In the past, many people have asked me, "What's really going on in Bosnia?" To help answer this question, I have devoted this page entirely to Bosnian history and culture. In it, I will try to explain my perspective of what's happening in Bosnia. My name is Sadik, and I was born in Sarajevo, the beautiful capital city of Bosnia. The winter Olympics were held in my hometown during 1984. Unfortunately, war began in Bosnia,and my family was forced to move to America in 1994. Presently, I am living in California and working on a computer science degree.

And then...
And then came April 1992
"The years 1992 and 1993 will be remembered as the time in which a unique country was destroyed. It was a land with a political and cultural history unlike any other in Europe, a land where great powers and religions converged, overlapped, and combined: the empires of Rome, Charlemagne, the Ottomans, and the Austro-Hungarias; the faiths of Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Judaism, and Islam. Today, this reach past has become obscured by violence and war, shrouded in a bloody fog of ignorance and misinformation.".... "On 6 April 1992 Bosnia was recognized as an independent state by the EC. That was first time in last 529 years that Bosnia was not apart of two empires, a kingdom and a Communist federal republic. On day of international recognition, Serb paramilitary force repeated the operation which they had aborted in Sarajevo one month before. This time between 50,000 and 100,000 Bosnia's, of all national groups, came out onto the streets in protest. One of speakers said, " Let all the Serbs chauvinists go to Serbia and let the Croat chauvinists go to Croatia. We want to remain here together. We what to keep Bosnia as one.
.
Geography
Bosnia and Herzegovina make up a triangular-shaped republic, about half the size of Kentucky, on the Balkan peninsula. The Bosnian region in the north is mountainous and covered with thick forests. The Herzegovina region in the south is largely rugged, flat farmland. It has a narrow coastline without natural harbors stretching 13 mi (20 km) along the Adriatic Sea.

Government
Emerging democracy, with a rotating, tripartite presidency divided between predominantly Serb, Croatian, and Bosnian political parties

Main article: Tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sarajevo, the capital and the largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Stari Most bridge in Mostar.According to an estimation of the World Tourism Organization, Bosnia and Herzegovina will have the third highest tourism growth rate in the world between 1995 and 2020.[38]

Lonely Planet, in ranking the best cities in the world, ranked Sarajevo, the national capital and host of the 1984 Winter Olympic Games, as #43, ahead of Dubrovnik at #59, Ljubljana at #84, Bled at #90, Belgrade at #113, and Zagreb at #135.[39] Tourism in Sarajevo is chiefly focused on historical, religious, and cultural aspects (see Sites of interest in Sarajevo). Bosnia has also become an increasingly popular skiing and Ecotourism destination.[38]

Sarajevo (from the Aryan/Persian origin Serai, meaning Palace) is the capital city and largest urban center of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 304,065 people in the four municipalities that make up the city proper, and an estimated urban area population of 419,030 people in the Sarajevo Canton as of June 2007. It is also the capital of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity, as well as the center of the Sarajevo Canton. Sarajevo is located in the Sarajevo valley of Bosnia proper, surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated around the Miljacka river. The city is famous for its traditional religious diversity, with adherents of Islam, Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Judaism coexisting there for centuries. Lonely Planet, in ranking the best cities in the world, ranked Sarajevo as #43, ahead of Dubrovnik at #59, Ljubljana at #84, Bled at #90, Belgrade at #113, and Zagreb at #135.

Although settlement in the area stretches back to prehistoric times, the modern city arose as an Ottoman stronghold in the 15th century. Sarajevo has attracted international attention several times throughout its history: In 1914 it was the site of the assassination that sparked World War I, while seventy years later it became the host city of the 1984 Winter Olympics. More recently, Sarajevo underwent the longest siege in modern military history during the Bosnian War. Today the city is recovering and adjusting to a post-war reality, as a major center of culture and economic development in Bosnia and Herzegovina.Sarajevo was also the first city in Europe and the second city in the world to have a full-time operational electric tram network running through the city, the first being San Francisco.


Geography:

Sarajevo is located at 43°52′0″N 18°25′0″E / 43.86667, 18.41667, near the geometric center of the triangular-shaped Bosnia-Herzegovina and within the historical region of Bosnia proper. It lies in the Sarajevo valley, in the middle of the Dinaric Alps. The valley itself once formed a vast expanse of greenery, but gave way to urban expansion and development in the post-World War II era. The city is surrounded by heavily forested hills and five major mountains. The highest of the surrounding peaks is Treskavica at 2,088 meters (6,850 ft), then Bjelašnica at 2,067 meters (6,781 ft), Jahorina at 1,913 meters (6,276 ft), Trebević at 1,627 meters (5,338 ft), with 1,502 meters (4,928 ft) Igman being the shortest. Last four are also known as Olympics mountains of Sarajevo (see also 1984 Winter Olympics Games in Sarajevo). On average, Sarajevo is situated 500 meters (1,640 ft) above sea level. The city itself has its fair share of hilly terrain, as evidenced by the many steeply inclined streets and settlements seemingly perched on the hillsides.
The Miljacka river is one of the city's chief geographic features. It flows through the city from east through the center of Sarajevo to west part of city where eventually meets up with the Bosna river. Miljacka river is "The Sarajevo River", with its source in the town of Pale, several kilometers to the east of Sarajevo. The Bosna's source, Vrelo Bosne near Ilidža (west Sarajevo), is another notable natural landmark and a popular destination for Sarajevans and other tourists. Several smaller rivers and streams also run through the city and its vicinity.

Climate:

Sarajevo has a mild continental climate, lying between the climate zones of central Europe to the north and the Mediterranean to the south. The average yearly temperature is 9.5 °C, with January (-1.3 °C avg.) being the coldest month of the year and July (19.1 °C avg.) the warmest. The highest recorded temperature was 40.0 °C on 19 August 1946, while the lowest recorded temperature was −26.4 °C on 25 January 1942. On average, Sarajevo has 68 summer days per year (temperature greater than or equal to 30.0 °C). The city typically experiences mildly cloudy skies, with an average yearly cloud cover of 59%. The cloudiest month is December (75% average cloud cover) while the clearest is August (37%). Moderate precipitation occurs fairly consistently throughout the year, with an average 170 days of rainfall. Suitable climatic conditions have allowed winter sports to flourish in the region, as exemplified by the Winter Olympics in 1984 that were celebrated in Sarajevo.


Economy:

After years of war, Sarajevo's economy has been subject to reconstruction and rehabilitation programs.[21] Amongst other economic landmarks, the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina opened in Sarajevo in 1997 and the Sarajevo Stock Exchange began trading in 2002. The city's large manufacturing, administration, and tourism base, combined with a large informal market,[22] makes it one of the strongest economic regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
While Sarajevo had a large industrial base during its communist period, only a few pre-existing businesses have successfully adapted to the market economy.[citation needed] Sarajevo industries now include tobacco products, furniture, hosiery, automobiles, and communication equipment.[11] Companies based in Sarajevo include B&H Airlines (Formerly Air Bosna), BH Telecom, Bosmal City Center, Bosnalijek, Energopetrol, Sarajevo Tobacco Factory, and Sarajevska Pivara (Sarajevo Brewery).
Sarajevo has a strong tourist industry and was named by Lonely Planet the 43rd Best City in the World in 2006.[23] Sports-related tourism uses the legacy facilities of the 1984 Winter Olympics, especially the skiing facilities on the nearby mountains of Bjelašnica, Igman, Jahorina, Trebević, and Treskavica. Sarajevo's 600 years of history, influenced by both Western and Eastern empires, is also a strong tourist attraction. Sarajevo has hosted travellers for centuries, because it was an important trading center during the Ottoman and Austria-Hungarian empires. Examples of popular destinations in Sarajevo include the Vrelo Bosne park, the Sarajevo cathedral, and the Gazi Husrev-beg's Mosque. Tourism in Sarajevo is chiefly focused on historical, religious, and cultural aspects


Culture:

Sarajevo has been home to many different religions for centuries, giving the city a range of diverse cultures. Bosnian Muslims, Orthodox, Catholics and Jews all shared the city while maintaining distinctive identities. Today, however, the city is primarily Bosnian Muslim, but in recent years many returnees have been noticed, as well as a growing number of illegal immigrants from Eastern Asia.
The city is rich in museums, including the Museum of Sarajevo, the Ars Aevi Museum of Contemporary Art, the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina (established in 1888 and home to the Sarajevo Haggadah), the Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Museum of Literature and Theatre Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The city also hosts the National theatre of Bosnia and Herzegovina, established in 1919, as well as the Sarajevo Youth Theatre. Other cultural institutions include the Center for Sarajevo Culture, Sarajevo City Library, Art Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Bosniak Institute, a privately owned library and art collection focusing on Bosniak history.
Demolitions associated with the war,[35] as well as reconstruction, destroyed several institutions and cultural or religious symbols including the Gazi Husrev-beg library, the national library, the Sarajevo Oriental Institute, and a museum dedicated to the 1984 Olympic games. Consequently, the different levels of government established strong cultural protection laws and institutions. Bodies charged with cultural preservation in Sarajevo include the Institute for the Protection of the Cultural, Historical and Natural Heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina (and their Sarajevo Canton counterpart), and the Bosnia and Herzegovina Commission to Preserve National Monuments.
Historically, Sarajevo was home to several famous Bosnian poets and thinkers during the Ottoman Empire. Nobel Prize winner Vladimir Prelog is from the city, as was academy award winning director Danis Tanović. Nobel Prize winner Ivo Andrić spent much of his life in Sarajevo and is considered a Sarajevan. Famous film director Emir Kusturica is also a Sarajevo-native, who later parted ways with the city.
The Sarajevo Film Festival, established in 1995, has become the premier film festival in the Balkans. The Sarajevo Winter Festival, Sarajevo Jazz Festival are well-known, as are the Baščaršija Nights, a month-long showcase of local culture, music, and dance.
The Sarajevo school of pop rock developed in the city between 1961 and 1991. This type of music began with bands like Indexi, Pro arte and singer/song writer Kemal Monteno. It continued into the 1980s, with bands such as Plavi orkestar, and Crvena jabuka, ending with the war in 1992. Sarajevo was also the birthplace of the most popular Yugoslav rock band of all time, Bijelo dugme, a somewhat Yugoslav version of the Rolling Stones, in both popularity and fame. Sarajevo was also the home of a very notable post-punk urban Subculture known as New primitivism that began during the early 1980s and was brought to the mainstream through bands such as Zabranjeno pušenje and Elvis J. Kurtović & His Meteors, as well as the Top lista nadrealista radio, and later television show. Other notable bands considered to be part of this subculture are Bombaj štampa and Šume i gore.


Festivals:

Sarajevo is regionally and internationally renowned for its Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF) and its Sarajevo Jazz Festival.
The SFF has been hosted at the National Theater, with screenings at the Open-air theater Metalac and the Bosnian Cultural Center, all located in downtown Sarajevo and has hosted such world-renowned actors, directors, and musicians as: Steve Buscemi, Bono, Coolio, John Malkovich, Nick Nolte, Daniel Craig, Willem Dafoe, Anthony Minghella, Katrin Cartlidge, Alexander Payne, Sophie Okonedo, Stephen Frears, Michael Moore to name a few.
In the past thirteen years, the festival has entertained people and celebrities alike, elevating it to an international level. The first incarnation of the Sarajevo Film Festival was hosted in still-warring Sarajevo in 1995, and has now progressed into being the biggest and most significant festival in South-Eastern Europe[36] and the 5th. most significant festival in Europe. A talent campus is also held during the duration of the festival, with numerous world-renowned lecturers speaking on behalf of world cinematography and holding workshops for film students from across South-Eastern Europe.
The Sarajevo Jazz Festival has been entertaining Jazz connoisseurs (locals and expats) for ten years now and has hosted such greats as: Richard Bona, The John Butler Trio, Cristina Branco, Dhafer Youssef, and many more. The festival takes place at the Bosnian Cultural Center (aka "Main Stage"), just down the street from the SFF, at the Sarajevo Youth Stage Theater (aka "Strange Fruits Stage", at the Dom Vojske Federacije (aka "Solo Stage"), and at the CDA (aka "Groove Stage").
Other notable festivals held in Sarajevo are Baščaršijske noći(Nights of the Baščaršija), Sarajevska zima(Sarajevo Winter), and the International Theater Festival MESS, to name a few.

Sports:

The city was the location of the 1984 Winter Olympics. Yugoslavia won one medal, a silver in men's giant slalom awarded to Jure Franko.[37] Many of the Olympic facilities survived the war or were reconstructed, including Olympic Hall Zetra and Asim Ferhatović Stadion. After co-hosting the Southeast Europe Friendship games, Sarajevo was awarded the 2009 Special Olympic winter games,[38] but cancelled these plans.
Football (soccer) is popular in Sarajevo; the city hosts FK Sarajevo and FK Željezničar, which both compete in European and international cups and tournaments and are have a very large trophy cabinet in the former Yugoslavia as well as independent Bosnia and Herzegovina. Other notable soccer clubs are FK Olimpik and SAŠK. Another popular sport is basketball; the basketball club KK Bosna Sarajevo won the European Championship in 1979 as well as many Yugoslav and Bosnian national championships making it one of the greatest basketball clubs in the former Yugoslavia. The chess club, Bosna Sarajevo, has been a championship team since the 1980s and is the third ranked chess club in Europe, having won four consecutive European championships in the nineties. RC Bosna also competes in the European Champions League and is considered one of the most well organised handball clubs in South-Eastern Europe with a very large fan base and excellent national, as well as international results. Sarajevo often holds international events and competitions in sports such as tennis and kickboxing. Rock climbing is popular; not far from the CBD is the sport climbing crag, Dariva Sarajevo International Speedway on January 2009


Education:

Higher education has a long tradition in Sarajevo. The first institution that can be classified as such was a school of Sufi philosophy established by Gazi Husrev-beg in 1531; numerous other religious schools have been established over time. In 1887, under the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a Sharia Law School began a five-year program.[41] In the 1940s the University of Sarajevo became the city's first secular higher education institute. In the 1950s post-bachelaurate graduate degrees became available.[42] While severely damaged during the war, it was rebuilt in partnership with more than 40 other universities.

As of 2005[update], in Sarajevo there are 46 elementary schools (Grades 1–9) and 33 high schools (Grades 10–13), including three schools for children with special needs,[43] as well as Druga Gimnazija high school providing International Baccalaureate programs for international and resident students.
There are also several international schools in Sarajevo, catering to the expatriate community; some of which are QSI International School of Sarajevo and The French International School of Sarajevo.

Banja Luka or Banjaluka is the second largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina after Sarajevo and the largest city in the Republika Srpska entity. It has traditionally been the center of the Bosanska Krajina region located in the northwest of the country, on the Vrbas river. It is home to the University of Banja Luka, as well as other numerous institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The city is well-known in the former Yugoslavia for being full of tree-lined avenues, boulevards, gardens, and parks.

Geography:

Banja Luka has a continental climate, with harsh winters and warm summers. The warmest month of the year is July, with an average temperature of 21.3 °C (70 °F). The coldest month of the year is January, when temperatures average near freezing at 0.8 °C (33 °F).
Annual precipitation for Banja Luka is about 988 mm. Banja Luka has an average of 143 rainy days a year. Due to the city's high latitude, it snows in Banja Luka almost every year as well. Strong winds come from the north and northeast.

Economy:

Although the city itself was not directly affected by the war in the early 1990s, Banja Luka's economy was. For four years, Banja Luka fell behind the world in key areas such as technology, resulting in a rather stagnant economy today.
In recent years, financial services sector has gained in importance in the city. In 2002, trading began on the newly-established Banja Luka Stock Exchange. Since then, the stock exchange has gone from strength to strength. The number of companies listed, the trading volume and the number of investors have increased significantly. A number of big companies such as Telekom Srpske, Rafinerija ulja Modriča, Banjalučka Pivara and Vitaminka are all listed on the exchange and are traded regularly. Investors, apart from those from Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia, now include a number of investment funds from the EU, Norway, USA, Japan and China.
A number of financial services regulators, such as the Republika Srpska Securities Commission and the RS Banking Agency are headquartered in Banja Luka. This, along with the fact that some of the major banks in Bosnia, the Deposit Insurance Agency and the Value-added tax (VAT) Authority are all based in the city, has helped Banja Luka establish itself as the main financial centre of the country.

Culture:

Due to its long history, Banja Luka has a rich culture. A number of museums can be found in the city, including the Museum of Republika Srpska also known as the Museum of Bosanska Krajina, and the Ethnographic Museum, established in 1930. Banja Luka also has a national theatre, and library, both dating from the first half of the 20th century. There are numerous other museums and theatres in the city including the Museum of Modern Art of Republika Srpska.
One of the most famous cultural sites in Banja Luka is the cultural centre "Banski Dvor" (Halls of the Ban), built in the 1930s as a spot of residence for the Bans of the Vrbas Banovina. It is a beautiful building in the very center of the city. The National Assembly is inside, along with a concert hall, gallery, state television, and restaurant. Most of the main cultural and political leadership nowadays takes place inside of the building.
The relatively poorly preserved fortress Kastel is found in the center of the city. This medieval castle is one of Banja Luka’s main attractions but has recently become a dangerous place at night. Located on the bank of the Vrbas River, it gave specific charm to the city. During the summer some concerts took place in the fortress.
In the city there are many Cultural Artistic Associations. The oldest is RKUD "Pelagić" (1927), and it is one of the oldest institution of this kind in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sport:

Banja Luka has one major football stadium and several indoor sports halls. The local handball and football teams bear the traditional name Borac (fighter), though the basketball club was recently renamed to Banjalučka pivara, after the Banja Luka brewery. The three football teams from Banja Luka are Borac Banja Luka (Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina), FK BSK Banja Luka, and FK Omladinac Banja Luka (both in the First League of the Republika Srpska), and FK Naprijed Banjaluka.
The city has a long tradition of good handball players and teams. RK Borac Banjaluka was the European Champion in 1976, the European Vice-Champion in 1975 and the winner of the IHF Cup in 1991.
Recently, tennis has taken on a bigger role in the city. The local tennis tournament, "Memorijal Trive Vujića", has become professional and has been awarded ATP status in 2001, with the rank of a Challenger. The Banja Luka Challenger takes place in September each year. Also, in 2006, the Davis Cup matches of the Europe/Africa Zone Group III took place in the city. Apart from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the teams included Monaco, Estonia, Turkey, Lithuania, Moldova, Armenia and Andorra.
In 2005, the European Championships in Rafting were held on the river Vrbas. According to the International Rafting Federation: "The event was hugely successful and the hosts are to be praised for the exemplary manner in which they ran the event, managed the media and looked after the competitors, staff and spectators...". Many nations took part, with the Czech Republic being the most successful.

Tourism:

The natural beauties of the surrounding area guarantee the city of Banja Luka a good position in tourism. Banja Luka has a number of hotels, the oldest one dating back to 1885. One of hotels is Hotel Marriott, which is right on the river Vrbas. The city and surrounding area have a number of popular tourist attractions. Among the most famous are the pools, thermal springs, and spas in the region. Banja Luka was once nicknamed the "Green City", due to its parks, and over 10,000 trees. The area is popular among nature lovers, while the city center is attractive to tourists due to its historical structures and many restaurants. Another attractive sights of Banja Luka are the Banj Hill and a waterfall of the river Vrbas near Krupa. Rafting on the Vrbas is currently getting more appreciated among local tourists. There are also opportunities for fishing, rock climbing and hiking along the canyon of the Vrbas between Banja Luka and Jajce.

Bihać is a town and municipality on the Una River in the north-western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, center of the Una-Sana Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

History:

The town was first mentioned as early as 1260 as property of a church in Topusko, Croatia in a document by the Hungarian-Croatian king Bela IV, and became a free city in 1262. Bihać was the temporary capital of the Croatian Kingdom. It lost its civic status in the 14th century following dynastic struggles in the kingdom, and became a property of the Frankopan nobles. In the 16th century it passed under direct royal rule, when battles with the Ottoman Empire had begun. The town of Bihać, in the region of the same name, withstood the Ottoman attacks until it fell with the Bosnia sanjak (in 1592).
The Bihać fort would become the westernmost fort taken by the Ottoman army over a hundred years later, in 1592 under the Bosnian vizier Hasan-pasha Predojević, previous orthodox Bosnians - Valacchi (Vlah in Bosnian). The city was initially made the center of the Bihać sanjak, part of the Bosnian pashaluk. It was demoted in 1699 to become part of the sanjak of Bosnia, during the period of intense border wars between the Habsburg monarchy and the Ottoman Empire. In 1865 it became the center of its own sanjak, but this lasted only until 1878, when all of Bosnia was occupied by Austria-Hungary.
A period of peace followed, marked by the 1888 bringing down of the fortress walls that separated the inner city from the outskirts. The new government had several schools and civic facilities built, which boosted the city's growth. It remained prosperous after the establishment of Yugoslavia, the center of the western Bosnian region, though its growth was impaired by the Great Depression in the 1930s.

During World War II it served as headquarters for the liberation army of Josip Broz Tito, the seat of the first AVNOJ session in 1942 and the center of the anti-fascist resistance. As such, it became a target of the occupying powers and the Germans retook it in 1943 and held it until 1945 and their final defeat.
Bihać suffered the destruction of many buildings during the recent Bosnian War, when the area around the city was under siege by the Bosnian Serb forces for over three years, until the summer of 1995 when the siege was broken in the beginning of the Croats' Operation Storm conjoined with Bosnian forces under General Atif Dudakovic.

Education:

The University of Bihać was opened in 1997 and it has seven faculties: technical, economics, law school, biotechnical, pedagogical, medical college, Islamic pedagogical academy.

Sport:

The local football club is NK Jedinstvo.

Economy:

Bihać is home to a beer brewery which makes the award winning Preminger.
Bihać is currently going through a reconstruction of its main buildings and streets.

Doboj is a city and a municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, situated on the river Bosna. Doboj is the largest national railway junction; as such, the seats of the Republika Srpska Railways, and the Railways Corporation of Bosnia and Herzegovina are located in Doboj. It is one of the oldest cities in the country and the most important urban center of the Northern Bosnia.

History:

The first official mention of the settlement is from 1415, as it was written in the charter issued by Dubrovnik to Hungarian Emperor Sigismund, although there are numerous artefacts and objects that have been found (The National Museum of Bosnia/Herzegovina in Sarajevo & The Regional Museum in Doboj) and which confirm the fact that the area had been inhabited ever since the early stone age, and that the Roman Empire had an army camp (Castrum) and a settlement (Canabea) in the vicinity of the town dating from the 1st century AD. Following the arrival of the Slavs in the 6th century AD it became a part of the region/bannate Usora (in the medieval documents sometimes put together with the nearby province Soli, hence, Usora and Soli).
The Doboj fortress, a royal Kotromanic fortress, was first built in the early 13th century and then expanded in the early 15th century (1415), it fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1476, only to be expanded yet again in 1490. This newer stone foundation of the fortress was built on previous layers of older foundation (dating to 9th or 10th century AD) made of wood, mud and clay (Motte & Bailey type). It was a very important obstacle for the invaders coming from North, Hungarians, and later on, Austrians and Germans. It was built in the Gotho-Roman style with the gothic towers and romanic windows. The area has seen numerous battles in the Medieval times and the fortress often changed hands between Bosnian and Hungarian armies. Doboj was the site of a particularly major battle between Hungarians and Bosnian/Turkish coalition in early August of 1415 in which Hungarians were heavily defeated on the field where the modern City of Doboj lies today (esp. around Makljenovac and Usora area). As an important border fortress (between Bosnian Kingdom and Hungary), it was also frequently attacked (officially recorded - 18 times) in the Austro-Ottoman Wars, and finally fell to the Habsburgs in 1878.

Geography:

Before the war in Bosnia the municipality of the same name had a bigger area surface. A larger part of the pre-war municipality is part of the Republika Srpska, including the city itself, (the Doboj Region). The southern rural areas are part of the Zenica-Doboj Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the eastern rural part of the municipality is part of the Tuzla Canton, also in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The parts of the pre-war Doboj Municipality that are in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina are the municipalities of Doboj South (Doboj Jug) and Doboj East (Doboj Istok) and the Municipality of Usora. The northern suburbs of Doboj are extending into the peri-Pannonian plains, and effectively mark the southern tip of this great Central European plain. The southern (Doboj-South)and eastern suburbs (Doboj-East) are spread on the gentle hills which extend to larger Central Bosnian mountain areas (Mt. Ozren in south-east, Mt. Krnjin in the west).

Sport:

The local football club, FK Sloga Doboj, plays in the First League of the Republika Srpska. The town's favourite sports activity, however, is handball. It is being played by the local Sloga Doboj team. Sloga Doboj ranks among the country's top teams and consistently qualifies for international competitions.

Books/Movies about Bosia
Books
# Bosnia a Short History by Noel Malcolm
# Love Thy Neighbor : A Story of War by Peter Maass
# The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric
# Zlata's Diary : A Child's Life in Sarajevo by Zlata Filipovic
# Atlas of War & Peace : Bosnia Herzegovina

Movies
* Welcome to Sarajevo (available on tape in most of rental places) comments: a good movie about Bosnia.
* Shot through the heart (HBO original movie) comments: a very good movie, one of the best Bosnia related movies.
* The Savior
* Beautiful People

LAND
Area: 51,129 sq km (19,741 sq mi).
Capital and largest city: Sarajevo (1991 pop., 525,980).
Other cities: Banja Luka, Brcko, Mostar, Tuzla, Zenica.

PEOPLE
Population (1993 est.): 4,618,804; density: 90.3 persons per sq km (234 per sq mi).
Ethnic composition (1991): Muslim Slavs (43.7%); Serbs (31.3%); Croatians (17.2%).
Official language: Bosnian (Serbo-Croatian).
Annual growth (1991): 0.5%.
Major religions: Islam, Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism.

EDUCATION AND HEALTH
Literacy (1981): 85.5% of adult population.
Universities (1992): 4.
Hospital beds (1990): 19,858.
Physicians (1989): 6,929.
Life expectancy (1980-82): women--73; men--68.
Infant mortality (1991): 15 per 1,000 live births.

ECONOMY
GNP (1991 est.): $14 billion, $2,454 per capita.
Labor distribution (1990): agriculture--3.8%; manufacturing and mining--48.3%; construction--7.3%; public utilities--2.2%; transportation and communications--6.7%; trade--12.8%; finance--3.8%; other--15.1%.
Foreign trade (1990): imports--$1.9 billion; exports--$2 billion; principal trade partners--other former Yugoslav republics.

GOVERNMENT
Type: republic.
Government leader (1994): Alija Izetbegovic--president.
Legislature: National Assembly.
Political subdivisions: 100 districts.

COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads (1990): 1,039 km (646 mi).
Roads (1991): 21,168 km (13,153 mi).
Major ports: none.
Major airfields: