Bosnia and Herzegovina Passport

Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosnia and Herzegovina), abbreviated as Bosnia and Herzegovina.

【 Area 】 51200 square kilometers.

The population is 3.53 million. The main ethnic groups are Bosniaks, accounting for approximately 50.1% of the total population; Serbian ethnicity, accounting for approximately 30.8% of the total population; Croats make up approximately 15.4% of the total population. The three ethnic groups respectively believe in Islam, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Catholicism. The official languages are Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian.

Sarajevo, the capital, has a population of 270000.

The Presidium exercises the duties of the Head of State and is composed of one representative from each of the Bosniak, Serbian, and Croatian ethnic groups, with a term of four years. The rotating chairman of the presidium is held by representatives from the three ethnic groups, rotating every 8 months. The current presidium will be formed in November 2022. The members of the Presidium are Ž eljka CVIJANOVI Ć (female, Serbian), Ž eljko KOM Š I Ć (Croatian), and Denis BE Ć IROVI Ć (Polish).

【 Overview 】 Located in the central western part of the Balkan Peninsula. It borders Croatia to the south, west, and north, and Serbia and Montenegro to the east. Most of the areas are located in the Dinara Plateau and Sava River basin. A very small part of the southern region borders the Adriatic Sea, with a coastline of approximately 21.2 kilometers. The southern region has a Mediterranean climate, with an average temperature of 6.3 ℃ in January and 27.4 ℃ in July; The northern region has a temperate continental climate, with an average temperature of -0.2 ℃ in January and 22.7 ℃ in July. The annual average temperature in the country is 11.2 ℃.

In the late 6th and early 7th centuries, some Slavs migrated southward to the Balkan Peninsula and settled in places such as Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the end of the 12th century, the Slavs established an independent principality of Bosnia. At the end of the 14th century, Bosnia entered its heyday. After 1463, it became a dependency of Ottoman Türkiye and was occupied by the Austro Hungarian Empire in 1908. On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria Hungary was assassinated by local youth in Sarajevo, triggering World War I. After the end of World War I in 1918, the Southern Slavic people established the Kingdom of Serbs Croats Slovenes, which was renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929. Bosnia and Herzegovina was part of it and was divided into several administrative provinces. In 1945, the people of all ethnic groups in Yugoslavia achieved victory in the anti fascist war and established the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia (renamed the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1963), with Bosnia and Herzegovina becoming one of the republics. In March 1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina held a national referendum on whether the country would become independent. The Bosniaks and Croats supported independence, while the Serbs boycotted the vote. The Bosnian War broke out. On May 22, 1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina joined the United Nations. On November 21, 1995, under the auspices of the United States, the Presidents of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Republic of Serbia, Milosevic, the Republic of Croatia, Tudjman, and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Izetbegovic, signed the Dayton Peace Agreement for Bosnia and Herzegovina, ending the Bosnian War.

Since the signing of the Dayton Agreement in 1995, ethnic relations in Bosnia and Herzegovina have eased and the political situation has remained relatively stable.

In November 1995, Bosnia and Herzegovina formulated its constitution based on the Dayton Agreement. The Constitution stipulates that the official name of Bosnia and Herzegovina is "Bosnia and Herzegovina"; The Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats are the main ethnic groups; Bosnia and Herzegovina is composed of two entities: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Serbs; Bosnia and Herzegovina has a three member Presidium, consisting of one representative from each of the three main ethnic groups. The members of the Presidium are directly elected by the two entities.

The parliament is composed of the House of Representatives and the House of Nationalities, with a term of 4 years. In October 2022, Bosnia and Herzegovina will hold national elections. The new House of Representatives of the Parliament will be established in December 2022. The House of Representatives is composed of 42 representatives from three ethnic groups, including 28 from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 14 from the Republic of Serbia. Members of the House of Representatives are elected on a proportional basis, with one chairman and two vice chairmen, belonging to three different ethnic groups. The position of Chairman is rotated by three members of the Presidium of this institution, with a rotation every eight months. The members of the current presidium are Denis ZVIZDI Ć (Polish), Marinko Č AVARA (Croatian), and Neboj š a RADMANOVI Ć (Serbian). The new Ethnic Affairs Council will be established in February 2023. The House of Peoples has 15 seats, consisting of 10 representatives from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (5 each from the Bosniaks and Croats) and 5 representatives from the Republika Srpska. The members of the National Assembly are elected by the National Assembly of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the People's Assembly of the Republika Srpska according to the proportion of the main ethnic groups and the election results. The rotation mode of the Chairman and Vice Chairman is the same as that of the House of Representatives. The members of the current presidium are Nikola Š PIRI Ć (Serbian), Kemal ADEMOVI Ć (Polish), and Dragan Č OVI Ć (Croatian).

The government of Bosnia and Herzegovina is called the Council of Ministers, consisting of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers and ministers, with a term of four years. The Chairman of the Council of Ministers is appointed by the Presidium and approved by the House of Representatives of the Parliament. The minister is nominated by the Chairman of the Council of Ministers and approved by the House of Representatives of the Parliament. The current Ministerial Conference was established in January 2023, with Borjana KRI Š TO (female, Croatian) as the Chairperson and Zukan HELEZ (Polish) as the Vice Chairperson and Minister of Defense, Sta š a KO Š ARAC (Serbian) as the Vice Chairperson and Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Elmedin KONAKOVI Ć as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Srđ an AMID Ž I Ć as the Minister of Finance, and DubravkaBO Š arac as the Minister of Civil Affairs. NjAK, female, Croatian), Minister of Transport and Communications Edin Forto, Minister of Security Nenad NE Š i Ć, Serbian, Minister of Justice DavorBUNOZA, The Minister of Human Rights and Refugees, Sevlid Hurti Ć, from the Bo ethnic group.

【 Main website 】

Website of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina: www.predsjednistvobih.ba

The government of Bosnia and Herzegovina: www.vijeceministara.gov.ba

Website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina: www.mvp.gov.ba

Bosnia and Herzegovina is composed of two entities, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska, as well as the Brcko District. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina consists of 10 cantons: Una Sana, Posavina, Tuzla, Zenica Doboi, Bosnia Podryne, Central Bosnia, Herzegovina Neretva, West Bosnia, Sarajevo, and Tenth Canton. The Republika Srpska consists of 10 municipalities (Banja Luka, East Sarajevo, Bijelina, Doboj, Prijedor, Zvornik, Trebine, Gradishka, Derwenta, Laktahi) and 54 districts. In 1999, Burchikot District was established, directly under the state.

The judicial system includes the Constitutional Court and the National Court. The Constitutional Court is the only legally authorized body to adjudicate disputes between two entities and between various institutions within the two entities, and has the final decision-making power. The Constitutional Court is composed of 9 judges with a term of 5 years, of whom 4 are elected by the House of Representatives of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2 are elected by the Parliament of the Republika Srpska, and the remaining 3 are elected by the President of the European Court of Human Rights, but cannot be citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina or neighboring countries. The President of the Constitutional Court, Seada PALAVRI Ć, female. MinkaKREHO, Acting President of the National Court, female. The two entities are divided into the Supreme Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Supreme Court of the Republic of Serbia.

Political parties implement a multi-party system. The main political parties are:

(1) Democratic Action Party (Stranka Demokratske Akcije): Established in May 1990. Chairman Bakir Izetbegovi ć.

(2) The Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (Savez Nezavisnih Socialdemokrata) was established in March 1996. Chairman Milorad DODIK.

(3) The Croatian Democratic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Hrvatska Demokratska Zajednica BiH) was established in August 1990. Chairman Dragan Covic.

(4) Democratic Front Party (Demokratska Fronta): Established in April 2013. Chairman Ž eljko Kom š i ć.

(5) Social Democratic Party (Socialdemokratska partija BiH): Established in December 1992. Chairman Nermin NIK Š I Ć.

(6) People and Justice Party (Narod i Pravda): Established in March 2018. Chairman Elmeddin Konakovic.

[Important Person] Rerika Zvianovic: Serbian member of the Presidium. Born in 1967 in the city of Tesla. Vice Chairman of the Serbian Independent Social Democrats Alliance Party. Graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Sarajevo, the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Banja Luka, and the Faculty of Law. He has served as the Prime Minister and President of the Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Elected as a Serbian member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency in November 2022.

Ž eljko Kom š i ć: Member of the Croatian presidium. Born in Sarajevo in 1964. Chairman of the Democratic Front Party. Graduated from the Law School of Sarajevo University. Formerly served as the Chairman of the Sarajevo City Council, Deputy Mayor of Sarajevo, and District Mayor of the New Sarajevo District. Has been elected multiple times as a member of the Croatian Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In July 2024, the Chinese government's Special Representative for European Affairs sent a red wave to visit Afghanistan.

Danis Becherovich: Member of the Polish presidium. Born in Tuzla City in 1975. Vice Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Graduated from Tuzla University and Sarajevo University. Formerly served as a member of the House of Representatives and the House of Peoples of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Parliament. Elected as a Bosnian member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency in November 2022.

The Bosnian War caused serious damage to the economy, almost collapsing. In recent years, with the assistance of the international community, Bosnia and Herzegovina has made certain progress in economic recovery. The main economic data for 2023 are as follows:

Gross Domestic Product: 27.22 billion US dollars.

Per capita Gross Domestic Product: 7860 US dollars.

Gross Domestic Product Growth Rate: 1.80%.

Currency name: Convertible Mark (BAM), also known as Bosnian Mark

Exchange rate: 1 euro ≈ 1.95 convertible marks (fixed exchange rate).

Inflation rate: 2.2% (2023).

Unemployment rate: 13.3%.

(Information)

[Resources] The mineral resources are rich, mainly including iron ore, lignite, bauxite, lead zinc ore, asbestos, rock salt, barite, etc., of which the coal reserves are 5.3 billion tons. Bosnia and Herzegovina has abundant water resources, with a potential hydroelectric power generation capacity of 6000 megawatts. The forest coverage area accounts for 42.7% of the total area of Bosnia and Herzegovina, of which 65% are deciduous plants and 35% are coniferous plants.

The metal processing industry is one of the important industries in the economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with products mainly exported. In 2022, the export value of metal processing products accounted for 39% of the total foreign trade value. The main products of the metal processing industry are steel, lead, zinc, and copper processing products.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has the natural conditions for developing diversified agriculture, and the food processing industry has a long tradition. Bosnia and Herzegovina is mountainous, with agricultural land accounting for 42.2% of the total land area, totaling approximately 2.39 million hectares, of which 1 million hectares are intensive agricultural farmland. Bosnia and Herzegovina has 1.04 million hectares of natural grasslands and pastures, with 350000 hectares of land dedicated to orchards, vineyards, and the cultivation of herbs, spices, and herbs used in the production of healthcare products. Bosnia and Herzegovina's dairy products, fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products have export qualifications to the European Union. The southern region is popular for planting aromatic plants such as wax chrysanthemums.

In 2023, the tourism industry received a total of 1.733 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 17.3%. Among them, there were 550000 domestic tourists, a year-on-year decrease of 2.2%; There were 1.183 million foreign tourists, a year-on-year increase of 29.3%. Tourist facilities mainly include hotels, bathhouses, private inns, car campsites, hot springs, and health resorts.

Transportation: Railway and highway are the main modes of transportation. There are 1.185 million registered motor vehicles nationwide. Classified by transportation purpose, passenger cars account for 88%, trucks account for 10%, and others account for 2%.

Highway: The total length of highways in China is 8850 kilometers, including 231 kilometers of expressways.

Railway: There are 1018 kilometers of existing railways, including 925 kilometers of monorail (including 656 kilometers of electrified railways); The double track railway is 93 kilometers long, all of which are electrified railways.

Air freight: There are four international airports located in Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Mostar, and Tuzla. In 2022, the four airports transported 1.377 million, 340000, 10000, and 474000 passengers respectively, an increase of 79.5%, 142.8%, 400%, and 54.9% year-on-year.

In 2023, the total foreign trade volume was 44.47 billion marks, a year-on-year decrease of 4.6%; Among them, the export value was 16.7 billion marks, a year-on-year decrease of 7.1%; The import value was 27.77 billion marks, a year-on-year decrease of 3.0%. The main categories of exported goods are basic metals and products, mechanical and electrical products, wood products, mineral products, etc. The main categories of imported goods are mineral products, mechanical and electrical products, base metals and products, chemical products, food, etc. The main trading partners are Germany, Italy, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, etc.

In December 2003, Bosnia and Herzegovina promulgated its first Defense Law and established the Ministry of Defense. In October 2005, Bosnia and Herzegovina established a national unified professional army through the amendment of the Defense Law and the Military Service Law. The Presidium is the supreme commander of the armed forces, the Ministry of National Defense is the highest military leadership body, and the Parliament supervises the military within its scope of responsibilities. As of December 2022, the total number of armed forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina was 8739. The defense budget for 2022 is approximately 160 million US dollars, accounting for about 0.8% of the gross domestic product. The Joint Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces is General GojkoKNE Ž EVI Ć. Bosnia and Herzegovina Armed Forces Day falls on December 1st.

The education system in Bosnia and Herzegovina conforms to international education system standards. In the 2023/2024 academic year, a total of 41214 children were enrolled in 493 preschool education institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina; There are 14877 primary schools with 256343 students and 24343 teachers; There are 5443 middle schools with 107821 students and 12554 teachers; There are 49 universities with 71185 college students, including 49272 full-time students. In 2024, there will be 9850 undergraduate students graduating from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The main universities include the University of Sarajevo, Banja Luka University, Mostar University, Tuzla University, and East Sarajevo University.

Nearly 200 types of newspapers and magazines are distributed throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. The main newspapers include: Daily Voice, Liberation News, Independent News, Serbian Voice, Evening News, Daily News, etc.

As of the end of 2022, there are 34 television stations nationwide. Main television stations: Bosnia and Herzegovina State Television, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Television, Republika Srpska Television, etc. There are 99 radio stations nationwide.