This country on the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe is sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina and is often informally known as Bosnia. The capital and the largest city is Sarajevo. Bosnia and Herzegovina is an almost landlocked country. It has a narrow coast at the Adriatic Sea alongside the town of Neum.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast. The landscape is mountainous in the central and eastern interior, the northwest is moderately hilly, and the northeast is mainly flatland.
The inland, Bosnia, is a larger region with a moderate continental climate with snowy, cold winters and hot summers. Herzegovina, on the southern tip, has a Mediterranean climate with plain topography.
There are three main ethnic groups including the Bosniaks, the largest group, the Serbs and the Croats. A native of Bosnia and Herzegovina is usually identified in English as Bosnian. The minorities consist of Jews, Poles, Ukrainians, Roma and Turks.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the most frequently visited countries in the region and is believed to have the third highest tourism growth rate in the world. The country is known for its cultural heritage, winters sports, cuisine, architecture and natural environment.
The country has a bicameral legislature and a three-member presidency composed of a member of each ethnic group. The central government's power is highly limited and there are two autonomous entities. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is complex and has 10 cantons.
