Democratic Party or SDS [Dragan CAVIC - acting]; Serb Radical Partyof the Republika Srpska or SRS-RS [Milanko MIHAJLICA]; Serb Radical
Party-Dr. Vojislav Seselj or SRS-VS [Radislav KANJERIC]; Social
Democratic Party of BIH or SDP [Zlatko LAGUMDZIJA]; Social
Democratic Union or SDU [Miro LAZOVIC]; Socialist Party of Republika
Srpska or SPRS [Petar DJOKIC]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
BIS, CE, CEI, EBRD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU,
MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OPCW,
OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Bisera TURKOVIC
chancery: 2109 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 337–1500
FAX: [1] (202) 337–1502
consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Douglas L. McELHANEY embassy: Alipasina 43, 71000 Sarajevo mailing address: use street address telephone: [387] (33) 445–700 FAX: [387] (33) 659–722 branch office(s): Banja Luka, Mostar
Flag description:
a wide medium blue vertical band on the fly side with a yellow
isosceles triangle abutting the band and the top of the flag; the
remainder of the flag is medium blue with seven full five-pointed
white stars and two half stars top and bottom along the hypotenuse
of the triangle
Economy Bosnia and Herzegovina
Economy - overview:
Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked next to Macedonia as the poorest
republic in the old Yugoslav federation. Although agriculture is
almost all in private hands, farms are small and inefficient, and
the republic traditionally is a net importer of food. Industry has
been greatly overstaffed, one reflection of the socialist economic
structure of Yugoslavia. TITO had pushed the development of military
industries in the republic with the result that Bosnia hosted a
number of Yugoslavia's defense plants. The interethnic warfare in
Bosnia caused production to plummet by 80% from 1992 to 1995 and
unemployment to soar. With an uneasy peace in place, output
recovered in 1996–99 at high percentage rates from a low base; but
output growth slowed in 2000–02. Part of the lag in output was made
up in 2003–2004. National-level statistics are limited and do not
capture the large share of black market activity. The konvertibilna
marka (convertible mark or BAM)- the national currency introduced in
1998 - is now pegged to the euro, and the Central Bank of Bosnia and
Herzegovina has dramatically increased its reserve holdings.
Implementation of privatization, however, has been slow, and local
entities only reluctantly support national-level institutions.
Banking reform accelerated in 2001 as all the Communist-era payments
bureaus were shut down. A sizeable current account deficit and high
unemployment rate remain the two most serious economic problems. The
country receives substantial amounts of reconstruction assistance
and humanitarian aid from the international community but will have
to prepare for an era of declining assistance.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$26.21 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $6,500 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 14.2% industry: 30.8% services: 55% (2002)
Labor force:
1.026 million (2001)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA
Unemployment rate:
44% officially; however, grey economy may reduce actual
unemployment to near 20% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line:
25% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.1% (2004 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $3.618 billion
expenditures: $3.642 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2004 est.)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, corn, fruits, vegetables; livestock
Industries:
steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, vehicle
assembly, textiles, tobacco products, wooden furniture, tank and
aircraft assembly, domestic appliances, oil refining (2001)
Industrial
