▁that ▁distingu ishes ▁the ▁three ▁eth nic ▁groups ▁is ▁their ▁religion , ▁with ▁Bos nia ks ▁pre domin antly ▁Muslim , ▁Ser bs ▁pre domin antly ▁Orth odox ▁Christians , ▁and ▁Cro ats ▁Catholic . ▁ ▁Bos nia ks , ▁Cro ats , ▁and ▁Ser bs ▁speak ▁the ▁S ht ok av ian ▁dialect ▁of ▁a ▁pl ur ic ent ric ▁language ▁known ▁in ▁lingu istics ▁as ▁Ser bo - C ro at ian . ▁The ▁question ▁of ▁standard ▁language ▁is ▁resolved ▁in ▁such ▁a ▁way ▁that ▁three ▁constitu ent ▁eth nic ▁groups ▁have ▁their ▁educational ▁and ▁cultural ▁institutions ▁in ▁the ▁standard ▁vari eties ▁which ▁are ▁considered ▁official ▁languages ▁at ▁sub - state ▁levels : ▁Bos n ian , ▁Cro at ian ▁and ▁Ser bian . ▁ ▁A ▁Y ▁chrom os ome ▁ha p lo groups ▁study ▁published ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁found ▁that ▁" three ▁main ▁groups ▁of ▁Bos nia - Her z egov ina , ▁in ▁spite ▁of ▁some ▁quant itative ▁differences , ▁share ▁a ▁large ▁fraction ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁ancient ▁gene ▁pool ▁distinct ive ▁for ▁the ▁B alk an ▁area ". ▁The ▁study ▁did ▁however ▁find ▁that ▁Ser bs ▁and ▁Bos nia ks ▁are ▁gen et ically ▁closer ▁to ▁each ▁other ▁than ▁either ▁of ▁them ▁is ▁to ▁Cro ats . ▁ ▁Dec ision ▁of ▁the ▁Constitution al ▁Court ▁of ▁Bos nia ▁and ▁Herz egov ina ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 2 ▁February ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁Ali ja ▁I zet beg ović , ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁Chair