Religion in Bosnia

Genocide in Bosnia

Religion in Bosnia

Religion in Bosnia is very important to the people who live there. The three major religions of Bosnia are Roman Catholicism, Serbian Orthodox, and Islam. Bosnian Croats make up the majority of Roman Catholics. Bosnian Serbs make up the majority of the Serbian Orthodox population. Bosnian Muslims make up the Islamic population of Bosnia- Herzegovina. Religion played a major role in the genocide that occurred in Bosnia from 1992 to 1995.

Bosnian Serbs wanted complete control of Bosnia and felt that the only way they could accomplish this was to exterminate the Bosnian Muslim population. In 2006 eleven years after the Bosnian Genocide it is estimated that 200,000 Bosnian Muslims were killed and over 2,000,000 Bosnian Muslim became refugees during the Bosnian War.

Roman Catholicism

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Bosnian Croats make up the majority of Roman Catholics in Bosnia. Roman Catholicism is the third most popular religion in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Roughly 15% of the population of Bosnian-Herzegovina are Roman Catholic.

Serbian Orthodox

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The majority of all Serbian Orthodox followers in Bosnia Hercegovina are Bosnian Serbs. The Serbian Orthodox religion makes up 31% of the population in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The majority of all Serbian Orthodox followers reside in the Republic of Sprspka, which is one of two republics that make up the country of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Islam

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Islam is the largest religion in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Islam was introduced to Bosnia beginning in 1463 when the Ottoman Turks conquered Bosnia. For over 500 years the Bosnian Muslim population developed their own ethnic identity within Bosnia. Nearly 40% of all Bosnians are Muslims. The majority of all Bosnian Muslims live in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is one of two republics in Bosnia- Herzegovina. The Bosnian Serb Army murdered over 200,000 Bosnian Muslims during the Bosnian War.