Bosnia Electric Herzegovina Power

The conflicts that occurred in Bosnia, Croatia, and Kosovo led to widespread displacement of persons. There were approximately 216,000 IDPs from Kosovo in Serbia, mainly Serbs, Roma, and Bosniaks. Most Serb IDPs from Kosovo rented inadequate lodgings or were housed with host families or relatives; however, approximately 9,000 remained in collective centers which foreign observers found to be inadequate for any purpose other than emergency shelter. Collective centers were a drain on government resources. It was impossible to estimate unemployment figures among IDPs; most families have moved three times or more in search of better schooling or employment opportunities. It is probable that many of them were employed either fully or part-time in the informal sector, such as working in one of the many gray economy firms manufacturing clothes, furniture and other products. The Government, with support of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), worked on closing 115 collective center ... [Read More]

Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of

Although public schools run by UNMIK and then the JIAS Department of Education were reopened, extensive damage to many school buildings, a lack of educational materials, and persistent electrical power outages continued to hinder the full functioning of the education system. Both because of a lack of freedom of movement and because of reluctance to depart from a Belgrade-based curriculum, Serbian Kosovar children attended neighborhood schools that were sometimes housed in inadequate facilities and lacked basic equipment. In Lipljan/Lipjan, Serbs refused to send their children to school because the facilities were temporarily housed in donated containers while authorities worked with community leadership to identify a site for building a new school. During the year, international organizations continued to rebuild and equip schools and the numbers of students enrolled in school increased. According to a World Bank Poverty Assessment issued in September, enrollment for both Serb and Alba ... [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

All quarters have air-conditioning, heating and hot water systems.  Most quarters have back-up generators in the event of power outages.  American made full-size washers and dryers are provided when space allows.  Standard electric power is 220v/50hertz for lights and standard outlets.  Plugs are European "SCHULKO" (CEE-7) type with 28mm rod contacts.  Incandescent lights require a 230v bulb. ...

Serbia and Montenegro is located in the central part of the Balkan Peninsula and occupies 102,173 square kilometers, an area slightly smaller than Kentucky. Serbia and Montenegro's many waterway, road, rail, and telecommunications networks serve to link Europe, Asia, and even Africa at a strategic intersection in southeastern Europe. Endowed with natural beauty, Serbia and Montenegro is rich in varied topography and climate. It borders the Adriatic Sea, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina to the west, Hungary to the north, Romania and Bulgaria to the east, and Albania and Macedonia to the south. ... [Read More]

Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of

President Milosevic dominated Yugoslavia's political system until he lost power in the September federal elections. He sought to consolidate his power at the federal level at the expense of Montenegro, and by manipulating power within the Federation, Milosevic effectively forced Montenegro out of the Federation's institutions while leaving it open to the Federal Government's charges that its actions violated Yugoslavia's Constitution. President Djukanovic did not participate in the September 23 federal elections and called for citizens to boycott them. The Montenegrin Parliament declared the July 6 amendments to Yugoslavia's Constitution, including one that allowed Milosevic to run for another presidential term, unconstitutional, and Djukanovic used this declaration as a basis for his decision not to participate in the elections. The Government did not impede voting and some 600 polling stations were set up in private homes, Socialist People's Party (SNP) offices, Serbian firms, and VJ ... [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

Electric  Standard electric power is 220v, 50 cycles.  Outlets are standard Central-European (German)type with 2 round prongs.  The Embassy provides at least two transformers per home.  Transformers are not readily available in Croatia, but Aviano AFB, Italy, sometimes has them in stock.  Adapter plugs can be found at most U.S. military bases and travel stores in the States.  Plan to bring a supply of small transformers, dual-voltage, or 220v appliances, since transformers are limited in quantity.  (Note that 110v/60Hz appliances such as turntables, clocks, etc., often will not operate correctly even when used with a transformer unless other adjustments are made.  These adjustments usually must be performed by a trained technician and can be expensive.)  A power-surge regulator is recommended for personal computers, and all other expensive electronic equipment.  Surge protectors puchased in the U.S. may not function pro ... [Read More]

Croatia

There were no reports that the Government revoked citizenship for political reasons. The Government's procedures to verify and document the citizenship of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Serbs who fled the country after the military operations in 1995 improved during the year; however, there were regular reports of obstruction by some local officials. In Donji Srb, many Serb returnees experienced difficulties in obtaining identity cards and other forms of documentation that would allow them to verify their citizenship status. The municipal government in Gracac obstructed returns to Donji Srb and other municipalities under its jurisdiction while at the same time providing immediate assistance to ethnic Croat settlers from Bosnia who continue to arrive in the municipality. By the end of November, in returns organized by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) or the Government, 10,748 persons who were refugees in Yugoslavia and Bosnia-Herzegovina returned to Croatia. ... [Read More]

Colin King, "The Myths And Realities Of Demining," 'Protecting Lives, Restoring Livelihoods: The U.S. Program To Remove Landmines' - U.S. Foreign Policy Agenda - January 2004, Department of State, International Information Programs

The minefields of the real world are often uneven and cluttered with obstacles, natural and man-made. Rocks of all sizes create problems for the deminer, and even small stones can make probing almost impossible. Most vehicle-borne systems are completely defeated by heavily forested areas, steep or very rocky terrain; even for deminers on foot, access and movement can be difficult or dangerous. From the mountains of Afghanistan, and the steep border regions of Oman, Chile, and Peru, to the forested hills of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, and Kosovo province, terrain imposes serious limitations on demining procedures. Meanwhile, forces of nature constantly conspire to bring elevated mines down to earth. For example, it may be a rut or pothole just beyond the reach of a detector, flail hammer, or roller, or the bottom of a hill – perhaps well outside the existing minefield boundary. ... [Read More]

2004 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The 1995 General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (the Dayton Accords) created the independent state of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), previously one of the constituent republics of Yugoslavia. The Agreement also created two multiethnic constituent entities within the state: The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (the Federation) and the Republika Srpska (RS), along with the independent District of Brcko. The Federation has a postwar Bosnian Muslim (Bosniak) and Croat majority, while the RS has a postwar Bosnian Serb majority. The Constitution (Annex 4 of the Dayton Accords) established a federal democratic republic and assigned many governmental functions to the two entities, which have their own governments. The Accords also provided for the Office of the High Representative (OHR) to oversee implementation of civilian provisions. The OHR has the power to impose legislation and remove officials who obstruct the implementation of the Dayton Accords. Candidates o ... [Read More]