triangle in the middle of the flag, based at the top; the rest of the flag is blue, with seven five-pointed white stars and two half-stars along the triangle's hypotenuse<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> the triangle approximates the country's shape, and its three points stand for the Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs; the stars represent Europe; the colors (white, blue, and yellow) are traditional and are also associated with neutrality and peace

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<strong>note:</strong> one of four national flags that reflect the shape of the country in the flag design; the others are Brazil, Eritrea, and Vanuatu

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golden lily

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blue, yellow, white

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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

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<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

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<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

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<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

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$28.343 billion (2024 est.)

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<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

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<strong>note:</strong> annual % change based on consumer prices

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<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

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<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

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maize, milk, vegetables, potatoes, plums, wheat, apples, barley, chicken, tomatoes (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

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steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, ammunition, domestic appliances, oil refining

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-2.4% (2024 est.)

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<b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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1.356 million (2024 est.)

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<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

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<b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment

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<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

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16.9% (2015 est.)

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<b>note:</b> % of population with income below national poverty line

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<b>note:</b> personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

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<b>note:</b> central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

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<b>note:</b> central government debt as a % of GDP

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19.1% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

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<b>note:</b> central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

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Germany 15%, Croatia 14%, Serbia 12%, Austria 10%, Slovenia 9% (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

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footwear, electricity, garments, plastic products, insulated wire (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

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Italy 13%, Germany 11%, Serbia 11%, China 9%, Croatia 8% (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

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refined petroleum, cars, garments, plastic products, packaged medicine (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

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<b>note:</b> holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

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<b>note:</b> present value of external debt in current US dollars

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3 public TV broadcasters: Radio and TV of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Federation TV (operating 2 networks), and Republika Srpska Radio-TV; a local commercial network of 5 TV stations; 3 private, near-national TV stations and dozens of small independent TV stations; 3 large public radio broadcasters and many private radio stations (2019)

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.ba

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T9

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20 (2025)

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3 (2025)

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Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH or Oruzanih Snaga Bosne i Hercegovine, OSBiH): Army, Air, Air Defense forces organized into an Operations Command and a Support Command<br><br>Ministry of Security: Border Police (2025)

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approximately 10,000 active duty Armed Forces (2025)

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the military's inventory of weapons and equipment is a combination of material originating from the former Soviet Union/former Yugoslavia and some newer acquisitions from suppliers such as T&uuml;rkiye, the UK, and the US (2025)

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18 -27 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription ended in January 2006 (2025)

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<strong>note:</strong> as of 2024, women made up about 9% of the military's full-time personnel

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the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH) are responsible for territorial defense, providing assistance to civil authorities during disasters or other emergencies, and participating in collective security and peace support operations; each of the AFBiH's three combat brigades are headquartered inside of their respective ethnicity territory, while its main headquarters is in Sarajevo; Bosnia and Herzegovina aspires to join NATO; Bosnia and Herzegovina joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) program in 2006 and was invited to join NATO’s Membership Action Plan in 2010; the AFBiH is undergoing a 10-year (2017-2027) defense modernization and reform program for preparing to join and integrate with NATO; it has contributed small numbers of troops to EU, NATO, and UN missions<br><br>NATO maintains a military headquarters in Sarajevo with the mission of assisting Bosnia and Herzegovina with the PfP program and promoting closer integration with NATO, as well as providing logistics and other support to the EU Force Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR), which has operated in the country to oversee implementation of the Dayton/Paris Agreement since taking over from NATO's Stabilization Force (SFOR) in 2004 (2025)

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Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force

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<strong>note:</strong> details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide