Bosnia and Herzegovina Information

Southeastern Europe.

GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).

51,129 sq km (19,741 sq miles).

4.6 million (2008).

76 per sq km.

Sarajevo. Population: 420,000 (2007).

Roughly triangular in shape, and the geopolitical centre of the former Yugoslav Federation, Bosnia and Herzegovina shares borders with Serbia in the east, Montenegro in the southeast, and Croatia to the north and west, with a short Adriatic coastline of 20km (12 miles) in the south, but no ports.

Parliamentary democracy.

The presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina consists of two members and one chairperson: one Bosniak, one Serb and one Croat. Current members and chairman are: Haris Silajdzic, Nebojsa Radmanovic and Zeljko Komsic, all since 2006. The chair rotates every eight months.

Prime Minister Nikola Spiric since 2007.

Post-war elections under the terms of the Dayton Accord took place in October 1996. Although this and subsequent polls were supervised by the international community, the most recent administration, led by Prime MInister Spiric, is the first to run Bosnia without international supervision since the end of the 1992-95 war.

The official languages are Bosnian, Serbian and Croatian. The Croats and Bosniaks use the Latin alphabet, whereas the Serbs use the Cyrillic.

45% Muslim, 36% Orthodox, 15% Roman Catholic, 4% Protestant, Jews and other denominations.

220 volts AC, 50Hz. Two-pin plugs are in use.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is characterised by its ethnic and religious diversity and visitors should respect the customs and traditions of the various ethnic and religious groups. The main ethnic groups are the Bosniaks (48%, also sometimes referred to as Bosnian Muslims), the Serbs (37.1%) and the Croats (14.3%). Visitors should be aware that drinking alcohol in public may be considered offensive by more orthodox Muslims. Visitors should avoid expressing opinions about the war or other sensitive issues.