SARAJEVO

The capital of Bosnia

Sarajevo is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with 310,605 people in the four municipalities that make up the city, and a metro-area population of 436,572 people in the Sarajevo Canton as of June 2010. It is also the capital of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity as well as the center of the Sarajevo Canton.

This hilly city lies in the Sarajevo valley of Bosnia, surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River. The valley itself once formed a vast expanse of greenery but gave way to urban expansion and development in the post-World War II era. The city is surrounded by heavily forested hills and five major mountains. The highest of the surrounding peaks is Treskavica at 2,088 meters (6,850 ft), then Bjelašnica at 2,067 meters (6,781 ft), Jahorina at 1,913 meters (6,276 ft), Trebević at 1,627 meters (5,338 ft), with 1,502 meters (4,928 ft) Igman being the shortest. The last four are also known as the Olympic Mountains of Sarajevo.

Proud to have religious and cultural diversity

A strong history for a stronger future

Although settlement in the area stretches back to prehistoric times, the modern city arose as an Ottoman stronghold in the 15th century. Sarajevo has attracted international attention several times throughout its history. In 1885, Sarajevo was the first city in Europe and second in the world to have a full-time electric tram network, the first being San Francisco, California. In 1914, Sarajevo was sadly the site of the assassination of François-Ferdinand d’Autriche that sparked World War I. Seventy years later, it hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics. For nearly four years, from 1992–1996, the city suffered under the Siege of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War of independence.

LEGACY STAKEHOLDERS AFFILIATED TO THE UNION