Location:
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia

Geographic coordinates:
44 00 N, 18 00 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 51,197 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 51,187 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 10 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 129

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries:
total: 1,543 km
border countries (3): Croatia 956 km, Montenegro 242 km, Serbia 345 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
20 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
NA

Climate:
hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast

Terrain:
mountains and valleys

Elevation:
mean elevation: 500 m
[see also: Mean Elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m highest point: Maglic 2,386 m

Natural resources:
coal, iron ore, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, cobalt, manganese, nickel, clay, gypsum, salt, sand, timber, hydropower

Land use:
agricultural land: 42.2% arable land 19.7%; permanent crops 2%; permanent pasture 20.5%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 42.8%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 15% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
30 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population - distribution:
the northern and central areas of the country are the most densely populated

Natural hazards:
destructive earthquakes

Environment - current issues:
air pollution from metallurgical plants; sites for disposing of urban waste are limited; water shortages and destruction of infrastructure because of the 1992-95 civil strife; deforestation

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
within Bosnia and Herzegovina's recognized borders, the country is divided into a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation (about 51% of the territory) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska or RS (about 49% of the territory); the region called Herzegovina is contiguous to Croatia and Montenegro, and traditionally has been settled by an ethnic Croat majority in the west and an ethnic Serb majority in the east