BOSNIA, a province of Jugoslavia, in the N. W. of the Balkan Peninsula, W. of Servia. Area including Herzegovina and Novi-bazar, 23,570 square miles (of which Bosnia proper occupies 16,000), pop. about 1,900,000, mostly of Slavonian origin, and speaking the Serbian lan guage. They are partly Mohammedans, partly Roman and Greek Catholics. The country is level toward the N.; in the S. mountainous. Its chief rivers are the Save, the Verbas, the Bosna, Rama, and Drina. About half the area is covered with forests. Tillage is carried on in the valleys and low grounds; maize, wheat, barley, rye, buckwheat, hemp, tobacco, etc., being grown. Fruits are produced in abundance. Sheep, goats, and swine are numerous. The minerals include coal, which is worked in several places, manga nese, antimony, iron, etc. Among the manufactures are iron goods, arms, leather, linens, and woolens. Sarajevo, the capital, was the scene of the assas sination of the GRAND-DUKE FRANCIS FERDINAND (q. v.) and his consort on June 24, 1914, which led to the World War.
Bosnia, in ancient times a part succes sively of Illyria, Pannonia, and Dalmatia, was, during the great migrations occu pied by Slays or Slavonized Illyrians, at first dependent on Hungary; but it be came a kingdom in 1376, under Tivartko, a native prince. Occupied by the Turks
in 1401, it was annexed in 1463, but not recognized by Europe as a Turkish prov ince till 1699. Extortionate taxation caused a rebellion of the Christians, in 1849, suppressed by Omar Pasha; but a more determined rising in 1875, which the Turks failed to put down, led to the oc cupation of the province by the Austro Hungarians, which the Moslem popula tion opposed in a fierce but unavailing struggle. The Treaty of Berlin formally intrusted the administration to Austria Hungary, the nominal supremacy of the Sultan being recognized in 1879. From 1880 Austrian methods of government were gradually introduced. On Oct. 5, 1908, in violation of the Treaty of Berlin, Austria extended her sovereignty over Bosnia and Herzegovina, supported in the war by Germany. Serbia was all for war against her powerful neighbor, but Russia being unprepared for a conflict with Austria and Germany, urged mod eration. After the break-up of Austria in 1918, Bosnia became a part of the new state of Jugoslavia.