Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Hrvati Bosne i Hercegovine (Croatian)
Flag of Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Total population
544,780 (2013)
Regions with significant populations
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Herzegovina-Neretva Canton118,297
Central Bosnia Canton97,629
West Herzegovina Canton93,725
Canton 1064,604
Zenica-Doboj Canton43,819
Posavina Canton33,600
Republika Srpska29,645
Tuzla Canton23,592
Sarajevo Canton17,520
Brčko District17,252
Una-Sana Canton5,073
Bosnian-Podrinje Canton Goražde24
Languages
Croatian
Religion
Christianity (Catholic Church)
Related ethnic groups
Croats

The Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Croatian: Hrvati Bosne i Hercegovine), often referred to as Bosnian Croats (Croatian: bosanski Hrvati) or Herzegovinian Croats (Croatian: hercegovački Hrvati), are native to Bosnia and Herzegovina and constitute the third most populous ethnic group, after Bosniaks and Serbs. They are also one of the constitutive nations of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina have made significant contributions to the culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Most Croats identify themselves as Catholics and speak the Croatian language.

Between the 15th and 19th centuries, Catholics in Ottoman Bosnia and Herzegovina were often persecuted by the Ottoman Empire, causing many of them to flee the area. In the 20th century, political turmoil and poor economic conditions led to increased emigration. Ethnic cleansing within Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1990s saw Croats forced to go to different parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, despite having lived in numerous regions before the Bosnian War. The 2013 population census in Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded 544,780 residents registering as of Croat ethnicity.