Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina (in Bosnian, Bosna i Herzegovina), republic in south-eastern Europe, in the Balkan Peninsula, bounded on the north and west by Croatia, and on the east and south by Serbia and Montenegro. Formerly a constituent republic of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina declared its independence in March 1992. Civil war then broke out in the country as Bosnia and Herzegovina became involved in the Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian War. Bosnia and Herzegovina (often referred to simply as Bosnia) has a territory of about 51,129 sq km (30,677 sq mi). After the 1995 peace accord, however, the country was formally split into a Muslim-Croat federation controlling 51 per cent of its territory, and a Bosnian-Serb statelet with 49 per cent. Sarajevo is the republic’s capital and largest city.

Mountains traverse much of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s territory; in particular, extensions of the Dinaric Alps, which form the republic’s western border with Croatia, traverse the northern part of the republic. Much of the republic also lies within the Karst, a barren limestone plateau broken by depressions and ridges. Bosnia, in the northern part of the republic, is heavily forested, while Herzegovina, in the south, has flatter regions of fertile soil that are primarily used as farmland. The republic also has about 20 km (12 mi) of coastline along the Adriatic Sea. Principal rivers include the Sava, which flows along the northern frontier, and its tributaries, the Una, Drina, and Vrbas.

Most of the republic is characterized by hot summers and cold winters, although short, cool summers and long, severe winters are common at higher elevations. The average temperature in January is -1° C (30° F), and in July is 20° C (68° F). Temperatures along the republic’s short coastline are warmer, and winters there are rainy.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is rich in natural resources, including large tracts of arable land, extensive stands of timber, and valuable deposits of such minerals as salt, manganese, silver, lead, copper, iron ore, chromium, and coal. Among the wildlife found in Bosnia and Herzegovina are the hare, lynx, weasel, otter, deer, fox, wildcat, wolf, grey bear, roe, and mouflon (wild sheep). The lynx, weasel, and otter have special status as endangered species.

Air pollution from metallurgical plants, water shortages, and poor or failing sanitation services are a few of the problems facing the country, but the destruction of its infrastructure because of the civil war is the most pressing current issue. Most activity since the war’s end has been concentrated on restoring basic needs and services, rather than addressing environmental problems directly. However, despite their overriding concern with rebuilding a war-torn infrastructure, leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina have not lost sight of environmental issues—the country was an observer at the World Conservation Congress in Montreal in 1996.