Bosnia and Herzegovina lie within Central Europe and border Croatia to the west and north and Serbia and Montenegro to the east and south. The land area of Bosnia and Herzegovina is 51,129 sq km with a small coastline on the Adriatic Sea measuring 20 km. The terrain is largely mountainous, intersected by fertile valleys and rivers such as the Bosna, Neretva and Sana. The north has a low-lying plain facing Croatia. The highest area of elevation is Maglic at a height of 2836m. Bosnia and Herzegovina possesses some valuable natural resources including coal, iron, bauxite, Manganese, copper, chromium and lead.

In 1992 Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence from the former Yugoslavia. The population is made up of three main ethnic groups, Serb, Bosniak and Croat. Yugoslavs and other Central Europeans represent a much smaller percentage. The capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina is Sarajevo and is located in the central east of the country. The official languages are Croatian, Serbian and Bosnian. The national unit of currency is the Marka.

Together with Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the poorest republics from the former Yugoslavia. As a result of war in Bosnia during the early nineties, infrastructure was decimated in certain areas. 40% of the population is currently unemployed. The main industries are steel, coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, manganese, bauxite, vehicle assembly and textiles. Agricultural produce includes wheat, corn, fruits and vegetables. The transport network consists of 1021 km of railways and 21,846 km of highways.

Bosnia and Herzegovina experience harsh winters. The areas of higher elevation experience the worse of it although between December and February, much of the country is covered in snow and ice. The coast experience long rainy periods in wintertime. The summers in Bosnia and Herzegovina can be very hot, especially in low-lying regions.