Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia
| 1991–1996 | |||||||||
Location of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia (shown in red) within Bosnia and Herzegovina (shown in pink) | |||||||||
Herzeg-Bosnia at its greatest territorial extent in late 1995 after Operation Southern Move
Territory controlled in October 1995
Territory claimed | |||||||||
| Status | Defunct unrecognized quasi-state in Bosnia and Herzegovina | ||||||||
| Capital | Mostar 43°20′37″N 17°48′27″E / 43.34361°N 17.80750°E | ||||||||
| Common languages | Croatian | ||||||||
| Religion | Catholic Christianity (majority) | ||||||||
| Government | Republic | ||||||||
| President | |||||||||
• 1991–1994 | Mate Boban | ||||||||
• 1994–1996 | Krešimir Zubak | ||||||||
| Prime Minister | |||||||||
• 1993–1996 | Jadranko Prlić | ||||||||
• 1996 | Pero Marković | ||||||||
| Legislature | Assembly of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia | ||||||||
| Historical era | Yugoslav Wars | ||||||||
• Community proclaimed | 18 November 1991 | ||||||||
| 6 April 1992 | |||||||||
• Declared unconstitutionala | 14 September 1992 | ||||||||
| 18 October 1992 | |||||||||
• Republic proclaimed | 28 August 1993 | ||||||||
| 18 March 1994 | |||||||||
• Formally abolished | 14 August 1996 | ||||||||
| Area | |||||||||
• 1995 | 12,937 km2 (4,995 sq mi) | ||||||||
| Currency | Official: Bosnia and Herzegovina dinar Parallel: Deutsche Mark, Croatian dinar | ||||||||
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The Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia (Croatian: Hrvatska Republika Herceg-Bosna) was an unrecognized geopolitical entity and quasi-state in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was proclaimed on 18 November 1991 under the name Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia (Croatian: Hrvatska Zajednica Herceg-Bosna) as a "political, cultural, economic and territorial whole" in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and abolished on 14 August 1996.
The Croatian Community of Bosnian Posavina, proclaimed in northern Bosnia on 12 November 1991, was joined with Herzeg-Bosnia in October 1992. In its proclaimed borders, Herzeg-Bosnia encompassed about 30% of the country, but did not have effective control over the entire territory as parts of it were lost to the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) at the beginning of the Bosnian War. The armed forces of Herzeg-Bosnia, the Croatian Defence Council (HVO), were formed on 8 April 1992 and initially fought in an alliance with the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Their relations deteriorated throughout late 1992, which led to the Croat–Bosniak War.
The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared Herzeg-Bosnia unconstitutional on 14 September 1992. Herzeg-Bosnia formally recognized the Government of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and functioned as a state within a state, while some in its leadership advocated the secession of the entity and its unification with Croatia.
On 28 August 1993, Herzeg-Bosnia was declared a republic following the proposal of the Owen-Stoltenberg Plan, envisioning Bosnia and Herzegovina as a union of three republics. Its capital city was Mostar, which was then a war zone, and the effective control center was in Grude. In March 1994, the Washington Agreement was signed that ended the conflict between Croats and Bosniaks. Under the agreement, Herzeg-Bosnia was to be joined into the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but it continued to exist until it was formally abolished in 1996.