Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska (Serbian Cyrillic: Република Српска, pronounced [repǔblika sr̩̂pskaː] ⓘ, lit. "Serb Republic"; also known as the Republic of Srpska) is one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the north and east of the country. Its largest city and administrative centre is Banja Luka, lying on the Vrbas river, and with a population of about 138,963 people.
Republika Srpska | |
|---|---|
| Anthem: "Моја Република" / "Moja Republika" (English: "My Republic") | |
Red indicates the location of Republika Srpska within Bosnia and Herzegovina. Pink is Brčko District. | |
| Country | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Proclaimed | 9 January 1992 |
| Recognized as part of Bosnia and Herzegovina | 14 December 1995 |
| Capital | Sarajevo East Sarajevo |
| Largest city | Banja Luka |
| Official languages | |
| Ethnic groups (2013 census) | |
| Government | Federated state |
| Milorad Dodik | |
| Radovan Višković | |
| Nenad Stevandić | |
| Legislature | National Assembly |
| Area | |
• Total | 25,098.5 km2 (9,690.6 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2020 estimate | 1,136,274 |
• 2013 census | 1,170,342d |
• Density | 53/km2 (137.3/sq mi) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2021 estimate |
• Total | €6.36 billion |
• Per capita | €5,637 |
| HDI (2019) | 0.777 high |
| Currency | Convertible marke (BAM) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 |
| UTC+02:00 | |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +387 |
| ISO 3166 code | BA-SRP |
| a Although the north-eastern Brčko District is formally held in condominium by both entities, it is a de facto autonomous political entity, having the same powers as the other two entities and is under the direct sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina. b The Constitution of Republika Srpska avoids naming "Serbian, Bosnian, and Croatian", instead listing them as "the language of the Serb people, the language of the Bosniak people and the language of the Croat people" due to the ongoing debate over the separation of these languages. c Including refugees abroad d Excluding Republika Srpska's 48% of the Brčko District e Cyrillic version | |
Republika Srpska was formed in 1992 at the outset of the Bosnian War with the stated intent to safeguard the interests of the Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The war saw the expulsion of the vast majority of Croats and Bosniaks from the territory claimed by Republika Srpska and an inflow of Serbs expelled from Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Following the Dayton Agreement of 1995, Republika Srpska was recognised as an entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina. Today most of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Serb population lives in Republika Srpska.
Republika Srpska has a parliamentary-style government, with the National Assembly holding legislative power within the entity. Republika Srpska is relatively centralised, although it is split into 64 municipalities called opštine. The legislature holds 83 seats, and the current session is the tenth since its founding.