It is the only city of the entity that includes several municipalities: Istočna Ilidža, Istočno Novo Sarajevo, Pale, Istočni Stari Grad, Sokolac and Trnovo.

At the start of the Bosnian War, in late summer 1992, the Serb members of the pre-war municipality of Novo Sarajevo, elected at the 1990 multiparty elections, left the municipal assembly and set up their own separate council (Srpsko Novo Sarajevo) in the building of the local community of Lukavica, headed by the Commissioner of the Presidency of the Republika Srpska Dragan Đokanović.

On average, Istočno Sarajevo has 68 summer days per year (temperature greater than or equal to 30.0 °C).

The city typically experiences mildly cloudy skies, with an average yearly cloud cover of 59%.

Moderate precipitation occurs fairly consistently throughout the year, with an average 170 days of rainfall.

[6] The city of Istočno Sarajevo is the administrative, industrial, commercial, financial and cultural center of the eastern part of Republika Srpska.

[7][8] Istočno Sarajevo is one of the most important industrial centers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, well known for its companies: Elko, Famos, Energoinvest, Unis and others.

Men club OK Student Pale and women OK Jahorina Pale are competing in highest rank of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Premijer Liga) with good results, and OK Mokro Mokro (Pale) and OK Slavija are competing in second rank (First League of RS) The 2019 European Youth Olympic Winter Festival was held in Sarajevo & Istočno Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina from 9 to 16 February.

The ethnic composition of the municipality: List of Istočno Sarajevo's sister and twin cities: Una-Sana  Central Bosnia Posavina  Herzegovina-Neretva Tuzla  West Herzegovina Zenica-Doboj  Sarajevo Bosnian Podrinje Canton 10