Nationality
Bosnian(s)
Herzegovinian(s)Ethnic Composition
| Serb |
31% |
| Bosniak (Muslim) |
44% |
| Croat |
17% |
| Yugoslav |
5.5% |
| Other |
2.5% |
Religious Composition
| Muslim |
40% |
| Eastern Orthodox |
31% |
| Roman Catholic |
15% |
| Protestant |
4% |
| Other |
10% |
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Languages SpokenCroatian, Serbian, Bosnian |
Education and LiteracyDue to the major migrations and conflicts that took place in
the 1990s, there are no dependable statistics available
regarding literacy for this nation. |
Labor ForceTotal:
1,026,254
By occupation:
| Agriculture |
19% |
| Industry |
23% |
| Services |
58% |
|
Geography |
Land Mass Total19,741sq mi (51,129 sq km) |
Land19,741 sq mi (51,129 sq km) |
WaterLandlocked |
Land BoundariesTotal:
906 mi (1,459 km)
Border countries:
Croatia 579 mi (932 km), Serbia 193 mi
(312 km), Montenegro 133 mi (215 km) |
Coastline12.4 mi (20 km) |
Maritime claimNone |
Climate/WeatherHot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have
short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy
winters along coast. |
TerrainMountains and valleys. |
Elevation extremesLowest:
Adriatic Sea 0 ft (0 m)
Highest:
Maglic 7,828 ft (2,386 m) |
Natural ResourcesCoal, iron, bauxite, manganese, forests, copper, chromium,
lead, zinc, hydropower. |
Land use
| Arable land |
10% |
| Permanent crops |
3% |
| Other |
87% |
(1998) |
Natural hazardsEarthquakes |
Environment - current issuesAir pollution from metallurgical plants; sites for disposing of
urban waste are limited; widespread casualties, water
shortages, and destruction of infrastructure because of the
1992-1995 civil strife. |
Geography NoteWithin Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized borders, the country
is divided into a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation (about 51% of
the territory) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska or RS
(about 49% of the territory); the region called Herzegovina is
contiguous to Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
(Montenegro), and traditionally has been settled by an ethnic
Croat majority in the west and an ethnic Serb majority in the
east. |
Demographics |
Population3,964,388
Note:
all data dealing with population are
subject to considerable error because of the dislocations
caused by military action and ethnic cleansing (July 2002 est.)
|
Age structure
| 0-14 years: |
19.8% |
Male: 403,391 |
Female: 382,037 |
| 15-64 years: |
70.6% |
Male: 1,432,559 |
Female: 1,366,224 |
| 65 years and over: |
9.6% |
Male: 161,659 |
Female: 218,518 |
(2002) |
Growth Rate0.76% (2002) |
Life Expectancy72.02 years (2002)
female: 74.93 years
male: 69.3 years |
GDP Per CapitaPurchasing power parity
US$1,800 (2001) |
Infant Mortality23.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2002) |
Sex ratio
| At birth: |
1.07 male(s)/female |
| Under 15 years: |
1.06 male(s)/female |
| 15-64 years: |
1.05 male(s)/female |
| 65 years and over: |
0.74 male(s)/female |
| Total population: |
1.02 male(s)/female |
|
Net migration rate2.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002) |
Economy & Trade |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked next to The Former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as the poorest republic
in the old Yugoslav federation. Although agriculture is
almost all in private hands, farms are small and
inefficient, and the republic traditionally is a net
importer of food. Industry has been greatly
overstaffed, one reflection of the socialist economic
structure of Yugoslavia. Tito had pushed the
development of military industries in the republic with
the result that Bosnia hosted a large share of
Yugoslavia's defense plants. The bitter interethnic
warfare in Bosnia caused production to plummet by 80
percent from 1990 to 1995, unemployment to soar,
and human misery to multiply. With an uneasy peace in
place, output recovered in 1996-99 at high percentage
rates from a low base; but output growth slowed in 2000
and 2001. GDP remains far below the 1990 level.
Economic data are of limited use because, although both
entities issue figures, national-level statistics are
limited. Moreover, official data do not capture the
large share of activity that occurs on the black
market. The marka - the national currency introduced in
1998 - is now pegged to the euro, and the Central Bank
of Bosnia and Herzegovina has dramatically increased
its reserve holdings. Implementation of privatization,
however, has been slow, and local entities only
reluctantly support national-level institutions.
Banking reform accelerated in 2001 as all the
communist-era payments bureaus were shut down. The
country receives substantial amounts of reconstruction
assistance and humanitarian aid from the international
community but will have to prepare for an era of
declining assistance. Most of the recent aid has been
directed towards the agricultural sector in an effort
to push the nation towards self-sufficiency in food.
The government is trying to wean other sectors off of
foreign-aid dependency in an attempt to attract an
influx of foreign investors intent on long-term
infrastructure projects. |
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Unemployment40% (2001) |
Inflation Rate5% (2001) |
IndustriesSteel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, vehicle
assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, tank
and aircraft assembly, domestic appliances, oil refining (much
of capacity was damaged or shut down). |
Exports$1.1 billion (f.o.b., 2001) |
ImportsUS$3.1 billion (f.o.b., 2001) |
Total TradePurchasing power parity
GDP US$7 billion (2001) |
Top Export PartnersCroatia, Switzerland, Italy, Germany |
Top Import PartnersCroatia, Slovenia, Germany, Italy |
Top ExportsSteel, minerals, textiles, tobacco, military vehicles,
agricultural products. |
Top ImportsFoodstuffs, machinery, fuel, consumer goods. |
Debt - externalUS$2.8 billion (2001) |
Economic aidRecipient: US$650 million (2001) |
Fiscal Year:Calendar year |
Business Workweek
|
| |
Monday - Friday |
Saturday -
Sunday |
| Offices |
8a.m. to 6p.m. |
Closed |
| Retail |
7a.m. to 7p.m., with a four-hour break at noon. |
Some large retailers and
food sellers keep Saturday hours until early
afternoon. |
| Banks |
8a.m. to 6p.m. (may include a midday break in rural
areas) |
Closed |
| Government |
8a.m. to 5p.m. |
Closed |
|
Holidays |
Official Holidays
| Holidays |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
| New Year's Day |
January 1 |
January 1 |
January 1 |
| Christmas (Orthodox)¹ |
January 7 |
January 7 |
January 7 |
| New Year (Orthodox) |
January 14 |
January 14 |
January 14 |
| Independence Day |
March 1 |
March 1 |
March 1 |
| Easter (Catholic)² |
April 20 |
April 11 |
March 27 |
| Labor Day |
May 1 |
May1 |
May 1 |
| Easter (Orthodox)² |
April 27 |
April 11 |
May 1 |
| St. Georges Day (Orthodox) |
May 6 |
May 6 |
May 6 |
| Vidovdan (Orthodox) |
June 28 |
June 28 |
June 28 |
| Petrovdan (Orthodox) |
July 12 |
July 12 |
July 12 |
| Ilindan (Orthodox) |
August 2 |
August 2 |
August 2 |
| Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(Velika gospa) |
August 15 |
August 15 |
August 15 |
| Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(Velika gospojina, Orthodox) |
August 28 |
August 28 |
August 28 |
| Nativity of the Virgin Mary (Mala
gospa) |
September 8 |
September 8 |
September 8 |
| Nativity of the Virgin Mary (Mala
gospojona, Orthodox) |
September 21 |
September 21 |
September 21 |
| All Saints' Day |
November 1 |
November 1 |
November 1 |
| All Souls Day |
November 2 |
November 2 |
November 2 |
| Mitrovdan (Orthodox) |
November 8 |
November 8 |
November 8 |
| National Day |
November 25 |
November 25 |
November 25 |
| Christmas Day¹ |
December 25 |
December 25 |
December 25 |
| ¹ |
Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus
Christ. In A.D.320, Pope Julius I fixed the date at
December 25 based on the Gregorian calendar. The Orthodox
church calculates Christmas using the Julian calendar and
celebrates 13 days later on January 7. |
| ² |
Easter, a Christian holiday celebrating
the resurrection of Jesus Christ, is the first Sunday
after the full moon and the vernal equinox (fixed in the
Gregorian calendar at March 21), and often observed with
Good Friday and Easter Monday. In the West, Easter
is predicted using the Gregorian calendar, while Eastern
Orthodox Christians use the much older Julian calendar,
and celebrate 13 days later. |
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