The People of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosniaks
Bosniaks are a South Slavic ethnic group that makes up almost half of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina and are a minority in many other surrounding countries of the Balkan Peninsula. Due to their Islamic faith they are commonly referred to as Bosnian Muslims, which is politically incorrect because the term Bosnian can apply to all inhabitants of the country.
Serbs
Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina consist of people of Serbian ethnicity inhabiting the political-territorial entity named Republika Srpska in the north and eastern regions of the country. The Serbs have their own government set up in this area complete with their own branches of government that independently performs its constitutional, legislative, executive and judicial functions.
Croats
Croats are the least populous ethnic group of the country but one of the oldest as their presence there dates back well into the seventh century. Most Croats identify with the Roman Catholic faith although a small portion are atheist, and most live in the northern and western regions of the country. They have been persecuted as a subject of ethnic cleansing in the country for many centuries, forcing many Croats to seek refuge in Croatia and other nearby countries. Their population has shrunk from more than 800,000 people to a mere 500,000 people due to the most recent persecution