vizualinacija.BSBosanski

How is BiH governed?

One state, two entities and a district with special status. Explore where decisions are made, who chooses institutions and how their responsibilities differ.

Institutions and responsibilities, without parties or current officeholders.

Explore the territorial diagram
Bosnia and HerzegovinaState
Federation of BiHEntity
10 cantonsOnly in the Federation of BiHSelected
  1. 01Una-Sana Canton
  2. 02Posavina Canton
  3. 03Tuzla Canton
  4. 04Zenica-Doboj Canton
  5. 05Bosnian-Podrinje Canton Goražde
  6. 06Central Bosnia Canton
  7. 07Herzegovina-Neretva Canton
  8. 08West Herzegovina Canton
  9. 09Sarajevo Canton
  10. 10Canton 10
Municipalities and citiesLocal self-government
Republika SrpskaEntity

No cantonal level

Municipalities and citiesLocal self-government
Brčko District of BiHSpecial status

A unit of local self-government under BiH sovereignty. Not a third entity.

Territorial connections, not a chain of command. Constitutions and laws divide responsibilities; Brčko has a special status.

The ten cantons of the Federation of BiH

Cantonal level · only in FBiH

Each canton has its own constitution, a directly elected assembly and a government confirmed by that assembly. Cantons are not ten more entities, and this level of government does not exist in RS or Brčko District. Select an individual canton for its name and the seat of its government.

Institutions and how they are chosen

Cantonal Assembly

Legislative authority: adopts the cantonal constitution, laws and budget, confirms the cantonal government and oversees its work.

Election / appointment: Direct election at general elections. The assembly then elects delegates to the FBiH House of Peoples under constitutional and electoral rules; the number of representatives differs between cantons.

Cantonal Government

Executive authority: the prime minister and ministers propose and implement cantonal policies and the budget; they are not bodies of the federal Government.

Election / appointment: The candidate for prime minister proposes the composition, and the cantonal assembly confirms the appointment through the constitutional procedure. The government is accountable to the assembly and does not arise from direct election by citizens.

Cantonal and municipal courts

Judicial authority: parts of the ordinary judicial system of FBiH, with jurisdiction established by law, not by instructions from the cantonal government.

Election / appointment: The HJPC of BiH appoints judges. Cantons have no constitutional courts of their own; the competent constitutional courts of FBiH and BiH provide constitutional protection.

What is this level responsible for?

  • Education and cultural policy, and establishing and overseeing cantonal police, within the constitutional and legal framework.
  • Housing policy, spatial planning and public services, respecting municipalities’ and cities’ own powers protected by law.
  • Health, the environment, social policy, tourism and natural resources are shared with the Federation; laws and cooperation further define the allocation of responsibilities.
  • The cantonal budget and funding institutions within the canton’s responsibilities.
  • Indirect election route: citizens → cantonal assembly → FBiH House of Peoples. The Bosniak and Croat caucuses of that house then elect five delegates each to the BiH House of Peoples; the RS National Assembly elects the Serb delegates to the state house.

Important distinctions

  • A canton is not a regional office of the federal Government: it has its own constitution and institutions, but must comply with the BiH Constitution, the FBiH Constitution and applicable laws.
  • The assembly adopts laws and confirms the government; the government implements policy. Courts are not part of the government and do not receive its instructions when deciding cases.
  • Responsibility for education does not mean that the canton alone covers every cost and runs every institution; local and federal regulations also have a role.