Europe

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Last reviewed: 25 January 2012

Country information

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Area: 51,200 sq km (19,970 sq mi)
Population: 3.8m (2009, UN estimate)
Capital City: Sarajevo
Peoples: Bosniak, Bosnian Croat, Bosnian Serb, Others
Languages: Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian
Religions: Islam (Bosniaks), Roman Catholicism (Bosnian Croats) and Orthodox (Bosnian Serbs)
Currency: KM, Convertible Mark, pegged to the Euro
Main political structures: State-level Government/Parliament, two Entity-level Governments/Parliaments – see below
State-level Government:
General Elections took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 3 October 2010. For over a year after elections, parties proved unable to reach agreement on the formation of a State level Government. As a result, the previous government has remained in place, in a limited ‘caretaker’ capacity. However, on 28 December 2011 the leaders of the six major political parties (as per the results of the October 2010 General Election ), reached an agreement on the ethnic and party split of Ministerial posts in a new government. On the 12th January 2012, Vjekoslav Bevanda, the former Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina was confirmed by the State Parliament as the new Chairperson of the Council of Ministers. The remaining Ministerial appointments are in the process of being confirmed.

Entity-level Governments
Federation of BiH Government:
Coalition consisting of the Social Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina (SDP), Party of Democratic Action (SDP), People’s Party Work for Betterment (NSRzB), and the Croatian Party of Rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HSP BiH)
Republika Srpska Government:
Coalition consisting of the Party of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), Socialist Party of RS (SPRS), Democratic People’s Union (DNS), and Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZ BiH)

Heads of State
Tripartite Presidency (with rotating chair) consisting of:
Bakir Izetbegovic (Bosniak – SBiH,)
Zeljko Komsic (Bosnian Croat – SDP, current chair – from July 2011, to March 2012)
Nebojsa Radmanovic (Bosnian Serb – SNSD)

Foreign Minister: (Outgoing) Sven Alkalaj (Jewish – SBiH) (Alakalaj continues in this role, as a new Foreign Minister has not yet been appointed following October 2010’s elections)
Chairman of the Council of Ministers: Nikola Spiric (Nikola Spiric (Bosnian Serb – SNSD)
(Designate) Vjekoslav Bevanda (Bosnian Croat – HDZ BiH)

Entity-level Presidents:
Federation of BiH: Živko Budimir (–Bosnian Croat – HSP BiH)
Republika Srpska: Milorad Dodik (Bosnian Serb – SNSD)
Entity-level Prime Ministers:
Federation of BiH: Nermin Nikšić (Bosniak SDP);
Republika Srpska: Aleksandar Džombić

Membership of International Institutions:
United Nations (UN), International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, Organisation for Co-operation and Security in Europe (OSCE), Council of Europe, Central European Trade Agreement (CEFTA), Regional Cooperation Council
BiH was a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2010-2011 term.

Bosnia and Herzegovina maintains an embassy in the United Kingdom at 5-7 Lexham Gardens, London, W8 5JJ (Tel: 0207 373 0867)

Country information

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Travel Advice

Travel advice: Bosnia & Herzegovina

Useful links

BiH Government:

Contacts

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, British Embassy

Address:

Front Office, Chancery, Political, Press and Projects
8 Tina Ujevica street

Visa, Consular, Management, MOD and UKTI
11 Petrakijina street
71000 Sarajevo

Telephone:

+387 (0) 33 282 200

email: britemb@bih.net.ba

Fax:

+387 (0) 33 282 203: Front Office,
Chancery, Political, Press and Projects
+387 (0) 33 282 280:
Visa, Consular, Management
+387 (0) 33 282 265: MOD and UKTI

Email: mailto:britemb@bih.net.ba

Office hours:

Local Time:
Mon-Thurs: 0830-1700
Fri: 0830-1430

GMT:
Mon-Thurs: 0730-1600
Fri: 0730-1330

Website: http://ukinbih.fco.gov.uk/en/

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Banja Luka, British Embassy Office

Bosnia and Herzegovina