History
Bosnia and Herzegovina is located in the south-eastern region of Europe bordering Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and a small portion of the Adriatic Sea. It is known for its warm Mediterranean climate, the northern region is mountainous and covered in forestland while the southern region is rugged and flat, an ideal location for farming and agriculture. Its location along with its luxurious temperate climate made it a highly desirable region for many powerful empires throughout history. The Roman Empire first acquired the region in the second and first centuries B.C. until Goths overran that region of the collapsing Roman Empire in the fourth and fifth centuries A.D. The next great empire to conquer the region was the Byzantine Empire whom easily gained control from the unstable rebellion of the Goths in the late sixth century A.D. Bosnia finally gained its independence from Hungary around 1200 A.D. and withstood for over a quarter millenium. After this short rule the Turks took control of the area and Bosnia and Herzegovina now belonged to the Ottoman Empire. The area remained in Turkish control until it was given to Austro-Hungary as part of a peace settlement in the late nineteenth century to ensure Russia would not dominate the entire south-eastern european region. When Serbia wanted to reclaim Bosnia and Herzegovina from Austro-Hungary tensions rose and events escalated to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand II. After World War I Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed by Serbia and became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, which later became Yugoslavia. After the Nazi’s and their facist allies invaded the area in World War II Bosnia and Herzegovina was made a state within Yugoslavia and just recently declared its independence in December of 1991
Historical People
- Asaf Duraković - physician and expert in nuclear medicine and depleted uranium
- Vladimir Prelog – chemist, Nobel Laureate
- Danis Tanović – Academy Award, Golden Globe, Berlin Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival-winning director and screenwriter
- Ivana Miličević – actress, notable appearances in Seinfeld, Felicity, among others
- Karl Malden – actor, Oscar winner, and the former president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. His family originates from Bileća.
- Amila Glamočak – pop singer, represented Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest
- Hajrudin Varešanović – a.k.a. Hari Mata Hari pop singer and songwriter, represented Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest finishing third
- Tomo Miličević - guitarist for Thirty Seconds to Mars
- 14th century Vojvoda Bogut – First known ancestor of the House of Petrović-Njegoš, royal Family of Montenegro, ruler of Jablan Grad, near present day Ugljevik, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić – Bosnian Duke, founder of the town of Jajce
- Stjepan Vukčić Kosača a.k.a. Duke of Saint Sava, Herceg Stjepan Kosača, Vojvoda of Hum (Herzegovina) – father of Bosnian Queen, Katarina Kosača Kotromanić
- Ferhad Pasha Sokolović – founder and designer of Banja Luka old town
- Tiryaki Hasan Pasha a.k.a. Hasan-Paša Tiro – Bosnian national hero
- Gazi Husrev-beg – military strategist and the greatest donor and builder of Sarajevo
- Osman Pazvantoğlu, Bosnian Ottoman soldier, a governor of the Vidin district after 1794, and a rebel against Ottoman rule.
- Gavrilo Princip – member of black hand, Serb, and assassin of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the assassination triggered World War I
- Mehmed Spaho – leader of the Yugoslav Muslim Organisation
- Peter Tomich – World War II hero
- Rodoljub Čolaković – World War II war hero, People's Hero of Yugoslavia
- Aleksandar Nikolić – "Father of Yugoslav Basketball"
- Damir Omerhodžić-Markota – NBA basketball player with the Milwaukee Bucks
- Edin Bavčić – former NBA basketball player with the Philadelphia 76ers
- Mirza Delibašić – basketball player, former Bosna and Real Madrid player, Olympic medalist
- Mirza Teletović - NBA basketball player the Brooklyn Nets
- Vladimir Radmanović – NBA basketball player with the Los Angeles Lakers
- Ivan Sokolov – chess player, Grandmaster since 1987
- Predrag Nikolić – chess player, Grandmaster since 1983
- Hasan Salihamidžić – former Bayern Munich midfielder and second Bosnian to win Champions League
- Darijo Srna – midfielder and Croatian national team (Bosnian father)
- Danijel Šarić (handballer) – goalkeeper for FC Barcelona Handbol
- Svetlana Dašić-Kitić – best female handball player ever by International Handball Federation
- Zlatan Arnautović – former handball player (Olympic Gold Medal 1984)
- Adnan Ćatić – boxing, reigning IBF world champion, former WBO champion, and a two time former WBA champion
- Anton Josipović – boxing, light heavyweight gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics