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BOSNIAN, HERZEGOVINIAN Facts & Figures

Size: 19,741 square miles

Population: 3,843,126

Capital: Sarajevo

Currency: Convertible Mark

Weather / Climate:

Bosnia-Herzegovina's climate is different for each province. (1.) Herzegovina and the southern area has a modified Mediterranean climate with an average annual precipitation of 600 to 800 mm (24 to 31.5 inches) while (2.) the central and northern area of Bosnia has a modified Pannoian or Alpine climate with an average annual precipitation of 1,500 to 2,500 mm (59 to 98 inches). Average temperature ranges in Sarajevo are from -.5 degrees Celsius (31 degrees Fahrenheit) in January to 19.6 degrees Celsius (67 degrees Fahrenheit) in July.

Taken from:www.wikipedia.com

BOSNIAN, HERZEGOVINIAN languages

Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian are co-official standards of a single language (generally called Serbo-Croatian in English) and as such are mutually intelligible among all three ethnic groups. Bosnian and Croatian is written in the Latin alphabet while Serbian is written in both Latin and Cyrillic.

The ethnic groups all speak the Shtokavian dialect of Serbo-Croatian and dialectal differences naturally exist over the country:

· Bosniaks: Predominantly Ijekavian

· Serbs: Predominantly Ijekavian

· Croats: Predominantly Ijekavian

Taken From:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Bosnia_and_Herzegovina#Languages

BOSNIAN, HERZEGOVINIAN culture

Most notable among Bosnia and Herzegovina's charms is its lush, mountainous landscape, best seen from the vantage point of one of the national parks. To some, the country remains synonymous with the Yugoslav wars; it still bears the legacy of this, having a fractured infrastructure and a countryside that remains littered with mines in some regions. However, there are plenty of positives to take from Bosnia and Herzegovina's urban centres, especially the cosmopolitan capital of Sarajevo with its Turkish heritage and lively cafe scene. Elsewhere there are historic fortresses, splendid old mosques, monasteries and Catholic shrines to enjoy. Above all else, however, it is the reconstructed Ottoman bridge at Mostar that symbolises both the past and a positive new beginning for the country.

In the time of the Roman Empire, modern-day Bosnia was part of the Roman province of Dalmatia. Then the territory was ruled for the next six centuries as a semi-autonomous outpost of the Byzantine Empire. From 1180 Bosnia was more or less an independent state under a succession of strong rulers who expanded the territory southwards to take in the province of Hum (now Herzegovina). In 1463 the Ottoman Turks took control. As a province of the Ottoman Empire, Bosnia & Herzegovina had two distinguishing characteristics: much of the population converted to Islam; and it was the first line of defence against incursions into the Ottoman sphere of influence. Consequently, the country suffered from repeated invasions, resulting in destruction and dislocation. Bosnia & Herzegovina also became susceptible to Turkish efforts to expand northwards.

Under pressure from Austria, Ottoman rule began to weaken during the 18th and 19th centuries, until the Turks were finally expelled and Bosnia was assigned to the Austro-Hungarian Empire by the Congress of Berlin. An influx of non-Muslims from the north around this time brought Bosnia to something close to its present-day ethnic mix. The decision by Vienna to annex Bosnia fully in 1908 produced a destabilising chain of events contributing to the First Balkan war of 1912–13, and then to the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo in June 1914. This single event led directly to the outbreak of World War I. At the end of the war, with the approval of the victorious Great Powers, Serbia annexed Bosnia as part of the new 'Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes', which was renamed 'Yugoslavia' in 1929.

After Yugoslavia's dismemberment by the Axis powers during World War II, the area was incorporated into a so-called 'Independent State of Croatia'. The area was the major battleground of the Yugoslav civil war proper, between royalist Chetnik forces loyal to the exiled King Peter II and his government in London, and Partisans under the control of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, led by Josip Broz Tito. Following the Communist takeover in 1945, Bosnia & Herzegovina became a constituent republic of the new Yugoslav federation.

The ethnic rivalries were largely suppressed during Communist rule. However, they resurfaced once the Yugoslav federation began to unravel, from 1990 onwards.

Bosnia-Herzegovina is recovering from a devastating three-year war which accompanied the break-up of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. The 1992-1995 conflict centred on whether Bosnia should stay in the Yugoslav Federation or become independent. It is now an independent state, but under international administration. Its three main ethnic groups are Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims), Croats and Serbs. International administration has helped the country consolidate stability.

With a population split almost equally three ways between Serbs, Croats and Muslims, Bosnia was always likely to be the centrepiece of the struggle for influence in former Yugoslavia between the two most powerful republics – Serbia and Croatia. In the initial stages, the Serbs were dominant, with their military forces taking control of two-thirds of the territory, as part of a wider plan to establish a 'Greater Serbia'. In the summer of 1995, NATO forces intervened, allowing the Croat and Muslim armies to retake much of the Serb-occupied territory in Bosnia. Robust American diplomacy then produced a deal under which Bosnia was split almost equally between Serbs and a Muslim-Croat federation. This brought the war to an end.

The prospect of talks with the EU is thought to have increased pressure for the capture of two key Bosnian Serb war crimes suspects, Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic. After nearly 13 years on the run, Radovan Karadzic was arrested in July 2008 by Serbian security forces in Belgrade. His trial on war crimes charges opened at the UN tribunal in The Hague in October 2009. The Bosnian Serb leadership continues to be resentful at having to accept the authority of the OHR, giving rise to suspicions that its ultimate goal is for the Republika Srpska to break away from the Bosniak-Croat Federation.

Unfortunately, the complexity of the Dayton arrangements and the bitter legacy of the war have created both a suspicion of change and widespread political apathy in both parts of the country. It could be some time before Bosnia's ethnic chasm can be overcome. In the meantime, the country faces economic stagnation and an isolated international position. Tens of thousands are still displaced and living in temporary shelter; many others are reluctant to return from exile.

Religion of the population is split into 45% Muslim, 36% Orthodox, 15% Roman Catholic, 4% Protestant, Jews and other denominations.

Bosnia and Herzegovinais characterised by its ethnic and religious diversity and visitors should respect the customs and traditions of the various ethnic and religious groups. The main ethnic groups are the Bosniaks (48%, also sometimes referred to as Bosnian Muslims), the Serbs (37.1%) and the Croats (14.3%). Visitors should be aware that drinking alcohol in public may be considered offensive by more orthodox Muslims. Visitors should avoid expressing opinions about the war or other sensitive issues.

Holidays

· 01 January – New Year's Day

· 07 January – Orthodox Christmas

· 14 January – Orthodox New Year

· 27 January – St. Sava’s Day

· 01 March – Independence Day

· April – Easter

· 01 May – Labour Day

· 15 August – Velika gospa (Western Christian Assumption)

· 01 November – All Saints’ Day

· 25 November – National Statehood Day

· 25 December – Christmas

Taken from:

www.bbc.co.uk

www.worldtravelguide.net

BOSNIAN, HERZEGOVINIAN people

Bosniais home to three ethnic "constituent peoples": Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats. Tensions between the three constitutional peoples remain high and often provoke political disagreements.

According to the 1991 census, Bosnia and Herzegovina had a population of 4,377,033, while the 1996 UNHCR census showed a decrease to 3,919,953.

Ethnically, according to the last official census data from 1991, 1,902,956 (43.5%) are Bosniaks, 1,366,104 (31.2%) Serbs and 760,852 (17.4%) Croats, with 242,682 (5.5%) Yugoslavs. The remaining 2.4% of the population – numbering 104,439 – consisted of various other ethnicities. According to the 1996 UNHCR census, 1,805,910 (46.1%) are Bosniaks, 1,484,530 (37.9%) Serbs, 571,317 (14.6%) Croats and 58,196 (1.5%) others and unspecified. According to 2000 data from the CIA World Factbook, Bosnia's three largest ethnic groups have the following percentages - the Bosniaks (48%), the Serbs (37.1%) and the Croats (14.3%). 99% of the population spoke Serbo-Croatian. There is a strong correlation between ethnic identity and religion in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Muslims constitute 45% of the population, Orthodox 36%, Roman Catholics 15%, and other groups, including Jews and Protestants, 4%.

Large population migrations during the Yugoslav wars in the 1990s have caused demographic shifts in the country. No census has been taken since 1991/96, and political disagreements have made it impossible to organize one. Nevertheless, a census has been planned for 2011. As almost all of the post-war data is simply an estimate, a census would be a statistical, inclusive, and objective way to analyze the demographics of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Most sources, however, estimate the population to be about four million, representing a decrease of 500,000 since 1991.

The last official estimate for 2010 shows a decrease of the population to 3,843,126.

According to BHAS (Agency for Statistics of BiH) estimation of population done on 30 June 2009 is 3,842,566

Taken From:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosnia_%26_Herzegovina#Demographics

BOSNIAN, HERZEGOVINIAN food

When you travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina, be sure that you enjoy traditional dishes. Food in Bosnia and Herzegovina puts a spin on Balkan entrees and has a little something for every traveler, whether you love a good steak or you’re strictly veggie.

Appetizers
Bosnian food can be rich, but not in an unhealthy or unappetizing way. Fresh ingredients and whole foods make meals from Bosnia and Herzegovina totally appealing.

Start your day with a simple breakfast. The usual morning meal is a kwizija, or hearty meal. Stock up on a variety of small courses that include scrambled eggs and bread with a spread like jam, butter, and honey. Drink a strong, traditional coffee with a dash sweet sugar, or a cup of black tea. The feature of the breakfast is a soft white cheese straight from the farms in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s countryside.

Entrees
If you like meat and potato courses, you’ll be thrilled with the options you will find for entree selections in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Lunch is generally the largest meal of the day, so find the most intriguing restaurant in town and indulge!

Try dishes like the Bosnian bosanki lonac, a slow-roasted pot of meat and vegetables, or japrak, made up of cabbage rolls stuffed with a savory filling. If you are traveling in Mostar, try the trout, which is a specialty to the area. A buttery, flaky texture awaits, and is one option for someone who loves fish.

Dinner in Bosnia and Herzegovina is generally light. You’ll probably have it after 8:00 p.m., and for Americans and the British, this may seem quite late. Pack a snack of some Bosnian sweets to tide you over, like a tiny square of baklava, normally reserved for special occasions amongst Bosnians.

If you take advantage of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s surprisingly lively nightlife, try the Bosnian fast food called when you’re out late. This food may be fast but is actually quite traditional, dating back nearly 400 years! Your Bosnian cevaps, as they are nicknamed, will be made up of small sausages and chopped onions, folded in a pita bread called somun.

Drinks
Locally-produced wines and brandies spoil any connoisseur for choice. Sample the rakija, which is available in lots of fruit flavors like plum and grape.

Desserts
Besides the famous baklava, desserts often have fresh fruit and cream as main ingredients. Try the tufahijia, which is a delicious dessert dish made from apples filled with walnuts, and then topped with a rich layer of whipped cream. If you are partial to pudding, have the krempita, with a creamy, soft flavor similar to cheesecake. If you have room, you’ll want to try this delicious Bosnian food.

What makes Bosnian food even better is the overwhelming sense of hospitality and warmth. You’ll be offered cookies, cakes, sweets, coffee, meat platters, and cheese samplers, and once you start sampling, you won’t be able to stop. Just be sure to save room for the main course!

Taken from: www.dicoverbosnia.com

Places to go in BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

If you are after shopping, traditional purchases include woodcarvings, brass coffee-pots, ceramics, handmade carpets, woollen goods, wines, folk-art, tapestries, embroidery and leather boxes. Souvenirs, particular to Bosnia and Herzegovina and stark reminders of the past Yugoslav War, are the engraved artillery shell casings that are available at the Bascarsija bazaar in Sarajevo.

See how 500 years of Turkish rule have left their trace on Bosnia & Herzegovina's capital, Sarajevo. The Turkish quarter (Bascarsija) and the town centre have been largely rebuilt and the city, although scarred by war, is coming back to life. The colourful bazaars are testament to the city's Ottoman heritage and present-day energy. Shop for souvenirs in Bascarsija district, and stop to enjoy a traditional Turkish coffee at one of its many cafés.

Sarajevohas some of the best nightlife in southeast Europe. In addition to numerous cosmopolitan bars and nightclubs, there is also a wealth of cinemas and theatres, along with music venues that stage everything from jazz to opera. The city apparently has more cafes per capita than any other European city and a relaxed cafe culture is prevalent. There are also several annual festivals, particularly in the summertime, that showcase jazz, theatre and film.

Sarajevo Film Festival, the most popular of all of Sarajevo's festivals, is held in August. The festival showcases films from mostly neighbouring countries that consistently produce films of an excellent artistic standard.

The Winter Festival in Sarajevo (usually held in February/March) is an arts festival established long before the war in the 1990s and, indeed, was determinedly held every year during the siege (the festival is usually bi-annual). The festival is a two-month celebration of worldwide talent and is a symbol and celebration of creativity and freedom within diverse cultures.

The country's second largest city and administrative capital of the Republika Srpska, Banja Luka is home to the well-preserved Tvrdjava Fortress. In the countryside nearby are several Orthodox monasteries to visit.

Visit Mostar to see the elegant Ottoman bridge that links the two sides of the town across the Neretva River. The original 16th-century bridge was destroyed in the war but it has since been reconstructed with Turkish help. In addition, the town also has 16th- and 17th-century mosques, medieval buildings and cobbled streets that survived the war completely.

For Bosnia & Herzegovina's only beach head to Neum at the short stretch of coast that divides Croatia's Dalmatian seashore.

Visit the dervish tekkija at the base of a 200m (656ft) cliff in Blagaj, a peaceful village that lies just a half-day trip from Mostar.

See the most western Muslim settlement in Europe in the Bihac pocket in north-western Bosnia & Herzegovina, close to the Croatian border. As well as being home to the Fathija Mosque, formerly a church, the town is also a superb base for rafting on the Una River.

Bosnia& Herzegovina's mountainous landscape provides numerous hill-walking opportunities, although it is imperative to avoid areas where landmines still pose a threat. Bjelasnica Mountain offers the potential for combined hiking, rafting and village tourism.

Witness the wildlife and the unspoilt beauty of Sutjeska National Park. It contains Maglic Mountain - at 2,368m (7,769ft), the highest point in Bosnia and Herzegovina - and Perucica Forest, one of the last remaining primeval forests in Europe.

Go white-water rafting along one of the country's many mountain rivers. Rafting tours are available along the Neretva, Una and Tara rivers, which offer some of the most exciting locations in Europe for this activity. Kayaking is another water sport for which Bosnia & Herzegovina offers great potential.

The world's second most visited Catholic shrine, Medjugorje, south of Mostar, is where many claim to have seen apparitions of the Virgin Mary. Despite hundreds of thousands of annual visitors, it is yet to be recognised as an official pilgrimage site by the Vatican.

Taken from: www.worldtravelguide.net

Doing business in BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

The most detailed information on doing business in Bosnia and Herzegovina can be found in Foreign Investment Promotion Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s website:

http://www.fipa.gov.ba/local_v2/default.asp#

The site answers all questions on Setting Up a Business, Operating a Business and Investment Opportunities.