Svetlana Velmar-Janković

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Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina	The coat of arms of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosnian: Bosna i Hercegovina, Босна и Херцеговина; Croatian: Bosna i Hercegovina; Serbian: Bosna i Hercegovina, Босна и Херцеговина), sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated 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 20-kilometre-long (12-mile) coast on the Adriatic Sea. Bosnia has a moderate continental climate with hot summers and cold, snowy winters. In the central and eastern regions, the geography is mountainous, in the northwest it is moderately hilly, and in the northeast it is predominantly flat. Herzegovina, the smaller, southern region, has a Mediterranean climate and is mostly mountainous. Sarajevo is the capital and the largest city.

The area has been inhabited since at least 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 Vučedol cultures. After the arrival of the first Indo-Europeans, the area was populated by several Illyrian and Celtic civilizations. The ancestors of the South Slavic peoples that populate the area today arrived during the 6th through the 9th century. In the 12th century, the Banate of Bosnia was established; by the 14th century, this had evolved into the Kingdom of Bosnia. In the mid-15th century, it was annexed into the Ottoman Empire, under whose rule it remained until the late 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-Hungarian monarchy. In the interwar period, Bosnia and Herzegovina was part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. After World War II, it was granted full republic status in the newly formed Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1992, following the breakup of Yugoslavia, the republic proclaimed independence. This was followed by the Bosnian War, which lasted until late 1995 and ended with the signing of the Dayton Agreement.

The country is home to three main ethnic groups: Bosniaks are the largest group, Serbs the second-largest, and Croats the third-largest. Minorities include Jews, Roma, Albanians, Montenegrins, Ukrainians and Turks. Bosnia and Herzegovina has a bicameral legislature and a presidency made up of one member from each of the three major ethnic groups. However, the central government's power is highly limited, as the country is largely decentralized. It comprises two autonomous entities—the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska—and a third unit, the Brčko District, governed by its own local government.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a developing country. Its economy is dominated by industry and agriculture, followed by tourism and the service sector. Tourism has increased significantly in recent years. The country has a social security and universal healthcare system, and primary and secondary education is free. Bosnia and Herzegovina is an EU candidate country and has also been a candidate for NATO membership since April 2010. (Full article...)

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Memorial stone at the Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial Centre

The Bosnian genocide (Bosnian: Bosanski genocid) took place during the Bosnian War of 1992–1995 and included both the Srebrenica massacre and the wider crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing campaign perpetrated throughout areas controlled by the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS).^{[page needed]} The events in Srebrenica in 1995 included the killing of more than 8,000 Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) men and boys, as well as the mass expulsion of another 25000–30000 Bosniak civilians by VRS units under the command of General Ratko Mladić.

The ethnic cleansing that took place in VRS-controlled areas targeted Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats. The ethnic cleansing campaign included extermination, unlawful confinement, genocidal rape, sexual assault, torture, plunder and destruction of private and public property, and inhumane treatment of civilians; the targeting of political leaders, intellectuals, and professionals; the unlawful deportation and transfer of civilians; the unlawful shelling of civilians; the unlawful appropriation and plunder of real and personal property; the destruction of homes and businesses; and the destruction of places of worship. The acts have been found to have satisfied the requirements for "guilty acts" of genocide and that "some physical perpetrators held the intent to physically destroy the protected groups of Bosnian Muslims and Croats". (Full article...)

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General images

The following are images from various Bosnia and Herzegovina-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Hval's Codex, illustrated Slavic manuscript from medieval Bosnia (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 2National and University Library in Sarajevo (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 3Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team, 2016 (from Culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 4The railway bridge over the Neretva River in Jablanica, twice destroyed during the 1943 Case White offensive (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 5Coat of arms of the Banate of Bosnia (from History of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 6Territorial evolution of the Bosnian Kingdom (from History of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 7Bosnia in the Middle Ages spanning the Banate of Bosnia and the succeeding Kingdom of Bosnia (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 8Tuzla government building burning after anti-government clashes on 7 February 2014 (from History of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 9Eternal flame memorial to military and civilian World War II victims in Sarajevo (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 10Serbs from Bosanska Krajina in traditional clothing (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 11People of Sarajevo in 1883 (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 122nd c. Roman glass from Bosanski Novi (from History of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 13The Banate in 1373, shortly before its elevation to kingdom (from History of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 14Administrative division of modern Bosnia and Herzegovina. (from History of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 15Bosniaks dancing a traditional kolo (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 16Coat of arms of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (from History of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 17Dissolution of Yugoslavia (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 18BHRT headquarters in Sarajevo (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 19Ivo Andrić with his wife Milica, upon learning he had won the Nobel Prize in Literature (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 20The Emperor's Mosque is the first mosque to be built (1457) after the Ottoman conquest of Bosnia. (from History of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 21The Avaz Twist Tower in Sarajevo, the tallest building in Bosnia and Herzegovina (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 22Mogorjelo, an ancient Roman suburban Villa Rustica from the 4th century, near Čapljina (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 23Coat of arms of Bosnia and Herzegovina (from History of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 24Gimnazija Mostar in Mostar (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 25Kingdom of Bosnia 1377-1463 (from History of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 26The Herzegovina Uprising of 1875–77 (from History of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 27Bosnia and Herzegovina's flag while part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 28Bosnian meat platter that contains, among other things, ćevapi, which is considered the national dish of Bosnia and Herzegovina (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 29Bosnian and Herzegovinian Partisans flag (1941-1945) (from History of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 30The University of Sarajevo's Faculty of Law (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 31Sarajevo International Airport (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 32Bosnia and Herzegovina consists of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), Republika Srpska (RS) and Brčko District (BD) (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 33Coat of Arms of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (from History of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 34Edin Džeko playing for Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2015 (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 35Počitelj Citadel in Čapljina, built by King Tvrtko I of Bosnia in 1383. (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 36The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg by Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo, 28 June 1914 (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 37Ottoman Bosnia - flag from 1878 (from History of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 38"Keep/Protect Yugoslavia" (Čuvajte Jugoslaviju), a variant of the alleged last words of King Alexander, in an illustration of Yugoslav peoples dancing the kolo. (from History of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 39The Jahorina Ski Resort, a 1984 Winter Olympics venue, is the biggest and most popular ski resort in Bosnia and Herzegovina (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 40Iron Age cult carriage from Banjani, near Sokolac (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 41Ethnic structure of Bosnia and Herzegovina by municipalities in 2013, Green for Bosniaks, Orange for Croats and Blue for Serbs (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 42The Bosnia Eyalet in 1683 (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 43"Keep/Protect Yugoslavia" (Čuvajte Jugoslaviju), a variant of the alleged last words of King Alexander I, in an illustration of Yugoslav peoples dancing the kolo (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 44Tuzla government building burning after anti-government clashes on 7 February 2014 (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 45Austro-Hungarian troops enter Sarajevo, 1878 (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 46The Asim Ferhatović Hase Stadium in Sarajevo hosted the opening ceremony of the 1984 Winter Olympics (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 47Željko Komšić, Croat member of the Bosnian Presidency, and Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State, 13 December 2011 (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 48Illustration from the French magazine Le Petit Journal on the Bosnian Crisis: Bulgaria declares its independence and its prince Ferdinand is named Tsar, Austria-Hungary, in the person of Franz Joseph, annexes Bosnia and Herzegovina, while the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II looks on helplessly (from History of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 49Estimated development of real GDP per capita of Bosnia and Herzegovina, since 1952 (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 50Coat of arms of Bosnia and Herzegovina during Habsburg times. (from History of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 51Ban Kulin stone engraving with Bosnian Cyrillic (from History of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 52Stećci from Radimlja, near Stolac (13th century) (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 53Bosnian ćevapi with onions in a somun. (from Culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 54A lamb roast and "kolo" (circle) dancing - Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1895 (from Culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 55Vedran Smailović, the cellist of Sarajevo. (from Culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 56Bosnia within the Independent State of Croatia (NDH), 1942 (from History of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 57Alija Izetbegović during his visit to the United States in 1997. (from History of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 58Ledger stone to Queen Catherine of Bosnia, the last queen of the House of Kosača. (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 59The Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 60UN troops in front of the Executive Council Building, burned after being struck by tank fire during the siege of Sarajevo, 1995 (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Image 61The Mostar Bridge was commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1557 (from Bosnia and Herzegovina)

More did you know

... that Teodora Krajewska, one of the first female physicians in Bosnia-Herzegovina, rode a pony to visit her patients in remote mountain villages?

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Andrić in 1961

Ivo Andrić (Serbian Cyrillic: Иво Андрић, pronounced [ǐːʋo ǎːndritɕ]; born Ivan Andrić; 9 October 1892 – 13 March 1975) was a Yugoslav novelist, poet and short story writer who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1961. His writings dealt mainly with life in his native Bosnia under Ottoman rule.

Born in Travnik in Austria-Hungary, modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina, Andrić attended high school in Sarajevo, where he became an active member of several South Slav national youth organizations. Following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in June 1914, Andrić was arrested and imprisoned by the Austro-Hungarian police, who suspected his involvement in the plot. As the authorities were unable to build a strong case against him, he spent much of the war under house arrest, only being released following a general amnesty for such cases in July 1917. After the war, he studied South Slavic history and literature at universities in Zagreb and Graz, eventually attaining his PhD. in Graz in 1924. He worked in the diplomatic service of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia from 1920 to 1923 and again from 1924 to 1941. In 1939, he became Yugoslavia's ambassador to Germany, but his tenure ended in April 1941 with the German-led invasion of his country. Shortly after the invasion, Andrić returned to German-occupied Belgrade. He lived quietly in a friend's apartment for the duration of World War II, in conditions likened by some biographers to house arrest, and wrote some of his most important works, including Na Drini ćuprija (The Bridge on the Drina). (Full article...)

List of selected biographies
Edin Osmanović Alija Izetbegović Tvrtko I of Bosnia Dobroslav Jevđević Maria of Serbia, Queen of Bosnia Gavrilo Princip Catherine of Bosnia Tvrtko I of Bosnia Petar Baćović Thomas of Bosnia Petar Kočić Jezdimir Dangić Marija Bursać Ismet Popovac Mladen Stojanović Michael of Zahumlje Mladen Lorković Elizabeth of Bosnia