Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country in Southeast Europe. Its capital is Sarajevo.
Europe and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Sarajevo; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapBosnia and Herzegovina is dominated by mountains and valleys within the Dinaric region. Northern areas descend toward the Sava lowlands, while much of the south has limestone terrain. A short stretch of coast reaches the Adriatic at Neum.
The Neretva cuts through dramatic valleys on its way toward the sea. The Una and other rivers create contrasting freshwater landscapes farther north and west. Limestone dissolution has also produced caves, springs and other karst features.
The interior has warm summers and cold winters. Higher mountains are colder, while the small southern coastal area has milder Mediterranean conditions.
In karst country, water may travel underground before reappearing at springs. Forested mountains and river habitats occupy much of the interior. Rainfall, snowmelt and local geology all influence the amount and movement of water.
A wide blue vertical band on the right side, with a large yellow isosceles triangle in the middle of the flag, based at the top; the rest of the flag is blue, with seven five-pointed white stars and two half-stars along the triangle's hypotenuse
Trees line the river in the Sutina area of Mostar.
Photo: Minja Klarić · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
The river cascades over rock near the border with Croatia.
Photo: Igorbeslic · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian are used as official languages. They are closely related standard varieties that are largely mutually intelligible.
Both Latin and Cyrillic scripts are used. Romani and other minority languages are also spoken. A shared ability to understand closely related languages does not erase the names and identities chosen by their speakers.
Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1992 after a referendum. A devastating war followed. The 1995 Dayton agreement ended the war and set out the country's present constitutional framework.
Services, manufacturing, metals, wood products and energy contribute to the economy. Remittances support many households, while tourism brings visitors to historic cities and mountain areas. Institutional fragmentation complicates economic coordination.
steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, ammunition, domestic appliances, oil refining
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3,773,247 | 3.773 |
| 1980 | 4,148,426 | 4.148 |
| 1990 | 4,448,652 | 4.449 |
| 2000 | 4,159,771 | 4.160 |
| 2010 | 3,811,472 | 3.811 |
| 2020 | 3,299,349 | 3.299 |
| 2025 | 3,140,095 | 3.140 |
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 3,520,858,802 | 3.521 |
| 1991 | 3,191,728,026 | 3.192 |
| 1992 | 2,986,279,442 | 2.986 |
| 1993 | 2,921,138,314 | 2.921 |
| 1994 | 3,246,318,381 | 3.246 |
| 1995 | 3,764,700,269 | 3.765 |
| 1996 | 5,805,141,479 | 5.805 |
| 1997 | 7,932,210,829 | 7.932 |
| 1998 | 9,250,256,734 | 9.250 |
| 1999 | 10,131,026,400 | 10.131 |
| 2000 | 10,679,552,182 | 10.680 |
| 2001 | 10,938,351,172 | 10.938 |
| 2002 | 11,488,270,723 | 11.488 |
| 2003 | 11,932,537,720 | 11.933 |
| 2004 | 12,687,302,704 | 12.687 |
| 2005 | 13,181,750,135 | 13.182 |
| 2006 | 13,895,410,482 | 13.895 |
| 2007 | 14,709,558,825 | 14.710 |
| 2008 | 15,510,030,555 | 15.510 |
| 2009 | 15,044,038,583 | 15.044 |
| 2010 | 15,174,269,896 | 15.174 |
| 2011 | 15,319,868,792 | 15.320 |
| 2012 | 15,193,964,403 | 15.194 |
| 2013 | 15,551,001,103 | 15.551 |
| 2014 | 15,730,436,008 | 15.730 |
| 2015 | 16,404,348,361 | 16.404 |
| 2016 | 16,936,219,695 | 16.936 |
| 2017 | 17,485,647,420 | 17.486 |
| 2018 | 18,155,173,558 | 18.155 |
| 2019 | 18,679,105,074 | 18.679 |
| 2020 | 18,115,912,618 | 18.116 |
| 2021 | 19,454,976,126 | 19.455 |
| 2022 | 20,277,301,651 | 20.277 |
| 2023 | 20,681,710,969 | 20.682 |
| 2024 | 21,349,068,377 | 21.349 |
| 2025 | 21,803,508,731 | 21.804 |
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
A parliamentary state with a three-member presidency, a Council of Ministers and a two-chamber Parliamentary Assembly. The Dayton framework divides responsibilities among state institutions, two entities and Brčko District. An international High Representative also has a role in implementing the peace settlement.
Three questions about Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.
