Bosnia & Herzegovina

Bosnia & Herzegovina
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	78th best
Capital	Sarajevo
Land Area	51 000km21
Location	Europe, Mediterranean, The Balkans
Population	3.7m (2011)2
Life Expectancy	76.63yrs (2017)3
GNI	$10 091 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	BA, BIH, 705
Internet Domain	.ba6
Currency	Marka (BAM)7
Telephone	+3878

1. Overview
2. Bosnia & Herzegovina National and Social Development
3. Population and Demographics
4. Gender Equality
5. Religion and Beliefs
6. The Internet
7. Public Health Issues
8. Politics and Freedom
9. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries
10. Links

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1. Overview

“Bosnia and Herzegovina's declaration of sovereignty in October 1991 was followed by a declaration of independence from the former Yugoslavia on 3 March 1992 after a referendum boycotted by ethnic Serbs. The Bosnian Serbs - supported by neighboring Serbia and Montenegro - 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, Bosniaks and Croats reduced the number of warring factions from three to two by signing an agreement creating a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 21 November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties initialed a peace agreement that brought to a halt three years of interethnic civil strife (the final agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December 1995). The Dayton Peace Accords retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's international boundaries and created a multi-ethnic and democratic government charged with conducting foreign, diplomatic, and fiscal policy. Also recognized was a second tier of government composed of two entities roughly equal in size: the Bosniak/Bosnian Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska (RS). The Federation and RS governments are responsible for overseeing most government functions. Additionally, the Dayton Accords established the Office of the High Representative (OHR) to oversee the implementation of the civilian aspects of the agreement. The Peace Implementation Council (PIC) at its conference in Bonn in 1997 also gave the High Representative the authority to impose legislation and remove officials, the so-called "Bonn Powers." An original NATO-led international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops assembled in 1995 was succeeded over time by a smaller, NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR). In 2004, European Union peacekeeping troops (EUFOR) replaced SFOR. Currently EUFOR deploys around 600 troops in theater in a policing capacity.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“This craggily beautiful land retains scars from the 1990s civil war, but today visitors will remember Bosnia and Hercegovina for its spontaneous welcome and its intriguing cultural melange. The Bosnians described their country as a `heart-shaped land´ and looking at a map reveals that such a description is not too wide of the mark geographically. Over centuries this rugged domain at the centre of the Balkans has been the scene of intense commingling of peoples, traditions and cultures, a fact belied by the factional strife of the 1990s. Political tensions still linger after those fratricidal wars, but Bosnians of all stripes look to a brighter and better future. Major drawcards for travellers are the reincarnated antique centres of Sarajevo and Mostar, where rebuilt historical buildings counterpoint fashionable bars and cafes. Elsewhere Socialist-era architectural monstrosities are surprisingly rare blots on predominantly rural landscapes. Many Bosnian towns are lovably small, wrapped around medieval castles and surrounded by mountain ridges or cascading river canyons. Few places in Europe offer better rafting or such accessible, inexpensive skiing.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Bosnia & Herzegovina National and Social Development

UN HDI (2016) Lower is better Rank11
1	Norway	1
2	Australia	2
3	Switzerland	2
	...
78	Azerbaijan	78
79	Brazil	79
80	Grenada	79
81	Bosnia & Herzegovina	81
82	Macedonia	82
83	Algeria	83
84	Armenia	84
85	Ukraine	84
	World Avg	94.3
q=188.

Social & Moral Development Index Higher is better Points12
1	Iceland	84.1
2	Sweden	80.8
3	Norway	80.0
	...
75	Qatar	56.0
76	Belize	55.9
77	Tajikistan	55.8
78	Bosnia & Herzegovina	55.7
79	Cuba	55.6
80	Turkey	55.6
81	Colombia	55.5
82	Philippines	55.5
	World Avg	54.5
q=198.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: What is the Best Country in the World? An Index of Morality, Conscience and Good Life.

3. Population and Demographics

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016) Lower is better Per 10013
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
	...
163	Sweden	37.0
164	Bulgaria	37.0
165	Denmark	37.1
166	Bosnia & Herzegovina	37.3
167	Korea, S.	37.6
168	Estonia	37.9
169	Belgium	38.1
170	Switzerland	38.3
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Emigrants (2010) %14
1	Dominica	104.8
2	Palestine	68.4
3	Samoa	67.3
	...
10	Albania	45.4
11	Barbados	41.0
12	Suriname	39.0
13	Bosnia & Herzegovina	38.9
14	Palau	38.8
15	St Vincent & Grenadines	37.7
16	Cape Verde	37.6
17	Jamaica	36.1
	World Avg	11.5
q=192.

Fertility Rate (2013) 2.0 is best15
1	Korea, N.	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
113	Belize	2.70
114	Malta	1.28
115	Syria	2.81
116	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.13
117	Paraguay	2.87
118	Hong Kong	1.12
119	Israel	2.91
120	Jordan	2.93
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Immigrants (2010) %14
1	Qatar	86.5
2	Monaco	71.6
3	UAE	70.0
	...
151	Maldives	1.0
152	Cameroon	1.0
153	Tonga	0.8
154	Bosnia & Herzegovina	0.7
155	Burundi	0.7
156	Nigeria	0.7
157	Nicaragua	0.7
158	Algeria	0.7
	World Avg	9.2
q=192.

Life Expectancy (2015) Higher is better Years16
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
	...
49	Oman	76.97
50	Maldives	76.96
51	Bahrain	76.72
52	Bosnia & Herzegovina	76.63
53	Argentina	76.46
54	Slovakia	76.41
55	Montenegro	76.40
56	Antigua & Barbuda	76.24
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Population (2012)17
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.3b
3	USA	315.8m
	...
125	Palestine	4.3m
126	Liberia	4.2m
127	Congo, (Brazzaville)	4.2m
128	Bosnia & Herzegovina	3.7m
129	Panama	3.6m
130	Mauritania	3.6m
131	Moldova	3.5m
132	Uruguay	3.4m
	World Avg	36.0m
q=195.

Bosnia & Herzegovina's population is predicted to fall to 3 473 000 by 2030. Developed countries with falling populations face a pension's crises, whereby an incresingly ageing population must be cared for by fewer and fewer workers. Economic stability can be maintained by increasing foreign workers from younger countries. This country has a fertility rate of 1.13. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

• The Overpopulation of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception: How Religion is Making Overpopulation Worse

4. Gender Equality

Gender Inequality (2015) Lower is better18
1	Switzerland	0.04
2	Denmark	0.04
3	Netherlands	0.04
	...
32	Belarus	0.14
33	Montenegro	0.16
34	New Zealand	0.16
35	Bosnia & Herzegovina	0.16
36	Macedonia	0.16
37	China	0.16
38	Libya	0.17
39	Slovakia	0.18
	World Avg	0.36
q=159.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better Year19
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
78	Costa Rica	1949
79	Chile	1949
80	China	1949
81	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1949
82	Barbados	1950
83	India	1950
84	Haiti	1950
85	Antigua & Barbuda	1951
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchialism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

Bosnia & Herzegovina is on the way towards ending gender inequality.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

5. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Religiosity (2009) Lower is better %20
1	Estonia	16
2	Sweden	17
3	Denmark	19
	...
42	Poland	75
43	Cyprus	75
44	Macedonia	76
45	Bosnia & Herzegovina	77
46	Venezuela	79
47	Costa Rica	79
48	Turkmenistan	80
49	Georgia	81
	World Avg	75.1
q=114.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₂₁:

Christian	52.3%
Muslim	45.2%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	2.5%

It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 97.9% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 77% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".

For more on this phenomenon, see:

• "Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls" by Vexen Crabtree (2009)

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, other 14%₂₂.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems

6. The Internet

Internet Users (2016) Higher is better23
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
73	Albania	63%
74	Palestine	63%
75	Montenegro	62%
76	Bosnia & Herzegovina	62%
77	Azerbaijan	61%
78	Belarus	61%
79	St Vincent & Grenadines	60%
80	St Lucia	59%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake (2017) Higher is better Ratio24
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
37	Poland	3.6
38	Thailand	3.3
39	Denmark	3.1
40	Bosnia & Herzegovina	3.1
41	Sri Lanka	2.9
42	Latvia	2.2
43	Israel	1.8
44	Italy	1.7
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Internet access has become an essential research tool. It facilitates an endless list of life improvements, from the ability to network and socialize without constraint, to access to a seemingly infinite repository of technical and procedural information on pretty much any task. The universal availability of data has sped up industrial development and personal learning at the national and personal level. Individuals can read any topic they wish regardless of the locality of expert teachers, and, entire nations can develop their technology and understanding of the world simply because they are now exposed to advanced societies and moral discourses online. Like every communications medium, the Internet has issues and causes a small range of problems, but these are insignificant compared to the advantages of having an online populace.

7. Public Health Issues

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015) Lower is better Per 100018
1	Korea, N.	0.5
2	Korea, S.	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
24	Oman	8.1
25	Belgium	8.2
26	Spain	8.4
27	Bosnia & Herzegovina	8.6
28	Saudi Arabia	8.8
29	France	8.9
30	Croatia	9.5
31	Israel	9.7
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Alcohol Consumption (2010) Lower is better Per Capita25
1	Libya	0.1
2	Pakistan	0.1
3	Kuwait	0.1
	...
115	Thailand	7.1
116	Sao Tome & Principe	7.1
117	Dominica	7.1
118	Bosnia & Herzegovina	7.1
119	Japan	7.2
120	Mexico	7.2
121	Ecuador	7.2
122	Laos	7.3
	World Avg	6.2
q=191.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015) Higher is better Avg %26
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
130	Kiribati	88.4
131	Netherlands	88.1
132	Paraguay	88.1
133	Bosnia & Herzegovina	88.0
134	Sierra Leone	87.7
135	Suriname	87.2
136	Ecuador	86.8
137	Cambodia	86.5
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Smoking Rates (2014) Lower is better27
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
170	Azerbaijan	2 114
171	Kazakhstan	2 157
172	Czech Rep.	2 194
173	Bosnia & Herzegovina	2 233
174	China	2 250
175	Luxembourg	2 284
176	Belgium	2 353
177	Slovenia	2 637
	World Avg	819
q=182.

8. Politics and Freedom

Nominal Commitment to HR (2009) Higher is better Treaties28
1	Argentina	24
2	Chile	23
3	Costa Rica	23
	...
21	Guatemala	21
22	Mali	21
23	Azerbaijan	21
24	Bosnia & Herzegovina	21
25	Bolivia	21
26	Australia	21
27	France	21
28	Senegal	21
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom (2014) Lower is better Rank29
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
51	Seychelles	51
52	Israel	52
53	Peru	53
54	Bosnia & Herzegovina	54
55	Armenia	55
56	Macedonia	55
57	Suriname	55
58	El Salvador	58
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Press Freedom (2013) Lower is better30
1	Finland	638
2	Netherlands	648
3	Norway	652
	...
64	Central African Rep.	2661
65	Tonga	2670
66	Mauritania	2676
67	Bosnia & Herzegovina	2686
68	Guyana	2708
69	Tanzania	2734
70	Kenya	2780
71	Zambia	2793
	World Avg	3249
q=178.

9. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries