Inter-Entity Boundary Line
Encyclopedia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
into two entities, the Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska is one of two main political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the two political entities that compose the sovereign country of Bosnia and Herzegovina . The two entities are delineated by the Inter-Entity Boundary Line...
. The total length of the Inter-Entity Boundary Line is 1,080 km.
The IEBL essentially runs along the military front lines as they were at the end of the Bosnian War
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
with some major adjustments (most importantly in the western part of the country
Bosanska Krajina
Bosanska Krajina or Bosnian Frontier is a geographical region, a subregion of Bosnia, in western Bosnia and Herzegovina enclosed by three rivers - Sava, Una and Vrbas. It is also a historic, economic and cultural entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina....
, and in and around Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
), made at the Dayton peace conference
Dayton Agreement
The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known as the Dayton Agreement, Dayton Accords, Paris Protocol or Dayton-Paris Agreement, is the peace agreement reached at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio in November 1995, and formally signed in Paris on...
.
The present political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina were created by the Dayton Agreement, which recognized a second tier of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina comprising two entities—a joint Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska -- each presiding over roughly one half of...
were agreed upon as part the constitution that makes up Annex 4 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace concluded at the Dayton peace conference
Dayton Agreement
The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known as the Dayton Agreement, Dayton Accords, Paris Protocol or Dayton-Paris Agreement, is the peace agreement reached at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio in November 1995, and formally signed in Paris on...
in November 1995, and subsequently signed in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
on December 14, 1995. A key component of this was the delineation of the Inter-Entity Boundary Line, to which many of the tasks listed in the other Annexes referred. In particular the IEBL affected the tasks of the Military Annexes; such as the initial (immediate) Separation of Forces, the creation of an initial Zone of Separation, the Transfer of Areas between the Entities and the Removal of Forces to containment areas.
Dayton marked the first occasion when three-dimensional satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
image technology and digital
Digital
A digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
cartography
Cartography
Cartography is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.The fundamental problems of traditional cartography are to:*Set the map's...
was used to determine and delineate boundaries in an official treaty
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
. Due to the speed and intensity of the negotiations (especially towards the end), a series of Inter-Entity Boundary Line commissions still needed to be held over the first 6 months of the NATO-led Implementation Force IFOR
IFOR
The Implementation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename Operation Joint Endeavour. Its task was to implement the military Annexes of The General Framework Agreement for...
operation to iron out the remaining details of some of the boundaries (especially within Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
). Over 40 changes to the Inter-Entity Boundary Line were negotiated by the parties in meetings facilitated by the Chief of Staff HQ ARRC, Major General Michael Wilcox
Michael Wilcox
Michael Wilcox, born on 6 June 1943 in Totnes, Devon, is a British playwright.He was resident playwright at the Dovecot Arts Centre in Stockton-on-Tees for the 1977 season.In 1980, he was resident playwright at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh....
. These were signed off by IFOR Commander Admiral Leighton W. Smith, Jr. in July 1996.
Today the IEBL between Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska is one of two main political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the two political entities that compose the sovereign country of Bosnia and Herzegovina . The two entities are delineated by the Inter-Entity Boundary Line...
is no longer controlled by the military and is not policed. There are no border controls, and crossing the IEBL is akin to crossing a U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
or Schengen state
Schengen Agreement
The Schengen Agreement is a treaty signed on 14 June 1985 near the town of Schengen in Luxembourg, between five of the ten member states of the European Economic Community. It was supplemented by the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement 5 years later...
boundary.
Ruling of the Constitutional Court
The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and HerzegovinaConstitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a special court sui generis, whose main role is to be the interpreter and guardian of the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as stated in Article VI, paragraph 3 of the Constitution , and it is considered to be the highest judicial...
has, in its first partial decision number U 5/98, ruled on the issue whether the Constitution of the Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska is one of two main political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
can use the word "border" instead of the "boundary" in its text. The Court declared:
Thus, the Constitution of the RS had to be amended, which was done with the Amendment number LXVIII, which changed the word "border" in the Amendment number LV on the Article 2 paragraph 2 of the Constitution of RS.
Bosnian-Herzegovinian municipalities that were divided by the line
Legend:- Municipality in the Federation of Bosnia and HerzegovinaFederation of Bosnia and HerzegovinaThe Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the two political entities that compose the sovereign country of Bosnia and Herzegovina . The two entities are delineated by the Inter-Entity Boundary Line...
/ Municipality in Republika SrpskaRepublika SrpskaRepublika Srpska is one of two main political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
- Bosanska KrupaBosanska KrupaBosanska Krupa is a town and municipality in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the Una river. It is located northeast from Bihać...
/ Krupa na UniKrupa na UniKrupa na Uni is a municipality in northern Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the north-western part of the Republika Srpska entity and the central part of the Bosanska Krajina region... - Sanski MostSanski MostSanski Most is a town and municipality in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located on the Sana River in Bosanska Krajina, between Prijedor and Ključ. Administratively it is part of the Una-Sana Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina....
/ Oštra LukaOštra LukaOštra Luka is a village and a municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The municipality is situated in the northwestern part of the Republika Srpska entity and the central part of the Bosanska Krajina region... - KljučKljucKljuč is a town and municipality by the same name in western Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, specifically the Una-Sana Canton. The name of the town and the municipality translates to "Key" in Bosnian....
/ Ribnik - Bosanski PetrovacBosanski PetrovacBosanski Petrovac is a town in western Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is also the name of the municipality. The town and municipality are part of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Una-Sana Canton.-People:...
/ PetrovacPetrovac (Republika Srpska)Petrovac is a municipality in western Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the western part of the Republika Srpska entity and the central part of the Bosanska Krajina region... - DrvarDrvarDrvar is a town and municipality in western Bosnia and Herzegovina, located on the road between Bosansko Grahovo and Bosanski Petrovac, also near Glamoč. It is administratively part of Canton 10 of the Federation....
/ Istočni DrvarIstocni DrvarIstočni Drvar is a municipality in western Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the western part of the Republika Srpska entity and the central part of the Bosanska Krajina region... - Kupres (FBiH)Kupres (town)Kupres is a town and municipality in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The town is located in the Canton 10, also known as the Hercegbosanski Kanton or Hercegbosanska županija and is the north-western most town in Hercegovina.- Position :Kupres is 43 km distanced from...
/ Kupres (RS)Kupres (Republika Srpska)Kupres , also known as Kupres Republike Srpske , is a municipality in western Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the western part of the Republika Srpska entity, bordering the region of Bosanska Krajina to the north... - JajceJajceJajce is a city and municipality located in the central part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is part of the Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity...
/ Jezero - DobretićiDobreticiDobretići is a village and municipality in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is one of the youngest and smallest municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina hence being one of the poorest municipalities as well...
/ KneževoKneževoKneževo , is a town and municipality in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies about south-east of Banja Luka and is part of the Republika Srpska entity. In 1992, during the Bosnian War, the town was renamed from Skender Vakuf Kneževo (Serbian Cyrillic: Кнежево; formerly Skender Vakuf), is a town... - Doboj SouthDoboj SouthDoboj South is a small rural municipality in the Zenica-Doboj Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.It borders with Doboj municipality, part of Republika Srpska entity.-About Doboj South:...
and Doboj EastDoboj EastDoboj East is a small rural municipality in the Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-Municipality:It consists of the villages of Stanić Rijeka, Klokotnica, Velika Brijesnica and Mala Brijesnica....
/ DobojDobojDoboj is a city and a municipality in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina, situated in the northern part of the Republika Srpska entity on the river Bosna. Doboj is the largest national railway junction; as such, the seats of the Republika Srpska Railways, and the Railways Corporation of Bosnia and... - Gračanica and LukavacLukavacLukavac is a town and municipality in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina. The town is the seat of a municipality within the Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-Geography:Lukavac covers an area of 352,66 km2...
/ PetrovoPetrovo, Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosansko Petrovo Selo or Petrovo is a town and relatively young municipality located in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina... - GradačacGradacacGradačac is a town and municipality in the northeastern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, located roughly south of the Sava river. Administratively, Gradačac is part of the Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
/ PelagićevoPelagicevoPelagićevo is a village and a municipality in Republika Srpska, one of two entities comprising Bosnia and Herzegovina. Pelagićevo is located in Bosanska Posavina... - OrašjeOrašjeOrašje is a town in the northern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, located on the river Sava on the border with Croatia. Orašje is the center of the Posavina Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
/ Donji ŽabarDonji ŽabarDonji Žabar is a village and a municipality in Republika Srpska, one of two entities comprising the sovereign state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:... - Domaljevac-ŠamacDomaljevac-ŠamacThe municipality of Domaljevac-Šamac is one of the newly created municipalities of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the Posavina Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-Ethnic composition, 1991 census, town of Domaljevac:total: 4,152...
/ Šamac - OdžakOdžakOdžak is a town in the northern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, located near the river Sava, from the border with Croatia. Odžak is in the Posavina Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-Demographics:...
/ VukosavljeVukosavljeVukosavlje is a municipality in north-eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the northern part of the Republika Srpska entity and in the southern part of the Bosanska Posavina region... - ČelićCelicČelić is a municipality located in the northeastern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is part of the Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Čelić was part of the municipality of Lopare prior to the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina...
/ LopareLopareLopare is a town and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the Majevica region of the Republika Srpska entity.-Demographics:... - TeočakTeocakthumb|Mosque in TeočakTeočak is a town and municipality in the northeastern part Bosnia and Herzegovina. Center of the municipality is town of Teočak-Krstac.-Geography:...
/ UgljevikUgljevikUgljevik is a municipality and town in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The municipality located in the eastern foothills of Mount Majevica, in picturesque countryside, where wondrous and beautiful mountain starts descending towards the flatlands of Semberija, to which it is tied more than any other... - SapnaSapnaSapna is a town and municipality in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Administratively, it is part of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Tuzla Canton.-History:...
/ ZvornikZvornikZvornik is a city on the Drina river in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, located south of the town of Bijeljina in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The town Mali Zvornik lies directly across the river in Serbia, and not far north is Loznica.-History:Zvornik is first mentioned in 1410, although it was... - KalesijaKalesijaKalesija is a town and municipality in north-eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. The town of Kalesija is located east of Tuzla. It is administratively part of the Tuzla Canton and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-Kalesija:...
/ OsmaciOsmaciOsmaci is a village and a municipality located in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Republika Srpska entity of BiH.-History:... - Stari GradStari Grad, SarajevoStari Grad is a municipality in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the oldest and most historically significant part of Sarajevo...
/ Istočni Stari GradIstocni Stari GradIstočni Stari Grad is a municipality in City of East Sarajevo, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was also known as Srpski Stari Grad , and was created from part of the pre-war municipality of Stari Grad... - Novo SarajevoNovo SarajevoNovo Sarajevo is a municipality in Sarajevo, and Sarajevo Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-1971:111,811 total* Serbs - 45,806 * Bosniaks - 37,147...
/ Lukavica - IlidžaIlidžaIlidža is a town and municipality in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has a metro population of 157,654, making it the 7th largest city in the country. Ilidža is the chief suburb of Sarajevo. It is famous for the natural beauty of its surroundings and historical tradition dating back to...
/ Istočna IlidžaIstocna IlidžaIstočna Ilidža is a municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Istočna Ilidža is a one of the six municipalities of the City of East Sarajevo... - Trnovo (FBiH)Trnovo Municipality SarajevoTrnovo is one of the nine municipalities of the Sarajevo Canton. It is located a 30 kilometers southeast of the city of Sarajevo. The seat of the municipality is in Trnovo, although the municipal council uses the "Maršal" Hotel on Mount Bjelašnica as the official meeting hall...
/ Trnovo (RS) - Pale-PračaPale-PracaPale-Prača is one of three municipalities of the Bosnian Podrinje Canton located in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The main town of the municipality is Prača.-Features:...
/ Pale - GoraždeGoraždeGoražde , is a city and municipality in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina on the Drina river. It is located between Foča, Sokolac and Višegrad, and is administratively part of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the center of the Bosnian Podrinje Canton.-Location:Goražde is situated on the...
/ Novo GoraždeNovo GoraždeNovo Goražde , also known as Ustiprača, is a municipality of Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was split from the pre-existing municipality of Goražde and given to Republika Srpska by the Dayton treaty. The other part of the pre-war municipality is now in the Federation of Bosnia and... - Foča-UstikolinaFoca-UstikolinaThe municipality of Foča-Ustikolina is one of three municipalities forming the Bosnian Podrinje Canton in Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:Foča-Ustikolina used to be part of the original Foča municipality, but split itself 1995 and became part of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-Geography...
/ FočaFocaFoča is a town and municipality in southeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina on the Drina river, in the Foča Region of the Republika Srpska entity.-Early history:... - MostarMostarMostar is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the largest and one of the most important cities in the Herzegovina region and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country...
/ Istočni MostarIstocni MostarIstočni Mostar is a municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was also known as Srpski Mostar , and was created from part of the pre-war municipality of Mostar... - StolacStolacStolac is a town and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in the southern part of Herzegovina. Administratively, it is part of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina....
/ BerkovićiBerkoviciBerkovići is a village and a municipality in southeastern Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:The municipality was created in 1995, after the Bosnian War out of the Republika Srpska controlled portions of the pre-war municipality of Stolac.-Demographics:The majority of the population... - RavnoRavnoRavno is a town and the seat of its municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity. Ravno was a municipality until 1963, when it became a part of the Trebinje municipality...
/ TrebinjeTrebinjeTrebinje is the southernmost municipality and town in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is administratively part of the Republika Srpska entity and is located in southeastern Herzegovina, some from the Adriatic Sea....
At the time of the creation of the Dayton Accord, Brčko
Brcko (city)
Brčko is a city in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina, administrative seat of the Brčko District. It lies on the country's border along the Sava river across from Gunja, Croatia...
was also divided between FBiH and RS; but lately, the city was re-consolidated in the entity
Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina were created by the Dayton Agreement, which recognized a second tier of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina comprising two entities—a joint Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska -- each presiding over roughly one half of...
-neutral Brčko District
Brcko District
Brčko District in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina is a neutral, self-governing administrative unit, under the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, in a way to connect Tuzla
Tuzla Canton
The Tuzla Canton is a canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The cantonal seat is in Tuzla.-Municipalities:...
to Posavina
Posavina Canton
The Posavina Canton is a canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the smallest canton, with an area of only 325 km² populated by 43,588 people , 83% of them are Croats. Its capital city is Orašje The Posavina Canton is a canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is...
cantons
Cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The 10 cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina serve as the second-level units of local autonomy of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, one of the two political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina....
in FBiH and Pelagićevo
Pelagicevo
Pelagićevo is a village and a municipality in Republika Srpska, one of two entities comprising Bosnia and Herzegovina. Pelagićevo is located in Bosanska Posavina...
and Donji Žabar
Donji Žabar
Donji Žabar is a village and a municipality in Republika Srpska, one of two entities comprising the sovereign state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:...
to Lopare
Lopare
Lopare is a town and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the Majevica region of the Republika Srpska entity.-Demographics:...
and Bijeljina
Bijeljina
Bijeljina is a city and municipality in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. The city is the second largest in the Republika Srpska entity after Banja Luka and fifth largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is situated on the flat rich plains of Semberija...
in RS.
External links
- Excerpts from Remarks by Admiral Leighton W. Smith to the North Atlantic Council, NATO transcript, 17 July 1996
- A precarious peace, The EconomistThe EconomistThe Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
, 22 January 1998 - Bosnia: a single country or an apple of discord?, Bosnian InstituteBosnian InstituteThe Bosnian Institute is an organisation principally devoted to providing information on, and promoting the common good of, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It publishes a quarterly online magazine. It is directed by Quintin Hoare....
, 12 May 2006