102-735: The High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina , together with the Office of the High Representative (OHR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina , were created in 1995 immediately after the signing of the Dayton Agreement which ended the 1992–1995 Bosnian War . The purpose of the High Representative and the OHR is to oversee the civilian implementation of the Dayton agreement. They are appointed by, and serve to represent
204-546: A bicameral legislature and a three-member presidency made up of one member from each of the three major ethnic groups. However, the central government's power is highly limited, as the country is largely decentralized. It comprises two autonomous entities—the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska —and a third unit, the Brčko District , which is governed by its own local government. Bosnia and Herzegovina
306-658: A viceroy . The Chair of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina rotates amongst three members (a Bosniak , a Serb , and a Croat ) every 8 months within their 4-year term. The three members of the Presidency are elected directly by the people, with Federation voters electing both the Bosniak and the Croat member, and Republika Srpska voters electing the Serb member. The Presidency serves as
408-601: A collective head of state . The Presidency is mainly responsible for the foreign policy and proposing the budget . The Prime Minister, formally titled Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina , is nominated by the Presidency and approved by the House of Representatives . They appoint the Minister of Foreign Affairs , the Minister of Foreign Trade and other ministers as may be appropriate (no more than two thirds of
510-524: A complex system of social differentiation by class and religious affiliation. Following Ottoman occupation, there was a steady flow of people out of Bosnia and a large number of abandoned villages in Bosnia are mentioned in the Ottoman registers, while those who stayed eventually became Muslims . Many Catholics in Bosnia fled to neighboring Catholic lands in the early Ottoman occupation. The evidence indicates that
612-510: A distinct culture and art form, started to organize itself in today's Slovenia , Croatia , Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia , Kosovo , Montenegro and Albania . From the 8th century BCE, Illyrian tribes evolved into kingdoms. The earliest recorded kingdom in Illyria was the Enchele in the 8th century BCE. The Autariatae under Pleurias (337 BCE) were considered to have been a kingdom. The Kingdom of
714-435: A fair hearing or a right to appeal." In June 2004, for example, Paddy Ashdown dismissed 58 public officials in a single day. Politicians and judges have been subject to potential removal. Some of those dismissed were allegedly banned for life from holding public office and their bank accounts been frozen as well. Doubts about the legality of both the OHR's interpretation of its mandate and particular actions have been expressed by
816-480: A guaranteed share of power. Bosnia and Herzegovina is divided into two Entities – the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska , which are politically autonomous to an extent, as well as the Brčko District , which is jointly administered by both. The Entities have their own constitutions. The Economist Intelligence Unit rated Bosnia and Herzegovina a " hybrid regime " in 2022. Due to
918-517: A large component of the Ottoman ranks in the battles of Mohács and Krbava field , while numerous other Bosnians rose through the ranks of the Ottoman military to occupy the highest positions of power in the Empire, including admirals such as Matrakçı Nasuh ; generals such as Isa-Beg Ishaković , Gazi Husrev-beg , Telli Hasan Pasha and Sarı Süleyman Pasha ; administrators such as Ferhad Pasha Sokolović and Osman Gradaščević ; and Grand Viziers such as
1020-455: A number of death camps . The regime systematically and brutally massacred Serbs in villages in the countryside, using a variety of tools. The scale of the violence meant that approximately every sixth Serb living in Bosnia and Herzegovina was the victim of a massacre and virtually every Serb had a family member that was killed in the war, mostly by the Ustaše. The experience had a profound impact in
1122-459: A permanent election law until 2001, during which time a draft law specified four-year terms for the state and first-order administrative division entity legislatures. The final election law was passed and publicized on 9 September 2001. The House of Peoples includes 15 delegates who serve two-year terms. Two-thirds of delegates come from the Federation (5 Croats and 5 Bosniaks) and one-third from
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#17328727094011224-673: A revolt spanned for four years (6–9 AD), after which they were subdued. In the Roman period, Latin-speaking settlers from the entire Roman Empire settled among the Illyrians, and Roman soldiers were encouraged to retire in the region. Following the split of the Empire between 337 and 395 AD, Dalmatia and Pannonia became parts of the Western Roman Empire . The region was conquered by the Ostrogoths in 455 AD. It subsequently changed hands between
1326-690: A state of relative stability was reached soon enough and Austro-Hungarian authorities were able to embark on a number of social and administrative reforms they intended would make Bosnia and Herzegovina into a "model" colony. Habsburg rule had several key concerns in Bosnia. It tried to dissipate the South Slav nationalism by disputing the earlier Serb and Croat claims to Bosnia and encouraging identification of Bosnian or Bosniak identity. Habsburg rule also tried to provide for modernisation by codifying laws, introducing new political institutions, establishing and expanding industries. Austria–Hungary began to plan
1428-645: Is a developing country and ranks 74th in the Human Development Index . Its economy is dominated by industry and agriculture, followed by tourism and the service sector. Tourism has increased significantly in recent years. The country has a social-security and universal-healthcare system, and primary and secondary level education is free. It is a member of the UN , the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe ,
1530-574: Is also believed to be first mentioned as a land (horion Bosona) in Byzantine Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus' De Administrando Imperio in the mid 10th century, at the end of a chapter entitled Of the Serbs and the country in which they now dwell . This has been scholarly interpreted in several ways and used especially by the Serb national ideologists to prove Bosnia as originally a "Serb" land. Other scholars have asserted
1632-499: Is devoted to the Serbian prince 's lands, and Bosnia is treated as a separate territory, though one that is particularly dependent on Serbs. The name of the land is believed to derive from the name of the river Bosna that courses through the Bosnian heartland. According to philologist Anton Mayer, the name Bosna could derive from Illyrian *"Bass-an-as", which in turn could derive from
1734-616: Is in De Administrando Imperio , a politico-geographical handbook written by the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII in the mid-10th century (between 948 and 952) describing the "small land" ( χωρίον in Greek ) of "Bosona" ( Βοσώνα ), where the Serbs dwell. Bosnia was also mentioned in the DAI (χωριον βοσονα, small land of Bosnia), as a region of Baptized Serbia. The section of the handbook
1836-738: Is scarce, but overall it appears the region was populated by a number of different peoples speaking distinct languages. In the Neretva Delta in the south, there were important Hellenistic influences of the Illyrian Daors tribe. Their capital was Daorson in Ošanići near Stolac . Daorson, in the 4th century BCE, was surrounded by megalithic , 5 m high stonewalls (as large as those of Mycenae in Greece), composed of large trapezoid stone blocks. Daors made unique bronze coins and sculptures. Conflict between
1938-532: Is subject to scholarly debate, came to predominate over the Slavs in the neighbouring regions. Croats "settled in area roughly corresponding to modern Croatia, and probably also including most of Bosnia proper, apart from the eastern strip of the Drina valley" while Serbs "corresponding to modern south-western Serbia (later known as Raška ), and gradually extended their rule into the territories of Duklja and Hum ". Bosnia
2040-724: The Alans and the Huns . By the 6th century, Emperor Justinian I had reconquered the area for the Byzantine Empire . Slavs overwhelmed the Balkans in the 6th and 7th centuries. Illyrian cultural traits were adopted by the South Slavs, as evidenced in certain customs and traditions, placenames, etc. The Early Slavs raided the Western Balkans, including Bosnia, in the 6th and early 7th century (amid
2142-709: The Ardiaei (originally a tribe from the Neretva valley region) began at 230 BCE and ended at 167 BCE. The most notable Illyrian kingdoms and dynasties were those of Bardylis of the Dardani and of Agron of the Ardiaei who created the last and best-known Illyrian kingdom. Agron ruled over the Ardiaei and had extended his rule to other tribes as well. From the 7th century BCE, bronze was replaced by iron, after which only jewelry and art objects were still made out of bronze. Illyrian tribes, under
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#17328727094012244-535: The Bosnia Eyalet until the formation of the short-lived Herzegovina Eyalet in the 1830s, which reemerged in the 1850s, after which the administrative region became commonly known as Bosnia and Herzegovina . On initial proclamation of independence in 1992 , the country's official name was the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina , but following the 1995 Dayton Agreement and the new constitution that accompanied it,
2346-629: The Bosnian parliament and growth of new political life. On 28 June 1914, Gavrilo Princip , a Bosnian Serb member of the revolutionary movement Young Bosnia , assassinated the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand , in Sarajevo—an event that was the spark that set off World War I . At the end of the war, the Bosniaks had lost more men per capita than any other ethnic group in
2448-581: The Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina , named by the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina , is the head of government . Executive power is exercised by the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Legislative power is vested in both the Council of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina . Members of
2550-684: The Council of Europe , the Partnership for Peace , and the Central European Free Trade Agreement ; it is also a founding member of the Union for the Mediterranean , established in July 2008. Bosnia and Herzegovina is an EU candidate country and has also been a candidate for NATO membership since April 2010. The first preserved widely acknowledged mention of a form of the name " Bosnia "
2652-698: The Dayton Agreement , signed on 14 December 1995, Bosnia and Herzegovina forms an undeclared protectorate , where highest power is given to the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina , named by the Peace Implementation Council . The intention of the Agreement was to retain Bosnia's exterior border, while creating a joint multi-ethnic and democratic government based on proportional representation, and charged with conducting foreign, economic, and fiscal policy. The Dayton Agreement established
2754-515: The European Commission , and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation . The Peace Implementation Council has established several criteria for the OHR to be closed, two of which have been completed but must be sustained until all five are completed. Due to the vast powers of the High Representative over Bosnian politics and essential veto powers, the position has also been compared to that of
2856-518: The Istanbul government might seek the outright return of Bosnia and Herzegovina. These factors caused the Austro-Hungarian government to seek a permanent resolution of the Bosnian question sooner, rather than later. Taking advantage of turmoil in the Ottoman Empire, Austro-Hungarian diplomacy tried to obtain provisional Russian approval for changes over the status of Bosnia and Herzegovina and published
2958-742: The Migration Period ), and were composed of small tribal units drawn from a single Slavic confederation known to the Byzantines as the Sclaveni (whilst the related Antes , roughly speaking, colonized the eastern portions of the Balkans). Tribes recorded by the ethnonyms of "Serb" and "Croat" are described as a second, latter, migration of different people during the second quarter of the 7th century who could or could not have been particularly numerous; these early "Serb" and "Croat" tribes, whose exact identity
3060-623: The Ottoman Empire , under whose rule it remained until the late 19th century; the Ottomans brought Islam to the region. From the late 19th century until World War I , the country was annexed into the Austro-Hungarian monarchy . In the interwar period , Bosnia and Herzegovina was part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia . After World War II , it was granted full republic status in the newly formed Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia . In 1992, following
3162-502: The breakup of Yugoslavia , the republic proclaimed independence . This was followed by the Bosnian War , which lasted until late 1995 and ended with the signing of the Dayton Agreement . The country is home to three main ethnic groups : Bosniaks are the largest group, Serbs the second-largest, and Croats the third-largest. Minorities include Jews , Roma , Albanians, Montenegrins, Ukrainians and Turks . Bosnia and Herzegovina has
High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina - Misplaced Pages Continue
3264-420: The politics of Bosnia and Herzegovina has been considered by some as a potential cause of the allegedly low commitment of citizens towards the state, as perceived by the low voter turnout, and of the purported low accountability of politicians, whose actions may be subject to the OHR's review. Former HR Paddy Ashdown noted the High Representative has "powers that ought to make any liberal blush." Criticisms of
3366-636: The "assessment by the PIC Steering Board" final condition, was adopted later by the US and some EU countries : The closure of the OHR is considered by the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council to be a pre-condition for EU membership . In the many years attempting to facilitate the integration of a stable federal Bosnian state, it has been argued that the OHR posed challenges in accomplishing its principal task. The OHR's prolonged intervention in
3468-618: The 11th century, although it retained its own nobility and institutions. In the High Middle Ages , political circumstance led to the area being contested between the Kingdom of Hungary and the Byzantine Empire. Following another shift of power between the two in the early 12th century, Bosnia found itself outside the control of both and emerged as the Banate of Bosnia (under the rule of local bans ). The first Bosnian ban known by name
3570-458: The 28-member Republika Srpska Council of Peoples, which was established in the National Assembly of Republika Srpska ; each constituent people has eight delegates, while four delegates are representatives of "others". The House of Representatives comprises 42 members elected under a system of proportional representation (PR) for a four-year term. Two thirds of the members are elected from
3672-437: The 4th century BCE, the first invasion of Celts is recorded. They brought the technique of the pottery wheel , new types of fibulas and different bronze and iron belts. They only passed on their way to Greece, so their influence in Bosnia and Herzegovina is negligible. Celtic migrations displaced many Illyrian tribes from their former lands, but some Celtic and Illyrian tribes mixed. Concrete historical evidence for this period
3774-511: The Bosnian heartland. Following his death in 1391, however, Bosnia fell into a long period of decline. The Ottoman Empire had started its conquest of Europe and posed a major threat to the Balkans throughout the first half of the 15th century. Finally, after decades of political and social instability, the Kingdom of Bosnia ceased to exist in 1463 after its conquest by the Ottoman Empire. There
3876-569: The Bosnian population, NGOs, and politicians. However, since the PIC February 2008 review, it was decided to extend that mandate indefinitely until a set of positive benchmarks have been fulfilled. The "double hatting" between EUSR and OHR was discontinued in 2011, when the EU representative post was fused between the EUSR and the head of the EU delegation. In February 2008, the Peace Implementation Council set
3978-727: The Catholic population as a whole) were protected by official imperial decrees and in accordance and the full extent of Ottoman laws; however, in effect, these often merely affected arbitrary rule and behavior of powerful local elite. As the Ottoman Empire continued its rule in the Balkans ( Rumelia ), Bosnia was somewhat relieved of the pressures of being a frontier province and experienced a period of general welfare. A number of cities, such as Sarajevo and Mostar , were established and grew into regional centers of trade and urban culture and were then visited by Ottoman traveler Evliya Çelebi in 1648. Within these cities, various Ottoman Sultans financed
4080-476: The Council of Europe and others. In 2004, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe , which Bosnia and Herzegovina had joined in 2002, voiced complaints against OHR's actions, and expressed the need "to define a clear strategy for transferring responsibilities from the High Representative to domestic authorities." Russia and China have rejected the continuation of the office and have tried at
4182-428: The Empire's westernmost province. The 18th century was marked by further military failures, numerous revolts within Bosnia, and several outbreaks of plague. The Porte's efforts at modernizing the Ottoman state were met with distrust growing to hostility in Bosnia, where local aristocrats stood to lose much through the proposed Tanzimat reforms. This, combined with frustrations over territorial, political concessions in
High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina - Misplaced Pages Continue
4284-416: The Federation (14 Croats; 14 Bosniaks) and one third from the Republika Srpska (14 Serbs). For the 2010 general election , voters in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina elected twenty-one members in five multi-member constituencies by PR, while the remaining seven seats were allocated by compensatory PR. Voters in the Republika Srpska elected nine members in three multi-member constituencies by PR, while
4386-421: The Federation , two by the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, and three are foreign citizens appointed by the President of the European Court of Human Rights after courtesy-consultation with the Presidency. The initial term of appointee is 5 years, unless they resign or are removed by consensus of other judges. Appointed judges are not eligible for reappointment. Judges subsequently appointed will serve until
4488-437: The Habsburg Empire whilst serving in the Bosnian-Herzegovinian Infantry (known as Bosniaken ) of the Austro-Hungarian Army . Nonetheless, Bosnia and Herzegovina as a whole managed to escape the conflict relatively unscathed. The Austro-Hungarian authorities established an auxiliary militia known as the Schutzkorps with a moot role in the empire's policy of anti-Serb repression. Schutzkorps, predominantly recruited among
4590-464: The Illyrians and Romans started in 229 BCE, but Rome did not complete its annexation of the region until AD 9. It was precisely in modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina that Rome fought one of the most difficult battles in its history since the Punic Wars , as described by the Roman historian Suetonius . This was the Roman campaign against Illyricum , known as Bellum Batonianum . The conflict arose after an attempt to recruit Illyrians, and
4692-701: The Muslim (Bosniak) population, were tasked with hunting down rebel Serbs (the Chetniks and Komitadji ) and became known for their persecution of Serbs particularly in Serb populated areas of eastern Bosnia, where they partly retaliated against Serbian Chetniks who in fall 1914 had carried out attacks against the Muslim population in the area. The proceedings of the Austro-Hungarian authorities led to around 5,500 citizens of Serb ethnicity in Bosnia and Herzegovina being arrested, and between 700 and 2,200 died in prison while 460 were executed. Around 5,200 Serb families were forcibly expelled from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Following World War I, Bosnia and Herzegovina joined
4794-476: The OHR had dismissed a total of 139 officials, including judges, ministers, civil servants and members of parliaments, sometimes along with freezing their bank accounts. After the 2002 elections, the OHR scrutinised all political candidates for major ministerial positions at entity and state level. Between 2002 and 2011, the High Representative also served as the European Union Special Representative to Bosnia and Herzegovina . Under Christian Schwarz-Schilling ,
4896-399: The OHR seemed to soften its invasiveness, thanks to pressures from the Council of Europe and a growing EU involvement. The number of OHR legislative initiatives and of dismissed officials lowered. On 27 February 2008, the PIC decided to end the High Representative's mandate on 30 June 2008. The EU decision to shut down the OHR by June 2007 unexpectedly aroused disappointment and concern in
4998-449: The OHR, in order to avoid the implementation of the Dayton Agreement being delayed or obstructed by local nationalist politicians. The OHR was requested to: The Bonn powers were extensively used by the OHR in the following decade. Some examples include the adoption of the Defence reform in April 2003, with the suppression of the Supreme Defence Council of the Republika Srpska , and the amendment of Entity Constitutional Laws. Until 2004,
5100-552: The Office of the High Representative (OHR) to oversee the implementation of the civilian aspects of the agreement. About 250 international and 450 local staff members are employed by the OHR. The highest political authority in the country is the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina , the chief executive officer for the international civilian presence in the country. The High Representative has power to remove government officials, including court justices, local government members, members of parliament, etc. From its establishment,
5202-439: The Office of the High Representative carries the title of "Principal Deputy High Representative (PDHR)", who also serves as the International Supervisor for Brčko since 2007. For many years, the individual filling that role has been an official of the United States Government, in most cases a career Foreign Service Officer of the U.S. Department of State. Throughout much of OHR's earlier history, there were also individuals who held
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#17328727094015304-406: The Office of the High Representative has sacked 192 Bosnian officials. The mandate of the High Representatives derives from the Dayton Agreement, as confirmed by the Peace Implementation Council (PIC), a body with a Steering Board composed of representatives of Canada , France , Germany , Italy , Japan , Russia , the United Kingdom , the United States , the presidency of the European Union ,
5406-432: The Ottomans. Quite a few Vlachs also became Islamized in Bosnia, and some (mainly in Croatia) became Catholics. The four centuries of Ottoman rule also had a drastic impact on Bosnia's population make-up, which changed several times as a result of the empire's conquests, frequent wars with European powers, forced and economic migrations, and epidemics. A native Slavic-speaking Muslim community emerged and eventually became
5508-433: The Parliamentary Assembly are chosen according to a proportional representation system. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The system of government established by the Dayton Agreement that ended the Bosnian war in 1995 is an example of consociationalism , as representation is by elites who represent the country's three major ethnic groups termed constituent peoples , with each having
5610-399: The Proto-Indo-European root bʰegʷ- , meaning "the running water". According to the English medievalist William Miller , the Slavic settlers in Bosnia "adapted the Latin designation ... Basante, to their own idiom by calling the stream Bosna and themselves Bosniaks ". The name Herzegovina means "herzog's [land]", and "herzog" derives from the German word for "duke". It originates from
5712-430: The Republika Srpska (5 Serbs). Nine constitutes a quorum in the House of Peoples, provided that at least three delegates from each group are present. Federation representatives are selected by the House of Peoples of the Federation , which has 58 seats (17 Bosniaks, 17 Croats, 17 Serbs, 7 others), and whose members are delegated by cantonal assemblies to serve four-year terms. Republika Srpska representatives are selected by
5814-401: The South Slav Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (soon renamed Yugoslavia). Political life in Bosnia and Herzegovina at this time was marked by two major trends: social and economic unrest over property redistribution and the formation of several political parties that frequently changed coalitions and alliances with parties in other Yugoslav regions. The dominant ideological conflict of
5916-431: The UN to have it terminated. They argue that it violates BiH's sovereignty, and they claim that the West persists with the setup so it can remain the "guardian" of the country. Valentin Inzko , during his tenure as high representative, declared: "We have to wait for the moment that Bosnia–Herzegovina is irreversibly on its way to Euro-Atlantic integration, then we should shut down the Office." The second-ranking official at
6018-560: The Yugoslav state, between Croatian regionalism and Serbian centralization, was approached differently by Bosnia and Herzegovina's major ethnic groups and was dependent on the overall political atmosphere. The political reforms brought about in the newly established Yugoslavian kingdom saw few benefits for the Bosnian Muslims; according to the 1910 final census of land ownership and population according to religious affiliation conducted in Austria-Hungary, Muslims owned 91.1%, Orthodox Serbs owned 6.0%, Croat Catholics owned 2.6% and others, 0.3% of
6120-413: The action of the OHR through its Bonn powers include: In addition to the potential consideration of imposing legislation on contentious issues, the OHR "developed the practice of dismissing public officials from their offices and banning them from holding any public employment again ... often without even admitting the dismissed persons to confront the charges brought against them, let alone granting them
6222-412: The age of 70, unless they resign sooner or are removed. Appointments made 5 years into the initial appointments may be governed by a different regulation for selection, to be determined by the Parliamentary Assembly. Proceedings of the Court are public, and decisions are published. Court rules are adopted by a majority in the Court. Court decisions are final and supposedly binding though this is not always
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#17328727094016324-412: The annexation of Bosnia, but due to international disputes the issue was not resolved until the annexation crisis of 1908. Several external matters affected the status of Bosnia and its relationship with Austria–Hungary. A bloody coup occurred in Serbia in 1903, which brought a radical anti-Austrian government into power in Belgrade . Then in 1908, the revolt in the Ottoman Empire raised concerns that
6426-411: The annexation proclamation on 6 October 1908. Despite international objections to the Austro-Hungarian annexation, Russians and their client state, Serbia, were compelled to accept the Austro-Hungarian annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in March 1909. In 1910, Habsburg Emperor Franz Joseph proclaimed the first constitution in Bosnia, which led to relaxation of earlier laws, elections and formation of
6528-412: The arrival of the first Indo-Europeans , the area was populated by several Illyrian and Celtic civilizations. The ancestors of the South Slavic peoples that populate the area today arrived during the 6th through the 9th century. In the 12th century, the Banate of Bosnia was established; by the 14th century, this had evolved into the Kingdom of Bosnia . In the mid-15th century, it was annexed into
6630-406: The case, as noted. The Constitutional Court has jurisdiction over deciding in constitutional disputes that arise between the Entities or amongst Bosnia and Herzegovina and an Entity or Entities. Such disputes may be referred only by a member of the Presidency, the Chair of the Council of Ministers, the Chair or Deputy Chair of either of the chambers of the Parliamentary Assembly, or by one-fourth of
6732-413: The collective memory of Serbs in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. An estimated 209,000 Serbs or 16.9% of its Bosnia population were killed on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the war. The Ustaše recognized both Catholicism and Islam as the national religions, but held the position Eastern Orthodox Church , as a symbol of Serb identity, was their greatest foe. Although Croats were by far
6834-426: The concept of a separate Bosnian division receiving little or no consideration. The Cvetković-Maček Agreement that created the Croatian banate in 1939 encouraged what was essentially a partition of Bosnia and Herzegovina between Croatia and Serbia. However the rising threat of Adolf Hitler 's Nazi Germany forced Yugoslav politicians to shift their attention. Following a period that saw attempts at appeasement,
6936-432: The conditions for closure of the OHR. The most critical issues will be considered objectives to be achieved by the BiH authorities before transition from OHR to a European Union presence can take place. From a long list of known priorities the PIC selected the key ones for transition, for closure of OHR: In addition to these objectives there are also two conditions: An additional non-written condition to be enforced through
7038-439: The construction of many works of Bosnian architecture such as the country's first library in Sarajevo, madrassas , a school of Sufi philosophy , and a clock tower ( Sahat Kula ), bridges such as the Stari Most , the Emperor's Mosque and the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque . Furthermore, several Bosnian Muslims played influential roles in the Ottoman Empire's cultural and political history during this time. Bosnian recruits formed
7140-412: The countries of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC). So far, all of the High Representatives named have been from European Union countries, and their principal deputies have typically been from the United States . The Principal Deputy High Representative serves as International Supervisor for Brčko , representing the international community in the Brčko District . The Dayton Agreement created
7242-421: The country's history and introduced drastic changes in the political and cultural landscape. The Ottomans incorporated Bosnia as an integral province of the Ottoman Empire with its historical name and territorial integrity. Within Bosnia, the Ottomans introduced a number of key changes in the territory's socio-political administration; including a new landholding system, a reorganization of administrative units, and
7344-589: The early Muslim conversions in Ottoman Bosnia in the 15th–16th century were among the locals who stayed rather than mass Muslim settlements from outside Bosnia. In Herzegovina, many Orthodox people had also embraced Islam. By the late 16th and early 17th century, Muslims are considered to have become an absolute majority in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Albanian Catholic priest Pjetër Mazreku reported in 1624 that there were 450,000 Muslims, 150,000 Catholics and 75,000 Eastern Orthodox in Bosnia and Herzegovina. There
7446-477: The east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to the north and southwest. In the south it has a 20 kilometres (12 miles) long coast on the Adriatic Sea , with the town of Neum being its only access to the sea. Bosnia has a moderate continental climate with hot summers and cold, snowy winters. In the central and eastern regions, the geography is mountainous, in the northwest it is moderately hilly, and in
7548-448: The fields of diplomacy, economy, inter-entity relations and other matters as agreed by the entities. The two Entities have Governments that deal with internal matters not dealt with by the Council of Ministers. The Parliamentary Assembly or Parliamentarna skupština is the main legislative body in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It consists of two chambers : The Parliamentary Assembly is responsible for: Bosnia and Herzegovina did not have
7650-416: The five other seats were allocated by compensatory PR. National House of Representatives: House of Peoples: Federal House of Representatives: Federal House of Peoples: Republika Srpska National Assembly: The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the supreme, final arbiter of constitutional matters. The court is composed of nine members: four selected by the House of Representatives of
7752-519: The inclusion of Bosnia in the chapter to merely be the result of Serbian Grand Duke Časlav 's temporary rule over Bosnia at the time, while also pointing out Porphyrogenitus does not say anywhere explicitly that Bosnia is a "Serb land". In fact, the very translation of the critical sentence where the word Bosona (Bosnia) appears is subject to varying interpretation. In time, Bosnia formed a unit under its own ruler, who called himself Bosnian. Bosnia, along with other territories, became part of Duklja in
7854-619: The influence of Hallstatt cultures to the north, formed regional centers that were slightly different. Parts of Central Bosnia were inhabited by the Daesitiates tribe, most commonly associated with the Central Bosnian cultural group . The Iron Age Glasinac-Mati culture is associated with the Autariatae tribe. A very important role in their life was the cult of the dead, which is seen in their careful burials and burial ceremonies, as well as
7956-548: The influential Sokollu Mehmed Pasha and Damat Ibrahim Pasha . Some Bosnians emerged as Sufi mystics, scholars such as Muhamed Hevaji Uskufi Bosnevi , Ali Džabić ; and poets in the Turkish , Albanian , Arabic , and Persian languages . However, by the late 17th century the Empire's military misfortunes caught up with the country, and the end of the Great Turkish War with the treaty of Karlowitz in 1699 again made Bosnia
8058-616: The largest ethnic group to constitute the Ustaše, the Vice President of the NDH and leader of the Yugoslav Muslim Organization Džafer Kulenović was a Muslim, and Muslims in total constituted nearly 12% of the Ustaše military and civil service authority. Politics of Bosnia and Herzegovina The politics of Bosnia and Herzegovina are defined by a parliamentary , representative democratic framework, where
8160-493: The largest of the ethno-religious groups due to a lack of strong Christian church organizations and continuous rivalry between the Orthodox and Catholic churches, while the indigenous Bosnian Church disappeared altogether (ostensibly by conversion of its members to Islam). The Ottomans referred to them as kristianlar while the Orthodox and Catholics were called gebir or kafir , meaning "unbeliever". The Bosnian Franciscans (and
8262-536: The legal basis for the OHR. Its Annex 10 provides for the institution of the Office of the High Representative (OHR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina to oversee the civilian implementation of the agreement, representing the countries involved in the Dayton Accords through the Peace Implementation Council . At its December 1997 meeting in Bonn , the Peace Implementation Council agreed in granting further substantial powers to
8364-408: The legislature of either Entity. The Court also has appellate jurisdiction within the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina consists of three divisions – Administrative, Appellate and Criminal – having jurisdiction over cases related to the state-level law and executive, as well as appellate jurisdiction over cases initiated in the entities. A War Crimes Chamber
8466-523: The ministers may be appointed from the territory of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina), who assume the office upon the approval by the House of Representatives; also, the Chair appoints deputy ministers (who may not be from the same constituent people as their ministers), who assume the office upon the approval by the House of Representatives. The Council is responsible for carrying out policies and decisions in
8568-762: The north-east, and the plight of Slavic Muslim refugees arriving from the Sanjak of Smederevo into Bosnia Eyalet , culminated in a partially unsuccessful revolt by Husein Gradaščević , who endorsed a Bosnia Eyalet autonomous from the authoritarian rule of the Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II , who persecuted, executed and abolished the Janissaries and reduced the role of autonomous Pashas in Rumelia. Mahmud II sent his Grand vizier to subdue Bosnia Eyalet and succeeded only with
8670-605: The northeast it is predominantly flat. Herzegovina , the smaller, southern region, has a Mediterranean climate and is mostly mountainous. Sarajevo is the capital and the largest city. The area has been inhabited since at least the Upper Paleolithic , but evidence suggests that during the Neolithic age, permanent human settlements were established, including those that belonged to the Butmir , Kakanj , and Vučedol cultures. After
8772-522: The occupation and administration of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and he also obtained the right to station garrisons in the Sanjak of Novi Pazar , which would remain under Ottoman administration until 1908, when the Austro-Hungarian troops withdrew from the Sanjak. Although Austro-Hungarian officials quickly came to an agreement with the Bosnians, tensions remained and a mass emigration of Bosnians occurred. However,
8874-561: The official name was changed to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosnia has been inhabited by humans since at least the Paleolithic , as one of the oldest cave paintings was found in Badanj cave . Major Neolithic cultures such as the Butmir and Kakanj were present along the river Bosna dated from c. 6230 BCE – c. 4900 BCE . The bronze culture of the Illyrians , an ethnic group with
8976-428: The population was called Dobri Bošnjani ("Good Bosnians"). The names Serb and Croat, though occasionally appearing in peripheral areas, were not used in Bosnia proper. Bosnian history from then until the early 14th century was marked by a power struggle between the Šubić and Kotromanić families. This conflict came to an end in 1322, when Stephen II Kotromanić became Ban . By the time of his death in 1353, he
9078-406: The property. Following the reforms, Bosnian Muslims were dispossessed of a total of 1,175,305 hectares of agricultural and forest land. Although the initial split of the country into 33 oblasts erased the presence of traditional geographic entities from the map, the efforts of Bosnian politicians, such as Mehmed Spaho , ensured the six oblasts carved up from Bosnia and Herzegovina corresponded to
9180-464: The reluctant assistance of Ali Pasha Rizvanbegović . Related rebellions were extinguished by 1850, but the situation continued to deteriorate. New nationalist movements appeared in Bosnia by the middle of the 19th century. Shortly after Serbia's breakaway from the Ottoman Empire in the early 19th century, Serbian and Croatian nationalism rose up in Bosnia, and such nationalists made irredentist claims to Bosnia's territory. This trend continued to grow in
9282-722: The rest of the 19th and 20th centuries. Agrarian unrest eventually sparked the Herzegovinian rebellion , a widespread peasant uprising, in 1875. The conflict rapidly spread and came to involve several Balkan states and Great Powers, a situation that led to the Congress of Berlin and the Treaty of Berlin in 1878. At the Congress of Berlin in 1878, the Austro-Hungarian Foreign Minister Gyula Andrássy obtained
9384-586: The richness of their burial sites. In northern parts, there was a long tradition of cremation and burial in shallow graves, while in the south the dead were buried in large stone or earth tumuli (natively called gromile ) that in Herzegovina were reaching monumental sizes, more than 50 m wide and 5 m high. Japodian tribes had an affinity to decoration (heavy, oversized necklaces out of yellow, blue or white glass paste, and large bronze fibulas , as well as spiral bracelets, diadems and helmets out of bronze foil). In
9486-769: The signing of the Tripartite Treaty , and a coup d'état , Yugoslavia was finally invaded by Germany on 6 April 1941. Once the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was conquered by German forces in World War II , all of Bosnia and Herzegovina was ceded to the Nazi puppet regime, the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) led by the Ustaše . The NDH leaders embarked on a campaign of extermination of Serbs, Jews, Romani as well as dissident Croats, and, later, Josip Broz Tito 's Partisans by setting up
9588-476: The six sanjaks from Ottoman times and, thus, matched the country's traditional boundary as a whole. The establishment of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929, however, brought the redrawing of administrative regions into banates or banovinas that purposely avoided all historical and ethnic lines, removing any trace of a Bosnian entity. Serbo-Croat tensions over the structuring of the Yugoslav state continued, with
9690-621: The title of "Deputy High Representative," a rank just below that of the PDHR. Bosnia and Herzegovina in Europe (dark grey) Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Serbo-Croatian : Bosna i Hercegovina , Босна и Херцеговина ), sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia , is a country in Southeast Europe , situated on the Balkan Peninsula . It borders Serbia to
9792-520: The title of a 15th-century Bosnian magnate, Stjepan Vukčić Kosača , who was "Herceg [Herzog] of Hum and the Coast" (1448). Hum (formerly called Zachlumia ) was an early medieval principality that had been conquered by the Bosnian Banate in the first half of the 14th century. When the Ottomans took over administration of the region, they called it the Sanjak of Herzegovina ( Hersek ). It was included within
9894-676: Was Ban Borić . The second was Ban Kulin , whose rule marked the start of a controversy involving the Bosnian Church – considered heretical by the Roman Catholic Church . In response to Hungarian attempts to use church politics regarding the issue as a way to reclaim sovereignty over Bosnia, Kulin held a council of local church leaders to renounce the heresy and embraced Catholicism in 1203. Despite this, Hungarian ambitions remained unchanged long after Kulin's death in 1204, waning only after an unsuccessful invasion in 1254. During this time,
9996-400: Was a general awareness in medieval Bosnia, at least amongst the nobles, that they shared a joint state with Serbia and that they belonged to the same ethnic group. That awareness diminished over time, due to differences in political and social development, but it was kept in Herzegovina and parts of Bosnia which were a part of Serbian state. The Ottoman conquest of Bosnia marked a new era in
10098-557: Was a judicial body established under the Annex 6 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Dayton Agreement ). The two Entities have Supreme Courts. Each entity also has a number of lower courts. There are 10 cantonal courts in the Federation, along with a number of municipal courts. The Republika Srpska has seven district ( okrug ) courts. The High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (JHPC / VSTV)
10200-509: Was a lack of Orthodox Church activity in Bosnia proper in the pre-Ottoman period. An Orthodox Christian population in Bosnia was introduced as a direct result of Ottoman policy. From the 15th century and onwards, Orthodox Christians (Orthodox Vlachs and non-Vlach Orthodox Serbs) from Serbia and other regions settled in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Favored by the Ottomans over the Catholics, many Orthodox churches were allowed to be built in Bosnia by
10302-696: Was introduced in January 2005, and has adopted two cases transferred from the ICTY , as well as dozens of war crimes cases originally initiated in cantonal courts. The State Court also deals with organized crime, and economic crime including corruption cases. For example, the former member of the Presidency Dragan Čović was on trial for alleged involvement in organized crime. The Human Rights Chamber for Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Dom za ljudska prava za Bosnu i Hercegovinu ) existed between March 1996 and 31 December 2003. It
10404-456: Was successful in annexing territories to the north and west, as well as Zahumlje and parts of Dalmatia. He was succeeded by his ambitious nephew Tvrtko who, following a prolonged struggle with nobility and inter-family strife, gained full control of the country in 1367. By the year 1377, Bosnia was elevated into a kingdom with the coronation of Tvrtko as the first Bosnian King in Mile near Visoko in
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