Serbia (Serbian: ?????? / Srbija), officially the
Republic of Serbia (Serbian: ????????? ?????? / Republika Srbija,
listen (help·info)), is a landlocked country in Central and
Southeastern Europe, covering the southern part of the Pannonian
Plain and the central part of the Balkan Peninsula. It is bordered
by Hungary to the north; Romania and Bulgaria to the east; Republic
of Macedonia, Albania (via the Serbian breakaway province of Kosovo)
and Montenegro to the south; Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina
to the west. The capital is Belgrade.
For centuries, shaped at cultural boundaries between East and West,
a powerful medieval Serbian kingdom - later renamed an empire -
occupied much of the Balkans. The modern state of Serbia emerged
in 1817 following the Second Serbian Uprising. Later, it expanded
its territory further south to include Kosovo and Metohija and the
regions of Raška and Vardar Macedonia. The Syrmia region united
with Serbia on November 24, 1918 and they were joined by Vojvodina
(formerly an autonomous Habsburg crownland named Serbian Voivodship
and Tamiš Banat) the following day after it proclaimed its
secession from Austria-Hungary. The current borders of the country
were established following the end of World War II, when Serbia
became a federal unit within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Serbia became an independent state again in 2006, after Montenegro
left the union which was formed after the dissolution of Yugoslavia
in 1990s.
In 2008, the autonomous province of Kosovo declared independence
from Serbia. Serbia's government currently does not recognize Kosovo's
independence. The response from the international community is mixed.
Contents [hide]
1 Geography
1.1 Climate
1.2 National parks
2 History
2.1 Medieval Serb kingdoms and the Empire
2.2 Ottoman/Austrian rule
2.3 Serbian revolution and independence
2.4 Rise of the Kingdom/Crownland of Vojvodina
2.5 World War I and the birth of the "First Yugoslavia"
2.5.1 Casualties
2.5.2 Kingdom of Yugoslavia
2.6 World War II and persecution of Serbs
2.6.1 Coup d'état and "Nedic's Serbia"
2.6.2 Persecution of Serbs in wartime-Croatia
2.7 SFRJ, the "Second Yugoslavia"
2.8 SRJ, the "Third Yugoslavia" and the Kosovo War
2.9 Democracy/State Union
2.10 Republic of Serbia
3 Government and politics
3.1 Administrative subdivisions
4 Demographics
4.1 Cities
5 Religion
6 Economy
7 Culture
7.1 Tourism
7.2 Education
8 Infrastructure
8.1 Communications
8.2 Transportation
9 Holidays
10 See also
11 References
12 External links
Geography
Main article: Geography of Serbia
Serbia is located in Europe, on the Balkan peninsula and in the
Pannonian Plain. It is placed at the crossroads between Central,
Southern and Eastern Europe. The Danube river (2850 km) flows through
the northern third of the country; it is 588 km long and forms the
border with Croatia and part of Romania, alongside the Wallachian
Plain in the east. The Sava river forms the southern border of the
Vojvodina province, flows into the Danube in central Belgrade, and
bypasses the hills of the Fruška Gora in the west. Sixty kilometers
to the northeast of Belgrade, the Tisa river flows into the Danube
and ends its 1350 km long journey from Ukraine, and the partially
navigable Timis River (60 km/350 km) flows into the Danube near
Pancevo. The Begej river (254 km) flows into Tisa near Titel. All
five rivers are navigable, connecting the country with Northern
and Western Europe (through the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal –
North Sea route), to Eastern Europe (via the Tisa–, Timis–,
Begej – and Danube – Black sea routes) and to Southern
Europe (via the Sava river).
The eastern border of the country is determined by the Carpathian
Mountain range, which runs through the whole of Central Europe.
The Carpathians meet the Balkan Mountains, following the course
of Velika Morava, a 500 km long (partially navigable) river. Midžor
peak is the highest point in Eastern Serbia at 2156 m. In the southeast,
the Balkan Mountains meet the Rhodope Mountains, connecting the
country with Greece. The Šar Mountain of Kosovo form the border
with Albania, with one of the highest peaks in the region, Djeravica
(2656 m). Dinaric Alps of Serbia follow the flow of the Drina river
(at 350 km navigable for smaller vessels only) overlooking the Dinaric
peaks on the other side of the shore in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Over one quarter of Serbia's overall landmass (27%) is covered
by forest.[1]
Climate
The Serbian climate varies between a continental climate in the
north, with cold winters, and hot, humid summers with well distributed
rainfall patterns, and a more Adriatic climate in the south with
hot, dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy
inland snowfall. Differences in elevation, proximity to the Adriatic
sea and large river basins, as well as the exposure to the winds
account for climate differences.[2]
Mountain ranges and major rivers of Serbia, including KosovoVojvodina
possesses typical continental climate, with air masses from Northern
and Western Europe which shape its climatic profile. South and Southwest
Serbia is subject to Mediterranean influences, however the Dinaric
Alps and other mountain ranges contribute cooling down the biggest
part of warm air masses. Winters are quite harsh in Sandžak
because of the mountains which encircle that plateau.[3]
Average annual air temperature for the period 1961–90 for
the area with the altitude of up to 300 m amounts to 10.9 °C.
The areas with the altitudes of 300 to 500 m have average annual
temperature of around 10.0 °C, and over 1000 m of altitude around
6.0 °C.[4]
National parks
Ski centre of KopaonikSerbia has 5 national parks:
Fruška Gora (250 km²)
Kopaonik (120 km²)
Tara (220 km²)
Ðerdap (640 km²)
Šar-planina (390 km²) - in Kosovo and Metohija
History
Main article: History of Serbia
See also: List of Serbian monarchs and History of Yugoslavia
Serbia under the Vlastimirovic dynasty, as of 814Serbia's strategic
location between two continents has subjected it to invasions by
many peoples. Belgrade is believed to have been leveled to the ground
by 30 different armies in recorded history. Contemporary Serbia
comprises the classical regions of Moesia, Pannonia, parts of Dalmatia,
Dacia and Macedonia. Under nominal Serbian rule since the 7th century
(having been allowed to settle in Byzantium by its emperor Heraclius
after their victory over the Avars),[5] through early history various
parts of the territory of modern Serbia have been claimed or ruled
by: the Roman Empire (conquered the indigenous Celts and Illyrians);
the Western- and the Eastern Roman Empires (challenged by the incursions
of the Huns, the Ostrogoths, the Gepidae, the Sarmatians, the Avars,
the Serbs, the Frankish Kingdom, the Great Moravia, the Bulgarians).
No less than 17 Roman Emperors were born in Serbia.[6]
Medieval Serb kingdoms and the Empire
Serbian knight armor, around 1440, Military Museum (Belgrade)Serbs
formed their first unified state under the Vlastimirovic dynasty
by 812, at times disrupted by the wars with the aforementioned states.
By the beginning of the 14th century Serbs lived in four distinctly
independent kingdoms- Dioclea, Rascia, Bosnia and Syrmia.[7][8][9]
The Coronation of the Emperor Stefan Dušan in Skoplje, 1346At
first heavily dependent on the Byzantine Empire as its tributary,
in time the most powerful of the Serb states -Raška (Rascia)
achieved full independence, overtaking the Kingdom of Duklja, which
had previously dominated the Serbian lands between 11-12th centuries.
The centre of the Serb world (Raska, Duklja, Travunia, Zahumlje,
Pagania and Bosnia) moved northwards, further from the Adriatic
coast. Although fully converted already by 865 AD,[10][11] this
relocation to the north and east also meant the shift towards the
Eastern Orthodox rather than Catholic faith (initially predominant
in the south following the East-West Schism).
The Serbian apogee in economy, law, military, and religion took
place during the rule of the House of Nemanjic between 1166 and
1371; the Serbian Kingdom was proclaimed in 1217, joined later by
the Kingdom of Syrmia, Banovina of Macva and Bosnia; finally, the
Serbian Empire of Stefan Dušan was formed in 1346. Under Dušan's
rule, Serbia reached its territorial peak, becoming one of the larger
states in Europe. The renowned Dušan's Code, a universal system
of laws, was enforced.
Golubac fortress overlooking the Danube riverAs a result of internal
struggle between rival noble families, and heavy losses inflicted
by the Ottomans in the epic Battle of Kosovo, the Serbian Empire
had dissolved into many statelets by the beginning of the 15th century.
Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, constant struggles between
various Serbian kingdoms on one side, and the Ottoman Empire on
the other side, took place. The Serbian Despotate fell in 1459 following
the siege of the "temporary" capital Smederevo, followed
by Bosnia a few years later, and Herzegovina in 1482. Montenegro
was overtaken by 1499. Belgrade was the last major Balkan city to
endure Ottoman onslaughts, as it joined the Catholic Kingdom of
Hungary. Serbs, Hungars and European crusaders heavily defeated
the Turkish in Siege of Belgrade of 1456. Several Serbian despots
ruled in parts of Vojvodina as vassals of the Hungarian kings with
the title of Hungarian barons.
After repelling Ottoman attacks for over 70 years, Belgrade finally
fell in 1521, alongside the greater part of the Kingdom of Hungary.
Conversion to Islam was increased, especially in the southwest (Raška,
Kosovo and Bosnia).
Ottoman/Austrian rule
Medieval fortress of Bac, VojvodinaEarly modern period saw the loss
of Serbia's independence to the Kingdom of Hungary and the Ottoman
Empire, interrupted shortly by the revolutionary state of the Emperor
Jovan Nenad in the 16th century. Modern Times witnessed the rise
of the Habsburg Monarchy (known as the Austrian Empire, later Austria-Hungary),
which fought many wars against the Ottoman Turks for supremacy over
Serbia. Three Austrian invasions and numerous rebellions (such as
the Banat Uprising) constantly challenged the Ottoman rule. Vojvodina
endured a century long Ottoman occupation before ceded to Habsburg
Empire in the 17th-18th centuries by the decision of the Treaty
of Karlowitz (Sremski Karlovci). As the Great Serb Migrations have
depopulated most of Kosovo and Serbia proper, the Serbs seeking
refuge in more prosperous (and Christian) North and West were granted
imperial rights by the Austrian crown (such as Statuta Wallachorum
in 1630). Holy Roman Emperor Leopold formally granted the Serbs
the right to their autonomous crownland. It speeded up the migrations
of Serbs into Austria, as the Ottoman rule in the South grew ever
more brutal.
Serbian revolution and independence
Karadorde Petrovic, leader of the First Serbian uprising in 1804
Flag of revolutionary SerbiaThe quest for independence of Serbia
began during the Serbian national revolutions (1804-1815), and it
lasted for several decades. During the First Serbian Uprising led
by Karadorde Petrovic, Serbia was independent for almost a decade
before the Ottoman army could reoccupy the country. Shortly after
this, the Second Serbian Uprising began; led by Miloš Obrenovic,
it ended in 1815 with a compromise between the Serbian revolutionary
army and the Ottoman authorities. Famous German historian Leopold
von Ranke called these uprisings "the Serbian revolution".[12]
They were the easternmost bourgeois revolutions in the 19th-century
world.[13] Likewise, Principality of Serbia abolished feudalism-
second in Europe after France.[14]
Franz Joseph I of Austria, the Grand Duke of VojvodinaThe Convention
of Ackerman (1828), the Treaty of Adrianople (1829) and finally,
The Hatisherif of 1830, recognised the suzerainty of Serbia with
Miloš Obrenovic I as its hereditary Prince.[15] The struggle
for liberty, modern society and a nation-state in Serbia was crowned
by the first constitution in the Balkans on 15 February 1835 (replaced
by a more conservative Constitution in 1838). In two following decades
(temporarily ruled by the Karadjordjevic dynasty) the Principality
actively supported the neigbouring Habsburg Serbs in the 1848 revolutions.
Interior minister Ilija Garašanin published The Draft (of the
South Slavic unification), which became the stand point of Serbian
foreign policy from mid- 19th century onwards.
Following the clashes between the Ottoman army and civilians in
Belgrade in 1862 and pressured by the Great Powers, by 1867 the
last Turkish soldiers left the Principality. By enacting a new constitution
without consulting the Porte, Serbian diplomats confirmed the de
facto independence of the country. In 1876, Montenegro and Serbia
declared war against the Ottoman Empire, proclaiming their unification
with Bosnia. Formal independence of the country was internationally
recognized at the Congress of Berlin in 1878, which formally ended
the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78; this treaty, however, prohibited
Serbia from uniting with Principality of Montenegro, and placed
Bosnia and Raška region under Austro-Hungarian occupation to
prevent the unification from happening.[16]
Rise of the Kingdom/Crownland of Vojvodina
Austrian and Ottoman Serbia in 1849From 1815 to 1903, Serbia was
ruled by the House of Obrenovic (except from 1842 to 1858, when
it was led by Prince Aleksandar Karadordevic). In 1882, Serbia,
ruled by King Milan, was proclaimed a Kingdom. In 1903, the House
of Karadordevic (the descendants of the revolutionary leader Ðorde
Petrovic) assumed power. Serbia was the only country in the region
that was allowed by the Great Powers to be ruled by their own domestic
dynasties. During the Balkan Wars (1912-1913), the Kingdom of Serbia
tripled its territory by acquiring Macedonia, Kosovo, and parts
of Serbia proper.
As for Vojvodina, during the 1848 revolution in Austria, Serbs
of Vojvodina established an autonomous region known as the Serbian
Vojvodina. As of 1849, the region was transformed into a new Austrian
crownland known as the Vojvodina of Serbia and Tamiš Banat.
Although abolished in 1860, Habsburg emperors claimed the title
Großwoiwode der Woiwodschaft Serbien until its unification
with the Kingdom of Serbia in 1918.
World War I and the birth of the "First Yugoslavia"
King Petar I Karadordevic leader of the Serbian Campaign (WWI)
Military alliances in Europe, 1914On 28 June 1914 the assassination
of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria at Sarajevo in Austria-Hungary
by Gavrilo Princip (a South Slav unionist, Austrian citizen and
member of Young Bosnia) led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on
Kingdom of Serbia. In defense of its ally Serbia the Russian Empire
started to mobilize its troops , which resulted in the German Empire
declaring war on Russia (in support of Austria-Hungary). The retaliation
by Austria-Hungary against Serbia activated a series of military
alliances that set off a chain reaction of war declarations across
the continent in what would become World War I within a month period.
Monument to the Unknown Hero- in memory of the victims of WWIThe
Serbian Army won several major victories against Austria-Hungary
at the beginning of World War I, such as the Battle of Cer and Battle
of Kolubara - marking the first Allied victories against the Central
Powers in WWI.[17] Despite initial success eventually it was overpowered
by the joint forces of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria
in 1915. Most of its army and some people went to exile to Greece
and Corfu where it healed, regrouped and returned to Macedonian
front (World War I) to lead a final breakthrough through enemy lines
on 15 September 1918, freeing Serbia again.[18] Serbia (with its
major campaign) was a member of the Entente which won World War
I in November 1918. The country was militarilly classified as minor
Entente power.[19]
Casualties
8% of the total Entente victims were Serbian soldiersPrior to the
war, the Kingdom of Serbia had 4.5 million inhabitants.[20] According
to the New York Times, in 1915 alone 150,000 people are estimated
to have died during the worst typhus epidemics in world's history;
aided by the American Red Cross and 44 foreign governments, the
disease was supressed by the end of the year.[21] According to FirstWorldWar.com,
the number of civilian deaths is estimated at 650,000, primarily
due to the typhus outbreak and famine, but also direct clashes with
the occupiers.[22] Kingdom of Serbia ranked first among the Entente
powers by the percentage of military deaths; 8% of the total Entente
military deaths or 58% of the Serbian Army (420,000 strong) has
perished during the conflict.[23] The total number of casualties
ranges between 700,000 and 800,000- over 20% of Serbia's prewar
size, and over ¼ of its male population. L.A.Times and N.Y.Times
placed the figure at over one million in their respective articles.[24][25]
The extent of the Serbian demographic disaster can be illustrated
by the statement of the Bulgarian Prime Minister Vasil Radoslavov:
"Serbia ceased to exist" (New York Times, summer 1917).[26]
In July 1918 the US Secretary of State Robert Lansing urged the
Americans of all religions to pray for Serbia in their respective
churches. [27] [28]
This article is part of the series on the
History of Serbia
Medieval Serbia
Raška, Zeta
Serbian Empire
Moravian Serbia
Battle of Kosovo
Serbian Despotate
Ottoman Serbia
Habsburg Serbia
First Serbian Uprising
Second Serbian Uprising
Modern Serbia
Principality of Serbia
Kingdom of Serbia
Serbian Campaign (World War I)
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Serbia (1941-1944)
Republic of Užice
Socialist Republic of Serbia
(as part of SFR Yugoslavia)
FR Yugoslavia
Serbia and Montenegro
Republic of Serbia
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Kingdom of Yugoslavia
See also: Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Syrmia region was the first among former Habsburg lands to declare
union with the Kingdom of Serbia on November 24, 1918.
Banat, Backa and Baranja- (Vojvodina)- joined the Kingdom on the
next day.
On November 26, 1918, Kingdom of Montenegro declared its unification
with the Kingdom of Serbia.
On 1 December 1918, the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs and
the Kingdom of Serbia joined the unitary Kingdom of Serbs, Croats
and Slovenes (later Kingdom of Yugoslavia). King Peter I of Serbia
became King Peter I of Yugoslavia.
World War II and persecution of Serbs
Coup d'état and "Nedic's Serbia"
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was in a precarious position in World
War II. Fearing an invasion by Nazi Germany, Yugoslav Regent Prince
Paul signed the Tripartite Pact with the Axis powers on 25 March
1941, triggering massive demonstrations in Belgrade. On March 27,
Prince Paul was overthrown by a military coup d'état (with
British support) and replaced with the 17-year-old King Peter II.
General Dušan Simovic became Peter's Prime Minister and the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia withdrew its support for the Axis.
In response to this Adolf Hitler launched an invasion of Yugoslavia
on April 6. By 17 April, an unconditional surrender was signed in
Belgrade. After the invasion, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was dissolved
and Serbia was set up as a Nazi German-occupied puppet state. In
1941, Serbia included present-day Central Serbia and the Banat.
This German client state was popularly known as "Nedic's Serbia"
due to its head of state, Milan Nedic. While this state formally
recognized King Peter II of Yugoslavia as its monarch, he instead
headed the Yugoslav government in exile which was generally recognized
by the Allies.
Not all of what is present-day Serbia was included as part of "Nedic's
Serbia." Some of the contemporary Republic of Serbia was occupied
by the Kingdom of Croatia, the Regency of Hungary, the Kingdom of
Bulgaria, the Kingdom of Albania, and Fascist Italy. In addition
to being occupied by the (Wehrmacht), from 1941 to 1945, Serbia
was the scene of a civil war between Royalist Chetniks commanded
by Draža Mihailovic and Communist Partisans commanded by Josip
Broz Tito. Against these forces were arrayed Nedic's relatively
week units of the Serbian Volunteer Corps and Serbian State Guard.
Memorial signs with Serbian claims of victim counts, situated on
the Republika Srpska side of the Sava river"Nedic's Serbia"
was the home of several Nazi concentration camps, including: Banjica,
Crveni krst, Sajmište, and Topovske Šupe. These camps
were typically operated by the Germans with assistance from local
collaborators.
Persecution of Serbs in wartime-Croatia
Camps were not just set up in Serbia, but were located throughout
what had been the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Serbs, Jews, and Roma in
the neighboring Independent State of Croatia (Nezavisna Država
Hrvatska, or NDH, or Kingdom of Croatia) were subjected to large-scale
persection and killings, particularly in the infamous Jasenovac
concentration camp. United States Holocaust Encyclopedia[29] and
Jewish Virtual Library[30] estimate that there were between 53,000
and 96,000 Serb victims in Jasenovac and between 330,000 and 390,000
killed in throughout this state. The Yad Vashem center reports that
over 500,000 Serbs were killed in the entire NDH [31], with some
600,000 people of many nationalities and ethnicities murdered in
one camp Jasenovac. [32] After the war, the official Yugoslav sources
estimated over 700,000 victims, mostly Serbs.[clarify][citation
needed]
SFRJ, the "Second Yugoslavia"
In 1945, Serbia was established as one of the federal units of the
"Second Yugoslavia," the Socialist Federative Republic
of Yugoslavia (Socijalisticka Federativna Republika Jugoslavija,
or SFRJ). The SFRJ was led by Josip Broz Tito, a Croat, until his
death in 1980. Lazar Koliševski, a Macedonian, became President
briefly upon Tito's death and was followed by others who also held
office briefly as the slowly SFRJ dissolved.
In 1989, the League of Communists of Serbia selected Slobodan Miloševic
to become the President of Serbia. Miloševic was controversial
in Yugoslavia because he opposed Kosovo's autonomy and that his
rise to power through the Anti-bureaucratic revolution was done
through mass protests which pushed out the leadership of the autonomous
provinces and also the republic of Montenegro which installed politicians
allied to Miloševic. Miloševic also aggravated the situation
in post-Tito Yugoslavia by alleging that certain politicians in
Yugoslavia were anti-Serb. His pressure to change the constitution
to limit Kosovo's autonomy and endorsing a one-member-one-vote system
in the Yugoslav League of Communists congress which would give a
numerical majority to the Serbs deteriorated relations in the League
of Communists which collapsed along republican lines. With Slovenia,
Croatia, Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina all working to secede
from the SFRJ, and no official leadership of the SFRJ from 1991
to 1992, the President of Serbia was essentially the same as being
the President of Yugoslavia.
SRJ, the "Third Yugoslavia" and the Kosovo War
By 1992, Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina
had all declared independence from Yugoslavia, resulting in the
collapse of the SFRJ and the outbreak of war. In response, Serbia
and Montenegro formed the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Savezna
Republika Jugoslavija, or SRJ). The Serbian government initially
supported the Serbs of Croatia and the Bosnian Serbs in the Yugoslav
wars fought from 1991 to 1995. As a result, sanctions were imposed
by the United Nations, which led to political isolation and economic
decline of the SRJ.[33]
In 1995, the Dayton Agreement was signed in Paris, France. This
agreement ended the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the war in
Croatia. For the time being, the SRJ was officially at peace.
Between 1998 and 1999, Serbia's official peace was broken when
the situation in Kosovo worsened with continued clashes in Kosovo
between the Serbian and Yugoslavian security forces on one side
and the ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) on the other.
What became known as the Kosovo War prompted "Operation Allied
Force." This operation included aerial bombardment of Serbia
by forces of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The
bombings lasted for 78 days. The bombings were ended following negotiations
on the border between the Republic of Macedonia and the SRJ. The
negotiations were held between NATO spokesperson Mike Jackson and
SRJ officials speaking on behalf of Miloševic. It was agreed
that Miloševic would order the withdrawal of all SRJ security
forces, including the military and the police, and agree to have
them replaced by a body of international police. The agreement upheld
Yugoslavian (later Serbian) sovereignty over Kosovo but replaced
Serbian government of the province with a UN administration, the
United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).
NATO also agreed to end its demand to station NATO troops across
the whole of the SRJ. This had been one of its demands at the Rambouillet
negotiations prior to the bombing campaign.[34]
Democracy/State Union
In September 2000, opposition parties claimed that Miloševic
committed fraud in routine federal elections. Street protests and
rallies throughout Serbia eventually forced Miloševic to concede
and hand over power to the recently formed Democratic Opposition
of Serbia (Demokratska opozicija Srbije, or DOS). The DOS was a
broad coalition of anti-Miloševic parties. On 5 October, the
fall of Miloševic led to end of the international isolation
Serbia suffered during the Miloševic years. Serbia's new leaders
announced that Serbia would seek to join the European Union (EU).
In October 2005, the EU opened negotiations with Serbia for a Stabilization
and Association Agreement (SAA), a preliminary step towards joining
the EU.
From 2003 to 2006, Serbia became part of the "State Union
of Serbia and Montenegro." This union was the successor to
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SRJ).
On 21 May 2006, Montenegro held a referendum to determine whether
or not to end its union with Serbia. The next day, state-certified
results showed 55.4% of voters in favor of independence. This was
just above the 55% required by the referendum.[35]
Republic of Serbia
On 5 June 2006, following the referendum in Montenegro, the National
Assembly of Serbia declared the "Republic of Serbia" to
be the legal successor to the "State Union of Serbia and Montenegro."
[36] Serbia and Montenegro became separate nations. However, the
possibility of a dual citizenship for the Serbs of Montenegro is
a matter of the ongoing negotiations between the two governments.
From 1918 to 2006 Serbia was a major component of the various South
Slavic states, including the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
from 1918 to 1941 (renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929), the
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1992, the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1992 to 2003, and the State
Union of Serbia and Montenegro from 2003 to 2006.[37][38]
Government and politics
Main article: Politics of Serbia
See also: Foreign relations of Serbia, Elections in Serbia, Human
rights in Serbia, and Constitutional status of Kosovo
National Assembly of SerbiaOn 4 February 2003 the parliament of
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia agreed to a weaker form of cooperation
between Serbia and Montenegro within a confederal state called Serbia
and Montenegro. The Union ceased to exist following Montenegrin
and Serbian declarations of independence in June 2006.
After the ousting of Slobodan Miloševic on 5 October 2000,
the country was governed by the Democratic Opposition of Serbia.
Tensions gradually increased within the coalition until the Democratic
Party of Serbia (DSS) left the government, leaving the Democratic
Party (DS) in overall control. Nevertheless, in March 2004 the DSS
gathered enough support to form the new Government of Serbia, together
with G17 Plus and coalition SPO – NS, and the support of the
Socialist Party of Serbia, who do not take part in the government,
but in exchange for the support hold minor government and justice
positions and influence policies. The Prime Minister of Serbia is
Vojislav Koštunica, leader of the Democratic Party of Serbia.
The current President of Serbia is Boris Tadic, leader of the Democratic
Party (DS). He was elected with 53% of the vote in the second round
of the Serbian presidential election held on 27 June 2004, following
several unsuccessful elections since 2002.
Serbia held a two-day referendum on October 28 and October 29,
2006, that ratified a new constitution to replace the Miloševic-era
constitution.
Serbia held Parliamentary elections on 21 January 2007. The Serbian
Radical Party claimed victory, but no party has won an absolute
majority.
On 8 May 2007, Tomislav Nikolic was elected Speaker of the Serbian
Parliament, which sparked a great deal of speculation about Serbia's
political future, particularly from the European Union, the United
States and international media.[39] Following last-minute negotiations
on the part of the DS and DSS political parties, an agreement was
reached on the make-up of the country's new government on 11 May
2007 between DS, DSS and G17 Plus.[40] This led to Nikolic's resignation
two days later on 13 May 2007. Nikolic is replaced by Oliver Dulic.
Administrative subdivisions
Main article: Subdivisions of Serbia
Serbia is divided into 29 districts plus the City of Belgrade. The
districts and the city of Belgrade are further divided into municipalities.
Serbia has two autonomous provinces: Kosovo and Metohija in the
south (5 districts, 30 municipalities), and Vojvodina in the north
(7 districts, 46 municipalities). Kosovo has declared independence
but is still presently under the administration of the United Nations
Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo; international negotiations
began in 2006 to determine its final status (See Kosovo status process);
Kosovo declared its independence on 17 February 2008, which Belgrade
opposes.
The part of Serbia that is neither in Kosovo nor in Vojvodina is
called Central Serbia. Central Serbia is not an administrative division,
unlike the two autonomous provinces, and it has no regional government
of its own. In English this region is often called "Serbia
proper" to denote "the part of the Republic of Serbia
not including the provinces of Vojvodina and Kosovo", as the
Library of Congress puts it.[41] This usage was also employed in
Serbo-Croatian during the Yugoslav era (in the form of "uža
Srbija", literally: "narrow Serbia"). Its use in
English is purely geographical, without any particular political
meaning being implied.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Serbia
See also: Demographic history of Serbia, Demographic history of
Vojvodina, Demographic history of Kosovo, and Ethnic groups of Vojvodina
Ethnic map of Serbia according to the 2002 CensusPopulation statistics
of Serbia (Estimate May 2005)
Serbia (total): 9,396,411
Central Serbia: 5,479,686
Vojvodina: 2,116,725
Kosovo:est. 1,800,000
Serbia (excluding Kosovo) in 2002
Serbs ? 82.86%
Hungarians ? 3.91%
Bosniaks ? 1.82%
Roma ? 1.44%
Yugoslavs ? 1.08%
Other ? 9.79%
Serbia is populated mostly by Serbs. Significant minorities include
Albanians (who are a majority in the province of Kosovo), Hungarians,
Bosniaks, Roma, Croats, Czechs and Slovaks, Montenegrins, Macedonians,
Bulgarians, Romanians, etc. The two provinces, Vojvodina and Kosovo,
are ethnically and religiously diverse.
According to the last official census[42] data collected in 2002,
ethnic composition of Serbia is:
Total: 7,498,001
Serbs: 6,212,844 (82.86%)
Hungarians: 293,172 (3.91%)
Bosniaks: 136,464 (1.82%)
Roma: 107,971 (1.44%)
Yugoslavs: 80,978 (1.08%)
Others (each less than 1%): 666,572 (8.89%)
According to the poll conducted on 1 January 2006 by the Yugoslav
Survey Society Serbia had 7,395,600 inhabitants - a 1.5% decrease
comparing to the 2002 Census.[43]
The census was not conducted in Serbia's southern province of Kosovo,
which is under administration by the United Nations. According to
the EU estimates however, the overall population is estimated at
1,350,000 inhabitants, of whom 90% are Albanians, 8% Serbs and others
2%.There are also around 200,000 Serbian and other refugees,who
are expelled from Kosovo. Refugees and IDPs in Serbia form between
7% and 7.5% of its population – about half a million refugees
sought refuge in the country following the series of Yugoslav wars
(from Croatia mainly, to an extent Bosnia and Herzegovina too and
the IDPs from Kosovo, which are the most numerous at over 200,000)
[44] Serbia has the largest refugee population in Europe.[45]
Cities
Main article: List of cities in Serbia
Belgrade, the capital city
The Niš City center
The "Palace of Youth" building
Petrovaradin fortress and Novi SadMajor cities (over 50,000 inhabitants
in urban area) — 2002 census data (2005/2006 data for Novi
Sad/Belgrade[46]).
City Population
Urban Metropolitan
Belgrade 1,304,219 1,689,667
Novi Sad 255,071 333,895
Niš 236,722 252,131
Kragujevac 147,473 211,580
Subotica 99,471 147,758
Zrenjanin 79,545 131,509
Leskovac 78,030 156,252
Smederevo 77,808 109,867
Pancevo 77,087 127,162
Kruševac 75,256 131,368
Cacak 73,217 117,012
Užice 63,577 83,022
Valjevo 61,035 96,761
Kraljevo 57,411 121,707
Šabac 55,240 122,893
Vranje 55,052 87,288
Novi Pazar 54,604 85,249
Sombor 51,471 97,263
The following are major cities (over 50,000 inhabitants in urban
area) in Kosovo and Metohija, according to World Gazetteer estimates:
Priština (271,532), Prizren (171,464), Uroševac (101,353),
Djakovica (100,311), Pec (97,250), Gnjilane (94,990), Kosovska Mitrovica
(88,006), Podujevo (50,642).
Following the decision of the National Assembly of Serbia to allow
the formation of 23 cities in Serbia by passing the Territorial
Organization Law, the list is further expanded. Save for the abovementioned
cities which number over 100,000 in metro area, the towns like Sremska
Mitrovica, Zajecar, Jagodina, Požarevac and Loznica have also
gained city rights for special strategic (and historic) reasons.[47]
Religion
Main article: Religion in Serbia
Serbia (excluding Kosovo) in 2002
religion percent
Eastern Orthodoxy ? 84.1%
Roman Catholicism ? 6.24%
Islam ? 4.82%
Protestantism ? 1.44%
For centuries straddling the religious boundary between Orthodoxy
and Roman Catholicism, joined up later by the penetration of Islam,
Serbia remains one of the most diverse countries on the continent.
Centuries on, different regions of Serbia remain heavily cosmopolitan:
Kosovo province houses a 90% Muslim community, Vojvodina province
is 25% Catholic or Protestant, while Central Serbia and Belgrade
regions are over 90% Orthodox Christian.
Studenica monasteryAmong the Eastern Orthodox churches, the Church
of Serbia is the westernmost. According to the 2002 Census [42],
82% of the population of Serbia (excluding Kosovo) or 6,2 million
people declared their nationality as Serbian, who are overwhelmingly
adherents of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Other Orthodox Christian
communities in Serbia include Montenegrins, Romanians, Macedonians,
Bulgarians, Vlachs etc. Together they comprise about 84% of the
entire population.
Catholicism is mostly present in Vojvodina (mainly in its northern
part), where almost 20% of the regional population (belonging to
different ethnic groups such as the Hungarians, Slovaks, Croats,
Bunjevci, Czechs, etc) belong to this Christian denomination. There
are an estimated 433,000 baptized Catholics in Serbia, roughly 6,2%
of the population, mostly bounded to the northern province.
Protestantism accounts for about 1,5 % of the country's population.
Islam has a strong historic populous in the southern regions of
Serbia - Raska region, several municipalities in the south-east,
and especially in the southern province of Kosovo. Bosniaks are
the largest Muslim community in Serbia (excluding Kosovo) at about
140,000 (2%) + (Muslims over 30 000), followed by Albanians (1%),
Turks, Arabs etc.
With the exile of Jews from Spain during the infamous Inquisition
era thousands of both individuals and families escaping made their
way through Europe to the Balkans. A goodly number settled in Serbia
and became part of the general population. They were well accepted
and during the ensuing generations the majority assimilated or became
traditional or secular, rather than remain orthodox Jews as had
been the original immigrants. Later on the wars that ravaged the
region resulted in a great part of the Serbian Jewish population
either being killed or escaping to Yugoslavia and Austria-Hungary.
Economy
Main article: Economy of Serbia
World Bank economy estimates for 2007With a GDP for 2007 estimated
at $54.547 billion, which is $7,265 per capita Purchasing Power
Parity (PPP), ($5,397 nominal), Republic of Serbia is considered
an upper-middle income economy by the World Bank[48]. Growth in
2007 is estimated at 7.5%. The GDP growth rate in 2006 was 5.8%.[49]
Growth in 2005 was 6.3%[50] FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) in 2006
was $5.85 billion or €4.5 billion. FDI for 2007 reached $4.2
Billion, while real GDP per capita figures are estimated to have
reached $5 600 (October 2007).[51]
The Serbian economy is based mostly on services, industry and agriculture.
In the late 1980s, at the beginning of the process of economic transition,
its position compared to other communist countries was favorable.
However, its economy was gravely impacted by the UN economic sanctions
of 1992–95, as well as the sizable infrastructure and industry
damage, suffered during the NATO air strikes in 1999. Its problems
were only augmented by losing the ex-Yugoslavia and Comecon markets.
Although, seeing a robust recovery the economy still faces many
problems, among which high unemployment and the slow pace of structural
reforms are most prominent.
Serbia grows about one-third of the world's raspberries and is
the leading frozen fruit exporter.[52]
Nikola Tesla on 100 Serbian dinar banknoteAfter the ousting of former
Federal Yugoslav President Miloševic in October 2000, the country
experienced faster economic growth (the amount of economic growth
in 2006 was 6.3 percent[53]), and has been preparing for membership
in the European Union, its most important trading partner. Serbia
suffers from high export/import trade deficit and considerable national
debt. The country expects some major economic impulses and high
growth rates in the next years. Serbia has been occasionally called
a "Balkan tiger" because of its recent high economic growth
rates. Serbia has been very successful in economic reforms since
the 2000 revolution, especially in the past three years in which
growth has averaged 6 – 7 percent, and foreign direct investment
is at record levels.
Culture
Main article: Serbian culture
Miroslav Gospels, one of the oldest surviving documents written
in Serbian Church Slavonic
The White Angel in Mileševa monastery, 1230s, Latin period
of Byzantine artSerbia is one of Europe's most culturally diverse
countries. The borders between large empires ran through the territory
of today's Serbia for long periods in history: between the Eastern
and Western halves of the Roman Empire; between Kingdom of Hungary,
Bulgarian Empire, Frankish Kingdom and Byzantium; and between the
Ottoman Empire and the Austrian Empire (later Austria-Hungary).
As a result, while the north is culturally "Central European",
the south is rather more "Oriental". Of course, both regions
have influenced each other, and so the distinction between north
and south is artificial to some extent.
The Byzantine Empire's influence on Serbia was perhaps the greatest.
Serbs are Orthodox Christians with their own national church—the
Serbian Orthodox Church. They use both the Cyrillic and Latin alphabets,
as a result of both Eastern and Western influences. The monasteries
of Serbia, built largely in the Middle Ages, are one of the most
valuable and visible traces of medieval Serbia's association with
the Byzantium and the Orthodox World, but also with the Romanic
(Western) Europe that Serbia had close ties with back in Middle
Ages. Most of Serbia's queens still remembered today in Serbian
history were of foreign origin, including Hélène d'Anjou
(a cousin of Charles I of Sicily), Anna Dondolo (daughter of the
Doge of Venice, Enrico Dandolo), Catherine of Hungary, and Symonide
of Byzantium.
Serbia has eight cultural sites marked on the UNESCO World Heritage
list: Stari Ras and Sopocani monasteries (included in 1979), Studenica
Monastery (1986), the Medieval Serbian Monastic Complex in Kosovo,
comprising: Decani Monastery, Our Lady of Ljeviš, Gracanica
and Patriarchate of Pec- (2004, put on the endangered list in 2006),
and Gamzigrad - Romuliana, Palace of Galerius, added in 2007. Likewise,
there are 2 literary memorials added on the UNESCO's list as a part
of the Memory of the World Programme: Miroslav Gospels, handwriting
from the 12th century (added in 2005), and Nikola Tesla's archive
(2003).
Tourism
Main article: Tourism in Serbia
See also: Agrotourism in Serbia
Felix Romuliana imperial palace, one of 8 UNESCO World Heritage
Sites in SerbiaTourism in Serbia is mostly focused on the villages
and mountains of the country. The most famous mountain resorts are
Zlatibor, Kopaonik, and the Tara. There are also many spas in Serbia,
one the biggest of which is Vrnjacka Banja. Other spas include Soko
Banja and Niška Banja. There is a significant amount of tourism
in the largest cities like Belgrade, Novi Sad and Niš, but
also in the rural parts of Serbia like the volcanic wonder of Ðavolja
varoš[54], Christian pilgrimage across the country[55] and
the cruises along the Danube, Sava or Tisza. Home to several popular
festivals, such as the Exit Festival (proclaimed the best European
festival by UK Festival Awards 2007 and Yourope, the European Association
of the 40 largest festivals in Europe) and the Guca trumpet festival,
in 2007, 2,2 million tourists have chosen Serbia as its destination,
a 15% increase comparing to 2006.[56]
Education
Main article: Education in Serbia
Headquarters of the Belgrade University, pictured in 1890Education
in Serbia is regulated by the Ministry of Education. Education starts
in either pre-schools or elementary schools. Children enroll in
elementary schools (Serbian: Osnovna škola / ??????? ?????)
at age of 7 and it lasts for eight years.
Roots to the Serbian education system date back to 11th and 12th
centuries when first Catholic colleges were founded in Vojvodina
(Titel, Bac). Medieval Serbian education however was mostly conducted
through the Serbian Orthodox Monasteries (UNESCO protected Sopocani,
Studenica, Patriarchate of Pec) starting from the rise of Raska
in 12th century, when Serbs overwhelmingly embraced Orthodoxy rather
than Catholicism.
First university in Serbia was founded in revolutionary Belgrade
in 1808 as a Great Academy, the precursor of the contemporary University
of Belgrade. The oldest college (faculty) within current borders
of Serbia dates back to 1778; founded in the city of Sombor, then
Habsburg Empire, it was known under the name Norma and is the oldest
Slavic Teacher's college in Southern Europe.[57]
Infrastructure
Communications
Main article: Communications in Serbia
Please help improve this article by expanding this section.
See talk page for details. Please remove this message once the section
has been expanded.
89% of households in Serbia have fixed telephone lines, and 90%
of the population have cell phones, accounting to 8 million users
(Telekom Srbija – 5 million, Telenor and Vip mobile sharing
the rest). 49% of households have computers, 27% use the internet,
and 42% have cable TV. [58][59][60]
Transportation
Main article: Transportation in Serbia
Jat Airways, the national airline of SerbiaSerbia, in particular
the valley of the Morava, is often described as "the crossroads
between East and West", which is one of the primary reasons
for its turbulent history. The Morava valley route, which avoids
mountainous regions, is by far the easiest way of traveling overland
from continental Europe to Greece and Asia Minor. Modern Serbia
was the first among its neigbours to acquire railroads- in 1869
the first train arrived to Subotica, then Austria-Hungary[61] (by
1882 route to Belgrade and Nis was completed).
European routes E65, E70, E75 and E80, as well as the E662, E761,
E762, E763, E771, and E851 pass through the country. The E70 westwards
from Belgrade and most of the E75 are modern highways of motorway
/ autobahn standard or close to that. As of 2005, Serbia has 1,481,498
registered cars, 16,042 motorcycles, 9,626 buses, 116,440 trucks,
28,222 special transport vehicles, 126,816 tractors, and 101,465
trailers.[62]
The Danube River, central Europe's connection to the Black Sea,
flows through Serbia.
There are four international airports in Serbia: Belgrade Nikola
Tesla Airport, Niš Constantine the Great Airport and Priština
International Airport (located in Kosovo, under Serbian sovereignty
but under UN administration since 1999).
The national airline carrier is Jat Airways and the railway system
is operated by Beovoz in Belgrade and by Serbian Railways on the
national level.
Holidays
All holidays in Serbia are regulated by the Law of national and
other holidays in Republic of Serbia (Zakon o državnim i drugim
praznicima u Republici Srbiji). Holidays are modulate with historical
and religious events.
Date Name Notes
January 1 / January 2 New Year
January 7 Orthodox Christmas
January 27 Savindan (Spirituality day) working holiday
February 15 Statehood day National Day of Serbia
April 25 Orthodox Good Friday Date for 2008 only
April 26 Orthodox Good Saturday Date for 2008 only
April 27 Orthodox Easter Date for 2008 only
April 28 Orthodox Easter Monday Date for 2008 only
May 1 / May 2 Labour Day
May 9 Victory Day working holiday
June 28 Vidovdan (In memory for fallen in the Battle of Kosovo -
1389) working holiday
CONTACT
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