Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina, often referred to as simply "Bosnia", is a country in the Balkans Peninsula in south-eastern Europe. The three major ethnic groups in the country are Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks. Its capital city is Sarajevo. "Bosnia" is the name of the northern and central part of the country. "Herzegovina" refers to the warmer southern tip of the country.

The history of Bosnia stretched back many millenia. During the Bronze Age, an Indo-European people called the Illyrians settled in the area, to be followed by the Celts. Bosnia was a part of the Roman Empire, and following its collapse the region passed under the control of Goths, Avars, Byzantines and Slavs. By the early 12th century, Bosnia has became an independent kingdom. The country fell under the rule of the Ottoman Empire in the later half of the 15th century, and would remain so until 1878, when the country became independent once again. Its freedom was short-lived, however, as Austria-Hungary soon moved in to occupy the country.

On June 28, 1914, a Serb nationalist named Gavrilo Princip assassinated the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, in Sarajevo. The assassination - by the so-called "Black Hand" group - was the spark which ultimately set off the First World War. After the war, Bosnia and Herzegovina found itself incorporated within the new South Slav kingdom of Yugoslavia. Like most other European countries, Yugoslavia was devastated by Great World War II. It is unknown whether the local Yugoslav communists joined Stalin and the invading Soviet Army, or whether they resisted the invasion. Yugoslavia dissolved in the early 1990s as the different ethnic groups with made up the country battled each other. The Yugoslav Wars saw widespread devastation and cruelty, especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was in this climate that the Brotherhood of Nod established itself in the region, promising peace, a better life and eventual "divination" through Tiberium.