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Europe

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Last reviewed: 22 September 2009

Country information

Area: 51,200 sq km (19,970 sq mi)
Population: 4.0m (July 2005 estimate)
Capital City: Sarajevo
Peoples: Bosniak (Muslim), Croat, Serb, Others
Languages: Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian
Religions: Islam (Bosniaks), Roman Catholicism (Croats) and Orthodox (Serbs)
Currency: KM, Convertible Mark, pegged to the Euro
Main political structures: State-level Government/Parliament, two Entity-level Governments/Parliaments – see below.
Major political parties:
State-level Government: Coalition consists of Party for Democratic Action (SDA) and Party for BiH (SBiH) (Bosniak); Party of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD)  (Bosnian Serb) and Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZ BiH) and Croatian Democratic Union 1990 (HDZ-1990)  (Bosnian Croat).
Opposition: Social Democratic Party (SDP) (multi-ethnic), Party of Democratic Progress (PDP) and Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) (Bosnian Serb).
Federation of BiH Government: Party for Democratic Action (SDA), Party for BiH (SBiH), Croatian Democratic Union of BiH (HDZ-BiH), Croatian Democratic Union of BiH-1990 (HDZ-1990),  Party of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD).
Republika Srpska Government: Coalition consists of Party of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), Socialist Party of RS (SPRS), Democratic People’s Union (DNS), and Party for Democratic Action (SDA).
Head of State: Tripartite Presidency (with rotating chair) consisting of Zeljko Komsic (Bosnian Croat - SDP, Chair until March 2010), Haris Silajdzic (Bosniak – SBiH), Nobojsa Radmanovic (Bosnian Serb SNSD). 
Federation of BiH: Borjana Kristo (Bosnian Croat - HDZ BiH)
Republika Srpska: Igor Radojicic - Acting President (Bosnian Serb - SNSD)
Prime Ministers: State Level; Nikola Spiric (Bosnian Serb - SNSD).
Federation of BiH: Mr Mustafa Mujezinovic (Bosniak - SDA).
Republika Srpska: Milorad Dodik (Bosnian Serb – SNSD).
Foreign Minister: Sven Alkalaj (Other (Jewish) - SBiH)
Membership of International Institutions: United Nations (UN), Organisation for Co-operation and Security in Europe (OSCE), Council of Europe.

Country information

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Travel Advice

Travel advice: Bosnia & Herzegovina

Useful Links

• Bosnian Institute
• Bosnia & Herzegovina: British Embassy Sarajevo
• British Council website
• Department for International Development (DFID) 
• Peace Implementation Council (PIC)
• UK Trade & Investment Country Profile: Bosnia and Herzegovina

• BiH Government:

  BiH Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Foreign Affairs Committee Report into the Western Balkans 2005
• Government Response to the Foreign Affairs Committee Report into the Western Balkans 2005
• Office of the High Representative
• NATO

Contacts

Copyright 2009 Foreign & Commonwealth Office