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Bosnia and Herzegovina trivia: 48 questions and answers

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The country at a glance

  1. What is the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina?

    1. A. Sarajevo
    2. B. Banja Luka
    3. C. Mostar
    4. D. Tuzla
    Show the answer

    Sarajevo. Sarajevo is the capital and the largest city, in a mountain valley along the Miljacka river.

  2. Which of these countries does NOT share a border with Bosnia and Herzegovina?

    1. A. Croatia
    2. B. Serbia
    3. C. Montenegro
    4. D. Slovenia
    Show the answer

    Slovenia. Slovenia does not touch Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosnia and Herzegovina's only neighbours are Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro.

  3. What is the official currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina?

    1. A. The convertible mark
    2. B. The euro
    3. C. The dinar
    4. D. The kuna
    Show the answer

    The convertible mark. The convertible mark (KM) is the currency, fixed to the euro. Euro cash is often accepted, but it is not the official currency.

  4. Today the country is made up of two entities, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska, plus the self-governing Brčko District.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. The 1995 Dayton agreement created the two largely self-governing entities. The Brčko District was set up in 2000 after international arbitration. It formally belongs to both entities but governs itself.

  5. How many members does the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina have?

    1. A. One
    2. B. Two
    3. C. Three
    4. D. Five
    Show the answer

    Three. Three: one Bosniak, one Croat and one Serb member are elected directly by the people.

  6. Which is the highest mountain in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

    1. A. Maglić
    2. B. Jahorina
    3. C. Bjelašnica
    4. D. Triglav
    Show the answer

    Maglić. Maglić, 2,386 m, on the border with Montenegro, is the highest peak. Triglav is in Slovenia.

History

  1. Who was shot dead in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914, an event that led to the First World War?

    1. A. Archduke Franz Ferdinand
    2. B. Emperor Franz Joseph
    3. C. Josip Broz Tito
    4. D. King Tvrtko
    Show the answer

    Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was shot by Gavrilo Princip near the Latin Bridge.

  2. In which year did the Ottoman Empire conquer the Kingdom of Bosnia?

    1. A. 1389
    2. B. 1463
    3. C. 1683
    4. D. 1878
    Show the answer

    1463. In 1463 the Ottomans conquered the Kingdom of Bosnia, beginning about four centuries of Ottoman rule.

  3. The 1995 peace talks that ended the war were held near Dayton, in which US state?

    1. A. Ohio
    2. B. Texas
    3. C. Virginia
    4. D. California
    Show the answer

    Ohio. Ohio. The talks took place at an air force base near Dayton, and the agreement was formally signed in Paris on 14 December 1995.

  4. The UN tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Court of Justice both ruled that the killings at Srebrenica in July 1995 were genocide.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. The UN tribunal ruled so in 2001, confirmed on appeal in 2004, and the International Court of Justice in 2007. More than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were killed.

  5. On which day are the victims of the Srebrenica genocide remembered every year?

    1. A. 11 July
    2. B. 6 April
    3. C. 1 March
    4. D. 25 November
    Show the answer

    11 July. 11 July. Since 2024 the United Nations also marks 11 July as an international day of remembrance for the Srebrenica genocide.

  6. Bosnia and Herzegovina became a full member of the European Union in 2022.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    False. False. In December 2022 it became an official candidate for membership. As of September 2026 it is still a candidate, not a member.

Food and drink

  1. In which bread are Sarajevo ćevapi traditionally served?

    1. A. Somun
    2. B. Baguette
    3. C. Naan
    4. D. Tortilla
    Show the answer

    Somun. Somun, a soft, round flatbread, is the classic bread for ćevapi, served with chopped onion and often kajmak.

  2. In Bosnia, the pastry spiral called 'burek' has which filling?

    1. A. Minced meat
    2. B. Cheese
    3. C. Spinach
    4. D. Potatoes
    Show the answer

    Minced meat. Minced meat. In Bosnia only the meat pie is called burek; with cheese it is sirnica, with spinach zeljanica and with potatoes krompiruša.

  3. What is the main filling of zeljanica?

    1. A. Spinach and cheese
    2. B. Minced meat
    3. C. Apples and walnuts
    4. D. Rice and chicken
    Show the answer

    Spinach and cheese. Zeljanica is a pie filled with spinach and cheese, sometimes made with chard instead of spinach.

  4. Tufahija is a poached apple filled with what?

    1. A. Walnuts
    2. B. Minced meat
    3. C. Rice
    4. D. Cheese
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    Walnuts. Walnuts. The apples are poached in sugar syrup, filled with walnuts and topped with whipped cream.

  5. Begova čorba is a creamy chicken and vegetable soup that contains okra.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. Bey's soup is made with chicken, vegetables, rice and dried okra, finished with soured cream, egg yolks and lemon.

  6. Bosnian coffee is made a little differently from Turkish coffee: some of the boiling water is set aside and then added back with the coffee.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. That small step is what sets Bosnian coffee apart from its Turkish cousin.

Cities

  1. Who is the city of Mostar named after?

    1. A. The bridge keepers who guarded its Old Bridge
    2. B. An Ottoman sultan
    3. C. A Roman general
    4. D. A medieval Bosnian queen
    Show the answer

    The bridge keepers who guarded its Old Bridge. Mostar is named after the bridge keepers who guarded its Old Bridge, called mostari, in Ottoman times.

  2. Which is the largest city in Republika Srpska?

    1. A. Banja Luka
    2. B. Trebinje
    3. C. Višegrad
    4. D. Mostar
    Show the answer

    Banja Luka. Banja Luka, on the Vrbas river, is the largest city in Republika Srpska and the second-largest in the country.

  3. The Nobel Prize-winning writer Ivo Andrić was born in Travnik.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. Andrić was born in Travnik in 1892, the old seat of the Ottoman governors of Bosnia.

  4. Which city has salt lakes in its centre?

    1. A. Tuzla
    2. B. Zenica
    3. C. Bihać
    4. D. Jajce
    Show the answer

    Tuzla. Tuzla, built over salt deposits, opened the first of its salt lakes, the Pannonian Lake, in 2003.

Landmarks

  1. Which river does Mostar's Old Bridge cross?

    1. A. The Neretva
    2. B. The Drina
    3. C. The Miljacka
    4. D. The Una
    Show the answer

    The Neretva. The Neretva. The Old Bridge rises 24 metres above its cold green water.

  2. Which architect completed the bridge over the Drina at Višegrad in 1577?

    1. A. Mimar Sinan
    2. B. Mimar Hayruddin
    3. C. Karel Pařík
    4. D. Gustave Eiffel
    Show the answer

    Mimar Sinan. Mimar Sinan, the greatest Ottoman architect, completed it for the Grand Vizier Mehmed Paša Sokolović. His student Mimar Hayruddin designed Mostar's Old Bridge.

  3. Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated beside the Latin Bridge in Mostar.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    False. False. The Latin Bridge is in Sarajevo, over the Miljacka river.

  4. Vjetrenica, added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2024, is what kind of place?

    1. A. A cave
    2. B. A mosque
    3. C. A fortress
    4. D. A bridge
    Show the answer

    A cave. Vjetrenica is a cave, the largest in the country, famous for its many rare underground animals.

  5. During the siege of Sarajevo, the Tunnel of Hope was dug under what?

    1. A. The airport runway
    2. B. The Miljacka river
    3. C. The old bazaar
    4. D. Mount Trebević
    Show the answer

    The airport runway. It ran under the airport runway, linking the besieged city with the outside world in 1993.

  6. Kravica is a waterfall on the Trebižat river, south of Mostar, where people swim in summer.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. The falls are about 25 metres high, with a green lake below them that is popular for swimming and picnics.

Fun facts

  1. In which year did Sarajevo host the Winter Olympics?

    1. A. 1972
    2. B. 1976
    3. C. 1984
    4. D. 1992
    Show the answer

    1984. Sarajevo hosted the Winter Olympics in February 1984, the first Winter Games in a Slavic-speaking country.

  2. What does the name 'Herzegovina' mean?

    1. A. The duke's land
    2. B. The land of rivers
    3. C. The heart of the mountains
    4. D. The southern valley
    Show the answer

    The duke's land. The duke's land: it comes from 'herceg', from the German Herzog, meaning duke.

  3. The convertible mark was named after which old currency?

    1. A. The Deutsche Mark
    2. B. The Austrian schilling
    3. C. The Yugoslav dinar
    4. D. The Ottoman lira
    Show the answer

    The Deutsche Mark. The Deutsche Mark: the convertible mark was tied to it one to one, and is now fixed to the euro.

  4. Ivo Andrić, author of The Bridge on the Drina, won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1961.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1961.

  5. Where was the Sarajevo Haggadah, an illustrated Jewish book, made around 1350?

    1. A. In northern Spain
    2. B. In Italy
    3. C. In Egypt
    4. D. In Poland
    Show the answer

    In northern Spain. It was made in northern Spain, most likely Barcelona, and is now kept in the National Museum in Sarajevo.

  6. Bosnia and Herzegovina's coastline is about 20 km long.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. All of it lies around the town of Neum, on the Adriatic Sea.

  7. About how high above the river do divers leap from Mostar's Old Bridge?

    1. A. About 8 metres
    2. B. About 24 metres
    3. C. About 60 metres
    4. D. About 100 metres
    Show the answer

    About 24 metres. About 24 metres. A diving competition has been held there every summer since 1968.

Words

  1. What does the Bosnian word 'kahva' mean?

    1. A. Coffee
    2. B. Water
    3. C. Bread
    4. D. Cheese
    Show the answer

    Coffee. Kahva means coffee; in Croatian it is kava and in Serbian kafa.

  2. What does the Bosnian word 'most' mean, as in Stari Most?

    1. A. Bridge
    2. B. River
    3. C. Market
    4. D. Tower
    Show the answer

    Bridge. Most means bridge, so Stari Most is simply 'the Old Bridge'.

  3. The Bosnian word 'lijevo' means 'right'.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    False. False. Lijevo means left; right is desno.

  4. Sarajevo's old town is called Baščaršija. What does 'čaršija' mean?

    1. A. Market or bazaar
    2. B. Bridge
    3. C. Fortress
    4. D. Riverbank
    Show the answer

    Market or bazaar. Čaršija means market or bazaar, from Turkish; Baščaršija is the main bazaar.

Phrases

  1. How do you say 'thank you' in Bosnian?

    1. A. Hvala
    2. B. Molim
    3. C. Zdravo
    4. D. Oprostite
    Show the answer

    Hvala. Hvala means thank you. To say thank you very much, say 'Hvala lijepo'.

  2. You want to pay in a café. What do you say?

    1. A. Račun, molim
    2. B. Dobro jutro
    3. C. Laku noć
    4. D. Drago mi je
    Show the answer

    Račun, molim. 'Račun, molim' means 'The bill, please'.

  3. People say 'Živjeli!' when they raise their glasses for a toast.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. Živjeli is the usual toast, like 'Cheers!'.

  4. The greeting 'Merhaba', heard mostly among Bosnian Muslims, came into Bosnian from which language?

    1. A. Turkish
    2. B. German
    3. C. Italian
    4. D. Hungarian
    Show the answer

    Turkish. Merhaba was borrowed from Ottoman Turkish, which took it from Arabic.

Local customs and tips

  1. Within how long of arrival must foreign visitors be registered with the police?

    1. A. 72 hours
    2. B. 6 hours
    3. C. 2 weeks
    4. D. 30 days
    Show the answer

    72 hours. Within 72 hours. Hotels usually register their guests for you.

  2. What is the official number to call an ambulance in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

    1. A. 124
    2. B. 122
    3. C. 123
    4. D. 999
    Show the answer

    124. 124 is the ambulance. 122 is the police and 123 the fire service; the European number 112 also works.

  3. In the countryside, visitors should stay on roads and paved paths because some landmines from the 1990s war remain.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. Towns and main roads are largely clear, but some rural areas still have mines, so stay on roads and marked paths.

  4. About how many convertible marks make one euro?

    1. A. About 2
    2. B. Exactly 1
    3. C. About 10
    4. D. About 100
    Show the answer

    About 2. About 2: the rate is fixed at 1.95583 marks to the euro.

  5. From November to April, cars in Bosnia and Herzegovina must have winter tyres and carry snow chains.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. Winter tyres are required and snow chains must be used when road signs say so.

Answer key

The country at a glance

  1. A. Sarajevo
  2. D. Slovenia
  3. A. The convertible mark
  4. True
  5. C. Three
  6. A. Maglić

History

  1. A. Archduke Franz Ferdinand
  2. B. 1463
  3. A. Ohio
  4. True
  5. A. 11 July
  6. False

Food and drink

  1. A. Somun
  2. A. Minced meat
  3. A. Spinach and cheese
  4. A. Walnuts
  5. True
  6. True

Cities

  1. A. The bridge keepers who guarded its Old Bridge
  2. A. Banja Luka
  3. True
  4. A. Tuzla

Landmarks

  1. A. The Neretva
  2. A. Mimar Sinan
  3. False
  4. A. A cave
  5. A. The airport runway
  6. True

Fun facts

  1. C. 1984
  2. A. The duke's land
  3. A. The Deutsche Mark
  4. True
  5. A. In northern Spain
  6. True
  7. B. About 24 metres

Words

  1. A. Coffee
  2. A. Bridge
  3. False
  4. A. Market or bazaar

Phrases

  1. A. Hvala
  2. A. Račun, molim
  3. True
  4. A. Turkish

Local customs and tips

  1. A. 72 hours
  2. A. 124
  3. True
  4. A. About 2
  5. True

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