aTheConstitution of Republika Srpska avoids naming "Serbian, Bosnian, and Croatian", instead listing them as "the language of the Serb people, the language of the Bosniak people and the language of the Croat people" due to the ongoing debate over the separation of these languages.[9]
The entity operates under aparliamentary system, with legislative power vested in theNational Assembly, which comprises 83 seats. While Republika Srpska is relatively centralized, it is administratively divided into 64 municipalities, known asopštine (singular:opština).[10] The current legislative term marks the tenth session since its inception.
AlthoughRepublika Srpska is variouslyglossed in English asSerb Republic,[15]Bosnian Serb Republic,[16] orRepublic of Srpska, the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina and English-language news sources such as theBBC,[17]The New York Times,[18] andThe Guardian[19] generally refer to the entity by its transliteration.
According toGlas Srpske, a Banja Luka daily, the modern entity's name was created by its first minister of culture, Ljubomir Zuković.[20]
Archaeological evidence in Republika Srpska attest to pronounced human activity in thePaleolithic. Within the wider region of Herzegovina, the discoveries tie the region's early activities toCroatia andMontenegro.
More permanent settlement arose with theNeolithic, which occurred along the rivers of Bosnia and Herzegovina as farming spread from the southeast. TheButmir culture developed near present-dayEast Sarajevo on the riverBosna. A variety of idols, mostly of female characters, were found in the Butmir site, along with dugouts.
TheIndo-European migrations of theBronze Age contributed to the first use of metal tools in the region, along with the construction of burial mounds—tumuli, orkurgans. Remains of these mounds can be found in northwestern Bosnia nearPrijedor, testament to not only denser settlement but also Bronze Age relics.[21]
Territory of Republika Srpska within theRoman Empire, 4th century
With the end of theIllyrian Wars, most of Bosnia and Herzegovina came underRoman control within the province ofIllyricum. In this period, the Romans consolidated the region through the construction of a dense road network and the Romanisation of the local population. Among these roads was theVia Argentaria, or 'Silver Way', which transported silver from the eastern mines of Bosnia to Roman population centres. Modern placenames, such as theUna andSana rivers in the northwest, have Latin origins, meaning "the one" and "the healthy", respectively. This rule was not uninterrupted, however; with the suppression of the once-dominant Illyrian population came revolts such as theBellum Batonianum. After 20 AD, however, the entirety of the country was conquered by the Romans, and it was split betweenPannonia andDalmatia. The most prominent Roman city in Bosnia was the relatively smallServitium, near modern-dayGradiška in the northern part of the entity.
Christianity spread to the region relatively late at least partially due to the countryside's mountainous nature and its lack of large settlements. In the fourth century, however, the country began to beChristianised en masse.[23] With the split of the Western and Eastern Roman Empires in 395, modern-day Republika Srpska fell under the Western Roman Empire. Testament to its and Bosnia and Herzegovina's later religious polarisation, it was later conquered as a frontier of the Eastern Roman Empire, a harbinger for religious division to come.
With the loosening of the Roman grip on the region came theMigration Period, which, given Republika Srpska's position in southeastern Europe, involved a wide variety of peoples. Among the first was the invasion of Germanic peoples from the east and north, and the territory became a part of theOstrogothic Kingdom in 476.
By 535, the territory was taken once again by the Byzantine Empire. At this time, the Empire's grip was once again relatively loose and Slavs invaded the surrounding area. Modern-day Republika Srpska was therefore split between the mediaevalKingdom of Croatia[24] and, according toDe Administrando Imperio,mediaeval Serbianžupanije, including,Bosna,Zachlumia,Travunija, and Serbia, then including land in eastern Bosnia.[25] Parts of present-day Srpska were locations of settlement of the originalWhite Serb people.[26]
By the end of the 11th century, the entirety of Bosnia became part of theHungarian Crown Lands. Under Hungarian rule, the area was known as theBanate of Bosnia. Later, however, with the rule ofBan Kulin, who is regarded as the founder of Bosnia, the region becamede facto independent. In 1377, the Banate of Bosnia became the medieval Kingdom of Bosnia, underTvrtko I ofHouse of Kotromanić. The capitals of the kingdom were all located in its centre, while the northern periphery remained under nominal Hungarian rule as the region ofUsora. Architectural legacies from this period includeKastel Fortress in Banja Luka, the fortress ofDoboj as well as castles, churches, and monasteries across the country.
With the growth of the Ottoman Empire,Stefan Tomašević, the lastKotromanić ruler, surrendered Bosnia and Serbia to Ottoman tributary status. A Catholic, he was unpopular among the Orthodox population of Serbia, as well as the members of theBosnian Church.[27] Refusing to pay tribute toMehmed the Conqueror, King Stefan was executed and much of Bosnia fell under directOttoman rule in 1463 as theEyalet of Bosnia. The entirety of the country fell in 1482, with the founding of theSanjak of Herzegovina.
Ottoman rule in modern-day Republika Srpska saw another addition to its religious fabric—Islam. Members of the Bosnian Church, as well as many Orthodox and Catholic Bosnians, gradually converted to Islam. Ottoman rule left a profound architectural legacy in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska. The most famous mosque from this period is theFerhadija mosque, located inBanja Luka. In addition, the subject ofIvo Andrić's bookThe Bridge on the Drina,Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge inVišegrad, was constructed byMimar Sinan, the most famous Ottoman architect, in 1577, forGrand VizierSokollu Mehmed Pasha. Years earlier, the same Grand Vizier was born into anOrthodox family in a small town in Bosnia and taken from his parents as a child for upbringing as ajanissary. His bridge is a symbol of the religious and cultural spans—and eventually conflict— that characterise Republika Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
With theOttoman-Habsburg conflicts of the late 17th and 18th centuries, parts of northern Republika Srpska became a part of the Habsburg Empire for relatively short periods. The rule was more permanent following the Austro-Hungarian invasion in 1878. Characterised by economic and social development not seen in the by-then backwards Ottoman Empire,Austro-Hungarian rule was welcomed by many. However, many Muslims left Bosnia, leaving Serbs as the majority in the entirety of theCondominium.[28]
ThePoplar of horror in theJasenovac Memorial Site, one of the key sites in theGenocide of Serbs, in which tens of thousands of Bosnian Serb civilians were brutally killed
Following the outbreak ofWorld War II and theinvasion of Yugoslavia in 1941, modern-day Republika Srpska fell under the rule of the Nazipuppet state, TheIndependent State of Croatia. Around 300,000 Serbs are estimated to have died under theUstashe regime as a result of theirgenocide campaign;[29] a slew ofmassacres, as well as the use of a variety of concentration and extermination camps, took place in Republika Srpska during the war. TheJasenovac concentration camp, located in modern-day Croatia, was the site of the deaths of some 100,000 people, about 47,000-52,000 of which were Serbs.[30] Massacres also occurred atGaravice andKruščica concentration camp in the eastern part of Bosnia. The regime systematically and brutally massacred Serbs in villages in the countryside, using a variety of tools.[31] The scale of the violence meant that approximately every sixth Serb living in Bosnia-Herzegovina was the victim of a massacre and virtually every Serb had a family member that was killed in the war, mostly by the Ustaše.[32] An estimated 209,000 Serbs or 16.9% of its Bosnia population were killed on the territory of Bosnia–Herzegovina during the war.[33] Today,monuments honouring these victims can be found across Republika Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Yugoslav royalist andSerbian nationalist movementChetniks, a guerilla force that engaged in tactical or selectivecollaboration with the occupying forces for almost all of the war,[34] pursuedgenocide against Croats and Muslims,[35][36] which included thousands of Croat and Muslim civilians killed on the territory of modern-day Republika Srpska. The Chetniks killed an estimated 50,000 to 68,000 Muslims and Croats.[37] A December 1941 directive, attributed to Chetnik leaderDraža Mihailović, explicitly ordered theethnic cleansing of Muslims and Croats fromSandžak andBosnia and Herzegovina.[38] About 300 villages and small towns were destroyed, along with a large number of mosques and Catholic churches.[39] The Chetniks were almost exclusively made up ofSerbs except for a large number ofMontenegrins who identified as Serbs.[38]
During the entire course of World War II in Yugoslavia, 64.1% of all Bosnian Partisans were Serbs.[40]
After World War II came a period of relative peace and economic development.Ljubija mine and companies likeAgrokomerc played a vital role in much of the economic development of theSocialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Literacy rates increased greatly, and the University of Banja Luka was founded in 1975.
Territories which were controlled byArmy of Republika Srpska during the war at its greatest extent (around 1993) compared with current borders.[citation needed]
The Union of Reform Forces soon ceased to exist, but its members remained in the assembly as theIndependent Members of Parliament Caucus. The assembly undertook to address the achievement of equality between the Serbs and other peoples and the protection of the Serbs' interests, which they contended had been jeopardised by decisions of the Bosnian parliament.[44] On 9 January 1992, the assembly proclaimed the Republic of the Serb People of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Republika srpskoga naroda Bosne i Hercegovine), declaring it part of Yugoslavia.[46]
On 28 February 1992, the assembly adopted theConstitution of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (the name adopted instead of the previousRepublika srpskog naroda Bosne i Hercegovine), which would include districts, municipalities, and regions where Serbs were the majority and also those where they had allegedly become a minority because ofpersecution during World War II. The republic was part of Yugoslavia and could enter into union with political bodies representing other peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina.[47]
The Bosnian parliament, without its Serb deputies, held areferendum on the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina on 29 February and 1 March 1992, but most Serbs boycotted it since the assembly had previously (9–10 November 1991) held aplebiscite in the Serb regions, 96% having opted for membership of the Yugoslav federation formed bySerbia andMontenegro.[48]The referendum had a 64% turnout and 92.7% or 99% (according to different sources) voted for independence.[49][50] On 6 March the Bosnian parliament promulgated the results of the referendum, proclaiming the republic's independence from Yugoslavia. The republic's independence was recognised by theEuropean Community on 6 April 1992 and by the United States on 7 April. On the same day the Serbs' assembly in session in Banja Luka declared a severance of governmental ties with Bosnia and Herzegovina.[51] The nameRepublika Srpska was adopted on 12 August 1992.[52]
The political controversy escalated into theBosnian War, which would last until the autumn of 1995.[53]
Between 1992 and 2008, the Constitution of Republika Srpska was amended 121 times. Article 1 states that Republika Srpska is a territorially unified, indivisible, and inalienable constitutional and legal entity that shall perform its constitutional, legislative, executive, and judicial functions independently.[55]
Thewar in Bosnia and Herzegovina resulted in major changes in the country, some of which were quantified in a 1998UNESCO report. Some two million people, about half the country's population, were displaced. In 1996, there were some 435,346 ethnic Serb refugees from the Federation in Republika Srpska, while another 197,925 had gone to Serbia. In 1991, 27% of the non-agricultural labour force was unemployed in Bosnia, and this number increased due to the war.[56] By 2009, the unemployment rate in Bosnia and Herzegovina was estimated at 29%, according to theCIA'sThe World Factbook.[57] Republika Srpska's population of Serbs had increased by 547,741 due to the influx of ethnic Serb refugees from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the former unrecognised state of theRepublic of Serbian Krajina in the newRepublic of Croatia.[58]
In Eastern Bosnia, Bosnian Serbs besieged the town of Srebrenica, among others. Srebrenica was declared a UN 'Safe Area' in 1993, and it served as an enclave for Muslim refugees for the final years of the Bosnian War. In the middle of July 1995, more than 8,000 MuslimBosniaks, mainly men and boys, in and around the town ofSrebrenica, were killed in what became known as theSrebrenica massacre, which was subsequently designated as an act ofgenocide by theInternational Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and theInternational Court of Justice.
Acts ofethnic cleansing against the non-Serb populations reduced the numbers of other groups. Serb police, soldiers, and irregulars attacked Muslims and Croats and burned and looted their homes. Some were killed on the spot; others were rounded up and killed elsewhere or forced to flee.[59] The number of Croats was reduced by 114,593 (the majority of the Croatian pre-war population), and the number of Bosniaks by some 268,907. Some 136,000 of approximately 496,000 Bosniak refugees forced to flee the territory of what is now Republika Srpska have since returned home.[60]
A Serbian cemetery for the victims of the war inBratunac
As of 2008[update], 40% of Bosniaks and 8.5% of Croats had returned to Republika Srpska, while 14% of Serbs who left their homes in territories controlled by Bosniaks or Croats also returned to their pre-war communities.[61]
In the early 2000s, discrimination against non-Serbs was alleged by NGOs and theHelsinki Commission. TheInternational Crisis Group reported in 2002 that in some parts of Republika Srpska a non-Serb returnee is ten times more likely to be the victim of violent crime than a local Serb.[62] The Helsinki Commission, in a 2001 statement on 'Tolerance and Non-Discrimination', pointed at violence against non-Serbs, stating that in the cities ofBanja Luka[63] andTrebinje,[64] mobs attacked people who sought to lay foundations for newmosques.
Non-Serbs have reported continuing difficulties in returning to their original homes, and the assembly has a poor record of cooperation in apprehending individuals indicted for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.[65]
According to the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina,European Union Police Mission,UNHCR, and other international organisations, security in both Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2015 was satisfactory.[61]
According toits constitution, Republika Srpska has its president, legislature (the 83-member unicameralNational Assembly of Republika Srpska), executive government,police force, court system, customs service (under the state-level customs service), and postal service. It also has official symbols, including a coat of arms, a flag (a variant of theSerbian flag without the coat of arms displayed) and its entity anthem. The Constitutional Law on the Coat of Arms and Anthem of Republika Srpska was ruled not in concordance with the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina as it states that those symbols 'represent the statehood of Republika Srpska' and are used 'under moral norms of the Serb people'. According to the Constitutional Court's decision, the Law was to be corrected by September 2006. Republika Srpska later changed its emblem.
Although the constitution namesSarajevo as the capital, the northwestern city ofBanja Luka is the headquarters of most of the institutions of government, including the parliament, and is, therefore, thede facto capital. After the war, Republika Srpska retained its army, but in August 2005, the parliament consented to transfer control ofArmy of Republika Srpska to a state-level ministry and abolish the entity's defence ministry and army by 1 January 2006. These reforms were required byNATO as a precondition of Bosnia and Herzegovina's admission to thePartnership for Peace programme. Bosnia and Herzegovina joined the programme in December 2006.[67]
In July 2023, legislation was passed to criminalise insult and defamation with up to 10 years in prison. This is likely to jeopardize freedom of speech and silence critics. Critics have said that this could make the Republika Srpska an authoritarian regime.[68][better source needed]
In February 2025, theCourt of Bosnia and Herzegovina sentencedMilorad Dodik to one year in prison and banned him from serving as President of Republika Srpska for six years, for non-compliance with the decisions of theHigh Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina.[69] Dodik rejected the ruling, claiming he was a target of political persecution.[70] The sentence was confirmed on 6 August 2025.[71] On 18 August, his appeal was rejected, terminating Dodik's mandate as President, with the termination date marked as 12 June 2025.[72] The resignation of Prime MinisterRadovan Višković followed on the same day.[73]
Situated inSoutheast Europe, Republika Srpska is located on theBalkan Peninsula, with its northern extents reaching into thePannonian Basin. Republika Srpska lies between latitudes42° and46° N and longitudes16° and20° E. The entity is split into two main parts by theBrčko District; a hilly western part and a more varied eastern part, with high mountains in the south and flat, fertile farmland in the north. Republika Srpska, unlike its counterpart entity, is landlocked.
Like the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska is split into aBosnian region in the north and aHerzegovinian region in the far south. Within these two macroregions exist smaller geographical regions, from the forested hills ofBosanska Krajina in the northwest to the fertile plains ofSemberija in the northeast.
Republika Srpska covers 24,816.2 square kilometres (9,582 square miles), excluding the Brčko District, which is held incondominium by both entities, but isde facto sovereign within Bosnia and Herzegovina. Republika Srpska, if it were a country, would be the 146th largest in the world. Elevation varies greatly, withMaglić, a peak in the Dinaric Alps near Montenegro, reaching 2,386 metres (7,828 ft), and parts nearer theAdriatic going down to sea level. The largest and most popular ski resort in Bosnia and Herzegovina is situated on the slopes of the mountainJahorina, in the eastern part of the entity.[74] Other major mountains in Republika Srpska includeVolujak,Zelengora,Lelija,Lebršnik,Crvanj,Orjen,Klekovača,Vitorog,Kozara,Romanija,Treskavica andTrebević.
Republika Srpska shares international borders withCroatia to the north,Serbia to the east, andMontenegro to the southeast. Within Bosnia and Herzegovina, theInter-Entity Boundary Line (IEBL) marks Republika Srpska's administrative division with the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and essentially follows the front lines at the end of theBosnian War with some adjustments (most importantly in the western part of the country and around Sarajevo) as defined by theDayton Agreement. The total length of the IEBL is approximately 1,080 km. The IEBL is an administrative demarcation uncontrolled by military or police, and there is free movement across it.[75]
Republika Srpska is one of the most forested areas in Europe, with over 50% of its area consisting of forest cover.Perućica is one of the lastold-growth forests in Europe.[76]
Most rivers belong to theBlack Sea drainage basin. The principal rivers are theSava, a tributary of theDanube that forms the northern boundary withCroatia; theBosna,Vrbas,Sana andUna, which all flow north and empty into the Sava; theDrina, which flows north and forms a significant part of the eastern boundary withSerbia, and is also a tributary of the Sava. TheTrebišnjica is one of the longestsinking rivers in the world. It belongs to theAdriatic Sea drainage basin.Skakavac Waterfall on thePerućica is one of the highest waterfalls in the country, at about 75 metres (246 feet) in height. The most important lakes areBileća Lake,Lake Bardača (which includes a protected wetland area) andBalkana Lake.[77]
As of the 2013 census[update], Republika Srpska has a total population of 1,228,423 and a population density of 49.9 inhabitants per square kilometre. Republika Srpska comprises 48% of the land area ofBosnia and Herzegovina, and is home to 34.79% of the country's total population. The overall life expectancy in Republika Srpska at birth was 77.15 years in 2019.[81]
The Republika Srpska Bureau of Statistics estimated a population of 1,114,819 in 2023.[82]
Thetotal fertility rate in Republika Srpska is, as of 2023, 1.45 children per mother. In 2023, the total number of live births, according to the Institute of Statistics of Republika Srpska (RZS), was 16,174. That same year, the number of deaths was 20,361, resulting in a natural population decrease of 4,187 inhabitants.
Literacy in Republika Srpska stands at 96.8 percent as of 2013. Free primary education is provided as a right to all people in Republika Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina. There are 187 primary schools in addition to 11 music schools and 4 centres of education for students with learning disabilities. Secondary education exists in three main channels: three-yearvocational schools, four-year technical schools, and four-yeargrammar schools (gimnazije). Ten independent grammar schools exist, while an additional 30 are integrated into other schools. Music schools offer another option for students to continue their education following primary school.
The health care system of Republika Srpska is intended to provide organized and planned health care to the population on its territory, both in public and private health care institutions. Health care activities are performed by health care workers and associates under the conditions and in the manner primarily prescribed by law and regulations, adopted on the basis, and under, the Law on Health Care of the Republic of Srpska.[88]
The public sector of Srpska includes 54 health centers, along with family medicine clinics,[89] 11 hospitals,[89] 4 specialised hospitals,[89] 1 clinical centre[89] and 7 institutes.[89]
Stationary treatment is provided in hospitals located in Derventa and Prnjavor.[90] Hospitals specialised for physical medicine and rehabilitation are "Mlječanica" in Kozarska Dubica and Institute "Dr Miroslav Zotović" in Banja Luka.[21] Patients with mental illnesses are treated inInstitute for Forensic Psychiatry Sokolac, which is the first and only institution of this type in BiH,[91] andHospital for Chronic Psychiatric Patients Modriča.[92]
University hospitals operate inFoča,[93] and Banja Luka. TheUniversity Clinical Center of Republika Srpska (UCC RS) is the leading tertiary healthcare institution in the entity, comprising 21 clinics, 6 institutes, and 10 service units.[94]
Republika Srpska has no official religion.Freedom of religion is a right defined by the Constitution of Republika Srpska, which provides for legal equality of all people, irrespective of religious belief.[95]
According to the 2013 census, around 85% of the residents of Republika Srpska identify as Christian. Members of theSerbian Orthodox Church form the largest religious group, accounting for a little less than 83% of the population, followed by followers ofIslam andRoman Catholicism. 0.59% of people describe themselves as atheist oragnostic.
Religion plays an important role in ethnic identification in Republika Srpska.[97]Serbs generally identify as followers of Eastern Orthodoxy,Croats as followers of the Catholic Church, andBosniaks as followers of Islam. Religious architecture takes on a similarly diverse character in the entity, with its mix of mosques and churches.
Republika Srpska uses theBosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark (KM). The currency is pegged to theeuro at a unit rate of 1.95583 convertible marks. Along with the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska is classified as an upper-middle income economy by theUnited Nations.[98]
Republika Srpska'scorporate tax rate is lower than that of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and is among the lowest in the region.[99]
In November 2020 governments of Serbia and Srpska announced the construction of three hydropower plants on theDrina estimated at EUR 520 million.[100][101]
Average net wages (inKM) in Republika Srpska 1996–2015
Since 2001, Republika Srpska has initiated significant reforms in the sector of the tax system, which lowered the tax burden to 28.6%, one of the lowest in the region. The 10% rate ofcapital gains tax andincome tax are among the lowest in Europe.[citation needed]VAT has been introduced in 2006. These tax advantages have led to some companies moving their business to Republika Srpska from the other entity.[104]
As of 2018, there are 266,309 employed people within legal entities in Republika Srpska.[105] The average net wage, according to the Institute of Statistics of Republika Srpska (RZS), is 896 km (€458) per month as of February 2019, a nominal growth of 1.0% compared to the previous month.[106]
Transport and telecommunications infrastructure in Republika Srpska is regulated by the Ministry of Transport and Communications. Traffic infrastructure includes roads, railways, railway stations, airports, waterways, and ports in the whole territory of Republika Srpska, while telecommunication infrastructure includes telephony, telegraphy, optical cables, terrestrial communication stations, traffic telematics and others.[107]
The basic road traffic network in Srpska includes 4,192 kilometers of public roads, of which 1,781 km of trunk roads and 2,183 km of regional roads.[107] There are currently twohighways in Republika Srpska: Gradiška – Banja Luka highway and the "9th January highway" (Banja Luka – Doboj). Arterial highways in Srpska, which are a part of theInternational E-road network are:
The total length of the regular gauge railway in Srpska is 425 km.[107] Republika Srpska Railways transports around 1 million passengers and 5[108] million tons of goods each year. The international code of the Republika Srpska Railways is 0044.[109]
Royal village Kontromanićevo near Doboj andStanišići are popular destinations for ethno-tourism.[111][112]Andrićgrad is a tourist complex inspired by the works of Nobel Prize winnerIvo Andrić, located on Drina near Višegrad.[113] It is made of stone with around fifty object, including a local theatre, cinema, art gallery, church, Andrić's institute, hotels and various shops.[114]
Several rivers with clear water and potential for fishing are located in Srpska, such asUna,Sana,Tara,Drina andUkrina.
The best knownspas in Srpska are Banja Vrućica,[115] Dvorovi, Guber, Laktaši, Lješljani, Mlječanica and Višegrad spa.[116][117]
An important annual event of Serbs from the region ofBosanska Krajina is the Corrida ofGrmeč. So far 248 bullfighting events have been held at Grmeč.[118][119]
In September 2006, Republika Srpska officials signed a 'special ties agreement' withSerbia aimed at promoting economic and institutional cooperation between Serbia and Republika Srpska. The accord was signed by Serbia's PresidentBoris Tadić and Prime MinisterVojislav Koštunica, former Republika Srpska PresidentDragan Čavić, and Republika Srpska Prime MinisterMilorad Dodik.[120]
Representative offices of Republika Srpska worldwide
In February 2009, Republika Srpska opened a representative office inBrussels. WhileEuropean Union representatives were not present at the ceremony, top Republika Srpska officials attended the event, saying it would advance their economic, political and cultural relations with the EU. This notion has been strongly condemned by Bosniak leaders, saying that this is further proof of Republika Srpska distancing itself fromBosnia and Herzegovina. The president of Republika Srpska,Rajko Kuzmanović, told reporters that this move did not jeopardise Republika Srpska's place withinBosnia and Herzegovina. He added that Republika Srpska merely used its constitutional right 'to open up a representation office in the centre of developments of European relevance'. Republika Srpska maintains official offices inBelgrade,Moscow,Stuttgart,Jerusalem,Thessaloniki,Washington D.C.,Brussels, andVienna.[121][122][123]
TheAcademy of Sciences and Arts of Republika Srpska is the most important scientific, cultural, working and representative institution of Republika Srpska. The task of this academic institution is to develop, promote and encouragescientific and artistic activity. The academy is an institution of special national interest for the Republika Srpska.[125]
Museum of Contemporary Art, Republika Srpska
An important carrier of the development of dramatic art inBanja Luka and in the whole region is the National Theater of the Republic of Srpska.[126] One of the most important and the most visited cultural events in the city is the Theater Fest, which is held every year in this theater, with the participation of numerous ensembles of domestic and foreign actors.
The National and University Library of Republika Srpska is the central library of theUniversity of Banja Luka, the main library of all public universities in Republika Srpska and the main depository for all publications in Republika Srpska.[127]
The Republic Institute for the Protection of Cultural, Historical and Natural Heritage is the official administrative institution of the Republika Srpska and an organization within theMinistry of Education and Culture of the Republika Srpska.[128] TheInstitute registers, protects and maintains a central register of cultural, historical and natural monuments throughout the territory of the Republika Srpska.
In 1993, the Association of SerbianWriters was founded in Jahorina, under the chairmanship of professor and politician Nikola Koljevic. Since 2003, the president of the association has been Zoran Kostic, who moved its headquarters from Serbian Sarajevo to Banja Luka. The president of the Sarajevo-Romanija-Drina branch is Nedeljko Zelenović.
The founding assembly of the Association ofHistorians of the Republic of Srpska "Milorad Ekmečić" was held in Banja Luka in December 2015. The objectives of the Association are the improvement of scientific research activities in the field of historical science in the Republic of Srpska and dissemination of these results, improvement of history teaching and professional development of teaching staff.[129]
Sport in Republika Srpska is managed by the entity's Ministry of Youth, Family, and Sport. The most popular sports in the entity includebasketball,football, andvolleyball.The most popular football club, and generally the largest sports organization, isFK Borac Banja Luka. FK Borac has, especially concerning the former Yugoslavia, experienced considerable success: it won the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2011, the Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup in 2010, the Yugoslav Cup in 1988, and the Central European Cup in 1992, its last year. Other popular football clubs includeFK Rudar Prijedor,FK Radnik Bijeljina, andFK Leotar, though these clubs face a considerable loss of talent to larger clubs of Serbia, Croatia, and the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo.
The most important of the entity holidays is theDay of Republika Srpska, which commemorates the establishment of Republika Srpska on 9 January 1992. Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared the holiday unconstitutional on 26 November 2015, stating that the main issue for it being coinciding with a religious holiday. It coincides withSaint Stephen's Day according to the Julian calendar. The Orthodox Serbs also refer to the holiday as theslava of Republika Srpska, regardingSaint Stephen as thepatron saint of the entity, although it is designated as a secular holiday.[131] Republika Srpska does not recognise the Independence Day of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1 March).[132]
^"Histoire de la Croatie".Grand Larousse encyclopédique (in French). Archived fromthe original on 27 March 2019.Liée désormais à la Hongrie par une union personnelle, la Croatie, pendant huit siècles, formera sous la couronne de saint Étienne un royaume particulier ayant son ban et sa diète.
^Kecmanović, Nenad."Dayton is not Lisbon".NIN. ex-yupress.comex-yupress.comex-yupress.com. Archived fromthe original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved8 April 2015.
^ab"The Decision on Establishment of the Assembly of the Serb People in Bosnia and Herzegovina" (Press release) (in Serbian). Official Bulletin of the Serb People in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 15 January 1992. p. 1.
^"The Declaration of Proclamation of the Republic of the Serb People of Bosnia and Herzegovina" (Press release) (in Serbian). Official Bulletin of the Serb People in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 27 January 1992. pp. 13–14.
^"The Constitution of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina" (Press release) (in Serbian). Official Bulletin of the Serb People in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 16 March 1992. pp. 17–26.
^"The Amendments VII and VIII to the Constitution of the Republika Srpska" (Press release) (in Serbian). Official Bulletin of the Republika Srpska. 29 September 1992. p. 569.
^Cox, Marcus (2003).Building Democracy from the Outside: the Dayton Agreement in Bosnia and Herzegovina. London: Zed Books. pp. 253–276.ISBN1-84277-150-7.
^"About the University". Computing Centre, School of Electrical Engineering.www.unibl.org. University of Belgrade (UNIBL).Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved29 June 2018.
^"Печат (47,46 мин)" (in Serbian (Cyrillic script)). Радио телевизија Републике Српске. 25 August 2011. Archived fromthe original on 10 November 2017. Retrieved29 August 2011.
^The election of thegovernment of Republika Srpska, headed by Minić, and the process of its appointment is considered illegal and unconstitutional according to theConstitution of Republika Srpska due toMilorad Dodik, who was forbade from political activity for six years by theCourt of Bosnia and Herzegovina, proposing a prime minister without legal authority.[3] This violated the Constitution of Republika Srpska and the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as theCentral Election Commission ordered Dodik's removal on 6 August 2025.[4] On 18 August, his appeal against the decision of the Central Election Commission was rejected and his mandate as Republika Srpska president was officially terminated.[5] The termination date was marked as 12 June 2025, due to the Bosnian state court's verdict becoming legally binding on that day.[6] For this reason, it is considered that Minić's government lacks legal legitimacy, despite its majority support in theNational Assembly of Republika Srpska.[7]
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