Basic Characteristics and Consequences of Migration Movements in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Migrations play a very important and significant cultural and historical role in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They have as a consequence brought economic and demographic changes and negative migration balance has been the main characteristic for a long period of time. Beside strong migration flows from Bosnian territory, internal population movements have also been very intensive, contributing to regional differences in population growth and leading to the development of immigration and emigration zones. At the same time, rural settlements have been registering a decline in population (some even ceasing to exist) while municipal centers have increased in size. To make matters worse, population reproduction has become questionable. The number of municipalities with decreased population has grown by about 13 percent during 1953–1991 period. Between censuses in 1981 and 1991, the number of municipalities characterized by immigration declined whereas the number of those with emigration characteristics increased. Furthermore, as a result of war and related problems in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1991 to 1999, only 24 municipalities now contain more inhabitants than they had in 1991. Also, the relationship between domiciled and displaced populations in municipalities is different, a fact which depends particularly on the administrative organization within the country