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
remains greatly overstaffed, a holdover from the socialist economic
structure of Yugoslavia. TITO had pushed the development of military
industries in the republic with the result that Bosnia was saddled
with a host of industrial firms with little commercial potential.
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 2003-05. 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 pegged to the euro, and confidence in the
currency and the banking sector has increased. 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; foreign banks, primarily from Western Europe, now control
most of the banking sector. 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):
$23.09 billion
note: Bosnia has a large informal sector that could also be as much
as 50% of official GDP (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$8.495 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$5,200 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 14.2% industry: 30.8% services: 55% (2002)