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Herzegovina (natively: Hercegovina or 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, great duke of the Bosnian kingdom (Herzog means duke in German) Stjepan Vukčić Kosača. As preparations for the annexation of Bosnia by Austria-Hungary were begun, the “divide and rule” policy was imposed by the European powers upon the gravely weakened Ottoman administration. The name of Herzegovina for the south-western parts of Bosnia was re-applied, and the country then changed its name from “Bosnia” to “Bosnia and Herzegovina” in 1853. Subsequently, Austria-Hungary also allowed Serbian and Croatian missionaries lead by Vaso Pelagić and Stjepan Radić respectively, to cross into Bosnia in order to carry out their missions of “national awakening” of locals. As a result of these respective hegemonistic moves by Belgrade and Zagreb (coordinated by Vienna in behalf of European powers), most Orthodox and Catholic Bosnian Christians had systematically converted to “Bosnian Serbs” and “Bosnian Croats”. This was part of England’s tactics to force Bosnia’s Muslims into Christendom. That would enable England to easier implement its long-term key strategy of homogenizing the Balkans in response to a strong Russia, and “crashing” the Balkans whenever Russia gets weak. As a result, two Yugoslavias were created and subsequently made to collapse so far, all in response to Russia’s strategic strengthening and weakening, respectively.

Contents 1 Population 2 History 3 Political status 4 Geography 5 Cities 6 Tourism 7 Gallery 8 See also 9 External links

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. In the 1991 census, Herzegovina was recorded as having a population of 437,095 inhabitants. The ethnic composition of the population was as follows: 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%).

Today, the western part of Herzegovina that belong to Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is mainly populated by Croats and Bosniaks (Bosniak population mainly live along the flow of the Neretva, including the cities of Mostar, Konjic and Stolac), while eastern part that belong to Republika Srpska is mainly populated by Serbs. [1]

History of Herzegovina

Zahumlje (7th-11th century)

Travunia (7th-11th century)

Principality of Hum (12th-14th century)

Duchy of Herzegovina (14th-15th century)

Sanjak of Herzegovina (15th-19th century)

Pashaluk of Herzegovina (1833-1851)

Herzegovinian rebellion (1875)

Main article: History of Herzegovina

See also: 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, through most of the late Middle Ages belonging to the Serbian kings of the Nemanjić dynasty. The westernmost parts of Herzegovina belonged to the Kingdom of Croatia, until its demise in 1102. Ban Stjepan II Kotromanić and King Tvrtko I Kotromanić adjoined these regions to the Bosnian state in the 14th century.

Following the weakening of the Bosnian crown after the death of Tvrtko I, powerful noblemen of Kosača family, Grand Duke Sandalj Hranić and his nephew, Herzog Stefan Vukčić, ruled the Hum region independently, only nominally recognizing the overlordship of the Bosnian kings. 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 and so the lands he controlled became (much later) known as Herzog’s lands or Herzegovina.

In 1482, Herzog Stefan's successors was overpowered by Ottoman forces led by his own son, Ahmed Hercegović, who accepted Islam. In the Ottoman Empire, Herzegovina was organized as a county (sanjak) within the province (pashaluk) of Bosnia. From 1833 to 1851, Herzegovina was separate pashaluk ruled by vizier Ali-paša Rizvanbegović. After his death, pashaluks of Bosnia and Herzegovina were merged and therefore the new joint entity was after 1853 commonly referred to as Bosnia and Herzegovina. Throughout the mid-19th century, Herzegovina was a target of expansion of the young Montenegrin state in the name of the liberation of the Serbian people from the Ottoman rule. Herzegovinian Serbs actively participated in the Montenegrin efforts to liberate them and to that end, they frequently rose in rebellion against the Ottoman rule. These efforts culminated in 1875 and 1876, during the Nevesinjska puška uprising. Montenegro did succeed in liberating and annexing large parts of Herzegovina before the Berlin Congress of 1878, including the Niksic area.

In 1878, Herzegovina, along with Bosnia, was occupied by Austria-Hungary, only nominally remaining under the Ottoman rule. This caused great resentment among its populace which together resisted the invaders in smaller flare-ups that ended in 1882. The Serbian population of Herzegovina and Bosnia had hoped that the province would be divided and annexed to Serbia and Montenegro, respectively, and the Muslim population, who still considered itself Turkish, opposed the occupation of a Christian power. A number of Muslims emigrated to within the new borders of the Ottoman Empire. The occupation caused a temporary rift in the Serbo-Austrian relations and threatened to grow into an open conflict.

In 1908, Austria-Hungary annexed the province, and this flared up the Bosnian Crisis, an international dispute that almost started a world war. The assassination of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand came as a result of the culmination of the resentment of the Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina against the Austro-Hungarian rule.

During the World War One, Herzegovina was one of the stages of interethnic conflict instigated by the Austro-Hungarian government. Amidst the war against Serbia, the Austro-Hungarian government formed Šuckori, Muslim and Croat militia units, to execute its policy of terror against the Serbian population of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Šuckori units were especially active in Herzegovina.

In 1918, Herzegovina became a part of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later renamed Yugoslavia). In 1941 Herzegovina fell under the rule of the fascist Independent State of Croatia, a Nazi ally, and the terror against the Serbian population intensified to the point of a genocide in the early months of the occupation. From 1941 to 1945, Herzegovina was a battling ground for the Croatian fascists, Serbian royalists and Serbian communist partisans. In 1945, Bosnia and Herzegovina became one of the republics of the communist Yugoslavia. It remained so until the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s.

In the modern Bosnian-Herzegovinian state, Herzegovina is divided between two entities (see Bosnia and Herzegovina and History of Bosnia and Herzegovina). Republika Srpska's part of Herzegovina, commonly referred to as East Herzegovina or, as of late, Trebinje Region is adminitratively divided into municipalities of Trebinje, Bileća, Gacko, Nevesinje, Ljubinje, Berkovići, Istočni Mostar and Foča. In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Herzegovina is administratively divided between the cantons of Herzegovina-Neretva, West Herzegovina and partially Canton 10.

The Herzegovina terrain is mostly hilly, karst (with high mountains in north Herzegovina such as Cvrsnica and Prenj), except for the central valley of the river Neretva. The largest city is Mostar, in the center of the region. Other larger towns include Stolac, Trebinje, Široki Brijeg, Konjic and Čapljina. Borders between Bosnia and Herzegovina are unclear and often disputed.

The upper flow of the river Neretva lies in the northern parts of Herzegovina, a heavily forested area with fast flowing rivers and high mountains. Towns like Konjic and Jablanica lie in this area, considered by many the most beautiful part of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

River Neretva rises on Lebršnik Mountain, close to the border to Montenegro, and as the river flows towards west, it enters Herzegovina. The entire upper catchment of Neretva constitutes a precious ecoregion with many endemic and endangered species. Fast flowing emerald river carves its way through the precipitius karst terrain, providing excellent opportunities for rafting and kayaking, while the spectacular scenery of the surrounding mountains and forests is a challenging hiking terrain.

Neretva's tributaries in the upper flow are mostly short, due to the mountainous terrain: Notably river Rakitnica has cut a deep canyon, its mystical waters being one of the least explored areas in this part of Europe. River Rakitnica flows into Neretva upstream from Konjic.

Neretva then flows towards northwest, trough the town of Konjic. The river enters the artificial Jablanica Lake ("Jablaničko jezero"), one of the biggest in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The lake ends near the town of Jablanica, famous for the Battle of Neretva, marking a crucial victory of Yugoslav Partisans over the German army and its quisling allies during World War II. From here on, Neretva turns southward continuing its course towards the Adriatic Sea.

With mountains lining its shores gradually receding, Neretva enters a valley where the city of Mostar lies. It flows under the famous old bridge Stari most and continues now more widely flowing towards the town of Čapljina and the Neretva delta in Croatia before emptying 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 citizens. There are no big cities in Herzegovina but they are historical and famous nonetheless. Stolac, for example is maybe the oldest city in Herzegovina. There have been settlements dating from paleolithic period (Badanj cave), Ilyric tribe lived in city Daorson, there have been also several Roman setlements along side Bregava river and medieval habitants have left us largest and most beautiful stone grave monuments called stećak in Radimlja. Trebinje is the southernmost city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, near the border with Montenegro, and this beautiful city is a historical city on the river Trebišnjica. Čapljina and Ljubuški are famous for there history and rivers; Međugorje is famous for its religious importance for many Croats and Catholics. Konjic and Jablanica become famous during World War II, and other cities in Herzegovina are: Rama, Široki Brijeg, Posušje, Čitluk, Grude, Gacko, Bileća, Ljubinje 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 Ljubuški and a popular spot for the local people, to take a bath in the hot Herzegovinan weather, or just to enjoy the view.

The Hutovo Blato is a bird reserve, one of the most important in the Europe and many international ornithologists have been there.

Vjetrenica cave is a cave system near the border to Croatia, in the Ravno municipality. The cave has not been explored totally yet 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.

Neum at the Adriatic Sea is also a popular tourist attraction, Bosnia and Herzegovina's only coastal town.

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

• Pashaluk of Herzegovina
• Herceg Novi
• Bosnia (region)
• Bosanska Krajina
• Sutjeska National Park

• Visit Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Tourism in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton
• Culture of Lower Herzegovina