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The relation between geographic settlement patterns of ethnic groupsand conflict has usually been examined in a unidirectional way; manystudies deal with the question of how certain settlement patternspromote conflict. However, the reverse causal direction has beenneglected. My paper addresses the question of the interdependence ofsettlement patterns and conflict, that is, how settlement patternsaffect conflict, and how conflict in turn changes the ethnic map. Istudy the dynamics of group geography and conflict in Bosnia usingdata on ethnic population shares at the municipality level, bothfrom before and after the war. These data are combined withinformation on conflict events from the Armed Conflict Location andEvents Dataset (ACLED). My results lend support to an explanationthat relates conflict to territorial aspirations of ethnic groups.Conflict is more likely in municipalities with a high degree ofinter-ethnic competition. Furthermore, conflict seems to be theprocess that transforms the system into a less competitive one. Ishow that as a result of conflict, the overall territorialcompetition decreases. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]