ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

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The Republika Srpska, sometimes called the Serbian Republic of Bosnia (; in Cyrillic Serbian Република Српска; literally the Serbian Republic) is one of the two political entities that form Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was formally recognized following the Dayton Accords that ended the Bosnian war in 1995, although it existed since January 1992.

Article 9 of the Constitution of the Republika Srpska states that "the capital of the Republika Srpska is Sarajevo," but most of the city is not part of its territory and the de facto capital is Bania Luka. The entity has three ethnic groups: Serbs, Bosniacs and Croats. The Republika Srpska is defined in its constitution as a unified, indivisible and inalienable territorial entity that will independently exercise its constitutional, legislative, executive and judicial functions. Its legislative body is the National Assembly of the Republika Srpska.

Initially called the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it was declared by the Assembly of the Serbian People of Bosnia and Herzegovina on 9 January 1992, which was declared a public holiday in its commemoration, called "Republic Day" (Dan Republike). This coincides, according to the Julian calendar, with the feast of St. Stephen, which is considered by the Orthodox Serbs the patron saint of the Republika Srpska.

Etimology
The word "Republika Srpska" can be interpreted as an adjective (Serbian), and taking into account language standards for the creation of names of countries in Serbian and other Slavic languages, also as their own name. The Serbian name for several countries is similar: France - Republika Francuska (Република Француска); Croatia - Republika Hrvatska (Република г рватска); Bulgaria - Republika Bugarska (Република Бугарска), and so on. However, in these cases there has long been an adequate latinized translation of the name into Spanish.

The Republika Srpska government uses the English term Republic of Republika Srpska in official acts, as did the Government of Spain, which has adopted Republika Srpska as an official name.

The translation of the Republic of Serbia is not universally accepted, as it is an entity of three ethnic groups, so that the qualified adjective (ethnic gentilice) in this translation tends to violate the rights of the other two ethnic groups of the entity. A study by the Complutense University of Madrid suggests that this writing means taking as adjective a word (Republika Srpska) that is actually a noun, giving as a best solution respect the word Republika Srpska in its original language and translate Republika Srpska as Republika Srpska.

History

Early history
Archaeological tests in Republika Srpska, as well as in the border areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina, testify to a pronounced human activity in the Paleolithic. In particular, in 1976, near the current city of Stolac, in the