History
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a region that traces human settlement back to the Neolithic age, which was populated by several Illyrian and Celtic civilizations. This country has one of the richest histories in the region, having first been settled by the Slavic people that populate the area today. The Banate of Bosnia was the first independent banate in the region, which evolved into the Kingdom of Bosnia and then into the Ottoman Empire, which it would remain from the mid-15th to the late 19th centuries.
The Ottomans brought Islam into the region and changed the cultural and social outlook of the country. This was followed by annexation into the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, which lasted up until World War I. During the war, Bosnia was part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and after World War II the country was granted full republic status in a newly formed Yugoslav Federation ("History of Bosnia & Herzegovina"). Following the dissolution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the country proclaimed independence in 1992. Bosnia is one of several small countries that emerged from the break-up of Yugoslavia.
More than a half of the population is rural, but the plateaus in the southern region are less populated than the central and northern zones. The urban-rural divide is a significant part of the Bosnian culture. During the 1960s and 1970s the urban population almost doubles. This shift affected the economic and industrial centers of many different cities. Traditional settlement patterns were disrupted by the post-independence war, with the population of many cities being overwhelmed by refugees (Campbell, 2013). The violence of the post-independence had the aim of creating ethnic purity in areas that once had a mixture of people. In addition to killing thousands, the violence displaced about half the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Hundreds of thousands of displaced people eventually returned to their prewar homes, but a significant portion resettled in areas where they were among the majority ethnic group.
The Ottomans brought Islam into the region and changed the cultural and social outlook of the country. This was followed by annexation into the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, which lasted up until World War I. During the war, Bosnia was part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and after World War II the country was granted full republic status in a newly formed Yugoslav Federation ("History of Bosnia & Herzegovina"). Following the dissolution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the country proclaimed independence in 1992. Bosnia is one of several small countries that emerged from the break-up of Yugoslavia.
More than a half of the population is rural, but the plateaus in the southern region are less populated than the central and northern zones. The urban-rural divide is a significant part of the Bosnian culture. During the 1960s and 1970s the urban population almost doubles. This shift affected the economic and industrial centers of many different cities. Traditional settlement patterns were disrupted by the post-independence war, with the population of many cities being overwhelmed by refugees (Campbell, 2013). The violence of the post-independence had the aim of creating ethnic purity in areas that once had a mixture of people. In addition to killing thousands, the violence displaced about half the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Hundreds of thousands of displaced people eventually returned to their prewar homes, but a significant portion resettled in areas where they were among the majority ethnic group.
5 Major Turning Points
1. The Ottoman conquest of Bosnia introduced many changed in the political and cultural landscape of Bosnia.
2. The kingdom of Yugoslavia, which contained Bosnia, was conquered by Nazi forces in World War II. More than 300,000 people died in Bosnia and Herzegovina in World War II. The establishment of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia at the end of the war made Bosnia and Herzegovina one of six constituent republics in the new state.
3. The fall of the Soviet Union and the break-up of Yugoslavia led to the Bosnian War.
4. The Bosnian War in which 100,000 people were killed, 20,000 to 50,000 women were raped and 2.2 million people were displaced. This was the most devastating conflict in Europe since the end of World War II.
5. The Dayton Agreement that concluded the country would retain its pre-war external boundaries but be composed of two parts. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Serb Republic that would administer their parts of the country.
2. The kingdom of Yugoslavia, which contained Bosnia, was conquered by Nazi forces in World War II. More than 300,000 people died in Bosnia and Herzegovina in World War II. The establishment of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia at the end of the war made Bosnia and Herzegovina one of six constituent republics in the new state.
3. The fall of the Soviet Union and the break-up of Yugoslavia led to the Bosnian War.
4. The Bosnian War in which 100,000 people were killed, 20,000 to 50,000 women were raped and 2.2 million people were displaced. This was the most devastating conflict in Europe since the end of World War II.
5. The Dayton Agreement that concluded the country would retain its pre-war external boundaries but be composed of two parts. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Serb Republic that would administer their parts of the country.
In 1950, life expectancy was much lower than it is today. Between the ages of 0-25 there appears to be more males than females. The gender ratio begins to equal out between the ages of 25-55. Towards the top of the period, the percentage of females is slightly higher than males.
The expected population pyramid for 2020 seems more proportional than in 1950. Life expectancy is much higher, ranging in the 80s and 90s compared to the 60s and 70s. Technology is much more advanced and people are living longer and healthier lives.
Additional Resources
1. The World Factbook - https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bk.html
2. Embassy of the United States: Bosnia and Herzegovina - http://sarajevo.usembassy.gov/
2. Embassy of the United States: Bosnia and Herzegovina - http://sarajevo.usembassy.gov/
References
Campbell, H (2013, October 8). Bosnia and Herzegovina. retrieved February 1, 2014, from Encyclopedia Britannica Web Site: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/700826/Bosnia-and-Herzegovina/
History of Bosnia & Herzegovina. (n.d) retrieved February 1, 2014, from Lonely Planet Web Site: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/bosnia-and-hercegovina/history
History of Bosnia & Herzegovina. (n.d) retrieved February 1, 2014, from Lonely Planet Web Site: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/bosnia-and-hercegovina/history