The Republic of Serbia is located in Southeastern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula, in a region commonly known as The Balkans. Serbia’s current boundaries were only established in November 2006, with the passing of its current constitution. From 1945-1989, Serbia was one of the republics of the nation of Yugoslavia, and its title was Socialist Republic of Serbia. Its leader from 1945-1980 was Josip Broz Tito. With Tito’s death in 1980, no one leader could maintain the unity of the nation. In 1989, Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia was elected president. His efforts at Serbian domination caused the breakaway from the nation of the other former republics along ethnic boundaries between 1991 and 2008.
Serbia is bordered by Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Hungary. Of these independent countries, Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia are former Socialist Republics of Yugoslavia. A sixth former Socialist Republic, Slovenia, does not share a border with Serbia. Portions of Serbia’s borders with Kosovo and with Bosnia and Herzegovina are still in dispute. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo as a sovereign nation, though Kosovo declared independence in February 2008.
In area, Serbia is slightly smaller than South Carolina. Serbia is a landlocked country, but the two major rivers which run through it, the Danube and the Sava, provide a trade outlet. The capital of Serbia is Belgrade, which is located at the junction of these rivers. Serbia is located at the center of land trade routes from Western Europe to Turkey and the Near East. Serbia has a continental climate, but winters are cold enough in parts of the country for popular winter sports such as skiing and ice skating.
Serbia’s current form of government is a democratic republic. For forty-five years under Tito, it had a Communist government, and was a member of the Non-aligned Movement, which demanded autonomy with regard to the Soviet Union. The president and the parliament, the National Assembly, are elected in general elections every four years.
The population of Serbia is just over 7 million (July 2009 estimate). Although the majority ethnic group now are ethnic Serbs, there are also Hungarians, Roma, and other minorities. The official language is Serbian, which is a Slavic language. In the region of Vojvodina, Hungarian, Romanian, Ukraine, Slovak, and Croatian are also official languages. The Serbian Orthodox Church is the country’s main religion, although religious practice was suppressed during the Communist period. Other religions practiced include Catholicism and Protestantism.
Popular pastimes include soccer, skiing, hiking, hunting and fishing, and gardening. Many Serbs have weekend cottages where they enjoy cultivating vegetables and vineyards and entertaining friends. Chess is a popular board game. There are many cultural activities in Belgrade.
Web Sites
Catalog
Search the library's catalog for Milosovic, Serbia, Tito, Yugoslavia.
Databases
Enter Serbia in these databases:
**Survey: Provide Feedback About the Web Site, Including This Page**