Bosnia and Herzegovina Through History: Who Ruled Its Lands
The land of today's Bosnia and Herzegovina appears on 39 historical border maps from 500 BC to today. Over that time it was held, in whole or in part, by 23 different states, among them Ottoman Empire, Yugoslavia, Roman Empire, Eastern Roman Empire, Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Bosnia and HerzegovinaExplore the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the interactive map
Who ruled the land of Bosnia and Herzegovina, map by map
Share of sample points inside today's borders held by each state on each map. Areas with no organised state on the map are left out.
| Map | Main states on this land |
|---|---|
| 1 BC | Roman Empire 100% |
| AD 100 | Roman Empire 100% |
| AD 200 | Roman Empire 100% |
| AD 400 | Western Roman Empire 100% |
| AD 500 | Ostrogoths 100% |
| AD 600 | Eastern Roman Empire 100% |
| AD 700 | Eastern Roman Empire 100% |
| AD 800 | Byzantine Empire 31% · Avars 15% |
| AD 900 | Croatian kingdom 92% · Chelmia 8% |
| 1000 | Serbia 50% · Croatia 35% · Bulgar Khanate 10% |
| 1100 | Serbia 50% · Croatia 35% · Bulgar Khanate 10% |
| 1200 | Bulgar Khanate 60% · Croatia 35% · Hungary 4% |
| 1300 | Hungary 65% · Raška 35% |
| 1400 | Kingdom of Hungary 65% · Bosnia 35% |
| 1492 | Royal Hungary 65% · Ottoman Empire 35% |
| 1500 | Royal Hungary 65% · Ottoman Empire 35% |
| 1600 | Ottoman Empire 100% |
| 1650 | Ottoman Empire 100% |
| 1700 | Ottoman Empire 60% · Austrian Empire 40% |
| 1783 | Ottoman Empire 100% |
| 1800 | Ottoman Empire 100% |
| 1815 | Ottoman Empire 100% |
| 1880 | Bosnia-Herzegovina 100% |
| 1900 | Bosnia-Herzegovina 100% |
| 1914 | Austro-Hungarian Empire 100% |
| 1920 | Yugoslavia 100% |
| 1930 | Yugoslavia 100% |
| 1938 | Yugoslavia 100% |
| 1945 | Yugoslavia 100% |
| 1960 | Yugoslavia 100% |
| 1994 | Bosnia and Herzegovina 100% |
| 2010 | Bosnia and Herzegovina 100% |
Battles and historic sites
| Year | Battle or site |
|---|---|
| 1914 | Sarajevo |
Questions
Which empires and states ruled the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina?
On the border maps from 500 BC to today, the largest shares of the territory of modern Bosnia and Herzegovina belonged to Ottoman Empire, Yugoslavia, Roman Empire, Eastern Roman Empire, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, along with 17 other states.
What was Bosnia and Herzegovina part of in 1000?
On the border map for 1000, most of the territory of today's Bosnia and Herzegovina lay within Serbia.
What was Bosnia and Herzegovina part of in 1500?
On the border map for 1500, most of the territory of today's Bosnia and Herzegovina lay within Royal Hungary.
What was Bosnia and Herzegovina part of in 1900?
On the border map for 1900, most of the territory of today's Bosnia and Herzegovina lay within Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Further reading
- History of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Encyclopaedia Britannica
- History of Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wikipedia
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.