Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Ethnic map of BIH, 2006. Bosnian Serbs - blue, Bosnian Muslims - green, Bosnian Croats - red.
Ethnic map of BIH, 2006. Bosnian Serbs - blue, Bosnian Muslims - green, Bosnian Croats - red.
Ethnic map of BIH before Bosnian War, 1991. Bosnian Croats - Red, Bosnian Muslims - green, Bosnian Serbs - Blue.
Ethnic map of BIH before Bosnian War, 1991. Bosnian Croats - Red, Bosnian Muslims - green, Bosnian Serbs - Blue.

Croats form one of the three constitutive nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are frequently referred to as Bosnian Croats, but since the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina the number of Herzegovinian Croats exceeds the number in Bosnia. The Croats maintain an unofficial capital in Mostar, with the city being home to the largest Croatian population.

There is no precise data regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina's population since the last war. The UNHCR conducted an unofficial census in 1996, but the data has not been recognized.[clarify] Ethnic cleansing within Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1990s saw the vast majority of Croats move and take up residents in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is estimated that there are approximately 600,000 Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to 2000 data from the CIA World Factbook, Bosnia and Herzegovina is ethnically 14.3% Croat. Croats are generally recognized to be the wealthiest, on average, of the nation's ethnic groups.

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[edit] History

Croats settled into the areas of modern Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovinia in the early seventh century, during the great migration of the Slavs. Christianity was quickly accepted. The Croatian people formed two principalities: Pannonia in the north and Dalmatia in the south. These two were finally united under under King Tomislav in ca. 925, who was crowned in the fields of Duvno in modern-day BH. In 1102, Croatia was joined into a union with Hungary, and over the centuries, saw its land shrink as the Ottoman Turks invaded Europe, and occupied Bosnia and much of present day Croatia for centuries to come. Many Croats living in Bosnia converted to Islam during this time period, and their numbers in areas shrank as many fled from fear of conversion and persecution, as the Christian folk were mistreated as low-grade citizens. The region henceforth became known as "Turkish Croatia" in Croatian literature.

In the 19th century with the Croatian national reawakening movements, acts were made to unite all Croats into one state. Such an act was realized only in 1939, when the Croatian Banate autonomous within the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was formed, that included most of western Herzegovina and parts of central Bosnia. From 1941 to 1945, most of Bosnia and Herzegovina was a part of the Axis Ustasha Independent State of Croatia.

During second Yugoslavia (1945-1991) their number shrank by a quarter [[1]] and prior the war in 1991, Croats made up 17.3% of the population. From 1971 to 1991, Croat percentage fell in most of Bosnian-Herzegovian municipalities due to slower natural growth than Bosniaks emigration into Croatia and lands of western Europe. Fall in percentage is only absent in western Herzegovina municipalities were Croats made more than 98% of population. Majority of Croats live in Western Herzegovina, Western Bosnia, Central Bosnia and Posavina (BiH_Croats_1991). The war saw a large scale of ethnic cleansing and the migration of populations on all sides. Municipalities in which Croats are the majority in Bosnia and Hercegovina today: Mostar, Stolac, Ravno, Čapljina, Neum, Čitluk, Grude, Kiseljak, Kreševo, Livno, Ljubuški, Kupres, Jajce, Dobretići, Odžak, Domaljevac-Šamac, Orašje, Posušje, Prozor-Rama, Široki Brijeg, Tomislavgrad, Vitez, Žepče, Usora, Novi Travnik and Busovača.

[edit] Culture

See also: Culture of Croatia

One of the most important cultural institutions for the Bosnian and Herzegovinian Croats is the Croatian Cultural Society Napredak. It helps educate Croatian youths by granting university scholarships. Napredak also works to promote culture. It has dozens of branches throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, as well as the Croatian diaspora. In the diaspora it is one of the main concert organizers for Croatian artists.

The University of Mostar is the only Croatian language institute of higher education in the country. Many of the nation's Croats also attend universities in Croatia, with the University of Zagreb being the most popular.

There are currently two major Croatian music festivals in the country: Etnofest Neum and Melodije Mostara. These festivals regularly attract the best native Bosnian and Herzegovinian Croat singers as well as top artists within Croatia itself.

Popular Croatian musicians coming from the country include Bijelo Dugme's Željko Bebek, Mate Bulić, Ivan Mikulić, Boris Novković, Vesna Pisarović and the group Feminnem.

[edit] Writers

Croatian literature in Bosnia and Herzegovina has its foundations in the 17th century writer Matija Divković. From the early 20th century, Antun Branko Šimić is also well known.

In the Yugoslav period Ivo Andrić became the most well-known Croat writer from Bosnia and Herzegovina. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1961.

[edit] Religion

See also: Roman Catholicism in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Croats form the core of the Catholic Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The metropolitan diocese is the Archdiocese of Vrhbosna. There are also dioceses centred in Banja Luka and in Mostar, which is the largest. The parish of Međugorje is a significant Marian shrine which attracts large numbers of pilgrims each year.

[edit] Sport

Croatian-run clubs in Bosnia and Herzegovina number among the most successful. They are arguably over-represented in terms of national championships in relation to percentage of the population. In football NK Zrinjski Mostar, NK Široki Brijeg, NK Žepče, NK Posušje, and HNK Orašje are some of the most successful. Collectively, they have won one national Cup and four national Championships since national competition began in 2000. Other popular Croatian-run clubs are NK Brotnjo, NK SAŠK Napredak, HNK Ljubuški and others. The clubs themselves are often among the nation's most multi-ethnic.

Prior to 2000, the Croats ran their own First League of Herzeg-Bosnia in football. However, they have joined the UEFA-approved Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina's league system. Bosnia and Herzegovina has produced many successful internationals, both for the Croatian national team and the national team of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

[edit] Politics

See also: Politics of Bosnia and Herzegovina

There are several Croatian political parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina, many corresponding to parties within Croatia itself. The Croatian Democratic Union, Croatian Democratic Union 1990, and the Croatian Party of Rights are the most popular parties. The Croatian Peasant Party, New Croatian Initiative, Croatian Right Bloc, People's Party Work for Betterment are relatively minor Croatian parties.

Politically, Croats are the most marginalized in the country. Within the Federation, Croats are outnumbered by Bosniaks, while they are even more outnumbered on the federal level. Croats retain a member in the nation's presidency. The current Croatian president is Željko Komšić. However, even this post is becoming a sign of political marginilization as Komšić has been widely accused of being elected into power based on a loophole in which ethnic Bosniaks can choose to vote for the Croat president.

In 2005, a conference on the Constitutional-law position of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina was held in Neum. It addressed ways to fix the political system.

Historically, the Croats formed their own parties with the end of Ottoman rule. The Croatian National Community and the Croatian Catholic Association took part in the country's first elections in 1910.

[edit] List of famous Croats from Bosnia and Herzegovina

Art

Writing

Nobel Prize winners


Military and politics

Media and singers

Sports

Religion

[edit] External links


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Ethnic groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosniaks · Croats · Serbs · Yugoslavs
 Jews · Montenegrins

See also 1991 population census • Constitutional nations • Demographics