geography of Bosnia and Herzegovina

{{Main|Regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina}}

The country's name comes from the two regions Bosnia and Herzegovina, which have a very vaguely defined border between them. Bosnia occupies the northern areas which are roughly four fifths of the entire country, while Herzegovina occupies the rest in the southern part of the country.

The major cities are the capital Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Bihać in the northwest region known as Bosanska Krajina, Tuzla in the northeast, Zenica in the central part of Bosnia and Mostar is the capital of Herzegovina.

The south part of Bosnia has Mediterranean climate and a great deal of agriculture. Central Bosnia is the most mountainous part of Bosnia featuring prominent mountains Vlašić, Čvrsnica, and Prenj. Eastern Bosnia also features mountains like Trebević, Jahorina, Igman, Bjelašnica and Treskavica. It was here that the 1984 Winter Olympics were held.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina forest cover is around 43% of the total land area, equivalent to 2,187,910 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, down from 2,210,000 hectares (ha) in 1990. For the year 2015, 74% of the forest area was reported to be under public ownership and 26% private ownership.{{Cite book |url=https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/a6e225da-4a31-4e06-818d-ca3aeadfd635/content |title=Terms and Definitions FRA 2025 Forest Resources Assessment, Working Paper 194 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |year=2023}}{{Cite web |title=Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020, Bosnia and Herzegovina |url=https://fra-data.fao.org/assessments/fra/2020/BIH/home/overview |website=Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations}} Eastern Bosnia is heavily forested along the river Drina and most forest areas are in Central, Eastern and Western parts of Bosnia. Northern Bosnia contains very fertile agricultural land along the river Sava and the corresponding area is heavily farmed. This farmland is a part of the Parapannonian Plain stretching into neighbouring Croatia and Serbia. The river Sava and corresponding Posavina river basin hold the cities of Brčko, Bosanski Šamac, Bosanski Brod and Bosanska Gradiška.

The northwest part of Bosnia is called Bosanska Krajina and holds the cities of Banja Luka, Prijedor, Sanski Most, Jajce, Cazin, Velika Kladuša and Bihać. Kozara National Park and Mrakovica World War II monument is located in this region.

The country has only {{convert|20|km|mi|1}} of coastline,[https://web.archive.org/web/20070613004524/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2060.html Field Listing – Coastline], The World Factbook, 2006-08-22 around the town of Neum in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, although surrounded by Croatian peninsulas it is possible to get to the middle of the Adriatic from Neum. Through the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Bosnia has a right of innocent passage to the outer sea. Neum has many hotels and is an important tourism destination.

File:Sliv Neretve.gif

File:Vrelo Bosne 3.JPG river, Ilidža]]

There are seven major rivers of Bosnia and Herzegovina:

• The Una in the northwest part of Bosnia flows along the northern and western border of Bosnia and Croatia and through the Bosnian city of Bihać. It is popular for rafting and adventure sports.
• The Sana flows through the city of Sanski Most and Prijedor and is a tributary of the river Una in the north.
• The Vrbas flows through the cities of Gornji Vakuf – Uskoplje, Bugojno, Jajce, Banja Luka, Srbac and reaches the river Sava in the north. The Vrbas flows through the central part of Bosnia and flows outwards to the North.
• The Bosna is the longest river in Bosnia and is fully contained within the country as it stretches from its source near Sarajevo to the river Sava in the north. It gave its name to the country.
• The Drina flows through the eastern part of Bosnia, at many places in the border between Bosnia and Serbia. The Drina flows through the cities of Foča, Goražde Višegrad and Zvornik.
• The Neretva is the longest river in Herzegovina, flowing from Jablanica south to the Adriatic Sea. The river is famous as it flows through the city of Mostar.File:Affected People by Floods 2005 2015 Europe.png

The Sava is the longest river in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, within Bosnia and Herzegovina, it only runs along the border with Croatia. It then flows into Serbia. Towns like Brčko, Bosanski Šamac, and Bosanska Gradiška lie on the river.

Phytogeographically, Bosnia and Herzegovina belongs to the Boreal Kingdom and is shared between the Illyrian province of the Circumboreal Region and Adriatic province of the Mediterranean Region. According to the WWF, the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina can be subdivided into three ecoregions: the Pannonian mixed forests, Dinaric Mountains mixed forests and Illyrian deciduous forests.

Except for the easternmost provinces, the country experiences a wet Mediterranean climate.{{Cite web|url=https://www.climatestotravel.com/climate/bosnia-herzegovina|title=Bosnia Herzegovina climate: average weather, temperature, precipitation, best time|website=www.climatestotravel.com|access-date=2020-03-16}}

{{Weather box

| width = auto

| location = Mostar (1961–1990, extremes 1949–present)

| metric first = Y

| single line = Y

| Jan record high C = 18.2

| Feb record high C = 25.0

| Mar record high C = 27.6

| Apr record high C = 31.5

| May record high C = 35.6

| Jun record high C = 41.2

| Jul record high C = 46.2

| Aug record high C = 43.1

| Sep record high C = 38.8

| Oct record high C = 32.5

| Nov record high C = 25.5

| Dec record high C = 19.4

| year record high C = 46.2

| Jan high C = 8.3

| Feb high C = 10.8

| Mar high C = 14.6

| Apr high C = 19.0

| May high C = 24.0

| Jun high C = 27.6

| Jul high C = 31.1

| Aug high C = 31.2

| Sep high C = 26.9

| Oct high C = 21.0

| Nov high C = 14.5

| Dec high C = 9.7

| year high C = 19.9

| Jan mean C = 4.8

| Feb mean C = 6.6

| Mar mean C = 9.7

| Apr mean C = 13.3

| May mean C = 18.0

| Jun mean C = 21.5

| Jul mean C = 24.7

| Aug mean C = 24.2

| Sep mean C = 20.4

| Oct mean C = 15.3

| Nov mean C = 10.1

| Dec mean C = 6.2

| year mean C = 14.6

| Jan low C = 1.9

| Feb low C = 3.2

| Mar low C = 5.4

| Apr low C = 8.4

| May low C = 12.5

| Jun low C = 15.8

| Jul low C = 18.6

| Aug low C = 18.4

| Sep low C = 15.3

| Oct low C = 11.2

| Nov low C = 6.7

| Dec low C = 3.3

| year low C = 10.1

| Jan record low C = -10.9

| Feb record low C = -9.6

| Mar record low C = -6.5

| Apr record low C = -1.2

| May record low C = 3.3

| Jun record low C = 8.0

| Jul record low C = 8.4

| Aug record low C = 9.6

| Sep record low C = 6.4

| Oct record low C = -0.1

| Nov record low C = -4.8

| Dec record low C = -7.8

| year record low C = -10.9

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation mm = 164.7

| Feb precipitation mm = 153.2

| Mar precipitation mm = 150.0

| Apr precipitation mm = 127.3

| May precipitation mm = 102.1

| Jun precipitation mm = 77.9

| Jul precipitation mm = 44.8

| Aug precipitation mm = 73.7

| Sep precipitation mm = 96.3

| Oct precipitation mm = 153.5

| Nov precipitation mm = 199.9

| Dec precipitation mm = 178.9

|year precipitation mm = 1522.5

| unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm

| Jan precipitation days = 12.5

| Feb precipitation days = 12.1

| Mar precipitation days = 12.4

| Apr precipitation days = 13.0

| May precipitation days = 12.3

| Jun precipitation days = 11.6

| Jul precipitation days = 7.4

| Aug precipitation days = 7.4

| Sep precipitation days = 8.2

| Oct precipitation days = 10.3

| Nov precipitation days = 13.4

| Dec precipitation days = 13.1

|year precipitation days = 133.8

|unit snow days = 1.0 cm

| Jan snow days = 2.9

| Feb snow days = 1.5

| Mar snow days = 0.6

| Apr snow days = 0.0

| May snow days = 0.0

| Jun snow days = 0.0

| Jul snow days = 0.0

| Aug snow days = 0.0

| Sep snow days = 0.0

| Oct snow days = 0.0

| Nov snow days = 0.1

| Dec snow days = 1.2

|year snow days = 6.3

| Jan humidity = 65.9

| Feb humidity = 63.3

| Mar humidity = 61.0

| Apr humidity = 61.8

| May humidity = 62.7

| Jun humidity = 61.2

| Jul humidity = 52.7

| Aug humidity = 53.7

| Sep humidity = 60.1

| Oct humidity = 65.2

| Nov humidity = 69.3

| Dec humidity = 67.4

| year humidity = 62.0

| Jan sun = 109.3

| Feb sun = 117.5

| Mar sun = 155.3

| Apr sun = 173.9

| May sun = 222.7

| Jun sun = 252.1

| Jul sun = 322.8

| Aug sun = 296.2

| Sep sun = 230.7

| Oct sun = 186.8

| Nov sun = 116.6

| Dec sun = 102.8

| year sun = 2286.5

| source 1 = Meteorological Institute of Bosnia and Herzegovina{{cite web

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180507020828/http://atlasklime.fhmzbih.gov.ba/en/data-access/reference-period/9

| archive-date = 7 May 2018

| url = http://atlasklime.fhmzbih.gov.ba/en/data-access/reference-period/9

| title = Meteorlogical data for station Mostar in period 1961–1990

| publisher = Meteorological Institute of Bosnia and Herzegovina

| access-date = 6 May 2018}}{{cite web

| url = http://climaintoscana.altervista.org/europa/bosnia-ed-erzegovina/mostar/

| title = Mostar: Record mensili dal 1949

| publisher = Meteorological Institute of Bosnia and Herzegovina

| language = it

| access-date = 14 February 2016}}

| date = January 2011

}}

The hills and mountains are drier, colder, windier, and cloudier.

{{Weather box

|width = auto

|location = Sarajevo

|collapsed =

|metric first = Y

|single line = Y

| Jan record high C = 18.2

| Feb record high C = 21.4

| Mar record high C = 26.6

| Apr record high C = 30.2

| May record high C = 33.2

| Jun record high C = 35.9

| Jul record high C = 38.2

| Aug record high C = 40.0

| Sep record high C = 37.7

| Oct record high C = 32.2

| Nov record high C = 24.7

| Dec record high C = 18.0

|year record high C = 40.0

| Jan high C = 3.7

| Feb high C = 6.0

| Mar high C = 10.9

| Apr high C = 15.6

| May high C = 21.4

| Jun high C = 24.5

| Jul high C = 27.0

| Aug high C = 27.2

| Sep high C = 22.0

| Oct high C = 17.0

| Nov high C = 9.7

| Dec high C = 4.2

|year high C = 15.8

| Jan mean C = 0.2

| Feb mean C = 1.8

| Mar mean C = 6.0

| Apr mean C = 10.2

| May mean C = 15.2

| Jun mean C = 18.2

| Jul mean C = 20.3

| Aug mean C = 20.4

| Sep mean C = 16.0

| Oct mean C = 11.7

| Nov mean C = 5.8

| Dec mean C = 1.2

|year mean C = 10.6

| Jan low C = -3.3

| Feb low C = -2.5

| Mar low C = 1.1

| Apr low C = 4.8

| May low C = 9.0

| Jun low C = 11.9

| Jul low C = 13.7

| Aug low C = 13.7

| Sep low C = 10.0

| Oct low C = 6.4

| Nov low C = 1.9

| Dec low C = -1.8

|year low C = 5.4

| Jan record low C = -26.8

| Feb record low C = -23.4

| Mar record low C = -26.4

| Apr record low C = -13.2

| May record low C = -9.0

| Jun record low C = -3.2

| Jul record low C = -2.7

| Aug record low C = -1.0

| Sep record low C = -4.0

| Oct record low C = -10.9

| Nov record low C = -19.3

| Dec record low C = -22.4

|year record low C = -26.8

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation mm = 68

| Feb precipitation mm = 64

| Mar precipitation mm = 70

| Apr precipitation mm = 77

| May precipitation mm = 72

| Jun precipitation mm = 90

| Jul precipitation mm = 72

| Aug precipitation mm = 66

| Sep precipitation mm = 91

| Oct precipitation mm = 86

| Nov precipitation mm = 85

| Dec precipitation mm = 86

|year precipitation mm = 928

| Jan humidity = 79

| Feb humidity = 74

| Mar humidity = 68

| Apr humidity = 67

| May humidity = 68

| Jun humidity = 70

| Jul humidity = 69

| Aug humidity = 69

| Sep humidity = 75

| Oct humidity = 77

| Nov humidity = 76

| Dec humidity = 81

|year humidity = 73

| Jan rain days = 8

| Feb rain days = 10

| Mar rain days = 13

| Apr rain days = 17

| May rain days = 17

| Jun rain days = 16

| Jul rain days = 14

| Aug rain days = 13

| Sep rain days = 15

| Oct rain days = 13

| Nov rain days = 12

| Dec rain days = 11

|year rain days = 159

| Jan snow days = 10

| Feb snow days = 12

| Mar snow days = 9

| Apr snow days = 2

| May snow days = 0.2

| Jun snow days = 0

| Jul snow days = 0

| Aug snow days = 0

| Sep snow days = 0

| Oct snow days = 2

| Nov snow days = 6

| Dec snow days = 12

|year snow days = 53

| Jan sun = 57.1

| Feb sun = 83.8

| Mar sun = 125.6

| Apr sun = 152.3

| May sun = 191.7

| Jun sun = 207.1

| Jul sun = 256.3

| Aug sun = 238.2

| Sep sun = 186.6

| Oct sun = 148.8

| Nov sun = 81.2

| Dec sun = 40.7

|year sun = 1769.4

|source 1 = Pogoda.ru.net{{cite web

| url = http://www.pogoda.ru.net/climate2/14654.htm

| title = Weather and Climate: The Climate of Sarajevo

| publisher = Weather and Climate (Погода и климат)

| access-date = August 25, 2016

| language = ru

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120516141700/http://pogoda.ru.net/climate2/14654.htm

| archive-date = May 16, 2012

| url-status = dead}}

|source 2 = NOAA (sun, 1961–1990){{cite web

| url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/RA-VI/BH/14654.TXT

| title = Sarajevo Climate Normals 1961–1990

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = August 25, 2016}}

|date=August 2016

}}

The north region has a typical continental climate.

{{Weather box

|width = auto

|location = Banja Luka

|metric first = Y

|single line = Y

|Jan record high C = 22.3

|Feb record high C = 25.2

|Mar record high C = 29.0

|Apr record high C = 31.8

|May record high C = 35.2

|Jun record high C = 37.9

|Jul record high C = 41.6

|Aug record high C = 41.1

|Sep record high C = 40.2

|Oct record high C = 30.9

|Nov record high C = 27.1

|Dec record high C = 23.2

|year record high C = 41.6

|Jan high C = 6.7

|Feb high C = 7.8

|Mar high C = 13.7

|Apr high C = 19.3

|May high C = 23.2

|Jun high C = 27.3

|Jul high C = 29.9

|Aug high C = 30.1

|Sep high C = 24.3

|Oct high C = 18.5

|Nov high C = 13.0

|Dec high C = 7.2

|year high C = 18.4

|Jan mean C = 1.7

|Feb mean C = 2.5

|Mar mean C = 7.3

|Apr mean C = 12.5

|May mean C = 16.8

|Jun mean C = 20.8

|Jul mean C = 22.8

|Aug mean C = 22.3

|Sep mean C = 17.1

|Oct mean C = 11.8

|Nov mean C = 7.3

|Dec mean C = 2.8

|year mean C = 12.1

|Jan low C = -2.1

|Feb low C = -1.4

|Mar low C = 1.8

|Apr low C = 6.4

|May low C = 10.0

|Jun low C = 14.4

|Jul low C = 16.0

|Aug low C = 15.6

|Sep low C = 11.4

|Oct low C = 7.0

|Nov low C = 3.2

|Dec low C = -0.7

|year low C = 6.8

|Jan record low C = -22.8

|Feb record low C = -21.5

|Mar record low C = -18.2

|Apr record low C = -5.9

|May record low C = 0.0

|Jun record low C = 4.0

|Jul record low C = 6.7

|Aug record low C = 6.1

|Sep record low C = 0.0

|Oct record low C = -5.5

|Nov record low C = -11.0

|Dec record low C = -18.0

|year record low C = -22.8

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 71.7

|Feb precipitation mm = 67.6

|Mar precipitation mm = 77.8

|Apr precipitation mm = 86.5

|May precipitation mm = 98.3

|Jun precipitation mm = 109.2

|Jul precipitation mm = 73.9

|Aug precipitation mm = 74.2

|Sep precipitation mm = 83.9

|Oct precipitation mm = 103.9

|Nov precipitation mm = 89.5

|Dec precipitation mm = 100.8

|year precipitation mm = 1037.2

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 8.9

|Feb precipitation days = 9.7

|Mar precipitation days = 9.4

|Apr precipitation days = 9.2

|May precipitation days = 9.8

|Jun precipitation days = 8.1

|Jul precipitation days = 7.9

|Aug precipitation days = 5.8

|Sep precipitation days = 7.9

|Oct precipitation days = 8.9

|Nov precipitation days = 8.1

|Dec precipitation days = 10.2

|year precipitation days = 104.0

|Jan humidity = 82

|Feb humidity = 80

|Mar humidity = 73

|Apr humidity = 69

|May humidity = 71

|Jun humidity = 71

|Jul humidity = 70

|Aug humidity = 73

|Sep humidity = 78

|Oct humidity = 82

|Nov humidity = 84

|Dec humidity = 83

|year humidity = 76

|Jan sun = 54

|Feb sun = 71

|Mar sun = 125

|Apr sun = 158

|May sun = 206

|Jun sun = 222

|Jul sun = 272

|Aug sun = 238

|Sep sun = 186

|Oct sun = 133

|Nov sun = 70

|Dec sun = 46

|year sun =

|source 1 = Deutscher Wetterdienst (temperatures, 1992–2016, extremes 1973–2016, precipitation, 1926–2016, precipitation days, 1992–2016, humidity, 1973–1991 and sun, 1961–1990)

{{cite web|url=http://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_145420_kt.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_145420_kt.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=Klimatafel von Banja Luka/Bosnien und Herzegowina|work=Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world|publisher=Deutscher Wetterdienst|language=de|access-date=22 November 2016}}{{cite web|url=ftp://ftp-cdc.dwd.de/pub/CDC/observations_global/CLIMAT/multi_annual/sunshine_duration/1961_1990.txt|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171017195327/ftp://ftp-cdc.dwd.de/pub/CDC/observations_global/CLIMAT/multi_annual/sunshine_duration/1961_1990.txt|url-status=dead|archive-date=2017-10-17|title=Station 14542 Banja Luka|work=Global station data 1961–1990—Sunshine Duration|publisher=Deutscher Wetterdienst|access-date=29 January 2016}}{{efn|[https://web.archive.org/web/20171017195318/ftp://ftp-cdc.dwd.de/pub/CDC/help/stations_list_CLIMAT_data.txt Station ID for Banja Luka is 14542] Use this station ID to locate the sunshine duration}}|date=January 2011}}

{{Excerpt|Environment of Bosnia and Herzegovina#Climate change}}

File:Calcite Crystal from Trebević.JPG Crystal found at Trebević mountain around Sarajevo; Bosnia and Herzegovina on display at National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina.]]

Various archaeological artifacts including relicts of mining activities and tools belonging to similar age groups, provide an indication of the geographical distribution, scale and methods of mining activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Paleolithic to Roman era.

Most important of these is the so-called area of “central Bosnian mountains” located between the rivers Vrbas, Lašva, Neretva, Rama and their tributaries. The second one is the area of western Bosnia, bordered by the Vrbas and Una rivers, with its main orebearing formations found in the river-valleys of Sana and Japra, and their tributaries. The third area is eastern Bosnia, around the river Drina between the towns of Foča and Zvornik, the principal mining activity centered around Srebrenica.

Ores of various metals, including iron, are found in these areas and exploitation has been going on for more than 5000 years – from the period of prehistoric human settlers, through Illyrian, Roman, Slavic, Turkish and Austrian rulers, into the present.{{cite web|url=http://www.anubih.ba/vanserijska/Minerali-1.pdf|title=Minerali Bosne i Hercegovine|date=1 September 2015|website=Anubih.ba|access-date=1 September 2015|archive-date=5 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805114740/http://www.anubih.ba/vanserijska/Minerali-1.pdf|url-status=dead}}

• Arable land: 19.73%
• Permanent crops: 2.06%
• Other: 78.22% (2012 est.)

Irrigated land: {{convert|30|km2||abbr=on}} (2003)

Total renewable water resources: {{convert|37.5|km3||abbr=on}} (2011)

{{Main|Environment of Bosnia and Herzegovina}}

Natural hazards:

• Destructive earthquakes

Current issues:

• Air pollution from metallurgical plants
• Sites for disposing of urban waste are limited
• Widespread casualties, water shortages, and destruction of infrastructure because of the 1992–95 war
• Deforestation

International agreements:

• Party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
• Signed, but not ratified: none

File:NP001 nacionalni park sutjeska perucica.jpg|Sutjeska National Park

File:NP002 - 14.jpg|Kozara National Park

File:Štrbački buk 1.jpg|Una National Park

File:Drina Canyon.JPG|Drina National Park

• Environment of Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Geography of Europe
• List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina

{{Reflist}}

{{notelist}}

• {{cite book |date=February 1959 |first=Željko |last=Poljak |chapter=Ostali članci o Bosni i Hercegovini |pages=24–24 |title=Kazalo za "Hrvatski planinar" i "Naše planine" 1898—1958 |series=Naše planine |issn=0354-0650 |volume=XI |issue=1–2 |url=https://www.hps.hr/hp-arhiva/195901.pdf |language=hr}}

{{commons category|Geography of Bosnia and Herzegovina}}

{{Bosnia and Herzegovina topics}}

{{Geography of Europe}}

{{Europe topic|Climate of}}

{{CIA World Factbook|year=2005}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Geography Of Bosnia And Herzegovina}}