Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Politička podjela Bosne i Hercegovine
Политичка подјела Босне и Херцеговине
Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Republika Srpska entity (1), Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity (2), Brčko District condominium (3)
CategoryFederated state
Location Bosnia and Herzegovina
Created
Number2 entities and 1 condominium
Populations85,000 (Brčko District) – 2,243,000 (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Areas493 km2 (Brčko District) – 26,110.5 km2 (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina)

The political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina were created by the Dayton Agreement. The Agreement divides the country into two federal entities: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) and the Republika Srpska (RS) and one condominium of the two entities named the Brčko District.

The vast majority of the population in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina are Bosniaks and Croats, while in Republika Srpska, the vast majority are Serbs. Due to the high powers the entities have and the political differences between the entities themselves, Bosnia and Herzegovina is described as a confederation.

Overview

The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is split into 10 cantons, local governing units that were endowed with substantial autonomy, whereas Republika Srpska operates under a centralised government structure. While the state level holds a limited set of exclusive or joint responsibilities, the entities wield most of the authority. Both the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska control the majority of responsibilities and resources, each with its own constitutions, presidents, parliaments, governments, and prime ministers. 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.[1]

List

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%)
Self-governing
district

See also

References

  1. ^ 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