The Bosna ( sr-Cyrl, Босна, ) is the third longest
river
A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...
in
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
, and is considered one of the country's three major internal rivers, along with the
Neretva
The Neretva (, sr-Cyrl, Неретва), also known as Narenta, is one of the largest rivers of the eastern part of the Adriatic basin. Four Hydroelectricity, hydroelectric power plants with Dam, large dams (higher than 15 metres) provide flood ...
and the
Vrbas. The other three major rivers of Bosnia and Herzegovina are the
Una, to the northwest; the
Sava
The Sava, is a river in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. From its source in Slovenia it flows through Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally reac ...
, to the north, and the
Drina
The Drina ( sr-Cyrl, Дрина, ) is a long river in the Balkans, which forms a large portion of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Al ...
, to the east. This river is the namesake of
Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
. The river Bosna flows for .
The river is possibly mentioned for the first time during the 1st century AD by Roman historian
Marcus Velleius Paterculus
Marcus Velleius Paterculus (; ) was a Roman historian, soldier and senator. His Roman history, written in a highly rhetorical style, covered the period from the end of the Trojan War to AD 30, but is most useful for the period from the death o ...
under the name ''Bathinus flumen''. Another basic source that is associated with the hydronym ''Bathinus'' is the
Salonitan inscription of the governor of Dalmatia,
Publius Cornelius Dolabella, where it is said that the ''Bathinum'' river divides the
Breuci
This is a list of ancient tribes in the ancient territory of Illyria (; ). The name ''Illyrians'' seems to be the name of a single Illyrian tribe that was the first to come into contact with the ancient Greeks, causing the name Illyrians to be ap ...
from the
Osseriates.
Another name could also have bee
Basante
According to philologist Anton Mayer, the name ''Bosna'' could be derived from
Illyrian ''Bass-an-as(-ā)'', which would be a diversion of the
Proto-Indo-European
Proto-Indo-European (PIE) is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European language family. No direct record of Proto-Indo-European exists; its proposed features have been derived by linguistic reconstruction from documented Indo-Euro ...
root ''
bʰegʷ'', meaning 'the running water'.
Geography and sectioning
The Bosna River has created the Bosna River Valley. The valley has been developed as the country's industrial hub and is home to nearly a million people, who live primarily in several major cities.
Vrelo Bosne and Mala Bosna
The Bosna source is the Vrelo Bosne spring, located at a.s.l.
(according to an earlier source, a.s.l.
) at the
foothills
Foothills or piedmont are geography, geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range, higher hill range or an highland, upland area. They are a transition zone between plains and low terrain, relief hill ...
of mount
Igman
Igman ( sr-cyrl, Игман, ) is a mountain plateau in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. Geologically, Igman is part of the Dinaric Alps and formed largely of secondary and tertiary sedimentary rock, mostly Limestone. It is located southwest of S ...
, on the outskirts of Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The spring is one of Bosnia and Herzegovina's chief natural landmarks and
tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement.
Types
Places of natural beaut ...
s.
The course between the source and its largest tributary in this section, the
Željeznica, which runs in from the right, is referred as the Mala Bosna (), but the section is often extended all the way to its confluence with Miljacka, four kilometers downstream.
Its tributaries between the source and the Željeznica are first the
Večerica and then Bukulaš, while in the region of extended Mala Bosna course it further receives, first the Željeznica from the right, then approx. 600 meters downstream the
Zujevina, the only tributary from the left in this region, followed by the
Dobrinja (a.k.a.
Tilava) 1.5 km, and then 2 km further the
Miljacka
The Miljacka ( sr-Cyrl, Миљацка) is a river in Bosnia and Herzegovina that passes through Sarajevo. Numerous city bridges have been built to cross it.
Characteristics
The Miljacka river originates from the confluence of the Paljanska Mi ...
, both from the right.
Upper Bosna
The Upper Bosna is a section between its source and the mouth of the
Lašva
The Lašva ( sr-cyrl, Лашва) is a river in Central Bosnia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a left tributary of the Bosna.Vojnogeografski institut, Ed. (1955): Travnik (List karte 1:100.000, Izohipse na 20 m). Vojnogeografski institut, Beograd / ...
, a left tributary, just upstream from
Zenica
Zenica ( ; ) is a city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and an administrative and economic center of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Zenica-Doboj Canton. It is located in the Bosna (river), Bosna river valley, about north of Sarajevo. The ...
. The section encompasses the entire region between
Ilidža
Ilidža ( sr-cyrl, Илиџа, ) is a spa town and a municipality located in Sarajevo Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has a total population of 66,730 with 63,528 in Ilidža itself, and i ...
, near
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
, and the Lašva, including the spacious valley between
Ilijaš and
Kakanj
Kakanj ( sr-cyrl, Какањ) is a town and municipality located in Zenica-Doboj Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the Europe's oldest continuously inhabitted settlement.
As of 2013, ...
. The
Visoko
Visoko ( sr-cyrl, Високо, ) is a city located in the Zenica-Doboj Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the municipality had a population of 39,938 inhabitants with 11,205 livi ...
region, with its medieval heritage, is at the center of this area.
Middle Bosna
The Middle Bosna is mostly composed of
gorges, with steep slopes and narrow passages, between Zenica and
Doboj
Doboj ( sr-Cyrl, Добој, ) is a city in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the banks of the Bosna (river), Bosna river, in the northern region of Republika Srpska. As of 2013, it has a population of 71,441 inhabita ...
. In this section, there are several medieval sites, such as
Vranduk,
Maglaj and
Doboj
Doboj ( sr-Cyrl, Добој, ) is a city in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the banks of the Bosna (river), Bosna river, in the northern region of Republika Srpska. As of 2013, it has a population of 71,441 inhabita ...
.
Lower Bosna
The Lower Bosna is the last section of the Bosna. From Doboj, the river continues northwards, approaching the
Sava
The Sava, is a river in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. From its source in Slovenia it flows through Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally reac ...
through the heart of
Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
, passing through the lowlands of
Posavina
Posavina ( sr-cyr, Посавина) is a geographical region that stretches along the Sava river, encompassing only the inner areas of the Sava river basin, that are adjacent or near to the Sava river itself, namely catch region spanning fro ...
, and eventually becomes a right
tributary
A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...
of the Sava in
Bosanski Šamac
Bosnian may refer to:
*Anything related to the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina or its inhabitants
*Anything related to Bosnia (region) or its inhabitants
* Bosniaks, an ethnic group mainly inhabiting Bosnia and Herzegovina and one of three constit ...
. There, it empties at around above the sea level.
Course and tributaries
The Bosna flows through a number of cantons. From its starting point in the
Sarajevo Canton
The Sarajevo Canton, officially the Canton of Sarajevo (; ; ), is one of the ten cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its cantonal seat is the city of Sarajevo, also the capital city of Bosnia and Herzeg ...
, it flows through the
Zenica-Doboj Canton
The Zenica-Doboj Canton (; ; ) is one of ten cantons in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is part of the entity of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The seat and largest city is Zenica.
Spread over an area of , the canton roughly occupies the centr ...
, and the
Posavina Canton, in that order. On its way north, the Bosna also passes through the cities of
Visoko
Visoko ( sr-cyrl, Високо, ) is a city located in the Zenica-Doboj Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the municipality had a population of 39,938 inhabitants with 11,205 livi ...
,
Zenica
Zenica ( ; ) is a city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and an administrative and economic center of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Zenica-Doboj Canton. It is located in the Bosna (river), Bosna river valley, about north of Sarajevo. The ...
,
Maglaj,
Doboj
Doboj ( sr-Cyrl, Добој, ) is a city in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the banks of the Bosna (river), Bosna river, in the northern region of Republika Srpska. As of 2013, it has a population of 71,441 inhabita ...
,
Modriča
Modriča ( sr-cyrl, Модрича) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013 census, the town has a population of 10,137 inhabitants, while the municipality has a population of 25,720 inhabitants.
Hist ...
and
Bosanski Šamac
Bosnian may refer to:
*Anything related to the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina or its inhabitants
*Anything related to Bosnia (region) or its inhabitants
* Bosniaks, an ethnic group mainly inhabiting Bosnia and Herzegovina and one of three constit ...
.

The main right tributaries are:
Željeznica,
Miljacka
The Miljacka ( sr-Cyrl, Миљацка) is a river in Bosnia and Herzegovina that passes through Sarajevo. Numerous city bridges have been built to cross it.
Characteristics
The Miljacka river originates from the confluence of the Paljanska Mi ...
, Ljubina, Misoča, Stavnja,
Trstionica,
Zgošća, ,
Krivaja and
Spreča. On the left, the main tributaries are:
Zujevina,
Fojnica,
Lašva
The Lašva ( sr-cyrl, Лашва) is a river in Central Bosnia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a left tributary of the Bosna.Vojnogeografski institut, Ed. (1955): Travnik (List karte 1:100.000, Izohipse na 20 m). Vojnogeografski institut, Beograd / ...
and
Usora.
File:River Bosna, Sarajevo (4).JPG, Vrelo Bosne, source of the river just outside Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
File:Vrelo Bosne, Sarajevo park.JPG, One of the ponds on Vrelo Bosne in Ilidža
Ilidža ( sr-cyrl, Илиџа, ) is a spa town and a municipality located in Sarajevo Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has a total population of 66,730 with 63,528 in Ilidža itself, and i ...
File:River Bosna, Sarajevo (1).JPG, Mala Bosna river in Ilidža
Ilidža ( sr-cyrl, Илиџа, ) is a spa town and a municipality located in Sarajevo Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has a total population of 66,730 with 63,528 in Ilidža itself, and i ...
File:Ilidža Rimski most 3.jpg, Roman bridge over Mala Bosna river in Ilidža
Ilidža ( sr-cyrl, Илиџа, ) is a spa town and a municipality located in Sarajevo Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has a total population of 66,730 with 63,528 in Ilidža itself, and i ...
File:Bosna by Samac upstream.JPG, The Lower Bosna near Bosanski Šamac
Bosnian may refer to:
*Anything related to the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina or its inhabitants
*Anything related to Bosnia (region) or its inhabitants
* Bosniaks, an ethnic group mainly inhabiting Bosnia and Herzegovina and one of three constit ...
References
External links
Rijeka Bosna / River Bosna- UG Bistro
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bosna (River)
Rivers of Bosnia and Herzegovina