Herzegovina

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Location of Herzegovina in Europe

Approximate borders between Bosnia (marked light) and Herzegovina (marked dark)

Herzegovina (natively Hercegovina/Херцеговина) is a historical and geographical region in the Dinaric Alps that comprises the southern part of present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina. The area of Herzegovina is 9,948 km² (or 10,190 km² according to other sources). There is no clear border between Herzegovina and the Bosnia region. There are many opinions on where Herzegovina ends and Bosnia begins.

The name Herzegovina means "Herzog's estate", which refers to a medieval ruler of the area, Stefan Vukčić Kosača, Herzog of Saint Sava, the first Serbian archbishop. Due to political agreements in the 19th century it was decided that the Hercegovina region of the political entity known as Bosnia was to be mentioned in the name of the country, changing the name from only "Bosnia" to "Bosnia and Herzegovina".

In the 1991 census, Herzegovina was recorded as having a population of 437,095 inhabitants. The ethnic composition of the population was the following: 206,457 were Croats (47.2%), 112,948 Bosniaks (25.8%), 93,047 Serbs (21.3%), 18,494 Yugoslavs (4.2%), and 6,149 were registered as 'others' (1.4%).

The Herzegovina terrain is mostly hilly, karst except for the central valley of the river Neretva. The largest city is Mostar, in the center of the region. Other larger towns include Trebinje, Siroki Brijeg, Konjic and Čapljina. Borders between Bosnia and Herzegovina are unclear and often disputed.

1 History
2 Today's Herzegovina
3 Gallery
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] History

(See History of Bosnia and Herzegovina)

In the early Middle Ages, the territory of modern Bosnia and Herzegovina was divided into many smaller more or less independent territories. Herzegovina encompasses the regions then known as the Land of Hum or Zahumlje and Travunija. The westernmost parts of Herzegovina belonged to the Kingdom of Croatia.

After the 1320s, all of these lands became a part of the Bosnian kingdom. In a document sent to Friedrich III on January 20, 1448, Bosnian duke Stjepan Vukčić Kosača called himself Herzog (duke) of Saint Sava, lord of Hum and Primorje, great duke of the Bosnian kingdom (Herzog means duke in German) and so the lands he controlled became (much later) known as Herzog's lands or Herzegovina.

In 1482 Herzog was overpowered by Ottoman forces led by his own son, Ahmed Hercegović, who accepted Islam. In the Ottoman Empire Herzegovina was organized as a province (sanjak) within the state (pashaluk) of Bosnia. The name of the country was changed to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1853, as a result of a twist of political events. It was part of the Ottoman Empire for a bit less than four centuries. By the end of this period, there happened a major uprising known as the Herzegovinian rebellion.

In 1878, Herzegovina was occupied by Austria-Hungary. This caused great resentment among its Bosniak and Serb populace which together resisted the invaders in smaller flare-ups that ended in 1882.

[edit] Today's Herzegovina

Image:Hercegovacko Neretvanski kanton.jpg

Herzegovina in spring

In the modern Bosnian-Herzegovinian state, Herzegovina is divided between two entities (see Bosnia and Herzegovina and History of Bosnia and Herzegovina). Republika Srpska doesn't have any official administrative units within Herzegovina (though the term Trebinje Region is often used informally). In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Herzegovina is administratively divided between the cantons of Herzegovina-Neretva, West Herzegovina and partially Canton 10.

Its western parts are inhabited mostly by Croats, the eastern parts mostly by Serbs, and there is a significant Bosniak population along the flow of the Neretva, including the cities of Mostar, Konjic and Stolac. The population of Herzegovina was mixed prior to the Yugoslav wars as well as the Second World War, both of which saw ethnic cleansing on a large scale.

The geography of Herzegovina is mostly mountanious karst with high mountain in the north Herzegovina like the mountain Cvrsnica and Prenj. The upper flow of the river Neretva lies in the northern parts of Herzegovina and that is a region with fast flowing rivers, high mountain and it is a hevily forrested area. Cities like Konjic and Jablanica lies in this area which is by many classified as the most beautiful part of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The origin of the river Neretva, in the mountain is not in the Herzegovina region but as it flow towards west, then it also flows trough the Herzegovina region. The opportunities for rafting and kajak is very good at the upper flow of Neretva with chrystal clear blue water, with cold water troughout the whole year, with fast flowing kanyon and amazing nature with high mountains in the background and forrest around the river.

Rakitnica kanyon is also situated in the Herzegovina region and is a beautiful kanyon situated in the river Rakitnica, a river who flow into the river Neretva after the kanyon Rakitnica ends and flows into the Neretva kanyon.

The river flows towards northwest, trough the city of Konjic who is famous for the battle during the World War II. Then the river is entering the lake Jablanica "Jablanicko jezero", a man made lake who is one of the biggest in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The lake ends near the city Jablanica where the river Neretva is continuing on its way to the Adriatic Sea.

This time the river turn south towards the famous city Mostar. The river flows trough the city of Mostar, under the famous old bridge "stari most" and continues its way to the south. The river flows trough the city of Capljina and in to the Neretva delta in Croatia before it flows into the Adriatic Sea.

There are several famous cities in Herzegovina, Mostar is the most famous city and unofficial capital, but also the only city with over 100 000 citizen. There are not big cities in Herzegovina like in other parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina but there are historical famous and cities who are famous in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Trebinje, for example is the southernmost city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, near the border with Montenegro, and this beautiful city is a historical city on the river Trebisnjica. Capljina and Medjugorje are also famous city, Medjugorje is famous for its religios importance for many Croatian and Catholic. Konjic and Jablanica are both famous during World War II and other cities in Herzegovina are Ljubuski, Siroki Brijeg, Posusje, Stolac and the coastal town of Neum.

In Herzegovina there are many beautiful and famous natural landmarks like the falls of Kravica. It is several waterfalls near the city of Ljubuski and a popular spot for the local people, to take a bath in the hot Herzegovinan wheather, or just to enjoy the view.

The Hutovo Blato is a bird reservate, one of the most important in the Europe and there are many international ornitholog who have been there.

Vjetrenica cave is a cave system near the border to Croatia, in the Ravno municipality. The cave has not been discovered totaly jet but it is open for visitors. More and more species are being discovered there and it is a unique ecosystem with cave animals and other interesting things.

The mouth of Blagaj is also famous where the river Buna origin, inside a cave system.

And the sea is of course popular tourist attraction, but sadly Bosnia and Herzegovina has only one city at the sea and because of that, Bosnia and Herzegovina doesn't earn so much money on coastal tourism.

[edit] Gallery

Mostar	The "Old Bridge" ("Stari most") in Mostar, rebuilt in 2004.	Neum and the Herzegovinian coast.	Počitelj, Old town
Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, near the mountain Ivan	Trebinje	Sutjeska	River Neretva in Mostar, 2004