BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA ( Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина)

Bosnia and Herzegovina, abbreviated BiH or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country in South and Southeast Europe, located within the Balkans. Sarajevo is the capital and largest city.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is not entirely a landlocked country as it may appear on a map – to the south it has a narrow coast on the Adriatic Sea, which is about 20 kilometres (12 miles) long and surrounds the town of Neum. It is bordered by Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to the north and southwest. In the central and eastern interior of the country the geography is mountainous, in the northwest moderately hilly, and in the northeast predominantly flatland. The inland, Bosnia, is a geographically larger region and has a moderate continental climate, with hot summers and cold and snowy winters. The southern tip, Herzegovina, has a Mediterranean climate and mostly mountainous topography.

The country is home to three main ethnic groups or, officially, constituent peoples, as specified in the constitution. Bosniaks are the largest group of the three, with Serbs second, and Croats third. A native of Bosnia and Herzegovina, regardless of ethnicity, is usually identified in English as a Bosnian.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has a bicameral legislature and a three-member Presidency composed of a member of each major ethnic group. However, the central government's power is highly limited, as the country is largely decentralized and comprises two autonomous entities: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska, with a third unit, the Brčko District, governed under local government. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina consists of 10 cantons. Sarajevo is the capital and largest city. Other major cities are Banja Luka and Bihać in the northwest region known as Bosanska Krajina, Bijeljina and Tuzla in the northeast, Zenica in the central part of Bosnia and Mostar, the largest city in Herzegovina.

The first issue in 1879 for Bosnia and Herzegovina, soon after its occupation by Austria-Hungary in 1878, is a stamp without any text, but representing the Austrian double-eagle coats of arms. Stamps inscribed in German Bosnien Herzegowina were produced in 1906, featuring landscapes and monuments, including views of Doboj and the Carshija business quarter of Sarajevo. In 1918 Bosnia and Herzegovina was merged in the newly created Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians. Bosnia and Herzegovina issued stamps in November 1918 by were overprinting Austrian-issued pictorial stamps of 1910, some in Latin characters reading "DRZAVA S.H.S. / 1918 1918 / Bosna i Hercegovina" ("State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs / Bosnia and Herzegovina") and others in their Cyrillic equivalent. The first stamps for use throughout the kingdom were issued in January 1921.

The name of the kingdom was changed to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929, and later becoming the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia after WWII. Bosnia and Herzegovina used Yugoslav stamps until becoming independent in 1992. After the independence in 1992, the country has three postal authorities, corresponding with ethnic and administrative division of the country. The stamps are issued by: Bosnia and Herzegovina post (BH Pošta, Sarajevo), Croatian Posts (HP Mostar, Mostar), and Serbian posts (Srpske pošte, Banja Luka). In Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, stamps issued by BH pošta (the areas controlled by Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1995) and HP Mostar (the areas controlled by Croatian Defence Council in 1995) are valid, while in Republika Srpska stamps issued by the Srpske pošte are valid. BH pošta issue stamps from 27 October 1993, first inscribed Republika Bosna i Hercegovina, and from 1996 just Bosna i Hercegovina. Until 1 October 1998, the currency is Bosnia and Herzegovina dinar, and after that Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark. HP Mostar issue stamps from 12 May 1993. Initially the stamps were inscribed by Bosna i Hercegovina / Hrvatska Republika Herceg-Bosna, or abbreviated HR Herceg-Bosna. From 1996, the stamps bear inscription Bosna i Hercegovina, but with a different logo from BH pošta in Sarajevo. Initial currency was Croatian kuna, and from 1999 Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark. Both postal authorities from 2011 use double label Bosna i Hercegovina / Federacija Bosne i Hercegovine ( FBiH), maintaining different logos, and areas of use. 

Srpske pošte in Banja Luka started to issue stamps on 26 October 1992. The stamps first had label Republika Srpska, and the currency was until 24 December Yugoslav dinar. From 15th of July 2003, the stamps use double label Bosna i Hercegovina / Republika Srpska. The stamps of Republika Srpska usually use the Cyrillic script, so the label reads Рeпублиҝa Српска.

I received nice covers from Bosnia with newly introduced registered barcode label. They replaced the old UPU blue barcode label with own printed one. Edin sent me these covers from Zenica a small city in Bosnia region. he had sent covers from other two autonomous area of Bosnia called Srpska and Mostar, because they are a little close to his place where he live. Thank You Edin and Danijel for the nice covers and stamps sent to me.

This is a  special Registered Airmail cover for me because of its full upper side bar code label. It is very rare to see, My friend Danijel Potocky requested to the post office staff and explained the need of the upper side label , later she agreed to affix the upper side of the label. The cover posted from Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia Herzegovina. 

The covers posted on July 07, 2014 and I received on August 10, 2014.