Geography and Geology of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Geography of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The relief of Bosnia and Herzegovina is mainly hilly and mountainous, with only 13.53% of the land situated between 0-200 meters above sea level. Bosnia and Herzegovina has a surface area of 51,209 square kilometers, of which the seaside is 12.2 square kilometers. In 1991, 4.38 million people lived in the country. Based on this, the average population density is around 85 inhabitants per square kilometer. According to the results of the 2013 census, there are 3,531,159 inhabitants in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Today, about 70% of the population lives in urban areas.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is shaped like a triangle. One side extends east-west, the other north-south, while the hypotenuse runs northwest-southeast, almost parallel to the coastline. The coastline is about 24 kilometers long and is located in the area of Neum - Klek bay.

Geological Characteristics of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The geological composition of Bosnia and Herzegovina is very complex. It emerged as a result of complex endodynamic processes, forming a diverse range of magmatic, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. The geological structure of Bosnia and Herzegovina has a long history. The territory was once part of the Tethys geosynclines, situated between the African plate to the south and the Euro-Siberian plate to the north.

From the Archaean era until the end of the Tertiary period, rocks and sediments were deposited in the area. The oldest sediments found in Bosnia and Herzegovina date back to the early Paleozoic era, specifically the Silurian era. These Silurian deposits are found in the ‘Bosnian Schist Mountains’, including the Vranica, Zec, and Bitovnja Mountains. These layers consist of schist sediments, marbles, dolomites, limestone, and classic rock, interspersed with various igneous rocks. These deposits are heavily tectonically fractured and collected.