The 2003 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
Background:
Bosnia and Herzegovina's declaration of sovereignty in October
1991, was followed by a declaration of independence from the former
Yugoslavia on 3 March 1992 after a referendum boycotted by ethnic
Serbs. The Bosnian Serbs - supported by neighboring Serbia and
Montenegro - responded with armed resistance aimed at partitioning
the republic along ethnic lines and joining Serb-held areas to form
a "greater Serbia." In March 1994, Bosniaks and Croats reduced the
number of warring factions from three to two by signing an agreement
creating a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On 21 November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties initialed
a peace agreement that brought to a halt three years of interethnic
civil strife (the final agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December
1995). The Dayton Agreement retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's
international boundaries and created a joint multi-ethnic and
democratic government. This national government was charged with
conducting foreign, economic, and fiscal policy. Also recognized was
a second tier of government comprised of two entities roughly equal
in size: the Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and
the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska (RS). The Federation and RS
governments were charged with overseeing internal functions. In
1995–96, a NATO-led international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of
60,000 troops served in Bosnia to implement and monitor the military
aspects of the agreement. IFOR was succeeded by a smaller, NATO-led
Stabilization Force (SFOR) whose mission is to deter renewed
hostilities. SFOR remains in place although troop levels were
reduced to approximately 12,000 by the close of 2002.
Geography Bosnia and Herzegovina
Location:
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia
Geographic coordinates:
44 00 N, 18 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 51,129 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 51,129 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries: total: 1,459 km border countries: Croatia 932 km, Serbia and Montenegro 527 km
Coastline:
20 km
Maritime claims:
NA
Climate:
hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short,
cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along
coast
Terrain:
mountains and valleys
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Maglic 2,386 m
Natural resources:
coal, iron, bauxite, manganese, forests, copper, chromium, lead,
zinc, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 9.8% permanent crops: 2.94% other: 87.26% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
20 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
destructive earthquakes
Environment - current issues:
air pollution from metallurgical plants; sites for disposing of
urban waste are limited; water shortages and destruction of
infrastructure because of the 1992–95 civil strife
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
within 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 Serbia and Montenegro (Montenegro), and traditionally
has been settled by an ethnic Croat majority in the west and an
ethnic Serb majority in the east
People Bosnia and Herzegovina
Population:
3,989,018 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 19.4% (male 397,810; female 377,005)
15–64 years: 70.5% (male 1,439,383; female 1,372,891)
65 years and over: 10.1% (male 171,643; female 230,286) (2003 est.)
Median age:
total: 35.5 years
male: 35.1 years
female: 35.9 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
0.48% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
12.65 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
8.21 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
0.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
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: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 22.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 19.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 25.37 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.29 years
male: 69.56 years
female: 75.22 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.71 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: