# data[].attributes.body
Majority Language: Bosnian

Roots: When the Slav people migrated from Old Poland and resettled throughout Eastern Europe in the 6th century AD, the Slavic language family divided into three distinct groups: Eastern, Western, and Southern. The Bosnian language is similar to the Serbian and Croatian languages in the fact that the three languages emerged from the South Slavic language group in the Common Slavic language branch of the Indo-European language family. It is based on a dialect called the Stokavian dialect.

# data[].attributes.body
The majority of Bosnians practice Islam.

The religion is a diffused religion; under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, many Bosnians were forced to convert from Christianity to Islam. Scholars argue, however, that Bosnians already had a weak allegiance to Christianity when the Turks invaded. A widely accepted theory is that the Bosnians simply converted themselves; an Ottoman census shows that only a small number of Turks invaded the country, and that the number of Muslims in the country rose as the number of Christians fell. The census also shows that the overall population did not significantly grow over that period, which supports the theory that the Bosnians merely converted.

Islam is a universalizing religion; it is the second largest religion in the world and the fastest growing religion in the world.

Islam is a religion that starts primarily in Saudi Arabia, and the founder is Muhammad. It is a monotheistic religion; Muslims believe in one god simply labeled “God”, or “Allah” in Arabic. Muslims worship in a mosque, which is not necessarily considered a divine place (it is sometimes used as a center of study), but it is where they worship nonetheless. Worship contains no human depiction such a paintings or statues, and there is no “idol” worship (worshiping with religious materials or artifacts). Faithful Muslims pray five times a day; the prayers themselves are called Salat. They have a large usage of domes in their architecture from their Roman influence; their mosques also contain Calligraphy and nature depictions. Their Holy book is the Koran.

(That paragraph is not supposed to be italicized; it is a computer glitch.)

# data[].attributes.body
The two main ethnicities are the Bosniaks and the Serbs. A Bosniak is a Bosnian who is also a Muslim; they are similar to all other Bosnians in everything else (They speak Bosnian, have the same culture as other Bosnians, etc). The term “Bosniak” was first main usage was during the Ottoman rule. Serbs are members of the southern Slavic ethnic group. Some speak Serbian, but the majority speaks the official language, which is Bosnian. The most common religion among Serbs is Serbian Orthodoxy.

(That paragraph is not supposed to be italicized; it is a computer glitch.)

# data[].attributes.body
The roles of women in Bosnia are still traditional, but they are attempting to modernize gender roles. At the end of the 1992-1995 conflict in the country, the downwards spiral of economic and political standing had the largest impact on women. Women were expected to return to domestic duties whether or not they held prestigious positions in their careers. As a result of men leaving the household in search of work, women receive the role of the head of the household in the family.  Women make up 35% of those employed in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

# data[].attributes.body
An example of folk culture in Bosnia would be Ganga, a traditional form of Bosnian music. It is shouted, and is characterized by beginning with a soloist singing the first line of the song while a group of singers join in. Together, they create a wailing sound.

Sevdalinka is the most unique style of music from Bosnia. It is more emotional, often consisting of lyrics describing sad stories. Originally, the songs were plays with a Saz (a Turkish string instrument), but was replaced with an accordion. Sevdalinka is mostly a Bosnian style although it can be considered a mix between Turkish and Bosnian music.

# data[].attributes.body
An example of Pop culture in Bosnia and Herzegovina would be the use of contraception. Women are used to a system where abortion is used more often than the Pill, since many fear the side effects it could bear. Since women are only beginning to become prevalent in businesses, they are still expected to take care of domestic duties, even with a job.

Another example of pop culture would be the usage of Western -style clothing in Bosnia. Blue jeans are especially popular. Although traditional clothing can still be seen in rural areas, the majority of cities have Western clothing.

# data[].attributes.body
There are currently no ethnic tensions in Bosnia.

# data[].attributes.body
Bosnian feminists say gender roles are evolving. The country proclaimed sexual equality, and although it is common for fathers and husbands to forbid their wives and daughters to do certain types of work, some women have found their role in society completely reformed. For example, violence against women is no longer seen as a private matter, and the state is obliged to take legal action. This relates to the globalization of women integrating into the business world, and the transformation of gender roles within societies.

# data[].attributes.body
http://www.panacomp.net/bosnia_and_herzegovina?s=bosanci  11/18/13

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/language/about/bosnian.html 11/18/13

http://www.alsintl.com/resources/languages/Bosnian/ 11/18/13

http://globaledge.msu.edu/countries/bosnia-and-herzegovina/history  11/18/13

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bk.html  11/18/13

http://www.safaritheglobe.com/history_serbia.aspx  11/18/13

http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/country/voice/tags/bosnia_and_herzegovina/radic 11/19/13

http://culturalinfusion.org.au/soundinfusion/bosnia-herzegovina/  11/19/13

http://cultural.profiles.spirasi.ie/countries/bosnia%20-h.shtml 11/19/13

http://iwpr.net/report-news/bosnian-women-seek-new-roles  11/20/13 (Event)