Disintegration of the former SFR Yugoslavia and changes in the ethno-confessional structure of some cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Disintegration of Yugoslav state union, which was carried out marked by ethnic conflicts and creation of new political and geographical subjectivities, resulted in major changes in ethnical and ethno-confessional structure of most of the urban settlements in Bosnia and Herzegovina and especially those which until 1992 had a heterogeneous structure according to listed features. In this context, the biggest changes were recorded in three urban settlements: Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Mostar. Today, these settlements have a role of poles of development and affirmation of individual ethno-national ethno-confessional interests. Sarajevo - of Bosniaks and Islam, Banja Luka - of Serbs and Orthodoxy and Mostar - of Croats and Catholicism. Changes in ethnical and ethno-confessional structure of population of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the period from 1992 to 1995, strongly contributed to the territorial organization of Bosnia and Herzegovina into two entities, the Republic of Srpska with Serbian majority and Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina within which the cantons are formed either with the Croatian or Bosniak majority. This division of Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to ethnical or ethno-confessional principle, is again a source of different, and usually conflicting, geopolitical relations and aspirations between mentioned constituents.