A mountainous republic of south-central Europe; formerly part of the Ottoman Empire and then a part of Yugoslavia; voted for independence in 1992 but the mostly Serbian army of Yugoslavia refused to accept the vote and began ethnic cleansing in order to rid Bosnia of its Croats and Muslims. Synonyms:Bosna i Hercegovina, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
... be paralleled in Europe: "The Franciscan monks of Bosnia wear long black robes, with rope, black 'bowler hats,' and long and heavy military moustachios (by special permission of the Pope)."—Daily Chronicle, Oct ... — The Land of Contrasts - A Briton's View of His American Kin • James Fullarton Muirhead