Bosnian Domains

Bosnia is actually composed of two regions, Bosnia and Herzegovina. While there are no firm boundaries between these two areas, the Bosnian area accounts for approximately four-fifths of the country (the northern region), and Herzegovina comprises the remaining southern area.

Located in the Balkan Peninsula, Bosnia shares its northern, western, and southern borders with Croatia. Serbia is found on its east and Montenegro on its southeast borders. It not a landlocked country, however, as it has slightly less than 20 miles of coastland on the Adriatic Sea. Its diverse geography ranges from mountains in the central and southern regions to hills in the northwest and flatlands in the northeast. The climate is generally moderate, but it does vary. For example, in Bosnia's interior region, the winters are cold and snowy while the summers are quite hot. In the southern area, the climate is Mediterranean.

Interestingly, Bosnia is home to three ethnic groups: Bosniaks (the largest group), Serbs (the second largest group), and Croats. Citizens of this country refer to themselves as constituent peoples, a term that unique to this country, but in English, these groups are commonly referred to as Bosnians. Originally part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, they gained their independence during the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s. The central government is mostly decentralized, with its power divided by two autonomous entities -- the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska. A third region, the Brcko District, is governed under local government.

Because of the war, Bosnia has been rebuilding its economy. They have a national currency, konvertibilna marka, which is pegged to the euro. At this time, their economy consists of exporting metal, energy, textiles, and furniture. Tourism has started to increase, and this is sure to help their economy.