Herzegovina-Neretva Canton

Before the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the present-day municipalities of East Mostar and Berkovići were part of Mostar and Stolac, while Ivanica was part of the municipality of Trebinje.

The history of today's Herzegovina-Neretva Canton begins on March 18, 1994, with the signing of the Washington Agreement. The canton was officially constituted on December 23, 1996 as one of the ten cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.[4]

Stari Most, Mostar

The canton is the only canton in Bosnia and Herzegovina with access to the sea via the municipality of Neum. Neum is a town of 2,000 citizens (1991 census) and the area around the city is rich with historical and archeological remains of the Illyrians, a people who lived in the Balkans for many thousands of years.

The largest city in the canton and the fifth largest city in the country is Mostar. Mostar is located on the banks of the Neretva river and is divided between Croats and Bosniaks. Mostar is known for its old bridge, Stari Most, which was constructed by the area's Ottoman rulers, who also brought Islam to the region. Bosnian Croat forces bombed and destroyed the bridge on November 8, 1993. Upon its destruction it had stood for 427 years and had become a symbol of a shared cultural heritage and "peaceful" co-existence. The bridge was reconstructed in the summer of 2004. The opening ceremony was attended by several foreign delegates including Stjepan Mesić, the President of Croatia.

Other notable cities in this canton are Čapljina, Konjic, Jablanica and Međugorje, the most significant Marian shrine in the region. Jablanica and Konjic are notable for battles which took place there during World War II and there is a large museum in Jablanica dedicated to these battles.

The Neretva river runs through the cities of Konjic, Jablanica, Mostar and Čapljina before it flows through Croatia and into the Adriatic Sea. There are large lakes in the canton such as the Jablanica lake located around the city Jablanica. The southernmost municipality in the canton is the Neum municipality which borders the Adriatic sea and the easternmost municipality is the Ravno municipality along the border with Croatia.

Municipalities

The canton is split into the municipalities of

Ravno Municipality

• Čapljina,
• Čitluk,
• Jablanica,
• Konjic,
• Mostar,
• Neum,
• Prozor-Rama,
• Ravno
• and Stolac.

Of the ten cantons comprising the Federation of Bosnia Herzegovina, Herzegovina-Neretva Canton is one of two cantons, the other being the Central Bosnia Canton, nearly equally populated by Bosniaks and Croats. In such cantons there are special legislative procedures for the protection of the constituent ethnic groups.

Rama lake

Croats form a majority in the municipalities of Čapljina, Čitluk, Neum, Prozor-Rama and Ravno, and a relative majority in Stolac and Mostar according to the 2013 census. Bosniaks form an absolute majority in the municipalities of Jablanica and Konjic.[5]

2013 Census

Municipality	Nationality						Total
	Bosniaks	%	Croats	%	Serbs	%
Čapljina	4,541	17.36	20,538	78.51	714	2.72	26,157
Čitluk	29	0.15	17,900	98.67	18	0.09	18,140
Jablanica	9,045	89.45	726	7.18	63	0.62	10,111
Konjic	22,486	89.41	1,553	6.17	355	1.41	25,148
Mostar	46,752	44.19	51,216	48.40	4,421	4.17	113,169
Neum	63	1.35	4,543	97.63	21	0.45	4,653
Prozor-Rama	3,525	24.69	10,702	74.94	3	0.02	14,280
Ravno	20	0.62	2,633	81.79	558	17.33	3,219
Stolac	5,544	38.22	8,486	58.51	279	1.92	14,502
Canton	92,005	41.44	118,297	53.28	6,432	2.89	222,007

Konjic Municipality

According to the current law, the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton is one of the ten cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Herzegovina-Neretva Canton has its own legislative, executive and judicial powers. Like each of the cantons of FBiH, it has its own constitution, assembly, government, symbols and has a number of exclusive competences (police, education, use of natural resources, spatial and housing policy, culture), while some competences are divided. between cantonal and federal authorities (health, social protection, transport).

The citizens of the canton of Herzegovina-Neretva vote for a total of 30 representatives in the Cantonal Assembly every four years in general elections. Based on the results of the 2014 general elections, the current HNK government is formed by a coalition between the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) and the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZ BiH).[6]

At the local level, citizens of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton vote every four years in municipal elections for local government in two cities and seven other municipalities.

The strongest industries by number of employees in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (as of August 2017) are wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, and hotels and restaurants. The economic headquarters of the canton is its capital, Mostar.[7]

Tourism

Počitelj, Municipality of Čapljina

The canton of Herzegovina-Neretva, with its nature parks and numerous natural beauties, has great tourism potential. According to the Federal Statistical Office, in 2014 the canton was visited by 104,006 foreign tourists and 208,647 overnight stays were made. The biggest tourist attractions in the region are the old town of Mostar, Blagaj near Mostar, Medjugorje and Neum (Bosnia and Herzegovina's only outlet to the sea).[8]

Faculty of Humanities, University of Mostar

There are a total of 33 secondary schools (28 state and five private) and numerous elementary schools in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton. There are a total of three universities in this canton:

• University of Mostar with 14,000 students and ten faculties.
• University Džemal Bijedić of Mostar with 3,000 students and eight faculties.
• Private university "Herzegovina" in Medjugorje and Mostar with two faculties.

• List of heads of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton

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