Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country located at the intersection of Southern and Southeastern Europe on the Balkan Peninsula. The largest city in the capital is Sarajevo. Bosnia and Herzegovina borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to the north and southwest. It is not a completely landlocked country. In the south, the Adriatic Sea in the Mediterranean has a narrow coast, about 20 km (12 miles) long and surrounds the town of Neum. Bosnia, the endorheic part of the country, has a mild continental climate with hot summers and cold and snowy winters. In the central and eastern regions of the country, the geography is mountainous, moderately hilly in the northwest, and mostly flat in the northeast. Herzegovina, the smaller southern part of the country, has a Mediterranean climate, mostly mountainous.

The area now Bosnia and Herzegovina has been inhabited at least since the Upper Paleolithic, but during the Neolithic period it is a permanent human settlement, including those belonging to Butmir, Kakanj and Vučedol cultures. Evidence shows that the land has been established. After the arrival of the first Indo-Europeans, the area was inhabited by several Illyrian and Celtic civilizations. Culturally, politically and socially, the country has a rich and complex history. The South Slavic ancestors of the region today arrived in the 6th and 9th centuries. In the 12th century, Bosnia's Banate was founded. By the 14th century, it had evolved into the Kingdom of Bosnia. It was annexed to the Ottoman Empire in the middle of the 15th century and survived until the latter half of the 19th century under its control. The Ottoman Empire brought Islam to the region and changed much of the country's cultural and social outlook.

From the late 19th century to World War I, the country was annexed to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. During the interwar period, Bosnia and Herzegovina was part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. After World War II, the newly formed Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was given the status of a complete republic. In 1992, after the collapse of Yugoslavia, the Republic declared independence. After that, the Bosnian War continued until the latter half of 1995, signing and ending the Dayton Agreement.

Today, the country has three major ethnic groups designated as "constituent ethnic groups" by the national constitution. Bosniaks are the largest group of three, Serbs are the second largest, and Croats are the third largest. In English, all indigenous peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina are called Bosnians, regardless of ethnicity. Minorities classified as "other" under the Constitution include Jews, Roma, Albanians, Montenegrins, Ukrainians, and Turks.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has a bicameral legislature and a three-member president consisting of one member from each of the three major ethnic groups. However, because the country is largely decentralized, the power of the central government is very limited. It consists of two autonomous bodies, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Srpska, and the Brčko district, the third unit governed by its own local government. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is made up of 10 more cantons.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a developing country and is ranked 73rd in human development. Its economy is dominated by industry and agriculture, followed by tourism and services. In recent years, the tourism industry has increased significantly. The country has social security and universal health insurance, and primary and secondary education is free of charge. He is a member of the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe, the Partnership for Peace, and the Central European Free Trade Agreement. He is also a founding member of the Union for the Mediterranean, founded in July 2008. The country is an applicant for membership in the European Union and has been a candidate for NATO membership since receiving the Membership Action Plan in April 2010.