Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country in South-East Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for 16 miles of Adriatic Sea coastline. It borders in the north, west and south by Croatia, Serbia to the east and the southeast by Montenegro. Its total area is 19,767 square miles and the capital and largest city is Sarajevo. The country is split into two entities: one for the Serbs, called the Serb Republic and one for the Bosniaks and Croats together, called the Muslim-Croat Federation. The Serb Republic is further divided into seven regions and the Muslim-Croat Federation in 10 cantons.
Besides the two entities is still the Brčko district, a state of shared sovereignty, of the two entities. Bosnia-Herzegovina is a parliamentary democratic republic, whereby the head of government is the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Three major groups in the country each have a guaranteed share of power, this is stated in the Dayton Accord. Each of the groups has its own constitution. The Brcko district in the north of the country, is an amalgamation of two groups. Officially it belongs to both, but neither has control, operates under a decentralized system of local government. The Brcko district maintaining a very good multi-ethnic population and a high level of prosperity.
The architecture of Bosnia and Herzegovina is highly influenced by the various cultural and architectural traditions of the population. There are beautiful churches, bridges and buildings is in this country. The Stari Most is a bridge over the Neretva River, it is a landmark of the city of Mostar and is on the World Heritage List of UNESCO. The Mehmed Pasa Sokolovićbrug located in Visegrad and spans the river Drina. The bridge, build in 1577, consists of eleven arches, each 35 to 50 feet wide. The first and second world war have destroyed some arches, but they are all restored. The book: The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andrić, the Nobel Prize winner, revolves around this bridge. Medjugorje is a mountain village in the south, it was known by a series apparitions of Mary, since then it has become a pilgrimage.
The food in Bosnia has often oriental influences. Burek is a popular dish, consisting of a savory pie with meat. A famous wine from Bosnia is Blatina, but cognac is also often drunk.
In 1984 the area of Sarajevo was put on the map through the winter Olympic Games. Sarajevo has many museums and theaters, such as the Museum of Sarajevo, National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Historical Museum of Bosnia, the Ars Aevi Museum of Contemporary Arts and the National Theatre and Herzegovina Sarajevo Youth Theatre. The country has many forests and untouched nature. In the west you can go canoeing and rafting on the rivers Una and Sana. In the east of the country lies Sutjeska National Park, located around the river with breathtaking canyon. On the flanks of the country’s highest mountain Maglić, on the border with Montenegro, is one of the last primeval forests in Europe, Perućica.
In the city Neum, the country has a 12.5 mile long coast on the Adriatic Sea. Neum is a tourist place with beaches, sun, and especially many hotels along the coast with prices that are usually significantly lower than in Croatia.
Citizens of following countries are not required to have a visa to travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Russian, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican. They only need a passport, that’s is valid till 6 months after the journey. Visitors from other countries can request a visa at the Embassy or Consulate.
