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AREA:
51,129 sq km (19,741 sq miles).
POPULATION: 4,510,000 (1996).
POPULATION DENSITY: 88.2 per sq
km.
CAPITAL: Sarajevo. Population: 526,000
(1998).
GEOGRAPHY: Roughly triangular in
shape, and the geopolitical centre of the former Yugoslav federation,
Bosnia and Herzegovina shares borders with Serbia and Montenegro in the
east and southeast, and Croatia to the north and west, with a short Adriatic
coastline of 20km (12 miles) in the southeast, but no ports.
GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary Democracy.
Under the terms of the 1995 Dayton Peace agreement, Bosnia and Herzegovina
consists of two entities: Federacija Bosne i Hercegovine (the Federation
of Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Republika Srpska (the Serbian Republic).
Heads of State: The presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina consists of two
Members and one Chairperson: one Bosniac, one Serb and one Croat. Current
Members and Chairman are: Halid Genjac (since 2000), Ante Jelavic (since
1998) and Zivko Radišic (since 1998). The chair rotates. Head of Government:
Spasoje Tuševljak (since 2000).
LANGUAGE: The official languages
are Bosnian, Serbian and Croatian. The Croats and Bosniacs use the Latin
alphabet, whereas the Serbs use the Cyrillic.
RELIGION: 44%
Muslim, 31% Orthodox and 17% Roman Catholic. 8% other denominations.
TIME: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last
Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in September).
ELECTRICITY: 220 volts AC, 50Hz.
2-pin plugs are in use.
COMMUNICATIONS: Telephone: Country
code: 387. Outgoing international code: 00. All telecommunications services,
including facsimile, have been restored. This is also true of internal
and international postal services. Mobile telephone: Dual band width.
Coverage extends nearly all over the country. Roaming agreements are in
operation. Internet/E-mail: Local ISPs include bih.net and Inecco (web
site:http://www.bih.net.ba
and http://www.Inecco.net).
There are few, if any cyber cafés; however, hotels may provide facilities
BBC World Service and Voice of America
frequencies:
From time to time these change
BBC |MHz |15.40 |11.76 |6.190 |3.255
VoA |MHz |15.26 |9.770 |1.197 |0.792
CURRENCY: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Konvertibilna Marka (KM) = 100 pfenings. Notes are in denominations of
KM100,50, 20, 10, 5 and 1 and 50 pfenings. (coins KM 2, 1, 0.50, 0.20)
CURRENCY EXCHANGE: Due to hyperinflation
in all the former Yugoslav republics, the only true repository of value
and means of exchange locally are the Deutsch mark and US Dollar. The
Pound Sterling is of relatively little value in the republic and rarely
used. Included in the Dayton Peace Agreement, signed in 1995, were provisions
for a Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This bank was to act as
a currency board for a minimum of six years and was to be the sole authority
for the issue of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Konvertibilna Marka.
CREDIT CARDS: These are readily
accepted. Check with your credit card company for details of merchant
acceptability. There are cash dispensers.
TRAVELLERS CHEQUES: Bosnia and Herzegovina
is generally a cash-only economy but travellers cheques are easily
exchanged.
CURRENCY RESTRICTIONS: The import
and export of local currency are limited to KM200,000. There are no restrictions
on the import and export of foreign are unlimited.
BANKING HOURS: 0800-1700 Monday
to Friday.
British Embassy
Tina Ujevica 8, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Tel: (33) 444 429.
Fax: (33) 666 131. E-mail: britemb@bih.net.ba
Consular section: Petrakijina 11, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Tel: (33) 208 229 or 204 781. Fax: (33) 204 780. E-mail: visaenquiries@sarajevo.mail.fco.gov.uk
or consularenquiries@sarajevo.mail.fco.gov.uk
Health care: There is a reciprocal
health agreement with the UK. Hospital treatment, some dental treatment
and other medical treatment is normally free upon presentation of the
following: a UK passport (for UK nationals); a certificate of insurance,
obtainable from the Department of Social Security Contributions Agency,
Overseas Branch, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE98 1YX (for non-UK nationals who
are resident in the UK). Prescribed medicines must be paid for. All other
international travellers are advised to take out full medical insurance
1: Immunisation or tablets against typhoid and polio are recommended;
immunisation against typhoid may be less important for short stays in
first-class conditions.
2: Water is generally considered safe to drink. Local meat, poultry, seafood,
fruit and vegetables are generally considered safe to eat, although it
is advisable to peel vegetables and fruit and only eat cooked meat and
fish, preferably served hot. Milk is unpasteurised and should be boiled.
Avoid dairy products which are likely to have been made from unboiled
milk. Rabies is present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival
should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay.
Crime Information: Although street
crime is relatively low and violent crimes are rare, petty street crimes
such as pick pocketing and breaking into parked automobiles are problems.
Travellers should take normal precautions to protect their property from
theft and exercise common sense personal security measures such as avoiding
travel in deserted areas after dark, walking in pairs, and staying in
well-lighted areas after dark. The most serious problem affecting travellers
to Bosnia and Herzegovina is armed, at times violent, carjacking, especially
of four-wheel-drive vehicles. In carjacking situations, the U.S. Embassy
advises compliance without resistance. Confrontations with local citizens
resulting from traffic incidents or public disagreements should be avoided.
The loss or theft of a US or UK passport should be reported immediately to
the local police and the nearest US or UK Embassy or Consulate. Useful information
on safeguarding valuables and protecting personal safety while travelling
abroad is provided in the Department of State's pamphlet A Safe Trip Abroad.
It is available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government
Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402, via the Internet at www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs,
or the Bureau of Consular Affairs home page.
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