Iozoo Web Directory

Iozoo Web Directory Bosnia and Herzegovina

BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA

Although Bosnia and Herzegovina is officially maintained and unified as one region, there are two distinct governing entities: the Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. A third entity, District Brcko, acts as a de facto governing body.

Bosnia and Herzegovina were once a part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. During the Yugoslav wars, which occurred during the 1990's, Bosnia and Herzegovina fought for the right to independence. Today, the country is a federal democratic republic, whose economy is evolving into a modern, market-oriented system. It anticipates acceptance into NATO and the European Union.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is the home of three separate ethnic groups, or "constituent peoples". These groups include the Croats, the Serbs, and the Bosniaks. In other countries, citizen of the region is commonly referred to as a Bosnian, regardless of their ethnic origins. Within the country, the distinction between Herzegovinian and Bosnian individuals is determined by region rather than by ethnicity.