Bosnia--Herzegovina, sometimes referred to as just Bosnia is a country located in Southeastern Europe on the Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to the north and southwest. In the south it has a 12--mile coast on the Adriatic Sea. It has an area of 19,772 sq miles and a population of 3.4. million inhabitants.
This area has been inhabited since the Upper Paleolithic, but evidence suggests that during the Neolithic age, permanent human settlements were established including those that belonged to the Butmir, Kakanj, and Vucedol cultures. After the arrival of the first Indo-Europeans, the area was populated by several Lilyrian and Celtic civilizations. The ancestors of the South Slavic people that populate the area today arrived during the 6th through 9th century. In the 12th century the Banate of Bosnia was established; by the 14 century it had evolved into the Kingdom of Bosnia. In the mid-15th century it was annexed by the Ottoman Empire, under whose rule it remained until the 19th century. The Ottomans brought Islam to the region. From the late 19th century until World War I, the country was annexed into the Austro-Hungary monarchy. In the interwar period Bosnia and Herzegovina were part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In 1992 following the breakup of Yugoslavia, the republic proclaimed independence.
The country is home to three main ethnic groups: Bosniaks are the largest groups, Serbs are the second-largest and Coats the third-largest. There are some other groups like, Jews, Roma, Albanians, Montenegrins, Ukrainians, and Turks. The capital Sarajevo is the largest, and is the seat of a Federal parliamentary directorial republic which comprise a upper and lower house. The official languages are Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian. This country is religiously diverse with Muslims making up 50.7% of the population with Orthodox Christians comprising 30.7%, Catholic Christians 15.2%, and a small percentage of Atheists and Agnostics.
The country's main exports include: mineral fuels, including oil, electrical machinery; equipment, iron and steel and aluminum. Its GDP stands at 28 billion USD
This area has been inhabited since the Upper Paleolithic, but evidence suggests that during the Neolithic age, permanent human settlements were established including those that belonged to the Butmir, Kakanj, and Vucedol cultures. After the arrival of the first Indo-Europeans, the area was populated by several Lilyrian and Celtic civilizations. The ancestors of the South Slavic people that populate the area today arrived during the 6th through 9th century. In the 12th century the Banate of Bosnia was established; by the 14 century it had evolved into the Kingdom of Bosnia. In the mid-15th century it was annexed by the Ottoman Empire, under whose rule it remained until the 19th century. The Ottomans brought Islam to the region. From the late 19th century until World War I, the country was annexed into the Austro-Hungary monarchy. In the interwar period Bosnia and Herzegovina were part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In 1992 following the breakup of Yugoslavia, the republic proclaimed independence.
The country is home to three main ethnic groups: Bosniaks are the largest groups, Serbs are the second-largest and Coats the third-largest. There are some other groups like, Jews, Roma, Albanians, Montenegrins, Ukrainians, and Turks. The capital Sarajevo is the largest, and is the seat of a Federal parliamentary directorial republic which comprise a upper and lower house. The official languages are Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian. This country is religiously diverse with Muslims making up 50.7% of the population with Orthodox Christians comprising 30.7%, Catholic Christians 15.2%, and a small percentage of Atheists and Agnostics.
The country's main exports include: mineral fuels, including oil, electrical machinery; equipment, iron and steel and aluminum. Its GDP stands at 28 billion USD