Bosnia (region)
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Approximate borders between Bosnia (marked light) and Herzegovina (marked dark) |
Historically and geographically, the
region known as
Bosnia (natively
Bosna/Босна) comprises the northern part of the present-day country of
Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies mainly in the
Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the
Pannonian plain, with the rivers
Sava and
Drina marking its northern and eastern borders. The southern, Mediterranean, region of the country is
Herzegovina.
The area of Bosnia comprises approximately 41,000 km², and makes up about 80% of the territory of the present-day state of
Bosnia and Herzegovina. There are no true borders between the regions in Bosnia and
Herzegovina, and, unofficially,
Herzegovina is south of
Ivan-planina.
The two regions have formed a geopolitical entity since medieval times, and the name "Bosnia" commonly occurs in historical and geopolitical senses as generally referring to both regions (Bosnia and Herzegovina). The official use of the name including both regions started in the
Austro-Hungarian times.
Bosnia was one of 6 Serbian national provinces in middle ages. Sometimes it was under the rule of Byzantium, sometimes under Zeta or Rascia. From the mid 12th century
ban Kulin, cousin of Serbian ruler
Stefan Nemanja created independent state. From the 1360s the Serbo-Bosnian kingdom included the territories of Bosnia and of what would later become Herzegovina. As part of the
Ottoman Empire for four centuries (1463 - 1878), Bosnia comprised a state (
sanjak) that included Herzegovina until the middle of the 19th century. The area acquired the name of "Bosnia and Herzegovina" in 1853 as a result of a twist in political events.
Image:Gradacac.PNG|Gradačac - City castleImage:Sarajevopanoramaview.PNG|Sarajevo - View from east.Image:Fojnica.PNG|Fojnica - The Franciscan monasteryImage:Mountins in Bosnia.JPG|Mountains in BosniaImage:Tuzla newbuilding.jpg|TuzlaImage:Lamela.jpg|ZenicaImage:Unibl2.jpg|University of Banja Luka
