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| Republic of Serbia | |||
| Serb. Republic of Srbia | |||
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| Motto: “The very syllable Srbina spasava (Only unity saves the Serbs)" |
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| Hymn: "God is true" | |||
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| Independence date | 13 July 1878 as the Principality of Serbia (from the Ottoman Empire) June 5, 2006 (from ) |
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| official languages | Serbian | ||
| Capital | |||
| Largest cities | , | ||
| Form of government | Parliamentary republic | ||
| The president | Alexander Vucic | ||
| Prime Minister | Ana Brnabic | ||
| Chairman of the People's Assembly | Maja Gojkovic | ||
| Territory | 111th in the world | ||
| Total | 88,407 km² | ||
| Population | |||
| Score (2016) | ▼ 7,041,599 people (98th) | ||
| Census (2012) | ▲ 7,186,862 people | ||
| Density | 80 people/km² | ||
| Per capita | ▲ $13,944 | ||
| GDP (PPP) | |||
| Total | ▲ $99.9 billion | ||
| HDI (2014) | ▲ 0.771 (high; 66th place) | ||
| Names of residents | Serbian, Serbian, Serbs | ||
| Currency | Serbian dinar (RSD code 941) |
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| Internet domain | .rs And .srb | ||
| ISO code | R.S. | ||
| IOC code | SRB | ||
| Telephone code | +381 | ||
| Time Zones | CET (UTC+1, summer UTC+2) | ||
Republic of Serbia(Serb. Republic of Srbia) - a landlocked state in the southeastern, central part of the Balkan Peninsula and part of the Pannonian Lowland. A member of the UN since 2000, on March 1, 2012 it officially acquired candidate status for membership of the European Union.
According to the Serbian constitution, it consists of two autonomous provinces: Vojvodina and Kosovo and Metohija. Since 1999, Kosovo, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244, has been under UN protectorate and is not controlled by the Serbian authorities. The institutions of temporary local self-government, in which Albanians form a majority, unilaterally declared the region's independence on February 17, 2008, which was recognized by 110 UN member states. Serbia refused to recognize the de jure sovereignty of the Republic of Kosovo, but recognized Kosovo's de facto independence by concluding a normalization agreement with Kosovo on April 19, 2013 and ratifying it on April 22.
In the north, Serbia borders with, in the northeast - with, in the east - with, in the south - with the former Yugoslavia, in the southwest - with (only de jure, de facto borders with Kosovo) and, in the west - with and with.
After the end of the First World War, Serbia was the founding state of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, and later became part of the state of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. After World War II, Serbia was a state within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Since 1992, Serbia and have been founders and states within the federations: Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and. In 2006 it collapsed, Serbia and Montenegro became separate, full-fledged states.
Story
| Serbia on years |
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Battle of Kosovo. Adam Stefanovich, 1870s
The history of Serbia dates back to the 6th century, from the moment the ancient Slavs settled the western part of the Balkan Peninsula. In the 8th-9th centuries, the first proto-state formations of the Serbs arose - the Serbian Principality, Duklja, Zakhumje, Travuniya and Pagania. At the end of the 12th century, the Serbian state freed itself from the rule of Byzantium and by the middle of the 14th century it developed into a major power covering almost the entire southwestern part of the Balkans. The heyday of medieval Serbia occurred during the reign of Stefan Dušan (1331-1355). However, after his death the state collapsed. In 1389, the troops of the Serbian princes were defeated in the Battle of Kosovo, which led to Serbia recognizing the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire. Serbia was finally conquered by the Turks in 1459 and over the next 350 years, Serbian lands were under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. The northern regions were part of the Austrian Empire from the end of the 17th century.
As a result of the First Serbian Uprising (1804-1813), the Serbian Principality was formed. In 1813, the uprising was suppressed. The second Serbian uprising, which began in 1815, was more successful, and fifteen years later the Sultan officially recognized Milos Obrenovic as the ruler of Serbia. In 1878, on July 13, under the terms of the Berlin Peace, Serbia gained independence, in 1882 it was proclaimed kingdom. By the beginning of the 20th century, a parliamentary monarchy had emerged in Serbia, and a rapid rise in the economy and culture began.
Settlement of Serbs in Yugoslavia Data for 1981. Territories where Serbs made up more than 50% of the population Other territories
As a result of the Balkan Wars (1912-1913), the territories of Kosovo, part of Macedonia and a significant part of the Sandjak were included in Serbia. In World War I, Serbia took the side of the Entente countries. During the war, Serbia lost, according to some estimates, up to a third of its population. After the end of the war, Serbia became the core of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (since 1929 - the Kingdom of Yugoslavia). During the Second World War, the territory of Serbia was occupied by troops from April 1941, part of the state's territory was transferred to Germany's satellites - Hungary and Bulgaria, as well as Albania. By 1945, Serbia was liberated by the Red Army, partisan and regular units of the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia.
In 1945, the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia (since 1963 - SFRY) was proclaimed, within which the People's Republic of Serbia (since 1963 - Socialist Republic of Serbia) was formed.
The growth of interethnic confrontation and separatist protests led in the early 1990s to a series of civil wars and the collapse of Yugoslavia. The long period in power of the Socialist Party of Serbia ended in 2000 after the bombing of Serbian cities by NATO aircraft (1999) and the deployment of UN peacekeeping forces to Kosovo. In June 2006, after a referendum held in Montenegro, the state union ceased to exist.
State structure
On October 28-29, 2006, a new Constitution of Serbia was adopted in a referendum, which replaced the basic law of 1990.
The President, government and Assembly are located in Belgrade.
The president
Aleksandar Vucic, President of Serbia
The President of Serbia (Serbian: Preslednik) is elected for a five-year term in general direct elections, and can hold this position for no more than two terms. According to the Constitution, he is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Serbia, represents Serbia in the world, appoints ambassadors and diplomatic representatives, proposes candidates for the post of Prime Minister to the People's Assembly, can dissolve the People's Assembly and veto adopted laws. Also among the duties of the president is declaring a state of emergency, as well as presenting state awards.
The President has the same immunity as the deputies of the People's Assembly.
According to the results of the presidential elections on April 2, 2017, Serbia was led by the leader of the Serbian Progressive Party, Aleksandar Vucic, who received more than 55% of the votes.
Government
Ana Brnabic, Prime Minister of Serbia
The government (Serbian: Vlada) is the bearer of executive power and consists of 20 members, including the prime minister, one or more deputy prime ministers and several ministers. Its composition is approved by the People's Assembly of Serbia by a majority vote, as well as the head of the Cabinet of Ministers, whose candidacy is proposed by the President of Serbia.
According to the Serbian Constitution, the Cabinet of Ministers is responsible for determining and implementing policies, implementing and drafting laws, organizing and controlling public authorities, etc.
The Prime Minister and members of the Government have the same immunity as deputies of the People's Assembly. They are not responsible for opinions expressed at a meeting of the Government or Parliament.
The current composition of the Government was approved by the People's Assembly on June 29, 2017. Ana Brnabic became Prime Minister.
People's Assembly
Building of the National Assembly in Belgrade
In September 1990, during the democratic transition in Yugoslavia, a new Serbian constitution was adopted, which established a unicameral parliament - the People's Assembly (250 seats), whose deputies are elected for a four-year term.
On April 24, 2016, elections to the Serbian parliament took place. 20 electoral groups took part in the elections, 8 of them were unable to pass the required minimum and get into the People's Assembly. After the elections, 16 parliamentary factions were formed in parliament, as well as a faction of non-party members. According to the results of the parliamentary elections, the seats were distributed as follows:
| Deputy faction | Number of mandates |
|---|---|
| Serbian Progressive Party | 102 |
| Socialist Party of Serbia | 23 |
| Serbian Radical Party | 22 |
| "It was enough" | 16 |
| Democratic Party | 15 |
| Social Democratic Party of Serbia | 10 |
| United Pensioners Party of Serbia | 9 |
| "Doors" | 7 |
| Democratic Party of Serbia | 6 |
| Liberal Democratic Party - Sandzak Democratic Action Party | 6 |
| United Serbia | 5 |
| League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina - Green Party | 5 |
| New Serbia | 5 |
| Socialist Movement - People's Peasant Party - United Peasant Party | 5 |
| Union of Vojvodina Hungarians - Party of Democratic Activities | 5 |
| Social Democratic Party - People's Movement of Serbia | 5 |
| Non-party deputies | 3 |
The body of constitutional supervision is the Constitutional Court ( Statutes of the Court of the Republic of Srbije), the highest court is the Supreme Court of Cassation ( Supreme Court), appellate courts - appellate courts ( Appeals and judges), courts of first instance - higher courts ( Vichy judges), the lowest level of the judicial system is the main courts ( Basic judgement), the body that selects candidates for the positions of judges is the Supreme Council of Justice ( High Court of Justice).
State symbols
The anthem of Serbia is a slightly modified version of the anthem of the Kingdom of Serbia, "God to Truth", which for several years was also the anthem of the Kingdom of Serbia. The coat of arms of Serbia, adopted on August 17, 2004, represents the Serbian coat of arms during the reign of the Obrenović dynasty. The country has two flags: popular and official. The first is a red-blue-white banner, and the second is the same with the state emblem.
Foreign policy
Countries in which Serbia has diplomatic missions. Red - embassies, blue - consulates, yellow - the rest
Serbia is represented abroad by 64 embassies and 22 consulates general. On the territory of Serbia itself there are 70 embassies and 5 consulates general. After the collapse of Yugoslavia, Serbia inherited approximately a third of the property of the foreign policy department of the SFRY.
Serbia is a member of such international organizations as: UN, Council of Europe, OSCE, Interpol, World Bank, Partnership for Peace, Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe, UNESCO, World Tourism Organization, Universal Postal Union, World Confederation of Labor, World Customs Organization, World Meteorological Organization, World Health Organization and so on.
During the collapse of Yugoslavia, Serbia was in international isolation; numerous sanctions were applied against it: military, economic, cultural and others. Public opinion in many countries of the world was opposed to it, the country was considered guilty of starting bloody conflicts in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. After the end of the wars in the former Yugoslavia, the sanctions regime was softened, but in 1998-1999 Serbia again found itself isolated and became the target of air strikes by NATO countries. and the EU countries resumed cooperation with Serbia only after the overthrow of President Slobodan Milosevic and the coming to power of Vojislav Kostunica, Serbia’s relations with most Western countries normalized. Currently, the country's foreign policy is characterized by the desire to join the EU, the diplomatic struggle against recognizing the independence of the autonomous region of Kosovo and the development of comprehensive relations with many countries around the world.
Before the arrest of General Ratko Mladic and the former President of the Serbian Krajina Goran Hadzic, Serbian policy was significantly influenced by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. In particular, EU functionaries have repeatedly stated that Serbia's further European integration depends on its cooperation with the tribunal. After the arrest of the above persons, President Boris Tadic noted that he considered the obligations to The Hague to be fully fulfilled.
Later, a number of EU functionaries stated that the question of Serbia’s accession to this organization directly depends on whether Belgrade can normalize relations with Kosovo and recognize it as an independent state. These statements caused heated debate in Serbian society and a decrease in the number of supporters of Serbia's European integration.
Since June 10, 2009, a visa-free regime has been established between Serbia and Russia for 30 days for citizens of both countries. Previously, for Russian citizens, the visa-free period in Serbia was 90 days (the rule was in effect since March 2008), but Serbs required a visa to arrive in Russia. Citizens of Serbia, with the exception of those living within Kosovo and Metohija (“Republic of Kosovo”), have been entitled to visa-free entry into the countries of the European Union since December 2009. Thus, Serbia has a visa-free regime with both Russia and the European Union.
Back in 2006, Serbia and NATO signed an agreement on military cooperation.
Serbia cooperates with NATO within the framework of the Partnership for Peace program. In 2014, the parties agreed on an individual partnership plan for a program designed to build trust between participants.
In 2015, the Serbian Parliament Assembly ratified a secret agreement with NATO known as SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement), which was signed in 2014. According to the agreement, Serbia, although not a NATO member, assumed obligations equal to those of full NATO members. As a result, Serbia became a de facto member of NATO with obligations but without rights.
On February 19, 2016, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic signed an agreement with NATO, according to which representatives of the Alliance receive special diplomatic immunity and freedom of movement throughout the country, as well as access to Serbian military facilities. The agreement led to right-wing protests across the country. Opponents of the agreement argue that it is contrary to the Constitution.
Armed forces and security services
Army
Serbian Guard
The Armed Forces of Serbia have come a long way in reform and reconstruction. In 1992, after the collapse of the SFRY, the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serb. Military of Yugoslavia). In 2000, the share of military expenditures amounted to 9.1% of GDP (one of the highest figures in Europe), and the number of military personnel was 114.2 thousand people. In 2003, the Armed Forces of Serbia and Montenegro (Serbian) were created. Troops of Srbije and Crna Gora). In 2006, their units stationed on the territory of Serbia were formalized into the Armed Forces of Serbia (Serbian: Vojska Srbije). At the same time, another large-scale military reform was launched.
Main battle tank M-84
The Serbian Armed Forces number 36,000 soldiers and officers, of which 11,000 are professional soldiers and 22,000 are voluntary soldiers. After the military reform, instead of about a hundred brigades, 12 were formed - 4 infantry, a mixed artillery, a special brigade, two aviation, one missile and artillery brigade, a communications and logistics brigade. The Serbian Army also includes separate military police and communications battalions. Corps and armies were replaced by brigades and battalions, which became the backbone of the new structure of the Serbian Army.
The Serbian army consists of ground forces, air force and air defense. Most of the weapons were inherited from the SFRY and FRY. New samples are purchased periodically in small quantities. Since 2011, military service has become voluntary. Before this, the term of compulsory military service was 6 months, alternative service - 9 months. Military spending in 2011 amounted to 2.8% of the country's GDP.
Serbia is the largest arms exporter in the region. In 2009, the value of Serbian military exports was US$500 million.
Police
Border Police vehicle
The Serbian police are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which consists of several departments. The police force includes 161 municipal stations, 62 border control stations and 49 traffic control stations. The Serbian Police is a professional organization with 42,740 officers and 26,527 civilians as of 2006. Until January 3, 1997, the police were called militia. The renaming was carried out in accordance with the Law on Internal Affairs.
The police structure includes several special forces. The oldest of them is the Gendarmerie (Serbian: Gendarmerie), which performs both civilian and military functions. Other well-known special forces are the Special Anti-Terrorist Unit (Serb. Special anti-terrorist unit) and the Anti-Terrorist Group of Serbia (Serb. Anti-terrorist unit), designed to combat terrorism and organized crime. The first was founded in the SFRY and took part in the fighting in Kosovo and Metohija, while the second was created in 2003, during large-scale actions against the mafia. Another well-known special unit is the helicopter squad (Serb. Helicopter Unit), created in 1965 and currently comprising 22 helicopters.
Intelligence services
The main security service in Serbia is the Information Security Agency (Serbian). Conveniently informative agency). It is responsible for intelligence and counterintelligence issues, the fight against organized crime and terrorism. The Information Security Agency is controlled by the Assembly and the Government of Serbia, to which it must submit reports on its activities and the security situation in the country twice a year.
The agency was formed on July 11, 2002 and has its headquarters in. Its predecessor was the State Security Service (Serb. Service to the glory of poverty). Since July 17, 2008, the Information Security Agency has been headed by Sasha Vukadinovic.
During the existence of the BIA since 2002, the Agency was headed by:
- Andrija Savich;
- Misha Milicevic;
- Rade Bulatovich;
- Sasha Vukadinovic.
Administrative division
The territory of Serbia is divided into districts, districts into cities and communities. The counties do not have local government (except Belgrade County).
The representative body of the city is the city assembly ( city councilgradsko veћemayortown council
The representative body of the community is the community meeting ( Skupshtina opshtine), elected by the population, the executive bodies of the community - the community council ( opshtinsko veћe), headed by the chairman of the community ( Chairman of Opshtine), and consisting of politicians, elected by the community assembly, and a community government, consisting of professional officials, elected by the community assembly.
Statistical regions
Statistical regions of Serbia
According to the Regulation on the nomenclature of statistical territorial units, introduced in 2009 and slightly amended in 2010 (Serb. Uredba on the nomenclature of statistical territorial units), within Serbia there are three levels of statistical territorial units: level HCTJ 1 - Serbia-North and Serbia-Yuguroven HCTJ 2 - within Serbia-North: Belgrade region and Vojvodina region, within Serbia-South - regions Šumadija and Western Serbia, Eastern and Southern Serbia, Kosovo and Metohija. NSTJ level 3 - administrative regions (total within Serbia - 29 with Kosovo and Metohija, 24 without them).
These regions are formed as statistical units for the purpose of collecting information for the Republican Bureau of Statistics and for local governments.
Counties and communities
Along with this, the territory of Serbia is divided into 29 districts (Serbian Okrug) and the territory of the city, which, in turn, are divided into communities (Serbian Opštine). Each district is headed by a district head, who is responsible directly to the Serbian government.
On the territory of the autonomous region of Vojvodina there are 7 districts - Sremsky, North Banat, South Banat, Middle Banat, North Bach, West Bach, South Bach, which include 45 communities.
On the territory of Kosovo and Metohija there are 5 districts - Kosovo, Peć, Prizren, Kosovo-Mitrovica, Kosovo-Pomoravia, which include 29 communities.
In the territory of central Serbia there are 17 districts: Bor, Branicevo, Zajecar, Zlatibor, Kolubar, Macvan, Moravic, Nišava, Pirot, Podunai, Pomorav, Pcin, Rasin, Ras, Toplić, Šumadija, Jablanić and the Belgrade district, which includes 137 communities .
Representative bodies of communities - community meetings (Serb. Skupshtina opshtine), executive - community councils (Serbian: Opštinsko veћe).
Cities
Kragujevac
There are 27 cities, 195 urban settlements and 6,158 villages in Serbia. According to Article 17 of the Law on Territorial Organization of the Republic of Serbia, the status of a city is given to a settlement that is the economic, administrative, geographical and cultural center of a certain region and other settlements located in it. All other large settlements are considered urban-type settlements (Serbian gradsko naseљe).
Before the approval of this law, when determining the status of a city, an administrative-legal criterion was used, based on population census data. This criterion, introduced by the famous demographer Milos Matsura, divided the country's settlements into three types - rural, mixed and urban. An urban settlement should have had at least 2,000 inhabitants, 90% of whom were not engaged in agriculture.
The following settlements have official city status: , , Loznica, Nis, , Yagodina. Of these, , and Niš are divided into several municipalities, while the remaining cities are organized as a single local government area. According to the law on the territorial organization of the Republic of Serbia, a settlement that is the economic, administrative, geographical and cultural center of a certain region and other settlements located in it has the status of a city. The representative body of the city is the city assembly ( city council), elected by the population, the executive bodies of the city - the city council ( gradsko veћe), headed by the mayor ( mayor), and consisting of politicians, elected by the city assembly, and the city government ( town council), consisting of professional officials elected by the city assembly.
Geography
Physical map of Serbia
80% of the territory of Serbia is located on the Balkan Peninsula, 20% is occupied by the Pannonian Lowland. The length of the borders is 2,364.4 km: (s - 546.5 km, s - 367.1 km, s - 282.9 km, s - 249.5 km, s - 11.1 km, s - 370.9 km, s - 261.7 km, s - 174.4 km The total length of the borders is 2364 kilometers, of which 751 kilometers run along rivers, and 43 kilometers along lakes.
The north of Serbia is dominated by plains. 15 mountains of Serbia have an altitude of more than 2000 meters above sea level. There are 4 mountain systems in Serbia. The Dinaric Highlands occupies a large area in the west, stretching from northwest to southeast. Stara Planina and the East Serbian Mountains are in the east, separated from the Dinaric Highlands by the Morava River. In the south there are ancient mountains - part of the Rilo-Rhodope system. The highest point in Serbia is Mount Djeravica (2656 meters).
Extreme points
- North: 46°11" N, 19°40" E. d.
- South: 41°53" N, 20°36" E. d.
- Eastern: 43°11"N, 23°00'E.
- Western: 45°55"N, 18°51'E.
Hydrology
Danube near Apatin
Ribnich lake
Most of Serbia (81,646 km², 92.4%) belongs to the Danube basin, the length of which in Serbia is 588 kilometers. On the plain, the Danube has a meandering channel with a width of 300 to 1200 m, a depth of 2 to 19 m and a fairly calm current. Where the river crosses the Carpatho-Balkan mountain system, its channel narrows to 150 m, the depth increases to 82 m, and the flow speed reaches 5 m/s. On the plain above this area, during a flood, the water level rises significantly and large spills occur. In addition to the Danube, navigable rivers are the Sava (206 km), Tisza (168 km), Begey (75 km), and the Great Morava (3 km out of 185 km) and Tamis (3 km out of 101 km) are partially navigable. Other major rivers are the Western Morava (308 km), South Morava (295 km), Ibar (272 km), Drina (220 km) and Timok (202 km). Part of the south of Serbia belongs to the basin of the Beli Dream and Radik rivers (4.771 km, 5.4%), which flow into the Adriatic. The basins of the rivers Pcinja, Lepenac and Dragovishtitsa belong to the Aegean Sea basin. A number of artificial canals have also been built in Serbia, which are used for flood protection, irrigation, etc. Their total length is 939.2 km, of which 385.9 km are used for the navigation of ships with a tonnage of up to 1000 tons. The largest canal system is the Danube-Tisza-Danube, which includes the Great Bač Canal and the Little Bač Canal.
The largest lake in Serbia is Lake Djerdapskoe with a total area of 253 km², of which 178 km² is in Serbia. The largest natural lake is White Lake with an area of 25 km². The largest island in Serbia is located on the Danube near Kostolets. There are also waterfalls in Serbia, the largest is Elovarnik (71 meters), it is located in the Kopaonik National Park. The second highest is the Pil waterfall (64 meters) in the Balkan Mountains.
Soils
Serbia has a diverse soil cover. Vojvodina has large areas of fertile chernozem soils. Due to the lack of moisture in this region, saline soils are also present. In mountainous areas, brown forest, mountain-forest brown and mountain-forest humus-carbonate soils are developed. Intrazonal alluvial soils, common in the valleys of many rivers, are known for their fertility.
Flora
The main types of natural vegetation in Serbia are the Pannonian steppes within the Middle Danube Plain, coniferous, broad-leaved and mixed forests in the mountains. In Vojvodina, forests are rare and are found only on hilly ridges. The cultural vegetation of the Middle Danube Plain is represented by large areas of crops of corn, wheat, sugar beets, sunflowers, flax, as well as orchards and hop plantations, and in the river valleys - rice crops. The main crops of wheat and corn are concentrated in Vojvodina. In the mountains of Serbia, the lower zone is occupied by oak forests, and the upper zone by beech forests. There are also mixed beech-oak and beech-fir forests, as well as pure spruce forests with endemic Serbian spruce and fir forests. Deciduous species in this area also include elm, ash, maple, chestnut, walnut, linden, poplar and willow. Serbia is a major producer of plums and other fruits, berries and grapes.
According to 2009 data, more than 29% of Serbia's territory was occupied by forests. Their total area is 2,252,000 hectares. Of these, 53% are managed by the state, 47% belong to private owners. There are 0.3 hectares of forest per inhabitant.
Fauna
The lynx population in Serbia is protected by law
Deer and roe deer are found in the forests of Fruska Gora in Vojvodina. On the plains there are wild boars and hares, in mountain forests - roe deer, and near the border with alpine meadows - chamois. In the steppes on the Middle Danube Plain, at the western border of its range, the European ground squirrel lives. Many birds nest on the forested slopes of Fruška Gora, including white and black storks, as well as predators such as the imperial eagle, saker falcon, and black kite. The white-tailed eagle is found on the plains, in the mountains and on the marshy plains between the Danube and the Sava. Wild ducks and geese, herons and storks, swamp snipe, etc. nest in swamps and lakes; some waterfowl spend the winter; quails, pheasants, black grouse, partridges, doves, and woodcocks are common on the dry plains. The rivers are rich in trout, perch, carp, catfish, carp, pike and several species of sturgeon.
Of the domestic animals, pigs have the largest population, mainly in Vojvodina and some other regions of Serbia. In the mountainous regions of the Dinaric Highlands, cattle are bred - low-growing, resistant to disease, poor feed and hard work, and unpretentious in care. Its improved breeds are common in Vojvodina, in particular the Podolia - long-horned, gray in color, which is used as draft power. After World War II, the Holstein breed was introduced into Yugoslavia. In most mountainous areas, sheep are raised predominantly. In the central part of the country, oxen and oxen are used as draft power. By the end of the 20th century, the number of cattle decreased, and the number of pigs increased. The number of goats and sheep increased steadily until the Second World War. Since 1945, the goat population has been brought under control, as they cause serious damage to forest plantations. Poultry farming is developed throughout the country.
Hunting and shooting of animals in Serbia are regulated by law. The country's territory is divided into almost 300 hunting grounds.
National parks
Environmental protection in Serbia has a long tradition. Back in the 14th century, King Dusan banned excessive deforestation. Serbia has five national parks, the oldest of which is Fruška Gora, founded in 1960, and the largest is Djerdap. All of them are members of the European Federation of National Parks - EUROPARC. Djerdap National Park stretches for 100 km from Golubac to Kladovo and covers an area of about 630 km². At this point the Danube flows through the grandiose Djerdap Gorge. Two lakes, Djerdap and Silver Lake, are the most notable on the Serbian side of the Danube. Fruska Gora is located between the Sava and Danube rivers and is a wooded hill on a plain in the province of Vojvodina. The total area exceeds 220 km². Fruska Gora is also an attractive tourist destination thanks to its many old Serbian monasteries. The region has a long tradition of winemaking and is also known as a popular hunting destination.
Climate
Serbia is located on the Balkan Peninsula, surrounded by warm seas - the Adriatic, Aegean and Black. Another important factor determining the Serbian climate is the topography. Serbia has a continental climate in the north, a temperate continental climate in the south and a mountain climate in the mountains. Winters in Serbia are short, cold and snowy, summers are warm. The coldest month is January, the warmest is July. The average temperature is 10.9 °C. The average annual precipitation is 896 mm. Rain falls most often in June and May.
The strongest winds are:
- Koshava (cold and dry wind in the north of the country).
- Severac (cold and dry north wind).
- Moravac (cold and dry north wind blowing in the Morava River valley).
- South wind (warm and dry south wind blowing in the Morava River valley).
- South-west wind (warm and humid, blowing from the Adriatic mainly in the West of Serbia).
Ecology
The Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Environmental Protection Agency are responsible for ecology and environmental protection in Serbia. The NATO war against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia caused enormous damage to the Serbian environment. Alliance aircraft not only used depleted uranium ammunition, but also bombed industrial facilities and warehouses, resulting in the release of toxic substances. The soil, atmosphere and water bodies were contaminated. Serbian authorities continue to struggle with the consequences of the bombings. The situation in the waste recycling sector remains difficult. Of these, only 15% are reused, but measures are being taken to improve the situation.
Population
Ethnic map of Serbia
The population of Serbia according to the results of the census held in October 2011 was 7,186,862 people; in 2002, this figure was 7,498,001 people. The population is distributed among the regions of Serbia as follows: Serbia-North - 3556 thousand people, including the Belgrade region 1639 thousand people, Vojvodina region - 1917 thousand people. Serbia-South - 3565 thousand people, including Šumadija and Western Serbia - 2013 thousand people, Southern and Eastern Serbia - 1551 thousand people. Serbia's population figures do not include the population of Kosovo and Metohija and the Albanians of southern Serbia, who boycotted the census. Serbia has been in an acute demographic crisis since the early 1990s, when mortality continuously exceeded birth rates (the mortality rate for 2011 exceeds the birth rate - 14.2 and 9.3, respectively). Serbia has one of the worst population growth rates in the world, ranking 225th out of 233 countries. The total fertility rate is 1.44 children per mother, one of the lowest in the world.
In the self-proclaimed “Republic of Kosovo” a census was carried out in the summer of 2011, the population was determined to be 1,733,872 people. The majority of the population of the self-proclaimed Kosovo are Albanians, the second largest ethnic group is Serbs. The north of Kosovo has not been re-enumerated; according to some estimates, about 68,000 people live there, most of them Serbs.
According to some estimates, about 300,000 people left Serbia in the 1990s, approximately 20% of them with higher education. Due to the low birth rate and emigration of young people, the country is one of the ten countries in the world with the highest average age of the population.
Ethnic composition
Serbs in national costumes
Serbs are the largest ethnic group in Serbia, making up 83% of the total population excluding Kosovo and Metohija. The second largest ethnic group are Hungarians - 3.9% in all of Serbia and 14.3% of the population in Vojvodina. Other minorities include Bosniaks, Roma, Albanians, Bulgarians, Montenegrins, Macedonians, Slovaks, Ruthenians, Vlachs, Romanians. There is also a significant Chinese diaspora in Serbia.
Serbia has the largest number of refugees in . Their share in the country's population ranges from 7% to 7.5%. Hundreds of thousands of refugees during the collapse of Yugoslavia arrived in Serbia from Croatia and the former Serbian Krajina, from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo and Metohija. All these relocations significantly changed the ethnic composition of the country.
According to the 2011 census, 1,135,393 representatives of national minorities lived in Serbia (excluding Kosovo and Metohija).
Language
The official language of the country is Serbian in Cyrillic. It has national status. Along with it, 12 more languages are also officially used at the regional and local levels. In the assembly (parliament) of Vojvodina, since 2002, five languages can be officially used (along with Serbian): Hungarian, Slovak, Croatian, Romanian and Ruthenian. In Kosovo and Metohija, Albanian also has regional status. As for the local level (community), a non-Serbian language receives official status there if the proportion of its speakers reaches a certain level. For example, in Vojvodina, a minority language receives official status throughout the community if representatives of this minority constitute at least 15% of its population. As a result, Hungarian has official status in 30 municipalities of Vojvodina, Slovak in 13, Romanian in 9, Ruthenian in 8, Croatian in 3, Czech in 1. In Central Serbia, almost all communities use only the Serbian language. Only in certain communities of Central Serbia do other languages also have official status: Bulgarian in Bosilegrad and Dimitrovgrad, Albanian in three communities bordering Kosovo, Bosnian in several communities in the historical region of Sandjak. In addition, according to the European Charter of Regional Languages ratified by Serbia, the Ukrainian language received official status.
Religion
Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade
Serbia is a secular state. The Constitution and laws of Serbia guarantee freedom of religion. In practice this is true, although not to the full extent. The 2006 law divides all religious organizations into two categories: “traditional churches and religious associations” (Serbian Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Church, Slovak Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession, Reformed Christian Church, Evangelical Christian Church, Jewish and Islamic religious communities) and “confessional associations” (16 organizations). The difference is that traditional churches and religious associations, unlike denominational associations, have the right to organize religious education in schools. In addition, the 2006 law prohibited the registration of a religious organization if its name is identical to the name of a religious organization already registered in the registry or the name of an organization that is undergoing registration. In addition, there are other problems. For example, the existence of two Muslim communities in Serbia and their tense relations with each other, the issue of church property nationalized during the years of the SFRY and sporadic attacks on representatives and objects of small religious communities. In 1945-1946, Yugoslav authorities nationalized most of the property of churches and monasteries and constitutionally separated church and state. At the same time, the Macedonian Church achieved independence from the Serbian Orthodox Church.
According to the 2002 census, excluding Kosovo:
- Orthodox - 6,371,584 people. (85.0% of the population),
- Catholics - 410,976 people. (5.5% of the population),
- Muslims - 239,658 people. (3.2%),
- Protestants - 80,837 people. (1.1% of the population).
Refugees
Serbian refugee from Krajina
The wars in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina caused massive waves of Serbian refugees from these countries. In 1994, there were more than 180,000 refugees and displaced persons from Croatia on the territory of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1995, after the destruction of the Serbian Krajina, between 230,000 and 250,000 Serbs became refugees. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia accepted them on its territory. 12,000 people were sent to Kosovo, 60,000 settled in Vojvodina, 180,000 settled in Central Serbia. However, 25,000 of them were in collective refugee camps. The influx of refugees created an extremely tense humanitarian situation in Yugoslavia. A difficult question arose about their status. The war in Bosnia and Herzegovina also caused a significant influx of Serb refugees into Yugoslavia.
Serbian refugees from Kosovo and Metohija
The actions of the Kosovo Liberation Army and NATO air strikes during the Kosovo War forced the majority of the non-Albanian population to leave Kosovo and Metohija. Up to 790,000 Albanians also fled the region to escape the bombing. Most of them went to Albania or Macedonia, but some found refuge in Serbia and Montenegro. In 2000, the number of people who fled the region in Yugoslavia was more than 200,000 people. A census of refugees was carried out in 2001. In total there were 451,980 people in the country, of which 63% were from Croatia, the rest from Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the same year, there were 408 collective centers in Serbia, housing 20,949 refugees from Croatia and BiH and 9,107 displaced people from Kosovo and Metohija. About 10,000 more were in unregistered collective centers. The rest of the refugees and displaced persons rented housing or stayed with relatives or friends.
Since arriving on Serbian territory, many refugees have received citizenship or, after some time, returned to Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, in 2012, there were 97,000 refugees from Croatia and Bosnia and 236,000 internally displaced persons from Kosovo in the country. In 2011, there were 60 collective centers in the country, housing 4,700 refugees and displaced persons. Thus, Serbia remains the first country in Europe and one of the top five countries in the world with the greatest problems regarding refugee issues.
Justice
The Serbian Constitution provides for the autonomy and independence of state bodies that protect the freedoms and rights of citizens, the legally established rights and interests of legal entities and ensures constitutionality and legality. Judicial power is vested in the courts and operates independently of the legislative and executive branches. Judicial decisions are made on behalf of the people and on the basis of the Constitution and the law, ratified international treaties and regulations adopted on the basis of law. Court decisions are binding on everyone and cannot be subject to extrajudicial control. A court decision can only be reviewed by a decision of a competent court in the manner prescribed by law. Everyone is obliged to respect court decisions.
Republican-level courts: Constitutional Court, Supreme Court of Cassation, Arbitration Court of Appeal, etc.
Courts of general jurisdiction:
- Basic courts - for a city or one or more municipalities
- Higher courts - on the territory of one or more main courts
- Courts of Appeal - for several high courts
- Supreme Court of Cassation
The Constitutional Court is an independent government body that protects constitutionality and legality, as well as the rights and freedoms of individuals and minorities. Decisions of the Constitutional Court are final and subject to mandatory execution. The Supreme Court of Cassation is the highest court in the Republic of Serbia and the highest court for arbitration and administrative courts, etc.
Economy
National Bank of Serbia
Advantages: in 2000-2001 foreign financial aid and investment resumed. Economic potential of the Danube.
Weak sides: severe consequences of UN sanctions and NATO bombing in 1999. Small reserves of hard currency. Outflow of qualified specialists. Corruption.
Serbia's economy is in transition. Despite the dominance of the market sector, the public sector still makes up a large share of the economy. The economy relies on manufacturing and exports and is largely dependent on large foreign investments. A significant share of the economy is made up of agriculture, industry and services. At the turn of the 80-90s of the 20th century, the situation was favorable. The collapse of Yugoslavia, the loss of trade relations with the CMEA and within the former Yugoslavia, a long period of international economic sanctions, and bombing by NATO forces in 1999 threw the economy back to the level of 1945.
Serbia has carried out some trade liberalization, enterprise restructuring and privatization, but many large enterprises, including electricity, telecommunications companies, a gas company, the national air carrier and others remain state owned. Structural economic reforms needed to ensure the country's long-term prosperity have largely stalled since the onset of the global financial crisis. Serbia, however, is gradually recovering from its consequences. Economic growth in 2011 was 2.0%, following a modest 1.0% growth in 2010 and a 3.5% contraction in 2009. In 2010, Cvetkovic's government adopted an economic development plan that calls for a fourfold increase in exports within ten years and significant investment in basic infrastructure.
Serious problems in the Serbian economy include the ineffectiveness of the judicial system, high levels of corruption and an aging population. At the same time, there are favorable conditions for economic growth - a strategic location, relatively inexpensive and skilled labor, free trade agreements with the European Union, Russia and Turkey, as well as favorable investment conditions.
The currency of Serbia is the Serbian dinar. 1 Serbian dinar is equal to 100 para. In Kosovo and Metohija, in the territory controlled by the Albanian authorities of the Republic of Kosovo, the euro is used.
Tourism
Zlatibor
Despite international sanctions and hostilities in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, tourism in Serbia has developed dynamically. Between 1990 and 2000. it grew by 50% and total revenues by 80%. This stimulated further expansion of the tourism industry and the search for investment abroad.
Prince Michael Street in Belgrade
The modern strategy for tourism development in Serbia provides for a selective approach. First of all, she singles out rural tourism as the most promising, within which there are tourist villages in the mountains. They, in turn, offer healthy and organic food, outdoor activities, ethno-villages, etc.
Since 2000, a new stage has begun in the tourism sector in Serbia, characterized by an increase in the flow of tourists, both domestic and from abroad. A special feature of Serbia is the relatively small number of citizens traveling abroad for tourism purposes. For example, in 2012, the outbound tourist flow to Serbia amounted to 631 thousand people. By European standards this is very little. For example, in Slovakia, a country with a smaller population, in 2012 the outbound tourist flow amounted to 3,017 thousand people.
Transport
Serbian transport was significantly damaged by international sanctions against Yugoslavia and NATO bombing of the country in 1999. However, it recovered quite quickly after a few years, due to the needs of the economy.
The transport infrastructure is represented by developed road, rail, air and river transport.
Direct rail connections to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Montenegro. Indirect with Italy, Greece, Turkey, Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia, Russia, Austria, Albania and Ukraine. Modernization of railways has become one of the priorities of the Serbian government. For these purposes, the country took out several loans. Part of the funds was spent on updating the train fleet.
The most significant highways are: E65 ( -), E70 ( -), E75 ( -), E662 (Subotica -), E761 ( -), E763 (Belgrade - Bijelo Polje), E771, E885 (from Albania to Pristina). There are also other major roads in the country: A1 (Batrovtsi - Sremska Mitrovica - Belgrade - Nis -), A2 (Belgrade - Nis), A3 (Nis - border with Bulgaria). Several modern highways are currently under construction. It is also planned to expand and update existing ones. The Serbian government has repeatedly stated that developed infrastructure was one of the priorities of the Cabinet of Ministers of Mirko Cvetkovic.
There is also water transport in the country, which carries out transportation mainly along the Danube and Sava rivers. Ports on the Danube: Belgrade, . Ports on Sava: .
The capital region has developed air services. The main and largest airport in the country is Nikola Tesla Belgrade International Airport. The largest national airline is Air Serbia.
As of 2010, there are 1,567,113 cars, 38,229 motorcycles, 8,034 buses, 162,799 trucks, 23,552 special vehicles (2009 data), 239,295 tractors and 99,025 trailers registered in Serbia.
Industry in Serbia
Energy
Hydroelectric power station in Bajina Basta
Most of the energy in Serbia is produced at thermal power plants and hydroelectric power plants (about 25.4%). Thermal power plants in Serbia run on coal. The largest of them is the Nikola Tesla thermal power plant with 14 units, the main part of which is located near the city of Obrenovac, southwest of Belgrade. This thermal power plant makes up a third of the total potential of Electric Power Industry of Serbia and is the largest in South-Eastern Europe.
The main producer of oil and gas is Oil Industry of Serbia, most of whose shares belong to the Russian JSC Gazprom Neft. NIS and Gazprom Neft, together with the Serbian government, planned the construction of the Serbian section of the South Stream gas pipeline. However, the gas pipeline project was later closed. Through the joint efforts of Russian and Serbian companies, the Banat Dvor gas storage facility was created, located 60 kilometers northeast of. It has become one of the largest gas storage facilities in South-Eastern Europe.
According to paragraph number 267 of the Criminal Code of Serbia, the construction of nuclear power plants is prohibited in the country. Serbia has become the sixth country in the world to remove enriched uranium from its territory.
Agriculture
More than 60% of the territory of Serbia is occupied by arable land
Agriculture is an important part of the Serbian economy with an annual export potential of 12 billion euros. The total area of agricultural land exceeds 6.12 million hectares. Agricultural production is most concentrated in northern Serbia in the fertile Central Danube Lowland and in the southern valleys adjacent to the Sava, Danube and Morava rivers. A sharp decline in the scale of agricultural activity has been observed since 1948, when almost three quarters of the country's population were employed in agriculture, but currently only one quarter.
Serbia produces a variety of agricultural products: mainly cereals, fruits and vegetables. All this makes up a significant part of GDP and exports. The country is the world's second largest producer of raspberries (84,299 metric tons, ranked first) and plums (146,776 metric tons, ranked first). The country is also a major producer of corn (6,158,120 metric tons, 32nd in the world) and wheat (2,095,400 metric tons, 35th in the world). The cultivation of sugar beets (2,299,770 metric tons) and sunflower seeds (454,282 metric tons) meets domestic demand for sugar and vegetable oil, with surpluses exported: about 180,000 tons of sugar are supplied to the European Union.
Currency
The national currency of Serbia is the Serbian dinar. 1 Serbian dinar is formally equal to 100 pairs; coins or banknotes denominated in pairs are not currently issued. There are coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 dinars; banknotes - 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000 and 5000 dinars.
The design of Serbian dinars is identical to the design of Yugoslav dinars of the 2000-2002 model. Currently, Serbia uses a floating exchange rate regime. The criterion for the effectiveness of exchange rate policy (exchange rate anchor) is inflation indicators.
International trade
The main foreign trade partners of Serbia as of 2014 were the European Union and. The volume of foreign trade for 2014 is $35,452 million. Geographical distribution of Serbia's foreign trade (as of 2014):
- EU countries - 64% ($22,592 million).
- - 9.5% ($3369 million)
- China - 4.4% ($1,575 million)
- - 2.3% ($821 million)
- Americas - 2.5% ($872 million)
- Countries - 0.9% ($309 million)
Telecommunications
Connection
Fixed telephone communications throughout the country (including Kosovo at least north of Ibra) are provided by Telekom Srbija. Its division mt: s (Mobilna telefonija Srbije, which has nothing in common with Russian Mobile TeleSystems) is responsible for mobile communications along with the Norwegian operator Telenor and the Slovakian Vip. Anyone can buy a SIM card at a newsstand anonymously and absolutely legally.
Serbian Post logo
Public postal service was introduced in Serbia in 1840. The first postage stamp was printed in 1866. In 1874, the Universal Postal Union was founded jointly with 21 other countries. Currently, postal functions are performed by the Serbian Post. It was founded in 1990 as the state-owned communications enterprise Srbija and is currently the largest infrastructure and logistics network in the country.
Internet
Dial-up was the only way to access the Internet until the early 2000s, when several providers began providing wireless access through unlicensed equipment. The equipment required for access was too expensive for most people (about 200 euros), so this connection method became popular only in some urban areas. The situation changed only in 2002, when Serbia Broadband offered subscribers access to cable Internet at a speed of 128 kbit/s. Not earlier than in 2005, Telekom Srbija offered ADSL access services.
In Serbia, Internet access services are provided by several companies. The national TLD of Serbia is .rs. In 2010, the number of Internet users per 100 inhabitants was 40 people. According to research conducted in 2011, two million people in the country, 99.5% of students and 99% of businesses have regular access to the Internet.
Culture
Literature
Dositej Obradovic
The appearance of Serbian writing is associated with the activities of Cyril and Methodius. The first monuments of Serbian literature date back to the 11th century, they are written in the Glagolitic alphabet. Already in the 12th century, texts written in Cyrillic appeared. During the same period, the oldest known book in Serbian Cyrillic was written - “The Gospel” by Prince Miroslav of Zakhum. It is the most ancient and beautifully illustrated Serbian book during the Middle Ages.
During Turkish rule, lyrical and epic literature spread among the Serbs.
In the 17th century, Baroque tendencies appeared in Serbian literature. Under his influence, Andrija Zmajević, Gavril Stefanović Venclovich, Jovan Rajić, Zacharie Orfelin and others worked. Dositej Obradović was the most prominent figure of the Enlightenment, and the most famous representative of classicism was Jovan Steria Popović, although there were also elements of romanticism in his work.
The Montenegrin prince-metropolitan Peter II Petrovich played a significant role in the formation of Serbian literature and in the development of early romanticism. The main theme of his poems was the struggle of the Montenegrins and Serbs against the Ottoman Turks, and his dramatic poem “Mountain Crown” preached the idea of unifying the South Slavs.
During the national revival in the first half of the 19th century, Vuk Stefanović Karadžić translated the New Testament into the Serbian vernacular and reformed the Serbian language and orthography. This laid the foundations for Serbian literature of the modern era. Famous Serbian authors of the 19th century: Branko Radicevich, Petar Petrovic Njegos, Laza Kostic, Djura Jaksic and Jovan Zmaj. The 20th century in Serbian literature was marked by such names as Ivo Andric, Isidora Sekulic, Milos Crnyanski, Mesha Selimovic, Dobrica Cosic, Danilo Kis, Alexander Tishma. Among the famous poets were: Milan Rakić, Jovan Ducic, Desanka Maksimovic, Miodrag Pavlovic, Miroslav Antic, Branko Miljkovic and Vasko Popa.
At the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, the most famous authors were David Albahari, Milorad Pavic, Momo Kapor, Nebojsa Jevrić, Goran Petrovic, Svetlana Velmar-Jankovic, Svetislav Basara.
Music
The earliest composer whose works were intended for performance at Orthodox services and have survived to this day is Cyrus Stefan the Serb (1350 (?)-1430 (?)). His works are written in the late calophonic style.
Serbia has a long tradition of folklore and folk music. Dancing under the name kolo is the most popular form of folklore in Serbia and differs from region to region. The most popular folk kola are Žižek and Moravac. The most important Serbian composer of musical art was Stevan Stojanovic Mokranjac (1856-1914). He was a musicologist and collector of folk music and the director of the first music school in Serbia. His most famous musical piece is the choral songs of Rukoveta.
Other famous Serbian composers are Kornelij Stankovic, Stevan Hristic, Stanislav Binichki.
In the 19th century and earlier, the typical folk instruments were the gusle and the pipe, while in Vojvodina the dombra and bagpipes are used. Later, the accordion and violin became the main instruments in the newly composed folk music, and remain so today.
Theater and cinema
In 1910, the first feature film was made about the Serbian national hero Karageorgi. After the end of World War II, several film studios were created in Yugoslavia, which began filming feature films. Initially this was done in collaboration with Soviet film studios, but then films began to be produced independently. After the animation film studio was created in 1956, Yugoslavia soon became a recognized leader in the field of animated films.
Joakim Vujic is the founder of modern Serbian theater. He founded the Princely Serbian Theater in Kragujevac in 1835. Famous Serbian play writers were Jovan Steria Popović and Branislav Nušić. The International Contemporary Theater Festival BITEF has been held in Belgrade since 1967. Traditionally, the best theater scenes in Serbia are the National Theater in Belgrade, Atelier 212, the Yugoslav Drama Theater and the National Theater of Serbia in the city of Novi Sad.
Mass media
Freedom of the press and freedom of speech are guaranteed by the Constitution of Serbia. The country ranks 54th on a list of 180 countries published in 2014 by Reporters Without Borders. According to it, Serbian media and journalists themselves continue to face some government pressure on editorial policy. Serbian media are also characterized by a high dependence on government support and advertising contracts.
According to research conducted in 2009 by AGB Nielsen Media Research, Serbian residents spend an average of 5 hours a day watching TV, which is the highest among European countries.
In 2014, the most popular sites among the Serbian Internet audience were Google, the sites of the newspaper Blitz, radio B92 and the newspaper Kurir, as well as the classifieds site KupujemProdajem.
UNESCO World Cultural Heritage in Serbia
Vysoki Decani Monastery
There are 5 items on the UNESCO World Heritage List in Serbia, which is 0.4% of the total (1073 in 2017). All objects are included in the list according to cultural criteria, and 2 of them are recognized as masterpieces of human genius (criterion i). In addition, as of 2014, 11 sites in Serbia are among the candidates for inclusion in the World Heritage List.
The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia ratified the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage on September 11, 2001. However, the first site located on the territory of Serbia was included in the list back in 1979 at the 3rd session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, when the country was part of the SFRY. It should also be noted that the cultural site of the Orthodox Monasteries in Kosovo, as of 2010, is included in the list of World Heritage in Danger due to possible attacks by Kosovo Albanians. All four monasteries and temples within this heritage site are under the protection of KFOR.
- 1979 - the city of Stari Ras, the Sopočani monastery and the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul (Stari Ras)
- 1986 - Studenica Monastery
- 2004-2006 - Vysoki Decani Monastery, Gracanica Monastery, Pec Patriarchate and Church of the Mother of God Leviska
- 2007 - Palace of Galeria "Gamzigrad-Romuliana"
- 2016 - Medieval graves (“stechki”)
Education, science
Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Education in Serbia is regulated by the Ministry of Science and Education. The education process begins either in preschools or primary schools. Children enter primary school at the age of seven and study there for eight years. After this, you have the option of either attending school for another four years, attending a special school for 2 to 4 years, or enrolling in a vocational school for 2 to 3 years of study. After graduating from high school or special school, students can enter universities.
Largest universities in Serbia:
- Belgrade University
- University of Kragujevac
- University of Nis
- University of Novi Sad
- University of Pristina
- University of Novi Pazar
The University of Belgrade is the oldest and currently the largest university in Serbia. Founded in 1808, it has 31 faculties and has produced approximately 330,000 graduates since its inception. The universities of Novisad (founded in 1960), Kragujevac (founded in 1976) and Nis (founded in 1965) also have a significant number of teachers and graduates.
According to the law, education is available to the public on equal terms. Representatives of national minorities have the right to education in their native language.
Conditions for the development of science and education in Serbia did not exist during Ottoman rule. The first attempt at national education was the Great School in 1808, supported by the Serbs in Austria. Only in the period 1835-1878 does it lead to the institutionalization of education. A large school opened in 1863 and was converted into a university. The establishment of the National Museum in 1844 and the Society of Serbian Letters in 1841, which developed into the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, provided the conditions for organized teaching practice.
During this period, many young and talented Serbs studied abroad at the expense of the state in order to obtain experts for further development. In Austria, the Serbs established the Serbian Matica in 1826, as well as their own cultural institution. He later moved his headquarters from Budapest to Novi Sad. The situation in Austria was much more favorable for the development of Serbian education and science.
Famous scientists from Serbia: naturalist Josif Pancic, geographer Jovan Cvijc, mathematician Mihailo Petrovic, astronomer Milutin Milankovic, chemist Pavle Savic. In addition, some Serbian scientists worked while in immigration and received worldwide recognition in other countries: physicist Mihailo Pupin (USA) and inventor Nikola Tesla (USA).
Festivals and events
Belgrade Fair Center
The largest and most famous festivals and cultural events taking place in Serbia are:
- Belgrade Book Fair
- "Vukov Sabor"
- Belgrade International Theater Festival
- Trumpet Festival in Gucha
- "EXIT" is an annual music festival taking place on the territory of the Petrovaradin Fortress.
Sport
Novak Djokovic
Belgrade Arena
The most popular sports in Serbia are football, basketball, volleyball, handball, water polo and tennis. Belgrade hosted the Summer Universiade in 2009, and the Belgrade Marathon is the country's largest sporting event. The Serbian national team first appeared at the Olympic Games in 1912. After that, Serbian athletes were part of the team of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the SFRY, the FRY. The results of the teams of “little Yugoslavia” are now considered to be the achievements of Serbian sports unions. In 2006, Serbian athletes became representatives of the now independent country. For the first time in this status they performed at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
One of the most popular sports in Serbia is basketball. Serbia has hosted the finals of the European Basketball Championship three times. Basketball players from Partizan won the Euroleague in 1992. Serbian basketball clubs take an active part in the Adriatic League. Several Serbian basketball players have been recognized as the best in Europe: Drazen Dalipagic, Dragan Kicanovic, Vlade Divac, Aleksandar Djordjevic, Predrag Danilovic, Predrag Stojakovic and Milos Teodosic.
Tennis in Serbia has become popular and widespread thanks to people such as Novak Djokovic, Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic and others. Djokovic has won 12 Grand Slam singles tournaments, including winning the Australian Open five times.
Volleyball is also popular in Serbia; the modern Serbian national team is the direct successor of the SFRY national team. In 2005, Serbia, together with Italy, hosted the European Championship, and in 2007 and 2013 at the European Championship, the Serbian team won a bronze medal. In 2011 she won the European Championship.
Serbian water polo team
The men's water polo team is traditionally strong. This sport was brought to the country at the beginning of the 20th century by students studying at universities in Germany and Austria-Hungary. The Yugoslav team repeatedly achieved brilliant results, and after the collapse of the country, the Serbian team continued its traditions. In 2009 she won the World Championship, in 2006, 2012, and 2014 she won the European Championship, in 2008 she took second place, and at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing she won a bronze medal. Famous water polo players: Igor Milanovic, Aleksandar Shoshtar, Vladimir Vujasinovic, Aleksandar Sapic and Vanja Udovicic.
Other popular Serbian athletes: Milorad Čavić and Nadja Higl (swimming), who won gold medals at the 2009 FINA World Championships, Olivera Jevtic and Dragutin Topic (athletics), Aleksandar Karakasevic (table tennis), Jasna Šekarić (shooting).
Holidays
| date | Name | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1st and 2nd | New Year | ||
| 5 January | Tucindan | ||
| Jan. 7 | Christmas | ||
| January 14 | Orthodox New Year | Working day | |
| January 27 | Saint Sava's Day | Schoolchildren do not study on this day | |
| February, 15 | Statehood Day | Serbian Army Day | |
| The day is selected | Maundy Monday | ||
| The day is selected | Good Friday | ||
| The day is selected | Easter | ||
| May 1 and 2 | Labor Day | ||
| 9th May | Victory Day | ||
| June 28 | Position, relief and climate (Serbian). Government of Serbia. Retrieved April 11, 2014.
| Serbia on years |
|---|
| 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
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The Republic of Serbia is located on the Balkan Peninsula. Part of the country's territory (20%) is located in the Pannonian Lowland. It has no access to the seas and oceans.
Administratively, Serbia is divided into 3 regions, which in turn are divided into districts and communities.
Largest cities: Belgrade, Novi Sad, Pristina and Nis.
Capital of Serbia- city of Belgrade.
Borders and area
Land borders with Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Serbia covers an area of 88,361 square kilometers (the country ranks 111th in the world in size).
Serbia map
Timezone
Population
7,243,000 people, which places the country 98th in terms of population in the world.
Religion
The overwhelming majority of the country's believing population are Orthodox (85%). About 5.5% of residents are Catholics, and 3.2% are Muslims.
Finance
The official currency is the Serbian dinar.
Medical care and insurance
First and emergency medical care is provided free of charge. All further medical care will be free only if you have international medical insurance and apply for it in special clinics.
Mains voltage
220 volt. Frequency – 50 Hz.
International dialing code
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brief information
Serbia can be considered a kind of “crossroads” of Europe. The shortest roads connecting Western Europe and the Middle East run through this country. A large number of national parks, mountains, and rivers make Serbia an excellent place for active recreation. However, Serbia also has a large number of unique attractions and several popular balneological resorts.
Geography of Serbia
Serbia is located at the junction of Central and South-Eastern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. In the north, Serbia borders with Hungary, in the east with Romania and Bulgaria, in the south with Macedonia, and in the west with Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro. The total area of this Balkan country is 88,361 square meters. km, and the total length of the state border is 2,397 km.
The autonomous region of Vojvodina occupies the Pannonian Lowland, and the rest of Serbia includes the Dinaric Alps, the East Serbian Mountains, as well as the Carpathian Mountains and Stara Planina. The highest peak in Serbia is Mount Djeravica (2,656 m).
The Danube, the longest river in this country, flows through the entire territory of Serbia. The largest tributaries of the Danube are the Sava and Tisza.
Capital
The capital of Serbia is Belgrade, which is now home to more than 1.2 million people. Historians believe that the first settlements on the site of modern Belgrade were founded by Celtic tribes.
Official language
The official language in Serbia is Serbian, which belongs to the South Slavic subgroup of the Slavic group of Indo-European languages.
Religion
More than 82% of the population of Serbia are Orthodox Christians (Greek Catholic Church). Another 5% of Serbs consider themselves Catholics, and 2% consider themselves Muslims.
State structure of Serbia
According to the 2006 Constitution, Serbia is a parliamentary republic. The President is elected by direct universal suffrage. Legislative power belongs to the unicameral Parliament, which has 250 deputies.
The main political parties in Serbia are the Serbian Progressive Party, the Democratic Party of Serbia, and the Socialist Party.
Climate and weather in Serbia
The climate of Serbia is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, the Adriatic Sea, and various mountain systems. In the north of the country the climate is continental with hot, humid summers and cold winters, and in the south it is temperate continental, with elements of a Mediterranean climate. The average air temperature in July is +22C, and in January – about 0C. The average monthly precipitation is about 55 mm.
Average air temperature in Belgrade:
January – -3C
- February - -2C
- March - +2C
- April - +7C
- May - +12C
- June - +15C
- July - +17C
- August - +17C
- September - +13C
- October - +8C
- November - +4C
- December – 0С
Rivers and lakes
The Danube, the longest river in this country, flows through the entire territory of Serbia. It has tributaries Sava, Tisa, and Begey. In addition, there are other rivers in Serbia - the Great Morava, Tamis, Western Morava, Drina, Ibar, South Morava, Timok and Radik.
There are several large natural and artificial lakes in Serbia - Lake Djerdap, White Lake, Palic, Borsko, Srebrno, Zlatarsko, etc.
History of Serbia
The Slavs settled on the territory of modern Serbia in the 17th century AD. After some time, Serbia came under the rule of the Byzantine Empire. In the middle of the 10th century, an independent Slavic principality was formed in western Serbia.
In 1170, the Nemanjić dynasty began to rule in western Serbia. In 1217, the Pope presented the crown to King Stefan Nemanjic. The heyday of the Kingdom of Serbia occurred in the 14th century, when the country was ruled by Stefan Dusan.
However, in 1389, the Serbian army was defeated by the Turks in the Battle of Kosovo, and gradually the Ottoman Empire began to conquer the lands of Serbia. Since 1459, Serbia has become a province of the Ottoman Empire.
It was not until 1878 that Serbia became independent, and in 1882 the Kingdom of Serbia was proclaimed.
The First World War began in 1914 after the invasion of Serbian territory by Austrian troops. In December 1918, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was formed, which then became known as Yugoslavia.
After the end of World War II, socialist Yugoslavia was formed in 1945, led by Josip Broz Tito. The 1974 Constitution was one of the reasons for the expansion of Croatian, Slovenian and Albanian nationalism.
In 1991-92, Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina separated from Yugoslavia. For almost the entire 1990s, Yugoslavia (i.e. Serbia) was at war with its former republics. The Serbs had a particularly difficult time in the Kosovo war after NATO intervention. As a result, Kosovo separated from Serbia.
In 2003, the state of Serbia and Montenegro was formed, which existed until 2006. Now the Republic of Serbia occupies an area of 88,361 square meters. km, and has no access to the sea.
Culture
For many centuries, the Serbs treated their culture with care, because... in this way they maintained their identity under Ottoman rule. Until now, Serbs annually celebrate various holidays, the history of which dates back to the early Middle Ages. The most popular Serbian holiday is “Vidov Dan” (the local version of St. Vitus Day).
Cuisine of Serbia
The formation of Serbian cuisine was greatly influenced by the countries neighboring Serbia. The Turkish influence is especially noticeable, because Serbia was a province of the Ottoman Empire for a long time.
We definitely recommend that tourists in Serbia try “ćevapčići” (small minced meat rolls), “Pljeskavica” (cutlets), “musaka”, “podvarak” (fried meat with sauerkraut), “proja” (corn bread), “gibanica” "(cheese pie), etc.
Traditional strong Serbian alcoholic drinks are šljivovica (plum brandy) and Lozovača (grape brandy, rakia).
Sights of Serbia
Serbs have always been careful about their history, and therefore there are many interesting sights in this country. The top ten best attractions in Serbia, in our opinion, include the following:
Belgrade Fortress
There was once a Roman military camp on the territory of the Belgrade Fortress. Only in 1760 did the Belgrade Fortress acquire its final form, which it still has today.
"Damn city"
“Devil's City” is located in Southern Serbia on the banks of the Tuta River. It consists of 202 stone pyramids 2-15 meters high, which were formed due to erosion processes. In 1995, Djavolja Varos was declared a natural monument.
National Assembly building in Belgrade
Construction of the National Assembly building in Belgrade began in 1907 according to the design of the architect John Ilkic. However, after the death of John Ilkic, construction stopped, because the drawings were lost. Only the son of this architect was able to complete the National Assembly in 1936.
Gamzigrad-Romuliana
This Roman palace is located in eastern Serbia. It was built by order of the Roman Emperor Gaius Galerius Valerius Maximian. The Gamzigral-Romuliana complex includes a palace, fortifications, a basilica, temples, hot baths, and memorial buildings.
Zica Monastery
This monastery was built in 1206-1217. Now it contains three unique medieval frescoes.
Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad
The Petrovaradin fortress was built by Austrian engineers at the end of the 17th - beginning of the 18th centuries. It has 16 kilometers of corridors. Petrovaradin Fortress is considered one of the main tourist attractions in Serbia.
"Tower of Skulls"
The “Tower of Skulls” in Niš was built in 1809 by the Turkish Pasha to intimidate the Serbs. This tower contains 952 human skulls, which belong to the Serbs who rebelled against the Turkish authorities.
Palace of Princess Ljubice
The Palace of Princess Ljubice was built during the rule of the Ottoman Empire in Serbia. Now this palace is a museum.
Temple of Saint Sava
This Orthodox church in Belgrade was built in 2004, although its construction began in 1935.
Tara National Park
Tara National Park is located in western Serbia and covers an area of 19,200 hectares. The nature of this park amazes all tourists with its beauty.
Cities and resorts
The largest cities in Serbia are Novi Sad, Nis, and, of course, Belgrade.
Serbia is landlocked, but this country has a lot of balneological resorts. The most popular of them are Soko Banja, Buyanovacka Banja, Vrnjacka Banja, Banja Koviljaca, and Niska Banja.
Souvenirs/shopping
We advise tourists from Serbia to bring heart-shaped gingerbread, folk crafts, Serbian folk hats, embroidered shirts, traditional folk trousers, traditional folk shoes, Serbian folk jewelry (bracelets, beads, necklaces), wine, slivovitz, as well as Serbian folk musical instruments (frula, gusle and dvojnice).
Office hours
Fraternal Serbia offers effective treatment at mineral resorts at very competitive prices, good skiing at an equally attractive price and interesting sights. Ancient Belgrade and the blue Danube - all about Serbia: tours, hotels, maps.
- Tours for May to Serbia
- Last minute tours Worldwide
Serbia can hardly be called a “promoted” destination, but in one type of tourism it can already easily give a head start to many countries. We are talking about health tours: local resorts are rightfully considered one of the best in Europe in terms of the number and combination of healing factors. At the same time, they have quite modern equipment and set extremely reasonable prices for their services by “average European” standards. Other advantages of Serbia for tourism: good nature, mild climate, ample opportunities for hunting and fishing and a good historical “excursion”.
Modestly peeking over the shoulders of its more popular skiing neighbors in Europe, winter Serbia attracts today's discerning tourists with low prices, short flights and a Slavic soul. The condition of the slopes cannot be determined unambiguously - rather, the optimistic phrase “he will try” comes to mind. And the country is really trying its best: new tracks appear every year, as well as “adult features” like night skiing. Another plus is the extremely affordable ski schools with Russian-speaking instructors.
Regions and resorts of Serbia
Time difference from Moscow
− 1 hour in winter −2 hours
- with Kaliningrad
- with Samara
- with Yekaterinburg
- with Omsk
- with Krasnoyarsk
- with Irkutsk
- with Yakutsk
- with Vladivostok
- from Severo-Kurilsk
- with Kamchatka
Climate
The northern regions of Serbia are dominated by a continental climate: summers here are hot (average temperatures are +23...+25 °C, sometimes the air warms up to a barely bearable +35...+40 °C), winters are long and cold (usually In total, the thermometer drops to −1...−2 °C, but frosts down to −25 °C also occur). The climate in the southern regions is moderate continental, in the mountainous regions it is correspondingly mountainous.
The best time to travel to Serbia is late spring, early autumn and summer months. The season at ski resorts officially lasts from December 8 (in fact, you can conquer the slopes in November) until mid-March.
The warmest month is July, the coldest month is January, the most precipitation falls in May-June. The main weather feature of Serbia is constant winds: in the off-season, bone-chilling Košava and dry Severac blow in the north, cold Moravac and warm southern winds blow in the Morava River valley, and humid southwestern currents from the Adriatic in the western regions.
Communications and Wi-Fi
The top 3 Serbian mobile operators are Telekom Serbia, VIP Mobile and Telenor. A SIM card can be purchased at company offices, press stands, post offices and some stores, but it should be borne in mind that it may take an hour or even more to activate it. They also sell express payment cards, which are the most convenient way to top up your balance.
The operator Telecom Serbia has a tariff for tourists Super Tourist SIM for 1800 RSD with 30 prepaid minutes of international calls.
From payphones installed on the streets of large cities, you can make calls both within Serbia and to other countries of the world. Payphones accept Halo Kartitsa cards worth 300 RSD; calls with local subscribers cost 1.20 RSD, with Russia - 24.50 RSD per minute.
Free Wi-Fi is available in many hotels, restaurants, libraries and other public places. Internet cafes are open in big cities, and in Belgrade parks you can find benches marked with blue flowers that provide free access to the Internet.
Hotels in Serbia
Information desk: 998, tourist information: 987, police: 92, fire brigade: 93, ambulance: 94
City codes: Belgrade - 11, Novi Sad - 21, Subotica - 24, Nis - 18.
Travel to Serbia
Beaches of Serbia
The swimming season in Serbia starts in mid-June, when the water in the rivers warms up to +20 °C. You can sunbathe and swim until the beginning of October, until the harsh “koshava” and “severac” blow. The most popular beaches are located right in the capital. The Ada Ciganlija Peninsula attracts both adherents of a relaxing family holiday and fans of water activities. The water here, by the way, is the cleanest: dams with filters connected to the right bank of the Sava form an artificial lake surrounded by beaches with sand and pebbles. Admission is free, all amenities are on site. There are special areas with shallow water for children, and for adults there are sports grounds, cafes and bars, and equipment rental points.
The Blue Flag guarantees the cleanliness and safety of the coast of Ada Ciganliya.
The Lido beach in the Zemun area is not so crowded: swimming here is not recommended, but sunbathing, playing volleyball and relaxing in coastal bars is welcome.
Another great place for a summer holiday is Novi Sad on the banks of the Danube. This is a resort with a rich history, which became fashionable among European bohemians at the beginning of the last century. Today, the Strand beach has a luxurious shady garden and developed infrastructure (from showers and toilets to restaurants serving Balkan cuisine). You can diversify the cultural program with fun at the numerous festivals that are regularly held in the city.
Diving
Serbia is landlocked, but if you wish, you can dive in the waters of the Danube or large lakes. Almost all European fish species are found here: bream, minnows, carp, catfish, all kinds of sturgeon. At the bottom of the Danube there are wrecks from the Second World War, but diving to them can only be done under the guidance of certified instructors who know the area. Underwater caves are even more dangerous: they have been practically unexplored, and even experienced divers still do not risk swimming there. There are several diving schools open in Belgrade and other Serbian cities, where you can rent equipment, book a guided underwater excursion and get all the necessary recommendations.
Treatment in Serbia
Not only doctors, but also nature itself take care of the health of guests of Serbian resorts. About a thousand mineral springs, healing mud, clean air and mild climate - everything you need for harmony of body and spirit. Of course, doctors also work “excellently”: numerous hotels and sanatoriums offer effective physiotherapy and spa techniques developed for patients with any diagnosis. And, what’s especially nice, prices for treatment in Serbia are more than moderate compared to average European prices.
What to bring
It is better to bring handicrafts from Serbia: if you try hard, you can find truly unique items in local shops. Ceramic vases, pots and whistles, loom-woven scarves and shawls, dolls in national costumes, patterned brandy flasks, knitted sweaters and socks - Balkan craftsmen know how to surprise tourists. Just for fun, you can buy elements of a traditional costume: “opantsy” bast shoes with curved toes or “shaikachi” caps. Much more practical purchases are handmade leather shoes and accessories: the quality and design are beyond praise.
You can’t leave hospitable Serbia without some goodies: rakia fruit vodka, Pelinkovac wormwood liqueur, herbal tea, ajvar vegetable caviar and plum jam.
Cuisine and restaurants of Serbia
Accustomed to being at the center of European events, Serbs boldly mix the gastronomic traditions of different cultures: Slavic and German, Turkish and Mediterranean. All the treats are simple and incredibly tasty, with the addition of aromatic spices and kaymak milk - specially fermented and lightly salted.
Traditional first courses are liquid “soup” broth and rich “chorba”. For the main course, you should try pork sausages “čevapčiči”, chopped cutlets “pljeskavici”, chops “veshalitsy” and skewered pork “cookies” (not to be confused with flour products!). Ideal combinations of meat and vegetables are “Dzhuvech” stew with tomatoes and an analogue of cabbage rolls “Sarma” with minced meat and rice. The most original dishes are dried prosciutto legs, stewed kapama lamb with salad and yoghurt, and the finest steak Karadjordjeva schnitzel. The fish is used to prepare fish soup “riblya chorba”, trout with prunes and carp in cream. Instead of fast food, there are all kinds of pastries: puff “bureks” with fillings, thin “pita” pies and “priganice” donuts.
Serbs have a special passion for spicy dishes, which is why “feferoni” peppers are a side dish for almost every meal.
It is better to get acquainted with authentic Serbian cuisine in traditional kafanas - establishments with live music, simple interiors and a relaxed atmosphere. In small towns there are many family restaurants offering regional dishes based on old recipes. In Belgrade, eateries with experimental cuisine are opening more and more often: this is where the chef’s imagination can run wild. Lunch for two in a standard cafe will cost from 1200-1300 RSD, a snack in fast food - from 450-550 RSD, dinner with alcohol in a good restaurant - from 2000-3000 RSD.
fortresses
The ethnic village of Drvengrad embodies idyllic memories of Serbia before the Balkan conflict. They belong to Emir Kusturica - the “Balkan Fellini”, each of whose films is the apotheosis of love for his native land. The wooden houses and churches were originally built as sets for the movie “Life is a Miracle,” and today they have turned into a popular tourist complex where you can stay overnight, soak up the atmosphere and, if you’re lucky, even meet the master who lives here.
One of the most monumental fortresses, which belonged to the Brankovic dynasty, is located in Smederevo near the capital. There are also powerful defensive structures in Novi Sad: the citadel of Petrovaradin, which defended the Habsburg Empire, is a sad reminder of the times of fascism. and the only Danube gorge of its kind - Djerdap. The latter is located in the eastern part of the country, on the border with Romania, and is notable for its incredible views, the site of the Mesolithic hunters Lepenski Vir, the ancient Trajan's Bridge and the medieval Golubac Fortress. Local wildlife - bears, lynxes, wolves, black storks and many others.
Kopaonik National Park in the southwestern part of Central Serbia is home to wolves, wild boars, roe deer, foxes, hares, stoats and wolverines, and there are as many as 148 species of birds. The Tara Western Nature Reserve is home to brown bear, chamois, roe deer, lynx, otter and more than 100 species of birds, including golden eagle, griffon vulture, peregrine falcon, Eurasian eagle owl and black grouse. In the Fruska Gora National Park, under the shade of deciduous forests, deer and roe deer frolic and many birds nest, including white and black storks, imperial eagle, balaban and black kite.
Holidays and Events
January 1 - New Godina, also known as New Year: Serbian Father Frost Bozic Bata puts gifts for the children in a special stocking hidden under the tree. January 5th is the Tutsindan folk holiday, when lambs and piglets are slaughtered for the Christmas table. The next day, on Christmas Eve Badnidan, men go to the forest for badnyak - an oak log, a mandatory attribute of the main family celebration, and women prepare “pechenitsa”, pies and other delicacies. On January 7, Christmas, all this is eaten with pleasure.
January 9 - Republic Day, February 15 - Statehood Day in honor of the country's first uprising in 1804. March 22 - Babies: time for cleaning, burning garbage, jumping over fires and exchanging honey pies. The main festivities of spring are the Annunciation and Easter: church services take place from the very morning, eggs and wine are displayed on the tables, and in the evening mass festivities begin with “kolo” round dances. May 1, like ours, is Labor Day, May 9 is Victory Day. May 6 - Djurdjevdan, honoring St. George and symbolizing the boundary between winter and summer. June 28 - Vidovdan in memory of the Great Martyr Lazar.
August 2 - Elijah's Day: by eating corn, melon, fresh honey and boiled nettle, you can ensure your health for the year ahead.
Autumn is the time for public holidays: October 20 - Belgrade Liberation Day, October 29 - Constitution Day, November 11 - Armistice Day in the First World War.
Basic moments
The kindness and hospitality of the Serbs are one of the main features of the country. The protracted military conflict at the end of the 20th century taught the Serbian people to love and respect all living things, and to look into the future with optimism. European tourists are attracted to this amazing country not by the chic and luxury of tourist services, but by the cleanest air, virgin nature and human, not commercial, relationships between people. Serbia has a unique culture that dates back to the times of the Byzantine Empire. This is the birthplace of world-famous scientists: inventor Nikola Tesla, naturalist Josif Pancic, geographer Jovan Cvijc, mathematician Mihailo Petrovic, astronomer Milutin Milankovic, chemist Pavle Savic. Over the last century alone, the country has given the world the beloved film director Emir Kusturica, the poet Milorad Pavic, the singer and composer Djordje Marjanovic and many other outstanding personalities. It was Serbia that had a strong influence on the development of modern painting and sculpture, and was nominated for the title of European Capital of Culture 2020.
In recent years, tourism has been actively developing in Serbia, and there are many reasons for this: vibrant national traditions, a large number of interesting places, wonderful health resorts, friendly people. And, importantly, all this at very reasonable prices: not too inferior in level to other European countries, Serbia will delight guests with the low cost of accommodation, food and shopping.
Cities of Serbia
All cities in Serbia
Climate
Serbia has an area of 88,407 km² and for a small country, the 111th largest in the world, its climate is extremely varied. It is determined by the relief: in the north of the country lies the Central Danube Lowland with huge fertile plains, the central part is characterized by hilly terrain, and the East Serbian Mountains rise in the southeast. The weather in Serbia is greatly influenced by the warm seas - Black, Aegean and Adriatic, washing the shores of the Balkan Peninsula. As a result, a continental climate prevails in the north of the country, a temperate continental climate in the center and south, and a mountain climate in the mountains.
Life strictly according to the calendar is a distinctive feature of the climate in Serbia. Every three months correspond to a different time of year. But, unlike Russia, there are no strong snowstorms in winter, frosts are moderate and can be easily tolerated without wind. There is a lot of snow here, so ski resorts are able to offer excellent slopes during the season.
In spring, the weather in Serbia is changeable: from +15 degrees in the sun to -5 in frost. Real warmth returns with the beginning of April. At this time, fields, gardens and forests are blooming throughout the country, so lovers of natural beauty make sense to come to Serbia in mid- to late spring.
Summer heat begins in August. Heavy rains at this time of year are short-lived, and gloomy cloudy weather never lasts all day.
Winters in Serbia are usually short (no more than 2 months) and mild, but quite snowy. The average air temperature during this period is approximately 0…+5 °C. Summer is long and hot (+28…+30 °C). Most precipitation falls in May and June.
Mild Serbian winters are often marred by piercing cold winds, which even have their own names:
- Koshava - a cold wind that blows from October to April in the north of the country and brings with it freezing rain and snowstorms;
- Severac - north wind from Hungary;
- Moravac - cold north wind in the Morava River valley.
Nature
In the north of the country, on the territory of the Central Danube Lowland (or Pannonian Plain, as it is called in Hungary), is the autonomous region of Vojvodina. Today there are almost no forests here. The land of Vojvodina is very fertile and is actively used for agricultural crops of corn, wheat, vegetables and, of course, sunflowers. A blooming field of sunflowers can compete in beauty with the most spectacular landscapes that exist on planet Earth!
Serbia ranks second in Europe, after Hungary, in terms of the number of rivers and lakes. The largest and most majestic among the Serbian rivers is, of course, the Danube, which forms many bays, oxbow lakes, swamps and a magnificent river, the narrowest part of which is often called the “iron gate”. consists of four gorges and three basins. In some places, sheer cliffs rise 300 meters above the waters of the Danube. Here the river abounds with numerous pools up to 90 meters deep. On the territory of the Djerdap Gorge there is a national park of the same name, the pride of which is numerous relict plants that have long disappeared in most of Europe.
The southern part of western and eastern Serbia is occupied by mountains. There are 4 mountain systems on the territory of the country: the Dinaric Highlands, the Balkan Mountains, the East Serbian Mountains and part of the Rilo-Rhodope system. The height of 15 mountains in Serbia exceeds 2000 meters. The highest point is considered to be Jeravica with a height of 2656 meters. In the mountains of Serbia, endless oak groves, beech and linden forests have found refuge.
Population and language
About 7 million people live in Serbia. The majority of the population are Serbs, the second largest are Hungarians. The vibrant national mosaic is complemented by Bulgarians, Albanians, Bosnians, Slovaks, Gypsies, Macedonians, and Romanians.
The official language is Serbian, but twelve regional languages are actively used together with it. The majority of the inhabitants of Serbia profess Christianity of various denominations, most of all Orthodox Christians, which somewhat makes the local traditions and culture similar to Russia.
Story
The historical roots of Serbia date back to the 6th century. The settlement of the ancient Slavs on the Balkan Peninsula marked the emergence of the first proto-state formations. By the end of the 9th century, the main principalities were formed here: Duklja, Travunia, Pagania, Zakhumje, Serbia.
The first known ruler of these lands is considered to be Prince Vysheslav, who lived in the 8th century. His descendant Vlastimir liberated the Balkan Slavs from the rule of the Byzantine Empire, after which the Serbian state expanded over almost the entire peninsula. The gaining power entered into a confrontation with its largest neighbor - the Bulgarian kingdom - alternately losing and winning lands. After peace was concluded with Bulgaria, princely wars for supremacy of power began in Serbia.
The Middle Ages is considered the heyday of the Serbian state, which became possible thanks to the wise reign of Stefan Dusan, who lived in the middle of the 14th century.
The Battle of Kosovo is considered a tragic turn in the history of the country. After an unsuccessful battle in 1389, Serbia was forced to recognize the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire, becoming its vassal, and from 1459 it found itself under the rule of the Turks for as long as 350 years.
The wave of national uprisings that swept in 1804-1813 made it possible to make a breakthrough towards liberation. On July 13, 1878, Serbia gained independence under the terms of the Berlin Peace. After 4 years, the state declared itself a kingdom and existed in this format until the occupation by German troops in 1941. In 1945, a new entity appeared on the political map of Europe - the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia. It included the People's Republic of Serbia, renamed in 1963 the Socialist Republic of Serbia.
The decline of socialism here was accompanied by inter-ethnic confrontations, which led to a large-scale bloody war. In 2000, NATO was forced to use aerial bombardment, and the UN Security Council decided to send peacekeeping troops to Kosovo. Massive destruction of houses, a flow of refugees, the loss of unique monuments of church architecture - this is not a complete list of what modern Serbs have faced.
After the collapse of Yugoslavia in 2003, a union of two states was formed - Serbia and Montenegro, which existed for only 3 years. The Serbian people took the initiative to transform the state system, as a result of which on June 5, 2006, Serbia became a separate full-fledged state, and a new Constitution was adopted. Pro-European democratic forces came to power and led the process of restoration of Serbia. This made it possible to bring the country out of international isolation to establish good neighborly relations, including with Kosovo.
Sights and tourism in Serbia
Tourism in Serbia is at the stage of development, but this country can already pleasantly surprise and delight guests. Unique monastery buildings, fortresses, mansions, ski and balneological resorts, national parks and unique nature reserves await vacationers all year round.
The Serbian capital has absorbed the historical spirit of different eras, combining Western culture with Eastern culture. The city was destroyed almost forty times, but it was successfully restored again and again, which is reflected in the appearance of modern buildings.
The old part is located next to the fortress. That’s what it’s called – Stari Grad. On these streets you can see many attractions and places to relax - cozy restaurants, coffee shops, pastry shops. Of particular interest to guests are the rich exhibitions of the National Museum, located on Republic Square. If you need shops selling souvenirs, look for them in the Skadarlije quarter and near the Ada-Siganlija park - these are great places for a walk. There are also religious attractions in this part of the capital of Serbia - the majestic temple of St. Sava and the only surviving Bayrakli-Jami mosque.
Modern buildings, wide boulevards, spacious streets, alleys and recreation parks - tourists will find all this in the new part of the city, located south of the fortress. Among the key attractions of the area it is worth mentioning the Museum of the Revolution, the Union Executive Assembly, the tomb and former residence of Marshal Tito.
History buffs are advised to head to the surrounding area to see with their own eyes the largest lowland outpost in Europe, the Brankovic Fortress.
is the financial and spiritual center of Serbia, not for nothing called “Serbian Athens”. The city became the core of the formation of national culture, since for several centuries it was here that the metropolis of the Serbian Orthodox Church was located.
Tourists are attracted by walking tours around the area. During the walk, with or without a guide, you will be able to see the Petrovaradin Fortress, Serbian Folk Theater, Danube Park, Freedom Square, Orthodox temple and church.
In the suburban area is the Fruška Gora National Park, one of the Seven Wonders of Serbia. This amazing reserve is home to more than 1,500 species of plants protected by law.
Another treasure of this place is hidden in the dense deciduous forests. The complex of medieval monasteries “Holy Mountain”, among which the most famous are Hopovo, Velika Remeta, Grgetek, annually receives a large number of pilgrims.
In this paradise, not only souls are treated. Nearby is the Banja Vrdnik resort, specializing in rheumatic diseases, soft tissue injuries, peripheral paralysis and general spinal pain. A team of specialists uses advanced technologies, including cryotherapy, magnetic therapy, kinesitherapy, and acupuncture.
Subotica is the gastronomic capital of Serbia. The mixture of national cuisines of Serbs, Hungarians and Croats has led to the emergence of incredibly tasty dishes. “Paprikash” is considered the calling card of the city. Made from pork, chicken or fish, it contains an essential ingredient – paprika. Such a culinary masterpiece will be served to a guest in any restaurant or cafe.
In addition, Subotica is famous for its defensive fortress. The city was once the outskirts of the Ottoman Empire and later part of the Austro-Hungarian lands, so the fortified border outposts here are truly impressive.
The urban landscape is varied and colorful: buildings with wavy patterns, wide facades and rounded lines are found everywhere in Subotica.
The City Hall is an exemplary example of the local architectural style. Today it houses an extensive exhibition of the Historical Museum, and at the top tourists will find an excellent observation deck where they can see a vivid panorama of Subotica and its surroundings.
The oldest architectural monument of the city is considered to be the Franciscan monastery, which survived two world wars and NATO bombings. This Catholic shrine was erected on the site of an old fortress in the 18th century. On its territory there is a chapel and a church in honor of the Archangel Michael, crowned with two towers. The altar of the monastery is decorated with the image of the Black Madonna.
People also come to Subotica to get to Lake Palic. Its width is 4.2 thousand km², but its depth does not exceed 2 meters. The mineral water and mud of the lake have healing properties and have a positive effect on the skin and joints. For the convenience of vacationers, there are cafes, bicycle paths, and a picturesque park along the coast.
is a ski resort in Serbia, located south of. The subalpine climate allows you to enjoy the beauty of the mountains regardless of the time of year.
Thanks to its developed tourist infrastructure and ski slopes of varying difficulty levels, the resort quickly won the love of travelers and began to compete with many European mountain complexes. What will pleasantly surprise guests: the prices for the services offered here are much lower than the European average.
The ski season lasts from November to May, the snow cover remains stable 160 days a year. The average air temperature is from -1 to -3°C during the day, from -8 to -15°C at night. Special lifts take tourists to the peaks, where they can rent the necessary equipment. There are special slopes for children, and a large 20-kilometer track for cross-country skiing. Fans of winter romance can take a ride along the illuminated Malo Ezero highway.
In the summer, there is also something to see: the mountains fascinate with dense forests, green meadows and flower meadows. Healing springs gush out in the shady thickets, and recreation centers are located next to them.
All sights of Serbia
Serbian national cuisine
Local cuisine has absorbed the best from its neighbors and conquerors. In essence, it is a mixture of Eastern European tradition with Turkish-Arabic.
Serbs are avid meat eaters. Deliciously cooked pork is served in all restaurants, but fried lamb is more popular in the eastern regions of the country. Traditionally, meat in Serbia is used to prepare chops, chopped sausages, small kebabs, meat fried in a cauldron, and dried hams. Gourmets will definitely enjoy the assorted meats, which consist of fried liver, pork cutlets, meatballs with onions and sausage. Mustard or cream is served as a sauce for meat.
Dairy products are not inferior in culinary demand, the main of which is kaymak - thick cream similar to processed cheese. Also, not a single breakfast of local residents begins without cheese.
Vegetables are an integral part of the Serbian diet. They are on the table, regardless of whether it is breakfast or dinner. Coarsely chopped salads seasoned with vegetable oil are prepared from them. In addition, vegetables are stuffed, cooked in the oven and over an open fire. Sweet red pepper occupies a special place in the national cuisine, which is the basis of such characteristic dishes as paprikash, ajvar and pinjur.
For dessert in Serbia you will be served famous Turkish delicacies: baklava, tulumba, datli, bureks, sprinkled with syrup. But vanilla buns, pitas with apples, and manna cakes are considered native Serbian.
Among strong drinks, Serbs prefer local wines, moonshine made from grapes, herbal rakija, made from plums, pears, and quince.
It is prohibited throughout the country to grow genetically modified foods, so feel free to enjoy the taste of natural vegetables and meat!
Accommodation
Serbia is developing very actively in terms of tourism, so you can easily find 3-4 star hotels in any major city. In the capital, representatives of global chains offer their highest service to clients - Holiday Inn, Continental and others. You can book a room using the hotellook service, which will select the most profitable option for you. The cost of living in a double room ranges from 40 to 400 €.
Hostels are extremely popular among tourists - there really are a lot of them, for every budget. Hostels in Serbia are the cheapest in Europe, the price per bed varies from 7 to 15 €. Private rental of apartments, rooms and even beds is not inferior to the position: when arriving in the city, you will already see boards with thematic advertisements at the station, as well as the Serbs themselves offering accommodation for guests.
Vrnjacka BanyaThanks to its health resorts, Serbia has received the name “European health oasis”. There are more than 20 health centers in the country offering services for the prevention, rehabilitation and treatment of various diseases with the help of mud, mineral waters and clean air.
- Vrnjacka Banja specializes in the treatment and rehabilitation of diabetes, as well as diseases of the digestive system;
- Soko Banya - on the fight against nonspecific lung diseases;
- Nishka Bath was created for the treatment of cardiac and rheumatic diseases.
- Many mountainous areas in Serbia are climatic centers: Zlatar, Zlatibor and Divcibar.
Fans of winter sports prefer ski resorts located on the longest mountain range in Serbia - as well as the Brezovica resort, located on the highest mountain range in Serbia, Shar Planina.
The unique national parks of Serbia can offer the best rest in the lap of nature:
- Tara;
- Golia.
A real rarity of nature of global importance is Djavolya-Varosh (“City of the Devil”), consisting of earthen pyramids of bizarre shapes.
Fans of the work of the famous director Emir Kusturica should visit the ethnographic village he created on the top of Mount Mečavnik. All streets are named after film figures, for example Piazza Federico Fellini. Emir Kusturica also became the founder of the international festival of auteur cinema Küstendorf film festival in Drvengrad.