Political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina
 | This article needs more citations. (February 2018) |
| Entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina | |
|---|---|
| |
.svg) Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Republika Srpska entity (1), Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity (2), Brčko District condominium (3) | |
| Category | Federated state |
| Location |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Created | |
| Number | 2 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina is divided into two entities – the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) and Republika Srpska (RS) – defined by the Dayton Agreement in December 1995. The Brčko District, a condominium of the two entities, was established in 1999.
The vast majority of the inhabitants of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina are Bosniaks and Croats. In contrast, in Republika Srpska, the vast majority are Serbs.
The country's constitution does not define the form of state (for example, by specifying that it is a federation or a confederation).[1][2] It is, however, seen by scholars as a federation,[1] or is assumed to be a federation; as such, it is at the same time a federation of its two subnational entities and of its three constituent peoples.[3] According to Soeren Keil, the country "moved from a confederal-like system in 1995 to a multinational federation", and has since existed as a "federal system sui generis".[4] While one of the entities is itself called "Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina", the meaning of "federation" in that entity's official name is different from the (unofficial) federal character of Bosnia and Herzegovina. "Federation" in the name of the entity does not refer to a federation of any of that entity's own subdivisions, but to a federation of two peoples: it is a Bosniak-Croat federation.[1][5][6]
Overview
[edit source]The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is split into 10 cantons, local governing units endowed with substantial autonomy. In contrast, Republika Srpska operates under a centralised government structure. While the state level holds limited exclusive or joint responsibilities, the entities wield most of the authority. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska control the majority of jurisdictions and resources, each with its own constitution, president, parliament, government, and prime minister. They manage citizenship matters and primarily enforce laws since the state level lacks this ability. The entities serve as the primary level for distributing state-collected funds and oversee a significant portion of civil and political rights. They hold direct representation in state-level institutions and essentially possess veto power over all state policies.[7]
| Name | Area (km2) | Pop. | Density (km2) |
Ethnic groups | Munic. | Status | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Federacija Bosne i Hercegovine Федерација Босне и Херцеговине |
26,110.5 | 2,243,000 | 85.9 | Bosniaks (70.40%) Croats (22.44%) Serbs (2.55%) |
79 (including 22 cities) |
Entity |  |
 Republika Srpska Република Српска Republika Srpska |
24,532.8 | 1,209,000 | 49.3 | Serbs (82.95%) Bosniaks (12.69%) Croats (2.27%) |
64 (including 10 cities) |
Entity |  |
| Brčko District Brčko Distrikt Брчко Дистрикт |
493 | 85,000 | 172.4 | Bosniaks (42.36%) Serbs (34.58%) Croats (20.66%) |
N/a | Self-governing condominium |  |
See also
[edit source]References
[edit source]- 1 2 3 Klemenčić, Mladen (2000). "The Boundaries, Internal Order and Identities of Bosnia and Herzegovina" (PDF). IBRU Boundary and Security Bulletin. 8 (4). Durham University: 63. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
- ↑ Zdeb, Aleksandra (2018). "A Federation like no other: The Case of Bosnia-Herzegovina". 50 Shades of Federalism. Canterbury Christ Church University. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
- ↑ Zdeb, Aleksandra (November 12, 2016). "The Need to Have Something 'Of Their Own': Croat Parallel Institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina". Swiss Political Science Review. 22 (4): 545–564. doi:10.1111/spsr.12231. ISSN 1424-7755.
- ↑ Keil, Soeren (2016) [2013]. Multinational Federalism in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Routledge. p. 175. ISBN 978-1-317-09343-5 – via Google Books.
- ↑ "European Court Again Rules That Bosnia's Constitution Violates Human Rights". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. August 29, 2023.
- ↑ Huskić, Adnan (January 20, 2023). "Bosnia and Herzegovina: Long road to new government – Liberals in it for the first time". Friedrich Naumann Foundation.
Bosnia and Herzegovina consists of two entities, the "Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina" – simply put a federation of Bosniaks and Croats – and Republika Srpska, which occupy 51% and 49 % of the country's territory. The two entities have asymmetric structures: While the Federation is further divided into ten cantons, each with a government and parliament, the Republika Srpska is unitary.
- ↑ Kapidžić, Damir (2021), "Subnational competitive authoritarianism and power-sharing in Bosnia and Herzegovina", Illiberal Politics in Southeast Europe, pp. 79–99, doi:10.4324/9781003208327-5, ISBN 9781003208327, retrieved March 29, 2023
Further reading
[edit source]- Bahtić-Kunrath, Birgit (2011). "Of veto players and entity-voting: institutional gridlock in the Bosnian reform process". Nationalities Papers. 39 (6): 899–923. doi:10.1080/00905992.2011.614224. ISSN 0090-5992. S2CID 153850550.
- Belloni, Roberto (2009). "Bosnia: Dayton is Dead! Long Live Dayton!". Nationalism and Ethnic Politics. 15 (3–4): 355–375. doi:10.1080/13537110903372367. hdl:11572/76874. ISSN 1353-7113. S2CID 143858915.
- Bose, Sumantra (2005). "The Bosnian State a decade after Dayton". International Peacekeeping. 12 (3): 322–335. doi:10.1080/13533310500074028. ISSN 1353-3312. S2CID 145810090.
- Cooley, Laurence (2013). "The European Union's approach to conflict resolution: Insights from the constitutional reform process in Bosnia and Herzegovina". Comparative European Politics. 11 (2): 172–200. doi:10.1057/cep.2012.21. ISSN 1472-4790. S2CID 144140751.
- Hayden, Robert M. (2005). ""Democracy" without a Demos? The Bosnian Constitutional Experiment and the Intentional Construction of Nonfunctioning States". East European Politics and Societies and Cultures. 19 (2): 226–259. doi:10.1177/0888325404272679. ISSN 0888-3254. S2CID 145709568.
- Keil, Soeren; Kudlenko, Anastasiia (2015). "Bosnia and Herzegovina 20 Years after Dayton: Complexity Born of Paradoxes" (PDF). International Peacekeeping. 22 (5): 471–489. doi:10.1080/13533312.2015.1103651. ISSN 1353-3312. S2CID 146390988.
- Perry, Valery (2015). "Constitutional Reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Does the Road to Confederation go through the EU?". International Peacekeeping. 22 (5): 490–510. doi:10.1080/13533312.2015.1100082. ISSN 1353-3312. S2CID 151456221.
- Sebastian, Sofia (2009). "The Role of the EU in the Reform of Dayton in Bosnia-Herzegovina". Ethnopolitics. 8 (3–4): 341–354. doi:10.1080/17449050903086948. ISSN 1744-9057. S2CID 143308393.
- Touquet, Heleen; Vermeersch, Peter (2008). "Bosnia and Herzegovina: Thinking Beyond Institution-Building". Nationalism and Ethnic Politics. 14 (2): 266–288. doi:10.1080/13537110801985120. ISSN 1353-7113. S2CID 144848639.
External links
[edit source]- A precarious peace, The Economist, 22 January 1998
- The EU's pseudosuccess in Bosnia, Centre for Eastern Studies 2011
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: Ongoing erosion of the State, Centre for Eastern Studies 2011
