📰 Bosnia and Herzegovina · page 6

Most recently, the Huffington Post named Bosnia and Herzegovina the "9th Greatest Adventure in the World for 2013", adding that the country boasts "the cleanest water and air in Europe; the greatest untouched forests; and the most wildlife.411 The best way to experience is the three rivers trip, which purls through the best the Balkans have to offer."[232]412

Transport

Main article: Transport in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sarajevo International Airport, also known as Butmir Airport, is the main international airport in Bosnia and Herzegovina, located 3.3 NM southwest of the Sarajevo main railway station[233] in the city of Sarajevo corpus in the suburb of Butmir.413

Railway operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina are successors of the Yugoslav Railways within the country boundaries following independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1992.414 Today, they are operated by the Railways of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ŽFBiH) in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and by Republika Srpska Railways (ŽRS) in Republika Srpska.415

Telecommunications

Main article: Telecommunications in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Bosnian communications market was fully liberalised in January 2006.416 The three landline telephone operators predominantly provide services in their operating areas but have nationwide licenses for domestic and international calls.417 Mobile data services are also available, including high-speed EDGE, 3G and 4G services.[234]418

Oslobođenje (Liberation), founded in 1943, is one of the country's longest running continuously circulating newspapers.419 There are many national publications, including the Dnevni avaz (Daily Voice), founded in 1995, and Jutarnje Novine (Morning News), to name but a few in circulation in Sarajevo.[235]420 Other local periodicals include the Croatian Hrvatska riječ newspaper and Bosnian Start magazine, as well as Slobodna Bosna (Free Bosnia) and BH Dani (BH Days) weekly newspapers.421 Novi Plamen, a monthly magazine, was the most left-wing publication.422 International news station Al Jazeera maintains a sister channel catering to the Balkan region, Al Jazeera Balkans, broadcasting out of and based in Sarajevo.[236]423 Since 2014, the N1 platform has broadcast as an affiliate of CNN International, with offices in Sarajevo, Zagreb corpus and Belgrade corpus.[237]424

As of 2021, Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked second highest in press freedom in the region, after Croatia corpus, and is placed 58th internationally.[238]425

as of 2021 December, there are 3,374,094 internet users in the country, or 95.55% of the entire population.[239]426

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnians

See also: Demographic history of Bosnia and Herzegovina

According to the 1991 census, Bosnia and Herzegovina had a population of 4,369,319, while the 1996 World Bank Group census showed a decrease to 3,764,425.[240]427 Large population migrations during the Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s have caused demographic shifts in the country.428 Between 1991 and 2013, political disagreements made it impossible to organize a census.429 A census had been planned for 2011,[241] and then for 2012,[242] but was delayed until October 2013.430 The 2013 census found a total population of 3,531,159 people,[12] a drop of approximately 20% since 1991.[243]431 The 2013 census figures include non-permanent Bosnian residents and for this reason are contested by Republika Srpska officials and Serb politicians (see Ethnic groups below).[244]432

According to United Nations Population Fund, between 2013 and 2020, Bosnia and Herzegovina was losing 25,000 people yearly.433 The demographic expert Stevo Palašić concluded that between 1991 and 2023, Bosnia and Herzegovina lost 1.4 million people or one-third of its population.434 Tim Judah considers the 2022 state agency estimate of 3.4 million inhabitants "extremely optimistic" and wrongly based on the 2013 census.435 Pašalić, who based his calculation on the official data, estimates the number to 2.9 million.436 Other demographic experts from Bosnia and Herzegovina, including Miodrag Pantović and Nermin Oruč, estimate that the total population in Bosnia and Herzegovina is slightly below 1.5 million.[245]437

Urban areas

Sarajevo corpus is home to 419,957 inhabitants in its urban area which comprises the City of Sarajevo corpus as well as the municipalities of Ilidža, Vogošća, Istočna Ilidža, Istočno Novo Sarajevo and Istočni Stari Grad.[246]438 The metro area has a population of 555,210 and includes Sarajevo Canton, East Sarajevo and the municipalities of Breza, Kiseljak, Kreševo and Visoko.[247]439

Ethnic groups

Main article: Ethnic groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina is home to three ethnic "constituent peoples", namely Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats, plus a number of smaller groups including Jews and Roma.[248]440 According to data from the 2013 census published by the Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosniaks constitute 50.1% of the population, Serbs 30.8%, Croats 15.5% and others 2.7%, with the remaining respondents not declaring their ethnicity or not answering.[12]441 The census results are contested by the Republika Srpska statistical office and by Bosnian Serb politicians.[249]442 The dispute over the census concerns the inclusion of non-permanent Bosnian residents in the figures, which Republika Srpska officials oppose.[244]443 The European Union's statistics office, Eurostat, concluded in May 2016 that the census methodology used by the Bosnian statistical agency is in line with international recommendations.[250]444

Languages

Bosnia's constitution does not specify any official languages.[2][251][4]445 However, the Dayton Agreement was written in four versions—Bosnian, Croatian, English, and Serbian.446 Academics Hilary Footitt and Michael Kelly describe this as "de facto recognition of three official languages" at the state level.447 The equal status of Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian was verified by the Constitutional Court in 2000.[4]448 It ruled that the provisions of the Federation and Republika Srpska constitutions on language were incompatible with the state constitution, since they only recognised Bosnian and Croatian (in the case of the Federation) and Serbian (in the case of Republika Srpska) as official languages at the entity level.449 As a result, the wording of the entity constitutions was changed and all three languages were made official in both entities.[4]450 The three standard languages are fully mutually intelligible and are known collectively under the appellation of Serbo-Croatian, though this term is not formally recognized in the country.451 Use of one of the three languages has become a marker of ethnic identity.[252]452 Michael Kelly and Catherine Baker argue, "The three official languages of today's Bosnian state...represent the symbolic assertion of national identity over the pragmatism of mutual intelligibility".[253]453

According to the 1992 European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML), Bosnia and Herzegovina recognizes the following minority languages: Albanian, Montenegrin, Czech, Italian, Hungarian, Macedonian, German, Polish, Romani, Romanian, Rusyn, Slovak, Slovene, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Jewish (Yiddish and Ladino).[254]454

The German minority in Bosnia and Herzegovina are mostly remnants of Danube Swabians, who settled in the area after the Habsburg monarchy claimed the Balkans from the Ottoman Empire.455 Expulsions and (forced) assimilation after the two World wars drastically diminished the number of ethnic Germans in Bosnia and Herzegovina.[255]456

In the 2013 census, 52.86% of the population consider their mother tongue Bosnian, 30.76% Serbian, 14.6% Croatian, and 1.57% another language, with 0.21% not giving an answer.[12]457

Religion

Main article: Religion in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a religiously diverse country.458 According to the 2013 census, Muslims constituted 50.7% of the population, while Orthodox Christians made up 30.7%, Catholic Christians 15.2%, 1.2% other and 1.1% atheist or agnostic, with the remainder not declaring or not answering the question.[12]459 A 2012 survey found 54% of Bosnia's Muslims were non-denominational, while 38% followed Sunnism.[256]460

Education

Main article: Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Primary schooling lasts for nine years.461 Secondary education is provided by general and technical secondary schools (typically Gymnasiums) where studies typically last for four years.462 All forms of secondary schooling include an element of vocational training.463 Pupils graduating from general secondary schools obtain the Matura and can enroll in any tertiary educational institution or academy by passing a qualification examination prescribed by the governing body or institution.464 Students graduating technical subjects obtain a Diploma.[257]465

The first bespoke higher-education institution was a school of Sufi philosophy established by Gazi Husrev-beg in 1531.466 Numerous other religious schools then followed.467 In 1887, under the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a Sharia law school began a five-year program.[258]468

In the 1940s, the University of Sarajevo became the city's first secular higher education institute.469 In the 1950s, post-baccalaurate graduate degrees became available.[259]470 Severely damaged during the war, it was recently rebuilt in partnership with more than 40 other universities.471 There are various other institutions of higher education, including: University Džemal Bijedić of Mostar, University of Banja Luka, University of Mostar, University of East Sarajevo, University of Tuzla, American University in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina.472

Also, Bosnia and Herzegovina is home to several private and international higher education institutions, some of which are:473

• Sarajevo School of Science and Technology474
• International University of Sarajevo475
• American University in Bosnia and Herzegovina476
• Sarajevo Graduate School of Business477
• International Burch University478
• United World College in Mostar479

Health

Main article: Health in Bosnia and Herzegovina

According to the 2024 Global Hunger Index (GHI), Bosnia and Herzegovina has a low level of hunger, with a GHI score of less than 5.[260]480

Culture

Main article: Culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Architecture

Main article: Architecture of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The architecture of Bosnia and Herzegovina is largely influenced by four major periods where political and social changes influenced the creation of distinct cultural and architectural habits of the population.481 Each period made its influence felt and contributed to a greater diversity of cultures and architectural language in this region.482

Media

Main article: Mass media in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Some television, magazines, and newspapers in Bosnia and Herzegovina are state-owned, and some are for-profit corporations funded by advertising, subscription, and other sales-related revenues.483 The Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina guarantees freedom of speech.484

As a country in transition with a post-war legacy and a complex domestic political structure, Bosnia and Herzegovina's media system is under transformation.485 In the early post-war period (1995–2005), media development was guided mainly by international donors and cooperation agencies, who invested to help reconstruct, diversify, democratize and professionalize media outlets.[261][262]486

Post-war developments included the establishment of an independent Communication Regulatory Agency, the adoption of a Press Code, the establishment of the Press Council, the decriminalization of libel and defamation, the introduction of a rather advanced Freedom of Access to Information Law, and the creation of a Public Service Broadcasting System from the formerly state-owned broadcaster.487 Yet, internationally backed positive developments have been often obstructed by domestic elites, and the professionalisation of media and journalists has proceeded only slowly.488 High levels of partisanship and linkages between the media and the political systems hinder the adherence to professional code of conducts.[262]489

Literature

Main article: Literature of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina has a rich literature, including the Nobel Prize winner Ivo Andrić and poets such as Antun Branko Šimić, Aleksa Šantić, Jovan Dučić and Mak Dizdar, writers such as Zlatko Topčić, Meša Selimović, Semezdin Mehmedinović, Miljenko Jergović, Isak Samokovlija, Safvet-beg Bašagić, Abdulah Sidran, Petar Kočić, Aleksandar Hemon, Mehmed Begić and Nedžad Ibrišimović.490

The National Theater was founded in 1919 in Sarajevo corpus and its first director was dramatist Branislav Nušić.491 Magazines such as Novi Plamen or Sarajevske sveske are some of the more prominent publications covering cultural and literary themes.492

By the late 1950s, Ivo Andrić's works had been translated into a number of languages.493 In 1958, the Association of Writers of Yugoslavia nominated Andrić as its first ever candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature494

Art

Main article: Bosnian and Herzegovinan art

The art of Bosnia and Herzegovina was always evolving and ranged from the original medieval tombstones called Stećci to paintings in Kotromanić court.495 Twenty stećak necropolis sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina were added on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2006.[263]496 However, only with the arrival of Austro-Hungarians did the painting renaissance in Bosnia really begin to flourish.497 The first educated artists from European academies appeared with the beginning of the 20th century.498 Among those are: Gabrijel Jurkić, Petar Šain, Roman Petrović and Lazar Drljača.499 After World War II, artists like Mersad Berber and Safet Zec rose in popularity.500 In 2007, Ars Aevi, a museum of contemporary art that includes works by renowned world artists, was founded in Sarajevo.501

Music

Main article: Music of Bosnia and Herzegovina

See also: List of Bosnia and Herzegovina patriotic songs, Bosnian root music

Typical Bosnian songs are ganga, rera, and the traditional Slavic music for the folk dances such as kolo, while from the Ottoman era the most popular is Sevdalinka.502 Pop and Rock music has a tradition here as well, with the more famous musicians including Dino Zonić, Goran Bregović, Davorin Popović, Kemal Monteno, Zdravko Čolić, Elvir Laković Laka, Edo Maajka, Hari Varešanović, Dino Merlin, Mladen Vojičić Tifa, Željko Bebek, etc. Other composers such as Đorđe Novković, Al' Dino, Haris Džinović, Kornelije Kovač, and many rock and pop bands, for example, Bijelo Dugme, Crvena jabuka, Divlje jagode, Indexi, Plavi orkestar, Zabranjeno Pušenje, Ambasadori, Dubioza kolektiv, who were among the leading ones in the former Yugoslavia.503 Bosnia is home to the composer Dušan Šestić, the creator of the National Anthem of Bosnia and Herzegovina and father of singer Marija Šestić, to the jazz musician, educator and Bosnian jazz ambassador Sinan Alimanović, composer Saša Lošić and pianist Saša Toperić.504 In the villages, especially in Herzegovina, Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats play the ancient gusle.505 The gusle is used mainly to recite epic poems in a usually dramatic tone.506