Bosnia & Herzegovina: landmarks, animals & facts for kids

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a mountainous country in southeastern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. It is almost landlocked, touching the Adriatic Sea only along a tiny strip of coast at Neum. Its capital is Sarajevo, and about 3 million people live there. The country is known for green mountains, emerald rivers, Ottoman-era bridges and old towns, and a mix of cultures and faiths.

On My Earth Toy you can see the Stari Most, the Old Bridge of Mostar. This graceful stone arch over the Neretva River was built in the 1500s, destroyed during the war in 1993, and carefully rebuilt using the original methods.

Geography and nature

The Dinaric Alps cover much of the country, with forests, high meadows and deep river canyons. The north opens onto the plains of the Sava River. Herzegovina, in the south, is warmer and rockier, with a Mediterranean feel. Rivers such as the Una, Drina and Neretva are famous for their clear green water. Sutjeska National Park protects Perućica, one of the last primeval forests in Europe, and brown bears and wolves still live in the mountains.

People, languages and culture

The three main groups are Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats. They speak Bosnian, Serbian and Croatian, which are very similar and can be written in Latin or Cyrillic letters. Mosques, Orthodox and Catholic churches and synagogues stand close together in Sarajevo. Ćevapi, small grilled sausages served in flatbread with onions, are a favourite food, and strong coffee is served in small copper pots. Sevdalinka is a traditional, emotional style of song.

History in a nutshell

In the Middle Ages there was a Bosnian kingdom. The Ottoman Empire ruled the region from the 1400s for about four centuries and built bridges, mosques and bazaars. In 1878 Austria-Hungary took control, and in 1914 the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo helped spark World War I. Later the country was part of Yugoslavia. It declared independence in 1992; a war followed until the Dayton Agreement of 1995.