evidence: An overview of the historical and geographical development of Bosnia and Herzegovina starts from the Old Stone Age—Paleolithic—continues through ancient times with the Illyrians and the rule of Rome, the arrival of the Slavs, the great Bosnian kingdom in the Middle Ages, more than 400 years of Ottoman rule, to the modern and independent state of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the twenty-first century. It is important to point out that the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, unlike neighboring countries, is poorly explored archaeologically, and quite significant discoveries are expected in the future. The oldest settlements belong to the Mousterian culture in northern Bosnia from the Middle Paleolithic period. In prehistoric and ancient times, the Illyrian peoples left their mark on historical and geographical development until the arrival of the Roman Empire. A significant period of prosperity began during the Bosnian kingdom from the second half of the fourteenth century. Over the last 500 years, Bosnia and Herzegovina has preserved its territorial borders significantly and is undoubtedly one of the most specific countries in the world. Some of the most important battles in the Second World War, crucial for the formation of socialist Yugoslavia, were fought on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Modern Bosnia and Herzegovina, after leaving the socialist and communist system of the former state of Yugoslavia by declaring independence and joining the UN, suffered great material and human destruction and atrocities in the period 1992–1995 that had not been seen in Europe since the Second World War. In the third decade of the twenty-first century, Bosnia and Herzegovina aims to become full member of the European Union.