1.Two autonomous federations
Administratively, the state is divided into 2 autonomous regions – Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the Republika Srpska. Both parts are subject to a single constitution, but markedly endowed with autonomy. Each of the regions has its own official capital and government, which has the power to veto a common decision for the country. These areas were formed in 1995 year after the end of the Balkan War, to somehow settle the warring parties. Serbs are now predominantly in the Republic of Srpska – Orthodox Christians, while in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina – Bosniaks – Muslims and Croats – Catholics. Islam penetrated the territory of the Balkans during the reign of the Ottoman Empire, and in Bosnia and Herzegovina this religion is so strongly entrenched. The resonance of religions caused incredible controversy in the country and took thousands of innocent lives during the war after the collapse of Yugoslavia.
Administrative divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Neum – this is Croatia?
City beach in Neum
Neum – this is a separate topic altogether! This city was not our way, but we decided to come here just to see, what the ONLY resort in Bosnia and Herzegovina looks like. And it was really amazing!
If you do not have a biometric passport yet, and to visit Croatia you need a visa, to Neum – it's the same Croatia ... but much cheaper! Of course, there is no such beautiful Old Town, like in Dubrovnik or Kotor, but the sea – clean and cafes – definitely enough!
In general, it is not surprising, that everything in Neum resembles Croatia. To the nearest town in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Chaplin – need to go 50 km over the mountains. Before that, only villages and scorched territory – eerie terrain, where there are almost no shops. And before Croatia – Total 9 km – at hand! Подробнее путь из Требинье в Неум я описала в отчете о велопоходе.
Flag of Neum and flag of Croatia
Why won't Croatia reclaim this 25-kilometer piece of Bosnia and Herzegovina, surrounded on both sides by Croatia, and on the third – mountains? Yes, also the entire population of Neum is clearly – on the side of Croatia!We don't know the answer, but suggested, that it is beneficial for Croats to travel to Neum for shopping, where are the prices – much cheaper. Croatian police pushed us to this conclusion, which were specifically packed in the Neum supermarket. And the sea in Croatia is enough!
Bank accounts in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Population share, holding accounts with a financial institution
52,69 % population over the age 15 years(2014)
(descending):
76 place in the world from 154 (51,30%);
37 place in Europe from 40 (10%) 8,92 % (1,78 % annual) min: 52,69; max: 56,21; max-min: 3,53 (6,27%); mid: 54,45; -1,76 (-3,35%)
Population share, holding accounts with a financial institution, women
47,06 % population over the age 15 years(2014)
(descending):
75 place in the world from 153 (51,63%);
35 place in Europe from 38 (10,53%) 1,88 % (0,376 % annual) min: 47,06; max: 47,72; max-min: 0,664 (1,39%); mid: 47,39; -0,332 (-0,705%)
Population share among the poorest 40%, holding accounts with a financial institution
42,31 % population over the age 15 years(2014)
(descending):
75 place in the world from 153 (51,63%);
38 place in Europe from 40 (7,50%) 11,40 % (2,28 % annual) min: 42,31; max: 45,92; max-min: 3,62 (7,87%); mid: 44,11; -1,81 (-4,27%)
Share of the population among the first 60% by standard of living, holding accounts with a financial institution
59,62 % population over the age 15 years(2014)
(descending):
74 place in the world from 150 (51,33%);
34 place in Europe from 37 (10,81%) 7,88 % (1,58 % annual) min: 59,62; max: 63,15; max-min: 3,52 (5,58%); mid: 61,38; -1,76 (-2,95%)
Population share, holding accounts with a financial institution, men
58,82 % population over the age 15 years(2014)
(descending):
74 place in the world from 151 (51,66%);
37 place in Europe from 39 (7,69%) 19,05 % (3,81 % annual) min: 58,82; max: 67,23; max-min: 8,40 (12,50%); mid: 63,02; -4,20 (-7,14%)
Austro-hungary
The most striking example of the heritage of the era, held under the control of Austria-Hungary, is the Academy of Arts. Building, which vaguely resembles other famous monuments of the former empire, was originally built as an evangelical church. After World War I, all evangelists disappeared from the city, and the church became an Academy of Arts.
The National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina is another typical example of Austro-Hungarian architecture in Sarajevo. The library was dilapidated during the war, and unique manuscripts and other historical relics were burned. It was reconstructed several years ago.
The rest of the buildings from this period were influenced by Austrian architecture and Moorish style.. At the same time, due to a change in the religious composition of the population, the main Catholic and Orthodox churches appeared..
Central areas of Sarajevo are in the lowlands, surrounded by mountains. The hills around the city occupy areas with mostly private houses and small streets.
Dayton Agreement
At the same time Russia, being one of the guarantors of the Dayton Peace Agreement in Bosnia and Herzegovina, advocates strict observance of its fundamental constitutional principles and calls on all partners in BiH and abroad to do so. “We hear speculation about, what, say, Dayton was not conceived as such a long-term project and it needs to be changed, adapt for some schemes and so on. Usually, it is initiated from abroad. Obviously, that established in the peace agreement 1995 the rules do not meet anyone's interests, interfere with the implementation of externally imposed installations. We do not consider this to be any sufficient reason to talk about the revision of Dayton, which has been successfully providing peace for a quarter of a century, security and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region as a whole”, – pointed out Lavrov.
The head of the Russian foreign policy department emphasized, that to encroach on the fundamental principles laid down in the Dayton Agreement means undermining the foundations of the statehood of Bosnia and Herzegovina. “Any changes can take place exclusively as a result of an equal agreement of the three state-forming peoples in accordance with the prescribed procedure”, – Lavrov summed up.
The rules established by the Dayton Agreements demonstrate their functionality in the development of relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina with Russia, they must be observed, rather than trying to break, Lavrov stressed.
“There is a deep mutual interest in building up all-round cooperation, – he noted, commenting on the state of relations between Russia and BiH. – I guess, that the key factor for success remains the full compliance of the structure and content of our ties with the Dayton characteristics of Bosnia and Herzegovina. I would say, this is a confirmation of the operability and functionality of the administrative system of BiH provided for by the peace agreement. You must follow the established rules, without trying to bypass or hack them”.
As noted by the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry, a friendly partnership has been established between the Russian Federation and BiH. “In a relatively short period of time, joint efforts have indeed managed to build a stable system of ties based on pragmatism, mutual respect, mutual understanding on a wide range of issues, – he continued. – We have no unsolved problems”.
The Minister recalled, that there is an advanced political dialogue between the two countries, mutual support is provided on multilateral platforms. Russia and BiH adhere to coinciding or very similar positions on key international issues, including on the inadmissibility of revising the generally recognized results of the Second World War. Russia supplies gas to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and its largest economic operators – AO “Zarubezhneft”, FELL DOWN “Gazprom”, FELL DOWN “Sberbank” – provide in BiH not only hundreds of jobs, but also multimillion-dollar budget and tax deductions.
General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, better known as Dayton Accords, signed 14 December 1995 of the year, put an end to the conflict between Muslim, Croatian and Serb communities. State structure of BiH – one of the most difficult in the world. Three main peoples are proportionally represented in the management system: Bosniaks (Slavs, converted to Islam), Serbs (Orthodox) and Croats (Catholics).
Currency – everyone has their own heroes!
Although the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina – convertible mark – one for the state, in two federations, banknotes are printed with their heroes. Fortunately, accept banknotes in both federations.
Convertible maraki
By the way, convenient for tourists, what is the convertible mark rate – pegged to the euro. 2 stamps – about 1 euros.
Abbreviated name of the convertible mark – "KM". Therefore, we have filled in the slogan of one taxi company: “1 km = 1 KM” – why not use a pun for advertising purposes!
Bosnia and Herzegovina made a double impression. One side – very beautiful nature, and we definitely recommend this country to visit on a bike trip. On the other hand, history has not yet gone far into the past. Therefore, it is difficult to imagine the future of this state.. One can only hope, that Bosnia and Herzegovina will remain attractive to tourists thanks to past military events, not future.
Read about our acquaintance with Bosnia and Herzegovina on a bike trip in the Balkans by following the links:
Also read about the weirdness of Vietnam:
Latin or Cyrillic?
In fact, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Croatia speak the same language, which is distinguished by the smallest nuances. Only writing differs: in Serbia, primarily, use cyrillic, in Croatia – Latin only, while in Bosnia and Herzegovina – both scripts in the case.
Road sign in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Naturally, that the activists of both republics do not want to use the writing of the “hostile” side. Therefore, more than once in Trebinje district we have seen more than once, that the inscriptions of cities on road signs in Latin letters were crossed out with a spray can. The same situation, but exactly the opposite was observed in the area of Neum. Since there are no borders between the autonomous regions, then we understood about their intersection in the south of the country precisely because of the road signs.
Ottoman Empire
Throughout the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it was inhabited by different nationalities.. During the reign of the Ottoman Empire, the majority professed Islam, in the Middle Ages, the city was inhabited by representatives of different religions: muslims, Catholics, Orthodox and Jews. In later years, population growth was mainly due to Christians from other regions. The growth of Christians was also facilitated by the conquest of the country by Austria-Hungary in the 19th century.. By the beginning of the 20th century, there was no predominant nationality and religion in the city..
Each of the historical eras has left its mark on the appearance of the city. For over four centuries Sarajevo was ruled by the Ottoman Empire, and it was often called "New Damascus" and "Balkan Jerusalem". Central areas, built up at the time, more like Istanbul, rather than the European capital. In the area of the Sebil fountain - one of the symbols of Sarajevo - there are many shops with coffee Turks, decorations and souvenirs, as well as cafes and hookahs. There are also the main mosques - Gazi Khusrev-bega and Tsarev.
Bosnian war
Residential buildings with traces of shelling and bombing remained near the new buildings. Bosnia declared its independence during the collapse of Yugoslavia. Bosnian Serbs did not agree with this, since the decision was taken by the Bosnian Muslims without discussion. The country is divided, and neither side was willing to compromise. The conflict was for the most part interethnic and interreligious, as the escalation of tension between the Bosnian, Croatian and Serb populations began long before the direct separation of Bosnia from Yugoslavia. Ethnic cleansing became the main features of this war., heavy civilian casualties and war crimes.
Clashes began near the border with Serbia, but quickly spread throughout the country. At the beginning of the conflict, the forces of the Serbian army were superior to the Bosnian, which, moreover, was mainly concentrated in the city center, therefore Sarajevo was besieged.
Sniper alley
The city was subjected to both aerial bombardment, and local military clashes. Snipers posed a great danger during the siege.. Sarajevo's main street, Gradaščevića Street, was called the Alley of Snipers or the Alley of Death. She runs through the whole city, and the hills around it created favorable conditions for sniper fire. Most of the shelling deaths on this street were civilians..
Sarajevo roses
On some streets, there are so-called Sarajevo roses - traces of shell fragments. They were painted red, which symbolizes that, that at this place a person died from a shell. Now roses can also be found on the main street.
Territories began at the airport, controlled by UN peacekeepers and the Bosnian army. The siege led to food shortages, water and medicine. Therefore, it was decided to create a tunnel, which would connect the occupied territory with the outside world. In the shortest possible time, a tunnel about 800 meters. The necessary products were transported through it., ammunition, and also with his help people fled from the besieged city. Now the first 200 meters open to the public.
Damaged and dilapidated buildings still remain in the airport area.
Abandoned Olympic Games
Although during Yugoslavia the Bosnian region was poorer than others, he was actively developing, and in 1984 the Winter Olympic Games were held here. Unfortunately, almost all Olympic facilities were destroyed during the war. Kosevo sports stadium partially turned into a cemetery, and the newly built bobsleigh track at Mount Trebevic became a military base and is now abandoned.
Photos from external sources.
Much is still unknown about this war.. Many facts were hidden and changed during the propaganda. Known, that war crimes and ethnic cleansing were carried out by each side, however, for the most part, only the Serbian military was convicted. Even the actions of UN peacekeepers during the war were in many ways ambiguous, but most of the crimes of those times were never impartially investigated.
Second photo of Mark H. Milstein/ Northfoto
Yellow bastion
At the Yellow Bastion (part of an 18th century fortress) there is a memorial cemetery, where are Muslims buried, those killed during the Bosnian War. Almost every gravestone, on which the eye falls, it is seen, that the deceased was no more 25 years. Opposite the cemetery there is a memorial wall with the names of those killed.
Siege, started in 1992 year, lasted four years and ended in 1995 year after the NATO bombing of Serbia. Many conflicts arose during the collapse of Yugoslavia, however, the Bosnian War and the siege of Sarajevo were the most violent of them. There is no more city in Europe, which would have suffered such destruction after World War II.
