Bosnia and Herzegovina Geography 1997

Location Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia

Geographic coordinates 44 00 N, 18 00 E

Map references Bosnia and Herzegovina, Europe

Area
total: 51,233 sq km
land: 51,233 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries
total: 1,459 km
border countries: Croatia 932 km, Serbia and Montenegro 527 km (312 km with Serbia, 215km with Montenegro)

Coastline 20 km

Maritime claims NA

Climate hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, coolsummers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast

Terrain mountains and valleys

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Maglic 2,386 m

Natural resources coal, iron, bauxite, manganese, forests, copper, chromium, lead, zinc

Land use
arable land: 14%
permanent crops : 5%
permanent pastures: 20%
forests and woodland: 39%
other: 22% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land 20 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards frequent and destructive earthquakes

Environment - current issues air pollution from metallurgical plants; sites for disposing of urbanwaste are limited; widespread casualties, water shortages, and destructionof infrastructure because of the 1992-95 civil strife

Environment - international agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation,Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note within Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized borders, the country is dividedinto a joint Muslim-Croat Federation (about 51% of the territory) and a SerbRepublic, The Republika Srpska [RS] (about 49% of the territory); the regioncalled Herzegovina is contiguous to Croatia and traditionally has been settledby an ethnic Croat majority

NOTE: The information regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Bosnia and Herzegovina Geography 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Bosnia and Herzegovina Geography 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.