Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Serbia
Government
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Serbia | |
|---|---|---|
| Country name | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Bosnia and Herzegovina local long form: none local short form: Bosna i Hercegovina former: People's Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina abbreviation: BiH etymology: the larger northern territory is named for the Bosna River; the smaller southern section takes its name from the German word "herzog," meaning "duke," and the ending "-ovina," meaning "land," forming the combination denoting "dukedom" | conventional long form: Republic of Serbia conventional short form: Serbia local long form: Republika Srbija local short form: Srbija former: People's Republic of Serbia, Socialist Republic of Serbia etymology: the origin of the name is uncertain, but seems to be related to the name of the West Slavic Sorbs who reside in the Lusatian region in present-day eastern Germany; by tradition, the Serbs migrated from that region to the Balkans in about the 6th century A.D. |
| Government type | parliamentary republic | parliamentary republic |
| Capital | name: Sarajevo geographic coordinates: 43 52 N, 18 25 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October etymology: the name derives from the Turkish noun "saray," meaning "palace" or "mansion," and the term "ova," signifying "plain(s)," to give a meaning of "palace plains" or "the plains about the palace" | name: Belgrade (Beograd) geographic coordinates: 44 50 N, 20 30 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October etymology: the Serbian "Beograd" means "white fortress" or "white city" and dates back to the 9th century; the name derives from the white fortress wall that once enclosed the city |
| Administrative divisions | 3 first-order administrative divisions - Brcko District (Brcko Distrikt) (ethnically mixed), Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federacija Bosne i Hercegovine) (predominantly Bosniak-Croat), Republika Srpska (predominantly Serb) | 119 municipalities (opstine, singular - opstina) and 26 cities (gradovi, singular - grad) municipalities: Ada*, Aleksandrovac, Aleksinac, Alibunar*, Apatin*, Arandelovac, Arilje, Babusnica, Bac*, Backa Palanka*, Backa Topola*, Backi Petrovac*, Bajina Basta, Batocina, Becej*, Bela Crkva*, Bela Palanka, Beocin*, Blace, Bogatic, Bojnik, Boljevac, Bor, Bosilegrad, Brus, Bujanovac, Cajetina, Cicevac, Coka*, Crna Trava, Cuprija, Despotovac, Dimitrov, Doljevac, Gadzin Han, Golubac, Gornji Milanovac, Indija*, Irig*, Ivanjica, Kanjiza*, Kladovo, Knic, Knjazevac, Koceljeva, Kosjeric, Kovacica*, Kovin*, Krupanj, Kucevo, Kula*, Kursumlija, Lajkovac, Lapovo, Lebane, Ljig, Ljubovija, Lucani, Majdanpek, Mali Idos*, Mali Zvornik, Malo Crnice, Medveda, Merosina, Mionica, Negotin, Nova Crnja*, Nova Varos, Novi Becej*, Novi Knezevac*, Odzaci*, Opovo*, Osecina, Paracin, Pecinci*, Petrovac na Mlavi, Plandiste*, Pozega, Presevo, Priboj, Prijepolje, Prokuplje, Raca, Raska, Razanj, Rekovac, Ruma*, Secanj*, Senta*, Sid*, Sjenica, Smederevska Palanka, Sokobanja, Srbobran*, Sremski Karlovci*, Stara Pazova*, Surdulica, Svilajnac, Svrljig, Temerin*, Titel*, Topola, Trgoviste, Trstenik, Tutin, Ub, Varvarin, Velika Plana, Veliko Gradiste, Vladicin Han, Vladimirci, Vlasotince, Vrbas*, Vrnjacka Banja, Zabalj*, Zabari, Zagubica, Zitiste*, Zitorada; cities: Beograd, Cacak, Jagodina, Kikinda*, Kragujevac, Kraljevo, Krusevac, Leskovac, Loznica, Nis, Novi Pazar, Novi Sad*, Pancevo*, Pirot, Pozarevac, Sabac, Smederevo, Sombor*, Sremska Mitrovica*, Subotica*, Uzice, Valjevo, Vranje, Vrsac*, Zajecar, Zrenjanin* note: the northern 37 municipalities and 8 cities - about 28% of Serbia's area - compose the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and are indicated with * |
| Independence | 1 March 1992 (from Yugoslavia); note - referendum for independence completed on 1 March 1992; independence declared on 3 March 1992 | 5 June 2006 (from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro); notable earlier dates: 1217 (Serbian Kingdom established); 16 April 1346 (Serbian Empire established); 13 July 1878 (Congress of Berlin recognizes Serbian independence); 1 December 1918 (Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (Yugoslavia) established) |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 1 March (1992) and Statehood Day, 25 November (1943) - both observed in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity; Victory Day, 9 May (1945) and Dayton Agreement Day, 21 November (1995) - both observed in the Republika Srpska entity note: there is no national-level holiday | Statehood Day, 15 February (1835), the day the first constitution of the country was adopted |
| Constitution | history: 14 December 1995 (constitution included as part of the Dayton Peace Accords); note - each of the political entities has its own constitution amendments: decided by the Parliamentary Assembly, including a two-thirds majority vote of members present in the House of Representatives; the constitutional article on human rights and fundamental freedoms cannot be amended; amended several times, last in 2009 | history: many previous; latest adopted 30 September 2006, approved by referendum 28-29 October 2006, effective 8 November 2006 amendments: proposed by at least one third of deputies in the National Assembly, by the president of the republic, by the government, or by petition of at least 150,000 voters; passage of proposals and draft amendments each requires at least two-thirds majority vote in the Assembly; amendments to constitutional articles including the preamble, constitutional principles, and human and minority rights and freedoms also require passage by simple majority vote in a referendum |
| Legal system | civil law system; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts | civil law system |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age, 16 if employed; universal | 18 years of age, 16 if employed; universal |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Chairman of the Presidency Zeljko KOMSIC (chairman since 20 July 2021; presidency member since 20 November 2018 - Croat seat); Sefik DZAFEROVIC (presidency member since 20 November 2018 - Bosniak seat); Milorad DODIK (presidency member since 20 November 2018 - Serb seat) head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Zoran TEGELTIJA (since 5 December 2019) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the council chairman, approved by the state-level House of Representatives elections/appointments: 3-member presidency (1 Bosniak and 1 Croat elected from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 1 Serb elected from the Republika Srpska) directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term, but then ineligible for 4 years); the presidency chairpersonship rotates every 8 months with the new member of the presidency elected with the highest number of votes starting the new mandate as chair; election last held on 7 October 2018 (next to be held in October 2022); the chairman of the Council of Ministers appointed by the presidency and confirmed by the state-level House of Representatives election results: percent of vote - Milorad DODIK (SNSD) 53.9% - Serb seat; Zeljko KOMSIC (DF) 52.6% - Croat seat; Sefik DZAFEROVIC (SDA) 36.6% - Bosniak seat note: President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Marinko CAVARA (since 11 February 2015); Vice Presidents Melika MAHMUTBEGOVIC (since 11 February 2015), Milan DUNOVIC (since 11 February 2015); President of the Republika Srpska Zeljka CVIJANOVIC (since 18 November 2018); Vice Presidents Ramiz SALKIC (since 24 November 2014), Josip JERKOVIC (since 24 November 2014) | chief of state: President Aleksandar VUCIC (since 31 May 2017) head of government: Prime Minister Ana BRNABIC (since 29 June 2017) cabinet: Cabinet elected by the National Assembly elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 2 April 2017 (next to be held in 2022); prime minister elected by the National Assembly election results: Aleksandar VUCIC elected president in the first round; percent of vote - Aleksandar VUCIC (SNS) 55.1%, Sasa JANKOVIC (independent) 16.4%, Luka MAKSIMOVIC (independent) 9.4%, Vuk JEREMIC (independent) 5.7%, Vojislav SESELJ (SRS) 4.5%, Bosko OBRADOVIC (Dveri) 2.3%, other 5.0%, invalid/blank 1.6%; Prime Minister Ana BRNABIC reelected by the National Assembly on 5 October 2020 |
| Legislative branch | description: bicameral Parliamentary Assembly or Skupstina consists of: House of Peoples or Dom Naroda (15 seats - 5 Bosniak, 5 Croat, 5 Serb; members designated by the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina's House of Peoples and the Republika Srpska's National Assembly to serve 4-year terms) House of Representatives or Predstavnicki Dom (42 seats to include 28 seats allocated to the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 14 to the Republika Srpska; members directly elected by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms); note - the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has a bicameral legislature that consists of the House of Peoples (58 seats - 17 Bosniak, 17 Croat, 17 Serb, 7 other) and the House of Representatives (98 seats; members directly elected by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms); Republika Srpska's unicameral legislature is the National Assembly (83 directly elected delegates serve 4-year terms) elections: House of Peoples - last held on 18 October 2018 (next to be held in October 2022) House of Representatives - last held on 7 October 2018 (next to be held in October 2022) election results: House of Peoples - percent of vote by coalition/party - NA; seats by coalition/party - NA; composition - men 13, women 2, percent of women 13.3% House of Representatives - percent of vote by coalition/party - SDA 17%, SNSD 16%, SDS/NDP/NS/SRS-VS 9.8%, SDP 9.1%, HDZ-BiH/HSS/HKDU/HSP-AS BiH/HDU BiH 9.1%, DF, 5.8%, PDP 5.1%, DNS 4.2%, SBB BiH 4.2%, NS/HC 2.9%, NB 2.5%, PDA 2.3%, SP 1.9%, A-SDA 1.8%, other 17.4%; seats by coalition/party - SDA 9, SNSD 6, SDP 5, HDZ-BiH/HSS/HKDU/HSP-AS BiH/HDU BiH 5, SDS/NDP/NS/SRS-VS 3, DF 3, PDP 2, SBB BiH 2, NS/HC 2, DNS 1, NB 1 PDA 1, SP 1, A-SDA 1; composition - men 33, women 9, percent of women 21.4%; note - total Parliamentary Assembly percent of women 19.3% | description: unicameral National Assembly or Narodna Skupstina (250 seats; members directly elected by party list proportional representation vote in a single nationwide constituency to serve 4-year terms) elections: last held on 21 June 2020 (originally scheduled for 26 April 2020 but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic) (next to be held in 2024) election results: percent of vote by party/coalition - For Our Children 60.7%, SPS-JS 10.4%, SPAS 3.8%, SVM 2.2%, Straight Ahead 1%, Albanian Democratic Alternative .8%, SDA .8%, other 20.3%; seats by party/coalition For Our Children 188, SPS-JS 32, SPAS 11, SVM 9, Straight Ahead 4, Albanian Democratic Alternative 3, SDA 3; composition (preliminary) - men 165, women 85, percent of women 30% note: seats by party as of May 2019 - SNS 91, SRS 22, SPS 20, DS 13, SDPS 10, PUPS 9, Dveri 6, JS 6, LDP 4, SDS 4, SVM 4, other 36, independent 25; composition - men 157, women 93, percent of women 37.2% |
| Judicial branch | highest courts: Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members); Court of BiH (consists of 44 national judges and 7 international judges organized into 3 divisions - Administrative, Appellate, and Criminal, which includes a War Crimes Chamber) judge selection and term of office: BiH Constitutional Court judges - 4 selected by the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina House of Representatives, 2 selected by the Republika Srpska's National Assembly, and 3 non-Bosnian judges selected by the president of the European Court of Human Rights; Court of BiH president and national judges appointed by the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council; Court of BiH president appointed for renewable 6-year term; other national judges appointed to serve until age 70; international judges recommended by the president of the Court of BiH and appointed by the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina; international judges appointed to serve until age 70 subordinate courts: the Federation has 10 cantonal courts plus a number of municipal courts; the Republika Srpska has a supreme court, 5 district courts, and a number of municipal courts | highest courts: Supreme Court of Cassation (consists of 36 judges, including the court president); Constitutional Court (consists of 15 judges, including the court president and vice president) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court justices proposed by the High Judicial Council (HJC), an 11-member independent body consisting of 8 judges elected by the National Assembly and 3 ex-officio members; justices appointed by the National Assembly; Constitutional Court judges elected - 5 each by the National Assembly, the president, and the Supreme Court of Cassation; initial appointment of Supreme Court judges by the HJC is 3 years and beyond that period tenure is permanent; Constitutional Court judges elected for 9-year terms subordinate courts: basic courts, higher courts, appellate courts; courts of special jurisdiction include the Administrative Court, commercial courts, and misdemeanor courts |
| Political parties and leaders | Alliance for a Better Future of BiH or SBB BiH [Fahrudin RADONCIC] Alliance of Independent Social Democrats or SNSD [Milorad DODIK] Alternative Party for Democratic Activity or A-SDA [Nermin OGRESEVIC] Croat Peasants' Party or HSS [Mario KARAMATIC] Croatian Christian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HKDU [Ivan MUSA] Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HDU-BiH [Miro GRABOVAC-TITAN] Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina or HDZ-BiH [Dragan COVIC] Croatian Democratic Union 1990 or HDZ-1990 [Ilija CVITANOVIC] Croatian Party of Rights dr. Ante Starcevic or HSP-AS Bih [Karlo STARCEVIC] Democratic Alliance or DEMOS [Nedeljko CUBRILOVIC] Democratic Front of DF [Zeljko KOMSIC] Democratic Peoples' Alliance or DNS [Marko PAVIC] Independent Bloc or NB [Senad SEPIC] Movement for Democratic Action or PDA [Mirsad KUKIC] Progressive Srpska or NS [Goran DORDIC] Our Party or NS/HC [Predrag KOJOVIC] Party for Democratic Action or SDA [Bakir IZETBEGOVIC] Party of Democratic Progress or PDP [Branislav BORENOVIC] People's Democratic Movement or NDP [Dragan CAVIC] Serb Democratic Party or SDS [Vukota GOVEDARICA] Serb Radical Party-Dr. Vojislav Seselj or SRS-VS [Vojislav SESELJ] (members joined the PDP) Social Democratic Party or SDP [Nermin NIKSIC] Socialist Party or SP [Petar DOKIC] United Srpska or US [Nenad STEVANDIC] | Albanian Democratic Alternative (coalition of ethnic Albanian parties) Shaip KAMBERI Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians or SVM [Istvan PASZTOR] Democratic Party or DS [Zoran LUTOVAC] Democratic Party of Macedonians or DPM [Nenad KRSTESKI] Democratic Party of Serbia or DSS [Milos JOVANOVIC] Dveri [Bosko OBRADOVIC] For Our Children (electoral alliance includes SNS, PS, PUPS, PSS, SNP, SPO, NSS) [Aleksandar VUCIC] Justice and Reconciliation Party or SPP [Muamer ZUKORLIC] (formerly Bosniak Democratic Union of Sandzak or BDZS) Movement of Socialists or PS [Aleksandar VULIN] Party of Democratic Action of the Sandzak or SDA [Sulejman UGLJANIN] Party of United Pensioners of Serbia or PUPS [Milan KRKOBABIC] People's Party or NARODNA [Vuk JEREMIC] People's Peasant Party or NSS [Marijan RISTICEVIC] Serbian Patriotic Alliance or SPAS [Aleksandar SAPIC] Serbian People's Party or SNP [Nenad POPOVIC] Serbian Progressive Party or SNS [Aleksandar VUCIC] Serbian Radical Party or SRS [Vojislav SESELJ] Serbian Renewal Movement or SPO [Vuk DRASKOVIC] Social Democratic Party or SDS [Boris TADIC] Social Democratic Party of Serbia or SDPS [Rasim LJAJIC] Socialist Party of Serbia or SPS [Ivica DACIC] Straight Ahead (electoral coalition includes SPP, DPM) Strength of Serbia or PSS [Bogoljub KARIC] Together for Serbia or ZZS [Nebojsa ZELENOVIC] United Serbia or JS [Dragan MARKOVIC] note: Serbia has more than 110 registered political parties and citizens' associations |
| International organization participation | BIS, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) | BIS, BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EU (candidate country), FAO, G-9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Bojan VUJIC (since 16 September 2019) chancery: 2109 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 337-1500 FAX: [1] (202) 337-1502 email address and website: consularaffairs@bhembassy; info@bhembassy.org http://www.bhembassy.org/index.html consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York | chief of mission: Ambassador Marko DJURIC (since 18 January 2021) chancery: 2233 Wisconsin Ave NW, Suite 410, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 332-0333 FAX: [1] (202) 332-3933 email address and website: info@serbiaembusa.org http://www.washington.mfa.gov.rs/ consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Eric NELSON (since 19 February 2019) embassy: 1 Robert C. Frasure Street, 71000 Sarajevo mailing address: 7130 Sarajevo Place, Washington DC 20521-7130 telephone: [387] (33) 704-000 FAX: [387] (33) 659-722 email address and website: sarajevoACS@state.gov https://ba.usembassy.gov/ branch office(s): Banja Luka, Mostar | chief of mission: Ambassador Anthony GODFREY (since 24 October 2019) embassy: 92 Bulevar kneza Aleksandra Karadjordjevica, 11040 Belgrade mailing address: 5070 Belgrade Place, Washington, DC 20521-5070 telephone: [381] (11) 706-4000 FAX: [381] (11) 706-4481 email address and website: belgradeacs@state.gov https://rs.usembassy.gov/ |
| Flag description | a wide blue vertical band on the fly side with a yellow isosceles triangle abutting the band and the top of the flag; the remainder of the flag is blue with seven full five-pointed white stars and two half stars top and bottom along the hypotenuse of the triangle; the triangle approximates the shape of the country and its three points stand for the constituent peoples - Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs; the stars represent Europe and are meant to be continuous (thus the half stars at top and bottom); the colors (white, blue, and yellow) are often associated with neutrality and peace, and traditionally are linked with Bosnia note: one of several flags where a prominent component of the design reflects the shape of the country; other such flags are those of Brazil, Eritrea, and Vanuatu | three equal horizontal stripes of red (top), blue, and white - the Pan-Slav colors representing freedom and revolutionary ideals; charged with the coat of arms of Serbia shifted slightly to the hoist side; the principal field of the coat of arms represents the Serbian state and displays a white two-headed eagle on a red shield; a smaller red shield on the eagle represents the Serbian nation, and is divided into four quarters by a white cross; interpretations vary as to the meaning and origin of the white, curved symbols resembling firesteels (fire strikers) or Cyrillic "C's" in each quarter; a royal crown surmounts the coat of arms note: the Pan-Slav colors were inspired by the 19th-century flag of Russia |
| National anthem | name: "Drzavna himna Bosne i Hercegovine" (The National Anthem of Bosnia and Herzegovina) lyrics/music: none officially; Dusan SESTIC and Benjamin ISOVIC/Dusan SESTIC note: music adopted 1999; lyrics proposed in 2009 and others in 2016 were not approved; a parliamentary committee launched a new initiative for lyrics in February 2018 | name: "Boze pravde" (God of Justice) lyrics/music: Jovan DORDEVIC/Davorin JENKO note: adopted 1904; song originally written as part of a play in 1872 and has been used as an anthem by the Serbian people throughout the 20th and 21st centuries |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| National symbol(s) | golden lily; national colors: blue, yellow, white | white double-headed eagle; national colors: red, blue, white |
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina dual citizenship recognized: yes, provided there is a bilateral agreement with the other state residency requirement for naturalization: 8 years | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Serbia dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 3 years |
Source: CIA Factbook
