2003 Edition

Administrative divisions

there are two first-order administrative divisions and one internationally supervised district* - Brcko district (Brcko Distrikt)*, the Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federacija Bosna i Hercegovina) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska; note - Brcko district is in northeastern Bosnia and is an administrative unit under the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina; the district remains under international supervision

Age structure

0-14 years: 19.4% (male 397,810; female 377,005) 15-64 years: 70.5% (male 1,439,383; female 1,372,891) 65 years and over: 10.1% (male 171,643; female 230,286) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

wheat, corn, fruits, vegetables; livestock

Airports

32 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

total

14 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5

under 914 m

3 (2002) 914 to 1523 m: 1

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

18 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7

under 914 m

10 (2002)

Area

land

51,129 sq km

total

51,129 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than West Virginia

Background

Bosnia and Herzegovina's declaration of sovereignty in October 1991, was followed by a declaration of independence from the former Yugoslavia on 3 March 1992 after a referendum boycotted by ethnic Serbs. The Bosnian Serbs - supported by neighboring Serbia and Montenegro - responded with armed resistance aimed at partitioning the republic along ethnic lines and joining Serb-held areas to form a "greater Serbia." In March 1994, Bosniaks and Croats reduced the number of warring factions from three to two by signing an agreement creating a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 21 November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties initialed a peace agreement that brought to a halt three years of interethnic civil strife (the final agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December 1995). The Dayton Agreement retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's international boundaries and created a joint multi-ethnic and democratic government. This national government was charged with conducting foreign, economic, and fiscal policy. Also recognized was a second tier of government comprised of two entities roughly equal

in size

the Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska (RS). The Federation and RS governments were charged with overseeing internal functions. In 1995-96, a NATO-led international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops served in Bosnia to implement and monitor the military aspects of the agreement. IFOR was succeeded by a smaller, NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR) whose mission is to deter renewed hostilities. SFOR remains in place although troop levels were reduced to approximately 12,000 by the close of 2002. Geography Bosnia and Herzegovina

BiH Constitutional Court (consists of nine members

four members are selected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's House of Representatives, two members by the Republika Srpska's National Assembly, and three non-Bosnian members by the president of the European Court of Human Rights); BiH State Court (consists of nine judges and three divisions - Administrative, Appellate and Criminal - having jurisdiction over cases related to state-level law and appellate jurisdiction over cases initiated in the entities; note - a War Crimes Chamber may be added at a future date)

note

the entities each have a Supreme Court; each entity also has a number of lower courts; there are 10 cantonal courts in the Federation, plus a number of municipal courts; the Republika Srpska has five municipal courts

Birth rate

12.65 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)

revenues

$1.9 billion

Capital

Sarajevo

Climate

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

Coastline

20 km

Constitution

the Dayton Agreement, signed 14 December 1995, included a new constitution now in force; note - each of the entities also has its own constitution

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Bosnia and Herzegovina

local long form

none

local short form

Bosna i Hercegovina

Currency

marka (BAM)

Currency code

BAM

Death rate

8.21 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$2.8 billion (2001)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Clifford G. BOND

embassy

Alipasina 43, 71000 Sarajevo

mailing address

use street address

telephone

[387] (33) 445-700

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2109 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20037

chief of mission

Ambassador Igor DAVIDOVIC

consulate(s) general

New York

telephone

[1] (202) 337-1500

Disputes - international

Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro have delimited about half of their boundary, but sections along the Drina River remain in dispute; discussions continue with Croatia on problem sections of the Una River and villages at the base of Mount Pljesevica

Economic aid - recipient

$650 million (2001 est.)

Economy - overview

Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked next to The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as the poorest republic in the old Yugoslav federation. Although agriculture is almost all in private hands, farms are small and inefficient, and the republic traditionally is a net importer of food. Industry has been greatly overstaffed, one reflection of the socialist economic structure of Yugoslavia. TITO had pushed the development of military industries in the republic with the result that Bosnia hosted a number of Yugoslavia's defense plants. The bitter interethnic warfare in Bosnia caused production to plummet by 80% from 1990 to 1995, unemployment to soar, and human misery to multiply. With an uneasy peace in place, output recovered in 1996-99 at high percentage rates from a low base; but output growth slowed in 2000-02. GDP remains far below the 1990 level. Economic data are of limited use because, although both entities issue figures, national-level statistics are limited. Moreover, official data do not capture the large share of black market activity. The marka - the national currency introduced in 1998 - is now pegged to the euro, and the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina has dramatically increased its reserve holdings. Implementation of privatization, however, has been slow, and local entities only reluctantly support national-level institutions. Banking reform accelerated in 2001 as all the Communist-era payments bureaus were shut down. The country receives substantial amounts of reconstruction assistance and humanitarian aid from the international community but will have to prepare for an era of declining assistance.

Electricity - consumption

8.116 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

2.569 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

1.405 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

9.979 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

53.5%

hydro

46.5%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Maglic 2,386 m

lowest point

Adriatic Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

air pollution from metallurgical plants; sites for disposing of urban waste are limited; water shortages and destruction of infrastructure because of the 1992-95 civil strife

Environment - international agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Ethnic groups

Serb 37.1%, Bosniak 48%, Croat 14.3%, other 0.6% (2000)

note

Bosniak has replaced Muslim as an ethnic term in part to avoid confusion with the religious term Muslim - an adherent of Islam

Exchange rates

marka per US dollar - NA (2002), 2.19 (2001), 2.12 (2000), 1.84 (1999), 1.76 (1998)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers nominated by the council chairman; approved by the National House of Representatives

chief of state

Chairman of the Presidency Dragan COVIC (chairman since 27 June 2003; presidency member since 5 October 2002 - Croat) other members of the three-member rotating (every eight months)

election results

percent of vote - Mirko SAROVIC with 35.5% of the Serb vote was elected chairman of the collective presidency for the first eight months; Dragan COVIC received 61.5% of the Croat vote; Sulejman TIHIC received 37% of the Bosniak vote

elections

the three members of the presidency (one Bosniak, one Croat, one Serb) are elected by popular vote for a four-year term; the member with the most votes becomes the chairman unless he or she was the incumbent chairman at the time of the election, but the chairmanship rotates every eight months; election last held 5 October 2002 (next to be held NA 2006); the chairman of the Council of Ministers is appointed by the presidency and confirmed by the National House of Representatives

head of government

Chairman of the Council of Ministers Adnan TERZIC (since 20 December 2002),

note

President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Niko LOZANCIC (since 27 January 2003); Vice Presidents Sahbaz DZIHANOVIC (since NA 2003) and Desnica RADIVOJEVIC (since NA 2003); President

of the Republika Srpska

Dragan COVIC (since 28 November 2002)

presidency

Sulejman TIHIC (since 5 October 2002 - Bosniak) and Borislav PARAVAC (since 10 April 2003 - Serb); note - Mirko SAROVIC resigned 2 April 2003

Exports

$1.15 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities

metals, clothing, wood products

Exports - partners

Italy 31.6%, Croatia 18%, Germany 12.9%, Austria 10.1%, Slovenia 6.9%, Greece 4.3% (2002)

FAX

[1] (202) 337-1502

[387] (33) 659-722

branch office(s)

Banja Luka, Mostar

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Bosnia and Herzegovina

Flag description

a wide medium blue vertical band on the fly side with a yellow isosceles triangle abutting the band and the top of the flag; the remainder of the flag is medium blue with seven full five-pointed white stars and two half stars top and bottom along the hypotenuse of the triangle

GDP

purchasing power parity - $7.3 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

13%

industry

40.9%

services

46.1% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,900 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.3% (2002 est.)

Geographic coordinates

44 00 N, 18 00 E

Geography - note

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 Serbia and Montenegro (Montenegro), and traditionally has been settled by an ethnic Croat majority in the west and an ethnic Serb majority in the east People Bosnia and Herzegovina

Government - note

The Dayton Agreement, signed in Paris on 14 December 1995, retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's exterior border and created a joint multi-ethnic and democratic government. This national government - based on proportional representation similar to that which existed in the former socialist regime - is charged with conducting foreign, economic, and fiscal policy. The Dayton Agreement also recognized a second tier of government, comprised of two entities - a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bosnian Serb Republika Srpska (RS) - each presiding over roughly one-half the territory. The Federation and RS governments are charged with overseeing internal functions. The Bosniak/Croat Federation is further divided into 10 cantons. The Dayton Agreement established the Office of the High Representative (OHR) to oversee the implementation of the civilian aspects of the agreement. Economy Bosnia and Herzegovina

Government type

emerging federal democratic republic

Heliports

5 (2002) Military Bosnia and Herzegovina

Highways

paved

11,424 km

total

21,846 km

unpaved

10,422 km (1999 est)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

100 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Illicit drugs

minor transit point for marijuana and opiate trafficking routes to Western Europe; organized crime launders money, but the lack of a well-developed financial infrastructure limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Imports

$2.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

Croatia 23.7%, Slovenia 14.8%, Germany 14%, Italy 13.1%, Hungary 8%, Austria 7.7% (2002)

Independence

1 March 1992 (from Yugoslavia; referendum for independence was completed 1 March 1992; independence was declared 3 March 1992)

Industrial production growth rate

7% (2002 est.)

Industries

steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, vehicle assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, tank and aircraft assembly, domestic appliances, oil refining (2001)

Infant mortality rate

female

19.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

25.37 deaths/1,000 live births

total

22.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.5% (2002 est.)

International organization participation

BIS, CE, CEI, EBRD, ECE, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Internet country code

.ba

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

3 (2000)

Internet users

45,000 (2002) Transportation Bosnia and Herzegovina

Irrigated land

20 sq km (1998 est.)

Labor force

1.026 million

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

Land boundaries

border countries

Croatia 932 km, Serbia and Montenegro 527 km

total

1,459 km

Land use

arable land

9.8%

other

87.26% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

2.94%

Languages

Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian

Legal system

based on civil law system

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina consists of the National House of Representatives or Predstavnicki Dom (42 seats - elected by proportional representation, 28 seats allocated from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 14 seats from the Republika Srpska; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Peoples or Dom Naroda (15 seats - 5 Bosniak, 5 Croat, 5 Serb; members elected by the Bosniak/Croat Federation's House of Representatives and the Republika Srpska's National Assembly to serve four-year terms); note - Bosnia's election law specifies four-year terms for the state and first-order administrative division entity legislatures

election results

National House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - SDA 21.9%, SDS 14.0%, SBiH 10.5%, SDP 10.4%, SNSD 9.8%, HDZ 9.5%, PDP 4.6%, others 19.3%; seats by party/coalition - SDA 10, SDS 5, SBiH 6, SDP 4, SNSD 3, HDZ 5, PDP 2, others 7; House of Peoples - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA%; seats by party/coalition - NA

elections

National House of Representatives - elections last held 5 October 2002 (next to be held in NA 2006); House of Peoples - last constituted NA January 2003 (next to be constituted in 2007)

note

the Bosniak/Croat Federation has a bicameral legislature that consists of a House of Representatives (98 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 5 October 2002 (next to be held NA October 2006); percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party/coalition - SDA 32, HDZ-BiH 16, SDP 15, SBiH 15, other 20; and a House of Peoples (60 seats - 30 Bosniak, 30 Croat); last constituted December 2002; the Republika Srpska has a National Assembly (83 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); elections last held 5 October 2002 (next to be held in the fall of 2006); percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party/coalition - SDS 26, SNSD 19, PDP 9, SDA 6, SRS 4, SPRS 3, DNZ 3, SBiH 4, SDP 3, others 6; as a result of the 2002 constitutional reform process, a 28-member Republika Srpska Council of Peoples (COP) was established in the Republika Srpska National Assembly; each constituent nation and "others" will have eight delegates

Life expectancy at birth

female

75.22 years (2003 est.)

male

69.56 years

total population

72.29 years

Literacy

definition

NA

female

NA% Government Bosnia and Herzegovina

male

NA%

total population

NA%

Location

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

NA

Median age

female

35.9 years (2002)

male

35.1 years

total

35.5 years

Merchant marine

none (2002 est.)

Military branches

VF Army (the air and air defense forces are subordinate commands within the Army), VRS Army (the air and air defense forces are subordinate commands within the Army)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$234.3 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

4.5% (FY02) Transnational Issues Bosnia and Herzegovina

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49

1,132,476 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49

897,856 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - military age

19 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

29,861 (2003 est.)

National holiday

National Day, 25 November (1943)

Nationality

adjective

Bosnian

noun

Bosnian(s)

Natural gas - consumption

300 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

300 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural hazards

destructive earthquakes

Natural resources

coal, iron, bauxite, manganese, forests, copper, chromium, lead, zinc, hydropower

Net migration rate

0.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

20,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Pipelines

gas 170 km; oil 9 km (2003)

Political parties and leaders

Alliance of Independent Social Democrats or SNSD [Milorad DODIK]; Bosnian Party or BOSS [Mirnes AJANOVIC]; Civic Democratic Party or GDS [Ilija SIMIC]; Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HDZ [Barisa COLAK (acting)]; Croat Christian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HKDU [Mijo IVANIC-LONIC]; Croat Party of Rights or HSP [Zdravko HRISTIC]; Croat Peasants Party or HSS [Ilija SIMIC]; Democratic National Union or DNZ [Fikret ABDIC]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDS [Rasim KADIC]; New Croat Initiative or NHI [Kresimir ZUBAK]; Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina or SBiH [Safet HALILOVIC]; Party of Democratic Action or SDA [Sulejman TIHIC]; Party of Democratic Progress or PDP [Mladen IVANIC]; Pro-European People's Party or PROENS [Jadranko PRLIC]; Serb Democratic Party or SDS [Dragan KALINIC]; Serb Radical Party of the Republika Srpska or SRS-RS [Radislav KANJERIC]; Social Democratic Party of BIH or SDP [Zlatko LAGUMDZIJA]; Socialist Party of Republika Srpska or SPRS [Petar DJOKIC]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population

3,989,018 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

0.48% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

Bosanska Gradiska, Bosanski Brod, Bosanski Samac, and Brcko (all inland waterway ports on the Sava), Orasje

Radio broadcast stations

AM 8, FM 16, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios

940,000 (1997)

Railways

standard gauge

1,021 km 1.435-m gauge (2002)

total

1,021 km (795 km electrified)

Religions

Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, Protestant 4%, other 10%

Sex ratio

at birth

1.07 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

under 15 years

1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female

Suffrage

16 years of age, if employed; 18 years of age, universal

Telephone system

domestic

NA

general assessment

telephone and telegraph network needs modernization and expansion; many urban areas are below average as contrasted with services in other former Yugoslav republics

international

no satellite earth stations

Telephones - main lines in use

303,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular

9,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

33 (plus 277 repeaters) (September 1995)

Televisions

NA

Terrain

mountains and valleys

Total fertility rate

1.71 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

40% (2002 est.)

Waterways

NA km; large sections of the Sava blocked by downed bridges, silt, and debris