[25 november] Happy National Day Bosnia Herzegovina!

Day 3,658, 09:37 • Published in Bosnia and Herzegovina Romania • by VampireA
Bosnia and Herzegovina


General information


Population : 3.5 milion people (133rd in the World,30th in Europe)
Total Area : 51,129 km^2 (125nd in the World,27th in Europe)
Official languages : There is no official language at a federal level.However, there are 3 national languages: Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian.
Official currency : Convertible mark(BAM)
Capital : Sarajevo
Population density : 69 people/km^2 (131st in the World,37th in Europe)
Top 5 biggest cities : Sarajevo,Banja Luka, Tuzla, Zenica, Mostar

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a liberal democracy. It has several levels of political structuring, according to the Dayton accord. The most important of these levels is the division of the country into two entities: Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina covers 51% of Bosnia and Herzegovina's total area, while Republika Srpska covers 49%. The entities, based largely on the territories held by the two warring sides at the time, were formally established by the Dayton peace agreement in 1995 because of the tremendous changes in Bosnia and Herzegovina's ethnic structure.

Since 1996, the power of the entities relative to the State government has decreased significantly. Nonetheless, entities still have numerous powers to themselves. The Brčko District in the north of the country was created in 2000, out of land from both entities. It officially belongs to both, but is governed by neither, and functions under a decentralized system of local government. For election purposes, Brčko District voters can choose to participate in either the Federation or Republika Srpska elections. The Brčko District has been praised for maintaining a multiethnic population and a level of prosperity significantly above the national average.

Approximate location of Herzegovina:


National sport : Football



National animal : Tornjak (Bosnian shepherd)



National Plant : Bosnian lily (Lilium bosniacum)






The significance of the 25th of November


25th of November marks the first session of the State Anti-Fascist Council for the Liberation of Bosnia&Herzegovina which took place in 1943. This council was formed as the highest governing organ of the anti-fascist movement in Bosnia&Herzegovina and during World War II developed to be the bearer of Bosnian statehood.This council wished for Bosnia&Herzegovina to be home to any and all Bosniak Muslims, Croats, Serbs, and anyone else who wished to live there. This date is more relevant to the Federation of B&H.

This isn’t the only date considered the national day. Other dates include 9 January, celebrated by the Republic of Sprska and 1 March, celebrated by the Federation of Bosnia&Herzegovina.


*Coat of arms



Story time! We will now look into some elements of Bosnian folklore and mythology.
Divine plowman Vidasus


In the traditional life of Bosnia and Herzegovina a castrated bull i.e. ox was an integral part of a village household and it replaced the horse, which had a higher market price and that’s why he wasn’t owned by numerous village households. Researching ethnological build and oral tradition of the belief of Bosnian people about the ox it is noticeable that he was treated with care and attention primarily because of the existential but also holly purpose. When the summer plowing begins to the ox which was on the right side people would wrap around his right horn a red knit (thread), a chicken egg would be cracked on his forehead and his neck would be covered with butter. All of these ritual measures were undertaken with the goal of protection from evil and summoning good luck and fertility.



In folk astronomy the constellation out of seven stars so called pleiad is called the Volovi (oxen). It is interesting because the pleiad (Messier 45) is located in the constellation of the bull. Though Wikipedia claims that pleiad is represented in all mythologies from the southern hemisphere it is evident through legends about Tur, but also other folk beliefs and traditions, that we can notice a mythological connection with the pleiad in Bosnian mythology. Segments of the divine cult of Tur are hinted out of the two folk names of the constellations which are located one next to the other and they are Orion, assembly of three stars, which in Bosnia were called Štapovi (sticks) and the already mentioned Volovi (oxen). (In the spring, when it is time for sowing, when the Štapovi are visible on the sky, it is a sign that dawn occurred, morning is nearing, and that oxen must be fed and harnessed so they can plow.

The Shaitan and the woman

Long time ago there was a man and a woman, they constantly tried to outsmart each other, they tried to prove who was smarter and more resourceful. Neither of them wanted to quit, and these pranks of theirs would last forever until the man came up with a bold idea. He suggested that it would be best for them to compete who could talk the devil into entering a hollow pumpkin where they could trap him.



The devil (Shaitan) is a liar , no one can fool him, and whoever succeeds is the smartest, said the husband to his wife.

In this almost impossible task the husband tried first, trying all day in various ways to trick the devil. He begged him, promised hills and valleys, but to no avail. Night came and he got tired and gave up. The wife smiled and took the pumpkin from him, looked inside and started to wonder, her eyes widened, inhaling and smiling to something that she sees inside. This immediately sparked the devil’s curiosity but he didn’t want to react he waited for the woman to start to gaud him as the husband did. But the woman didn’t even look at the devil, looking into the pumpkin she started to switch it to her right eye so that she can see better the thing that amazed her. Now, the devil was evidently nervous and curios, not being able to wait any longer, he asked the woman what is so amazing inside, she mumbled something quickly and continued to look into the pumpkin. This angered the devil and he shouted at her, to which the wife replied calmly and mellifluously:

It would be best, powerful and great devil, that you go inside and take a look by yourself, since myself, illiterate, poor woman – the woman started to act and fake – couldn’t describe what type of wonder is inside. And you my dear devil, are so eloquent and very smart, you will recognise this thing immediately.







Top 5 visited places by tourists


Mostar





One of the undisputed jewels of the entire Balkan Peninsula, Mostar oozes Bosnian history from each of its Byzantine cracks, Slavic crevices and Ottoman facades. The piece de resistance has to be the arched Old Bridge that spans the Neretva at the town’s heart, now meticulously reconstructed following destruction in the Croat–Bosniak conflict and a bearer of that coveted UNESCO tag. And all around this masterpiece cast in stone, Mostar layers Dalmatian builds and Franciscan churches, oriental designs and arabesque mosques into one glorious aesthetic, while gold sellers continue to barter in the Old Bazaar and beer drinkers sip lagers in al fresco terraces by the riverside.



Banja Luka






Razed and razed again by both earthquake and war, Banja Luka – the largely unknown capital of the Republika Srpska region of Bosnia and Herzegovina – retains little of the historic Ottoman and Slavic richness it once exuded, save a few reconstructed gems like the Cathedral of Saint Bonaventure and rebuilt, erstwhile-UNESCO Ferhat-Pasha Mosque. However it’s not for the sights that people head to this 200,000-strong city in the wooded Vrbas River valley. No sir, they come to sip beers and get loose to the sounds of the region’s famous thumping electro-folk, sample Trappist wines in the Pivara Banjaluka monastery (the only of its kind in the Balkans) and hit the hiking trails of the mountains on the horizon.

Kravice Falls





A truly photogenic wonder of Bosnia’s backcountry, the Kravice Falls cascade in countless streams over the verdant ridges south of Mostar. More than 25 meters high, the cataracts here attract swimmers and strollers during the summer months, while others will come to simply gawp as the mist rises from the freezing plunge pools and roaring Trebizat River (daring types may also want to try their hand at the on-site rope swing that can be seen depositing fearless locals into the waters). Kravice is best accessed from nearby Ljubuski, while others will rent a car out of Mostar and drive down through the dense fir forests.


Blagaj





A real must on any Bosnian bucket list, Blagaj sits nestled in the depths of a rugged gorge of the Mostar Basin, right on the spot that the Buna River bursts into existence from the subterranean depths below. In fact, the town’s most-visited site sits neatly on the edge of the Buna’s source, rising in beautiful Ottoman styles to form the great Sufi lodge of the Tekija. But that’s not all the town can offer. No sir, there’s elegant Ottoman mansions besides, along with a series of fascinating arched bridges in the Byzantine style and earthy homestays with timber terraces and cosy rooms aplenty.


Blidinje Nature Park

This wide plateau that connects the Cvrsnica and Vran peaks in the south-western edge of Bosnia and Herzegovina remains one of the nation’s less-trodden and off-the-beaten-track natural gems. It’s famed for the colossal trunks of its endemic Bosnian pine trees, while it also boasts thick forests where white-bark evergreens shroud a flower-peppered woodland floor. The whole area is also peppered with elaborately carved medieval stele that hearken back to the Orthodox traditions of pre-Ottoman Bosnia. Blidinje comes complete with a web of marked hiking trails that make it a great option for walkers and outdoorsy types.








Top 3 locations suggested by the locals

Una National Park






Shrouded in beautiful swathes of virgin forest, the Una National Park is one of the more recent additions to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s line-up of outdoorsy gems. It makes its home amidst the wild hills that roll down from the Dinaric Alps on the cusp of Croatia, protecting great stretches of riparian woodland and the channels of the Una and Unac Rivers. Visitors who make their way here can look forward to the striking waterfalls at Martin Brod, interesting sights like the soaring Ostrovica Fortress and the newly-reconstructed Rmanj Monastery, complete with its reworking of the Serbian Orthodox style.




Jajce









Indelibly green and bolstered by the roaring waterfalls that cascade through the urban bluffs at its heart, welcoming Jajce is one of the favoured gateways to the lakes and gorges of the pretty Bosanska Krajina region of the north. Back in the town itself and travelers can discover a clutch of fascinating museums, like the AVNOJ that chronicles the resistance efforts of the Yugoslav partisans in World War Two, underground catacombs, charming Bosnian-style homes dressed in painted timber and – of course – the unmissable citadel that sprawls over the central hill – a remnant of the town’s medieval past.



Sarajevo







A bustling, bubbling and surprising European capital that’s now heading full throttle into the modern age, Sarajevo has all but shed its former reputation
as a ravaged war zone. Memorials to the fallen and killed from the tumultuous conflicts of the 1990s do still fringe the city’s districts, but there’s certainly a newfound confidence and panache flowing through the central streets; one that embodies a real defiance for the atrocities of war. Think striking mosques looming over al fresco beer bars, aromatic Turkic restaurants peppering enchanting bazaars, pretty city parks and arched stone bridges, all underpinned by modern art museums, jazz fests and more!








Inventions Bosnia gave to the world


*Rotary cooler for internal combustion engines!
By Fikret ALIĆ in 1998





*Floating water pump!
By Zlatan ČUČIĆ in 2000





*Light welding mask with rotating colored glass!
By Branko MILIĆEVIĆ in 2007





*Continual-complex internal combustion engines!
By Milan DJUDUROVIĆ in 2005





*Artificial rain fire fighting device!
By Zijo PEKIĆ in 1995







Famous people from Bosnia

Alija Izetbegović - Bosnian politician, activist, lawyer, author, and philosopher who in 1992 became the first President of the newly-independent Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He served in this role until 1996, when he became a member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, serving until 2000. He was also the author of several books, most notably Islam Between East and West and the Islamic Declaration.
(1925-2003)

Edin Dervišhalidović - known by his stage name Dino Merlin ,is a Bosniak singer-songwriter, musician, and producer. He is one of the most prominent and commercially successful artists from Bosnia and Herzegovina and is also widely popular in the other countries of the former Yugoslavia.
(born 1962)

Ivo Andrić - was a Yugoslav[a] novelist, poet and short story writer who won the Nobel Prize in Literaturein 1961. His writings dealt mainly with life in his native Bosnia under Ottoman rule.His most famous work is The Bridge on the Drina.
(1892-1975)

Mehmed "Meša" Selimović - was a Bosnian and Serbian writer, whose novel Death and the Dervish is one of the most important literary works in post-Second World War Yugoslavia.Some of the main themes in his works are the relations between individuality and authority, life and death, and other existential problems.
(1910-1982)

Edin Džeko - is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Roma and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team, for which he is captain.
He was named Bosnian Footballer of the Year for three years in a row.[3] In Bosnia and Herzegovina, he is known as Bosanski dijamant (The Bosnian Diamond).

(born 1986)








Traditional food


Ćevapi





Also knows as ćevapčići , it is a grilled dish of minced meat, a type of skinless sausage, found traditionally in the countries of southeastern Europe (the Balkans).

They are usually served of 5–10 pieces on a plate or in a flatbread (lepinje or somun), often with chopped onions, sour cream, kajmak, ajvar, feta cheese, minced red pepper and salt. Bosnian ćevapi are made from two types of minced beef meat, hand mixed and formed with a funnel, while formed ćevapi are grilled. Serb ćevapčići are made of either beef, lamb or pork or mixed.


Burek





It represents a family of baked filled pastries made of a thin flaky dough known as phyllo (or yufka), of Anatolian origins and also found in the cuisines of the Balkans, Levant, Mediterranean, and other countries in Eastern Europe and Western Asia. A börek may be prepared in a large pan and cut into portions after baking, or as individual pastries. The top of the börek is often sprinkled with sesame seeds.


Baklava



Rich, sweet dessert pastry made of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts and sweetened and held together with syrup or honey. It is characteristic of the cuisines of the Levant, the Caucasus, Balkans, Maghreb, and of Central and West Asia.

Tulumbe



Syrupy dessert similar to eclairs or churros.

Bamja



Similar to the American Gumbo , it is a tasty stew usually made with okra.



Traditional drinks

Bosnian coffee











Interesting facts about Bosnia&Herzegovina:


1.Sarajevo, the country’s capital, hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics.
2.Bosnia&Herzegovina was the volleyball champion at the 2004 Summer Paralympics.Many of the team members lost their limbs during the Bosnian War.”
3.Sarajevo was the first city in Europe to use trams regularly, starting in 1885.
4.It has the last remaining jungle in Europe, at Perućica.
5.Contrary to popular belief, Bosnia is not actually landlocked. It has a seaside that is 20km wide, and one port, at Neum.
6.Despite the war having ended 20 years ago, there are still about 220 000 active landmines throughout the country..
7.The Sarajevo Film Festival is the biggest event of its type in Southeastern Europe.
8.Close to Sarajevo there is a hill that closely resembles a pyramid in shape, leading many to believe that there is more to this hill than it seems.This Hill has been called the Pyramid of the Sun.



9.The name Bosnia, comes from the Indo-European word bosana, which means water.As such, this country is filled with rivers, the most important ones being the Sava, Drina, Bosna and Neretva..
10.Most of the country is mountainous, encompassing the Dinaric Alps. The most important mountains are Kozara, Grmeč, Vlašić, Čvrsnica, Prenj, Romanija, Jahorina, Bjelašnica and Treskavica.






My 5 words when I hear about Bosnia Herzegovina:
#Yugoslavia,#Rakija,#Cevapcici,#Burek,#EdinDzeko


What are your 5?




Special thanks to TheCrow7 and svs1 and a message from them:

From TheCrow7:

"Pitao jednom tako jednoga vrli pitac neki
A kto je ta sta je ta da prostis
Gdje li je ta
Odakle je
Kuda je
Ta
Bosna
Rekti
A zapitam odgovor njemu hitan tad dade:
Bosna da prostis jedna zemlja imade
I posna i bosa da prostis
I hladna i gladna
I k tomu jos
Da prostis
Prkosna
Od
Sna"

”Once upon a time a worthy caller aske😛
Who is that what is that forgive
Where is that
Whence is that
Where to is
That
Bosnia
Tell

And the questioned gave then a prompt reply to him:
Bosnia forgive there is a land
Both barren And barefoot forgive
Both cold and hungry
And even more
Forgive
Defiant
By
A dream”




Waiting for feedback , comments , opinions and if there is anyone that thinks I missed something , I could do something better or just wants to help me with this project , PM me !

Special thanks to Kariky for the spacers !!



Hope you enjoyed and see you next time!

P.S. Article 26/74!






P.S.2. Don't forget to push the flags !