Serbian Autonomous Oblasts

SAOs in Croatia (1990)

SAOs in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1991)

SAOs in BiH (Autumn 1991)

SAOs in BiH (November 1991)

During the Yugoslav Wars, the Serbian Autonomous Oblasts, (Serbian: Српска аутономна област, Srpska autonomna oblast, SAO) were oblasts in the Yugoslav republics of SR Croatia and SR Bosnia and Herzegovina that the ethnic Serbs proclaimed to be autonomous and subsequently voted for independence. The SAOs would eventually form the Republic of Serbian Krajina in Croatia and the Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

SAOs in Croatia

• SAO Kninska Krajina (later SAO Krajina)
• SAO Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia (later Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia)
• SAO Western Slavonia

SAOs in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Six entities in total (in various times):

• SAO Bosnian Krajina, first formed as the Autonomous Region of Krajina) in April 1991. It was the largest region, but after failure to merge with SAO Krajina in Croatia, it was renamed SAO Bosanska Krajina in September 1991.
• SAO North-Eastern Bosnia formed in September 1991; renamed SAO Semberija in November 1991, and SAO Semberija i Majevica in December 1991.
• SAO Northern Bosnia, formed in November 1991, never fully controlled its proclaimed territory.
• SAO Ozren-Posavina, planned from predominantly Bosniak and Croat municipalities in northern Bosnia, but not fully established.
• SAO Romanija, formed in September 1991, and SAO Birač, formed November 1991; combied in November 1991 as SAO Romanija-Birač.
• SAO Herzegovina (also known as SAO Eastern Herzegovina), formed in September 1991.

See also

• Breakup of Yugoslavia
• Yugoslav Wars
• Republika Srpska
• Republika Srpska Krajina