What is the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Sarajevo lies in the Sarajevo valley in the heart of the Balkans, surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and strung along the Miljacka river at about 550 metres above sea level.
Sarajevo is the capital and seat of government of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosnia and Herzegovina itself has an estimated population of 3,140,095 (2025).
Sarajevo is also the largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is the usual arrangement, though it is far from universal: see the countries where capital and largest city differ.
Sarajevo at a glance
| City population | 275,524 (2013 census) |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan area | 555,210 (2013 census) |
| Country | 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Founded | 1461 |
| Largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina | Sarajevo |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| Currency | Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark (BAM) |
About Sarajevo
Sarajevo was founded as an Ottoman city in 1461.
Sarajevo is sometimes called the Jerusalem of Europe for its religious diversity: it is one of very few major European cities with a mosque, a Catholic church, an Eastern Orthodox church and a synagogue in the same neighbourhood.
The Sarajevo Canton, which takes in the city and the municipalities around it, has 413,593 inhabitants.
The city is the political, financial, social and cultural centre of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Sarajevo.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina?
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Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of Bosnia and Herzegovina on its country page, or browse every capital city.
Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.