Bosnia i Herzegovina (federation)
Bosnia i Herzegovina (federation) | Area: | 51.129 km2 |
| Population: | 3.7 millionen; 51% Muslim-Croatic Federation,
49% Serbian Autonom Republic. 43.7% Bosniac Muslims, 31.4% Serbs, 17.3% Croatians and 5.8% others 1.5 million refugees. |
| Capital: | Sarajevo with about 400.000 inhabitants. Other important cities are Banja Luka with 200.000 inhabitants, Mostar with 100.000 inhabitants and Zenica with 80.000 inhabitants. |
The name Sarajevo became world-famous because of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which triggered off World War I. June 28, 1914, marked the Orthodox Saint-Vidovan-day, a reminder of the battle on Amselfeld (Kosovo), which decided the destiny of the people on the Balkans for centuries.
From 1435 till 1878 the city was under Turkish rule, still evidenced today by the 80 mosques, the bazaar, and old streets. From 1878 until the end of World War I Bosnia was under Austrian rule which gave the city a modern foundation. Following World War II, under the rule of Tito, the city grew larger and became the cultural, economical, and political center of Bosnia. One third of the population was Moslemic, one third Greek-Orthodox and on third Catholic.
Today, after the recent Balkan war, Bosnia-Herzegovina is an independent state, struggling with many difficulties, and held together by the UN. The city of Sarajevo has become predominantly Moslemic.