Although situated close to the Mediterranean Sea, Bosnia and Herzegovina is largely cut off from its climatic influence by the Dinaric Alps.
The weather in the Bosnia region resembles that of the southern Austrian highlands—generally mild, though apt to be bitterly cold in winter.
Historically, part of the Turkish Empire from the 15th century, the provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina passed into the control of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1878. Following World War II, they were incorporated into the Yugoslavian federation.
Located on the Balkan Peninsula, Bosnia and Herzegovina boasts centuries of artistic culture adopted from Balkan, Asian and European influences. Despite the country’s small size, Bosnian artists, scientists and musicians have achieved worldwide acclaim, including Vladimir Prelog, who won the 1975 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and the renown filmmaker Emir Kusturica.