Ethnicity of Bosnia

The ethnicity of Bosnia is very diverse. For over seven hundred years Croats and Serbs have migrated into Bosnian lands and created a very large population. When the Ottoman Empire conquered Bosnia in 1463 A.D. they established another ethnic group in Bosnia. Bosniaks or Bosnian Muslims were once Croats or Serbs who converted to Islam when the Ottoman Turk ruled Bosnia from 1463 A.D. to 1878 A.D. Bosnia also became the home of Germans,Hungarians, Romanians, Bulgarians, Jews, and Gypsies who came came to live in Bosnia during the Middle Ages.

In all, Bosnia is a hodge podge nation in terms of it ethnicity. The three main ethnic groups of Bosnia are Bosnian Croats, Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Muslims. These three groups would be heavily influenced by Croatia and Serbia, which would create an atmosphere where genocidal acts would become possible during the Bosnian War.

Bosnian Croats

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History of Bosnian Croats

Bosnian Croats make up 14 percent of the population of Bosnia. The majority of Bosnian Croats live in the Federation of Croats and Muslims, which is a one of two republics that make up Bosnia-Herzegovina. Thousands of Bosnian Croats left Bosnia and immigrated to Croatia during and after the Bosnian War from 1992-1995.

Bosnian Serbs

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History of Bosnian Serbs

Bosnian Serbs make up the 2nd most populist ethnic group in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Bosnian Serbs formed one of the two republics that make up Bosnia-Herzegovina. The name of the Bosnian Serb state is called the Republic of Srpska. Bosnian Serbs make up 31.3 percent of the population of Bosnia.

Bosnian Muslims

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History of Bosnian Muslims

Bosnian Muslims make up 43.7 percent of the population of Bosnia-Hercegovina. The majority of all Bosnian Muslims live within the borders of the the Federation of Croats and Muslims, which is one of two republics that make up the nation of Bosnia-Hercegovina. An estimated 200,000 Bosnian Muslims were executed during the Bosnian Genocide from 1992-1995. The Bosnian Serb Army under command of General Ratko Mladic carried out the extermination of Bosnian Muslims.