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Extensible Markup Language | 1995-06-13 | 6KB | 19 lines

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> <!DOCTYPE card PUBLIC "-//Apple, Inc.//DTD card V 2.0//EN" "" > <card> <id>9345</id> <filler1>0</filler1> <cantDelete> <false /> </cantDelete> <showPict> <true /> </showPict> <dontSearch> <false /> </dontSearch> <owner>5472</owner> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="stylesheet_3106.css" /> <content> <layer>background</layer> <id>31</id> <text>BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINAOfficial name: Bosna i Hercegovina (Bosnia-Herzegovina)Member of: UN, OSCEArea: 51129 km2 (19741 sq mi)Population: 4365000 (1991 census); c. 3500000 (late 1993 est; many refugees left Bosnia in 1992ΓÇô94 and over 200000 people have been killed in the war)Capital: Sarajevo 526000 (city 416000; 1991 census); by 1994 the population of Sarajevo was c. 300000Other major cities: Tuzla 130000 (1991 census; over 230000 by 1994), Banja Luka 143000 (1991 census)Languages: Serbo-Croat ΓÇô a single language with two written formsReligions: (pre-1992) Sunni Islam (44%), Serbian Orthodox (33%), Roman Catholic (17%)GOVERNMENTTwo separate assemblies ΓÇô largely representing the previous national Assembly divided upon religio-linguistic grounds ΓÇô have evolved: the (internationally-recognized) government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (largely Muslim and Croat) based in Sarajevo and the (Bosnian Serb) government of the self-styled Republika Srpska based in Pale.GEOGRAPHYRidges of the Dinaric Mountains, rising to over 1800 m (6000 ft), occupy the greater part of the country and in places form arid karst limestone plateau. The north comprises restricted lowlands in the valley of the River Sava. The tiny coastline on the Adriatic is less than 20 km (13 mi) long. Climate: Bosnia (the north) has cold winters and warm summers; Herzegovina (the south) enjoys milder winters and warmer summers.ECONOMYThe economy has been devastated by war since 1992. Central and east Bosnia is forested. Agriculture is a major employer and sheep, maize, olives, grapes and citrous fruit are important. Bosnia has little industry. Currency: Bosnia uses Yugoslav and Croatian currency.HISTORYFrom the middle of the 12th century Bosnia came under Hungarian rule. In the 13th century, members of the Kotromanic family conquered Herzegovina and established an independent Bosnian kingdom. Bosnia declined in the 1390s and became a Turkish province in 1436. Under Ottoman rule ΓÇô during which many Bosnians became Muslims ΓÇô the region entered a long period of economic stagnation. During the 19th century, several revolts against Turkish rule were put down with ferocity. A major revolt (1875ΓÇô76) attracted international concern, but the great powers overrode BosniaΓÇÖs pan-Slavic aspirations at the Congress of Berlin (1877ΓÇô78; see p. 429) and assigned Bosnia-Herzegovina to Habsburg Austro-Hungarian rule. In Sarajevo in 1914, Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb student, assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire ΓÇô an event that helped precipitate World War I.In 1918, Bosnia became part of the new Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, which was renamed Yugoslavia in 1929. Following the German invasion (1941), Bosnia was included in the Axis-controlled puppet state of Croatia. In 1945, when Yugoslavia was reorganized by Marshal Tito on Soviet lines, Bosnia-Herzegovina became a republic within the Communist federation. After the secession of Slovenia and Croatia and the beginning of the Yugoslav wars (1991), tension grew between Serbs and Croats in Bosnia. The Muslim Bosnians reasserted their separate identity. In 1992, a referendum, which was boycotted by the Serbs, gave a majority in favor of Bosnian independence. International recognition of Bosnia-Herzegovina was gained in 1992, but Bosnian Serbs, encouraged by Serbia, seized 70% of the country, killing or expelling Muslims and Croats in a campaign of ΓÇÿethnic cleansingΓÇÖ. Areas of Herzegovina inhabited by ethnic Croats were effectively brought within the orbit of Croatia. International peace and humanitarian efforts were attempted and the UN declared certain enclaves to be ΓÇÿsafe havensΓÇÖ for Bosnian Muslims. In 1994 the Bosnian Croats and Muslims agreed to form a federation, but the Bosnian Serbs, despite pressure from the Serb (Yugoslav) government in Belgrade, refused to accept various international peace plans. Although previous ceasefires had been short-lived, a further ceasefire was agreed in 1995.</text> </content> <name>Bosnia</name> <script></script> </card>