Much of Hercegovina's terrain is denuded. The ethnically diverse population speaks Serbo-Croatian. Economy Never particularly robust, Bosnia and Hercegovina's economy was adversely affected by the strife in Yugoslavia during the 1990s and has been decimated by the civil war that broke out after independence. Traditionally, the economy has depended on agriculture, although it now provides less than half of the country's food needs. Corn, wheat, oats, and barley are the principal products of Bosnia and tobacco, cotton, fruits, and grapes of Hercegovina.
Mining is important, and there are significant deposits of lignite, iron ore, and copper.
Steel, textiles, wood products, rugs, timber, machinery, and transportation equipment are its most significant products, and there has been some development of its hydroelectric resources. When it was part of Yugoslavia, Bosnia also had a thriving armament industry. The area was part of the Roman province of Illyricum. Medieval Bosnia reached the height of its power in the second half of the 14th cent. Bosnia also annexed the duchy of Hum, which, however, regained autonomy in 1448 and became known as Hercegovina.