Bosna (river)

The Bosna (pronounced [bɔ̂sna]) is the third longest river in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is considered one of the country's three major internal rivers, along with the Neretva and Vrbas Rivers; the other three major rivers of Bosnia and Herzegovina are the Una, to the northwest, the Sava, to the north, and the Drina, to the east. It is the probable namesake of Bosnia. The Bosna flows for 271 kilometers (168 mi).

The river was the classical Bossina^[1] Certain Roman sources similarly mention the River Bathinus as a name of the Illyrian Bosona, both of which mean "running water".^[2]

Course and tributaries

The Bosna river also makes up the Bosna River Valley, the country's industrial center and home to close to a million people, as well as the location of several major cities. The river's biggest tributaries are the Željeznica, Miljacka, Fojnica, Lašva, Gostović, Krivaja, Usora, and Spreča rivers.

Its source is at the spring Vrelo Bosne, at the foothills of the Mount Igman, on the outskirts of Sarajevo, capital of sovereign Bosnia and Herzegovina. The spring is one of Bosnia and Herzegovina's chief natural landmarks and tourist attractions. From there, the Bosna flows northwards, through the heart of Bosnia, eventually becoming a right tributary of the Sava River in Bosanski Šamac.

Although it does not pass through any foreign countries, the Bosna flows through a number of cantons. From its starting point in the Sarajevo Canton, it also flows through Zenica-Doboj Canton, Doboj Region, and Posavina Canton, in that order.

On its way north the River Bosna also passes through the cities of Visoko, Zenica, Maglaj, Doboj, Modriča and Bosanski Šamac.

References