Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
real European lobby to support them). The early to mid-1990s saw the worst human, archi-
tectural, and cultural devastation in Bosnian history. Sarajevo, Srebrenica, and Mostar be-
came synonymous with sectarian strife, horrific sieges, and shocking genocide. (For more
details on the war, see
here
of the Understanding Yugoslavia chapter.)
TheDaytonPeaceAccordsthatendedtheconflictherein1995gerrymanderedthenation
into three separate regions: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH, shared by
BosniaksandCroats,roughlyinthewesternandcentralpartsofthecountry),theRepublika
Srpska (RS, dominated by Serbs, generally to the north and east), and the Br
č
ko District
(BD, a tiny corner of the country, with a mix of the ethnicities). For the most part, each of
the three native ethnic groups stay in “their” part of this divided country, but tourists can
move freely between them.
On your visit, tune into the many ways that the Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs of Bosnia
are working to coexist. To satisfy the country's various factions, the currency uses both the
Roman and the Cyrillic alphabets, and bills have different figureheads and symbols (some
bills feature Bosniaks, others Serbs). Until very recently, the alphabet used on road signs
changed with the territory: Roman alphabet in Muslim and Croat areas, Cyrillic alphabet in
Serblands.ButnowallroadsignsthroughoutBosnia-Herzegovina arerequiredtoappearin
both alphabets—though that doesn't prevent vandals from spray-painting over the alphabet
theydon'tlike.Licenseplatesalsouseddifferentalphabets,butthisledtovandalismtocars
that crossed into the “other side.” Today's license plates use only letters that are common to
both alphabets.
