On 21 November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the former Yugoslavia's three warring parties signed a peace agreement that brought to a halt over three years of interethnic civil strife in Bosnia and Herzegovina (the final agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December 1995). The Dayton Agreement, signed by Bosnian President IZETBEGOVIC, Croatian President TUDJMAN, and Serbian President MILOSEVIC, divides Bosnia and Herzegovina roughly equally between the Muslim/Croat Federation and the Bosnian Serbs while maintaining Bosnia's currently recognized borders. An international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops began to enter Bosnia in late 1995 to implement and monitor the military aspects of the agreement and is scheduled to depart the country within one year. A High Representative appointed by the UN Security Council is responsible for civilian implementation of the accord, including monitoring implementation, facilitating any difficulties arising in connection with civilian implementation, and coordinating activities of the civilian organizations and agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Bosnian conflict began in the spring of 1992 when the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina held a referendum on independence and the Bosnian Serbs - supported by neighboring Serbia - responded with armed resistance aimed at partitioning the republic along ethnic lines and joining Serb-held areas to form a "greater Serbia." In March 1994, Bosnia's Muslims and Croats reduced the number of warring factions from three to two by signing an agreement in Washington creating their joint Muslim/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Geography
Location:
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia
Geographic coordinates:
44 00 N, 18 00 E
Map references:
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Europe
Area:
total area:
51,233 sq km
land area:
51,233 sq km
comparative area:
slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
total:
1,459 km
border countries:
Croatia 932 km, Serbia and Montenegro 527 km (312 km with Serbia, 215 km with Montenegro)
Coastline:
20 km
Maritime claims:
NA
International disputes:
none
Climate:
hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast
Terrain:
mountains and valleys
lowest point:
Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point:
Maglic 2,386 m
Natural resources:
coal, iron, bauxite, manganese, forests, copper, chromium, lead, zinc
Land use:
arable land:
20%
permanent crops:
2%
meadows and pastures:
25%
forest and woodland:
36%
other:
17%
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
air pollution from metallurgical plants; sites for disposing of urban waste are limited; widespread casualties, water shortages, and destruction of infrastructure because of civil strife
natural hazards:
frequent and destructive earthquakes
international agreements:
party to - Air Pollution, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
Geographic note:
as of January 1996, Bosnian Serb leaders continued to demand revisions to the territorial aspects of the Dayton Agreement, especially in Sarajevo - designated to be under Federation control - and the Brcko/Posavina corridor area; members of the Bosnian Croat community also reject several territorial aspects of the agreement, citing that historically Bosnian Croat lands are to be transferred to Bosnian Serb control; despite disagreements, initial implementation of the agreement as of January 1996 appeared on course with the warring parties meeting the deadline for withdrawal of forces from the front lines in Sarajevo
