Bosnia and Herzegovina is a heart-shaped country located in the heart of Southeast Europe. Here, Eastern and Western civilizations have always met—sometimes clashing, but also creating a long and fascinating history.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a long name for a relatively small country. The northern and central parts are known as Bosnia, while the southern region was historically called Hum, later renamed Herzegovina in the 19th century. Geographically and culturally, Bosnia and Herzegovina is a stunningly beautiful country with a rich variety of natural landscapes, cultures, and traditions. Despite the horrors of the recent war, it has remained a multicultural and multi-religious society.
Multiculturalism is—simply put—its destiny. Throughout its turbulent history, Bosnia and Herzegovina has become home to numerous religious communities (Islamic, Orthodox, Catholic...), and these forms of division have contributed to the creation of modern Bosnian-Herzegovinian religious and national identities, as well as other multiple layers of identity. The Bosnian-Herzegovinian experience is truly one of multiple identities—or alterities—though this is not always fully acknowledged or embraced. The so-called curse of "small differences," on one hand, and the "syndrome of sameness," on the other, continue to prevent Bosnia and Herzegovina from recognizing its diversity as a strength and from taking pride in this unique quality.