TOEFL Test Centers in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina Overview

Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country in south-eastern Europe, which is divided into the northern part of Bosnia (capital: Sarajevo) and the southern part of Herzegovina (main town: Mostar). About 50% of the population are Muslim Bosniaks, 31% Orthodox Serbs, and 15% Catholic Croats. Agriculture and the extraction of natural resources are important.

History: Bosnia and Herzegovina, part of the state since 1918 Yugoslavia  1), declared its independence after a referendum in early March 1992. The conflicts between the various population groups then led to a bloody civil war, which was ended at the end of 1995 by the Dayton Peace Treaty. With the formal preservation of its state unity, the country was in fact divided into two relatively independent territorial units, the Bosniak-Croatian Federation and the Serbian Republic. To secure the peace process, an international peacekeeping force led by NATO was sent to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The formation of a new state government did not succeed until 2012. In the same year, the strength of the peace group was significantly reduced. In February 2016, Bosnia and Herzegovina applied to join the European Union.

• COUNTRYAAH: National flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Includes the year when the flag was designed and formally used. Also covers its meaning and downloadable high definition image.

Country facts

• Official name: Bosnia and Herzegovina
• License plate: BIH
• ISO-3166: BA, BIH (70)
• Internet domain:.ba
• Currency: 1 convertible mark (KM) = 100 Feninga
• Area: 51 210 km²
• Population (2018): 3.3 million
• Capital: Sarajevo
• Official language (s): Bosnian, Serbian, Croatian
• Form of government: Parliamentary democracy
• Administrative division: 2 republics (entities) and the Brčko district with special status
• Head of State: State Presidium with rotating chairmanship (Šefik Džaferović, Željko Komšić and Milorad Dodik)
• Head of Government: Zoran Tegeltija
• Religion (s) (2013): 51% Muslims (Sunnis), Christians (31% Orthodox, 15% Catholics), 3% non-denominational or other religious communities
• Time zone: Central European Time
• National holiday: March 1st

Location and infrastructure

• Location (geographical): Southeast Europe
• Position (coordinates): between 42 ° 34 ‘and 45 ° 16’ north latitude and 15 ° 45 ‘and 19 ° 37’ east longitude
• Climate: temperate continental climate, in the south Mediterranean climate
• Highest mountain: Maglić (2,386 m)
• Road network (2010): 19 426 km (paved), 3 500 km (unpaved)
• Railway network (2014): 965 km

Population

• Annual population growth (2020): -0.2%
• Birth rate (2020): 8.6 per 1000 residents.
• Death rate (2020): 10.2 per 1000 residents.
• Average age (2020): 43.3 years
• Average life expectancy (2020): 77.5 years (men 74.5; women 80.7)
• Age structure (2020): 13.2% younger than 15 years, 16.2% older than 65 years
• Literacy rate (15-year-olds and older) (2015): 98.5%
• Mobile phone contracts (pre-paid and post-paid) (2017): 98 per 100 residents
• Internet users (2017): 69 per 100 residents

Economy

• GDP per capita (2018): US $ 5,674
• Total GDP (2018): US $ 20 billion
• GNI per capita (2018): US $ 5,740
• Education expenditure: n / a
• Military expenditure (2018): 1.1% of GDP
• Unemployment rate (15 years and older) (2017): 25.6%

Energy industry

The rich brown coal and lignite deposits are used to operate the thermal power plants Tuzla-Lukavac (installed capacity 780 MW), Kakanj and Gacko (each around 300 MW). Fossil fuels account for 30% of electricity generation. There are also hydropower plants on Neretva-Rama, Vrbas and Trebišnjica with capacities around 150 MW (hydropower share: 68%).

Industry

On the basis of extensive natural resources (mineral resources, wood and water power), an industrialization process began after 1945, whereby the development of heavy industry was given priority. It was only later that diversification through manufacturing industries took place. The most important industrial region is the central Bosnian basin with the centers Zenica and Sarajevo. The iron metallurgy of Zenica is based on the important iron ore deposits of Ljubija and Vareš. Before the industrial collapse during the war, the iron metallurgy of Zenica was associated with several metalworking companies, especially the armaments industry, which for strategic reasons were located in the inaccessible mountainous region. The metropolitan region of Sarajevo was the center of a diverse capital and consumer goods industry. Outside the central Bosnian area there were some industrial cores such as Banja Luka, Prijedor, Tuzla and Mostar. Mining, the iron and steel industry based on it, the food and beverage industry as well as paper and wood processing are among the pillars of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian industry even after the war and during the subsequent economic revival. After the turn of the millennium, some significant industrial investments were made again, including in mechanical engineering, in the aluminum, steel, electrotechnical (cable works), petrochemical (refinery in Brod) and automotive supplier industries. Mining, construction and manufacturing industries generate (2014) 26.8% of GDP.