Serbia

Serbia

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Republika Srbija/Republic of Serbia Area 88,361 sq km/34,116 sq mi Capital Belgrade Language Serbian, as well as ethnic minority languages (including Albanian and Hungarian) Religion Orthodox Christianity (predominant religion), small Roman Catholic, Protestant and Jewish minorities; a significant Muslim minority concentrated in the south Time difference GMT +1 Major holidays 1–2 January, 15 February, 27 April, 1–2 May, 9 May, 13 July, 29–30 November; Orthodox Christian holidays may also be celebrated throughout much of the region


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Priatina, Novi Sad, Nia, Kragujevac, Subotica, Zrenjanin Physical features landlocked mountainous and thickly forested in the south, north dominated by flat, fertile plains Airports two international airports and several domestic airports; total passengers carried: 1.41 million (2004) Railways total length: 4,135 km/2,569 mi (2005); Roads total road network: 38,344 km/23,826 mi, of which 62.4% paved (2002); passenger cars: 135 per 1,000 people (2002 est; data relates to Serbia and Montenegro)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Boris Tadic from 2006 Head of government Vojislav Koatunica from 2006 Political system emergent democracy Political executive limited presidency Administrative divisions 29 regions, including the territories of Kosovo and the formerly autonomous province of Vojvodina (which have five and seven districts respectively) Political parties Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), Serb nationalist, reform socialist (ex-communist); Serbian Radical Party (SRS), Serb nationalist, extreme right wing; Democratic Party (DS), moderate nationalist; Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), moderate nationalist; G17 Plus, liberal conservative; Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO), conservative; Serbian Liberal Party (SLS), liberal centrist; New Serbia (NS) coalition, national conservative; League of Vojvodina Democrats, Serbian regionalist social democrats; Democratic Community of Vojvodina Hungarians (DZVM), ethnic Hungarian; Bosniak Democratic Party of Sandzak; Democratic Party of Albanians/Party of Democratic Action (DPA/PDA), ethnic Albanian Death penalty abolished in 2002 Armed forces 65,300 (2005); plus UN and international forces and personnel of about 22,300 in Kosovo (early 2006) Conscription military service is compulsory for men for six months; voluntary military service for women introduced in 1983 Defence spend (% GDP) 3.4 (2004 est; data relates to Serbia and Montenegro) Health spend (percnt GDP) 7.2 (2005 est; data relates to Serbia and Montenegro)


ECONOMY

Currency Serbian dinar GDP (US$) 27.1 billion (excluding Kosovo, 2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 6 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 26.8 billion (excluding Kosovo, 2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 4,200 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 12% (2006 est) Unemployment 18.5% (2004 est) Labour force 3.3% agriculture, 31.6% industry, 65.1% services (2004) Foreign debt (US$) 17.8 billion (2006 est) Major trading partners Germany, Italy, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Russia, Macedonia, Switzerland Resources petroleum, natural gas, coal, copper ore, bauxite, iron ore, zinc Industries crude steel, pig-iron, steel castings, cement, machines, passenger cars, electrical appliances, artificial fertilizers, plastics, bicycles, textiles, leather, wood-working, tobacco and food products Exports basic manufacturing, machinery and transport equipment, clothing, miscellaneous manufactured articles, food and live animals. Principal market: Bosnia-Herzegovina 15% (2003) Imports machinery and transport equipment, electrical goods, agricultural produce, mineral fuels and lubricants, basic manufactures, food and live animals, chemicals. Principal source: Germany 13.6% (2003) Arable land 33.2% (2003; data relates to Serbia and Montenegro) Agricultural products maize, sugar beet, wheat, sunflower, potatoes livestock (pork and beef) and dairy products


POPULATION

Population 10,497,000 (2006 est) Population growth rate 0.1% (2000–15) Population density (per sq km)119 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 52 (2005 est; data relates to Serbia and Montenegro) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 18%, 15–59 63%, 60+ 19% (2005 est; data relates to Serbia and Montenegro) Ethnic groups 66% Serbs, 17% Albanian, 3.5% Hungarian, followed by Romanians, Romanies, Slovaks, Croats, Bulgarians, Turks, and others. In Vojvodina, Serbs form 55% of the population; Albanians constitute 77% of the population of Kosovo. Since 1992 an influx of Serb refugees from Bosnia and Kosovo has increased the proportion of Serbs in Serbia, while many ethnic Hungarians have left Vojvodina, and an estimated 500,000 Albanians have left Kosovo. Life expectancy 72 (men); 76 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 15 (2004; data relates to Serbia and Montenegro) Education (compulsory years) 8 Literacy rate 99% (men); 94% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 1,000 people) 2.1 (2002 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 6 (2002 est) HIV infection (adult rate, %) 0.1-0.3 (2005 est; data relates to Serbia and Montenegro) AIDS deaths (adults and children) 10,000 (2005 est; data relates to Serbia and Montenegro) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 100 (urban); 86 (rural) (2002; data relates to Serbia and Montenegro)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people)32.9 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people)64 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 297 (1998; data relates to Serbia and Montenegro) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 282 (2001 est; data relates to Serbia and Montenegro) Personal computer users (per 10,000 people): 4.8 (2005 est; data relates to Serbia and Montenegro) Internet users (per 100 people): 18.6 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

3rd century BC Serbia (then known as Moesia Superior) conquered by Romans; empire was extended to Belgrade centuries later by Emperor Augustus. 6th century AD Slavic tribes, including Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, crossed River Danube and settled in Balkan Peninsula. 879 Serbs converted to Orthodox Church by St Cyril and St Methodius. mid-10th–11th centuries Serbia broke free briefly from Byzantine Empire to establish independent state. 1217 Independent Serbian kingdom re-established, reaching its height in mid-14th century under Stefan Dushan, when it controlled much of Albania and northern Greece. 1389 Serbian army defeated by Ottoman Turks at Battle of Kosovo; area became Turkish pashalik (province). 18th century Vojvodina enjoyed protection from the Austrian Habsburgs. 1815 Uprisings against Turkish rule secured autonomy for Serbia. 1878 Independence achieved as Kingdom of Serbia, after Turks defeated by Russians in war over Bulgaria. 1912–13 During Balkan Wars, Serbia expanded its territory at expense of Turkey and Bulgaria. 1918 Joined Croatia, Slovenia, and Montenegro, to form Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes under Serbian Peter Karageorgevic (Peter I). 1929 New name of Yugoslavia (‘Land of the Southern Slavs’) adopted; Serbian-dominated military dictatorship established by King Alexander I as opposition mounted from Croatian federalists. 1934 Alexander I assassinated by Macedonian with Croatian terrorist links; succeeded by young son Peter II with uncle as regent; Nazi Germany and fascist Italy increased their influence. 1941 Following coup by pro-Allied officers, Nazi Germany invaded. Armed resistance to German rule began, spearheaded by pro-royalist Serbian-based Chetniks and communist partisans. 1943 Provisional government formed by partisan leader Marshal Tito. 1945 Became constitutent republic within Yugoslav Socialist Federation under Tito's leadership. 1948 Yugoslavia split with Soviet Union after Tito objected to Soviet ‘hegemonism’; expelled from Cominform. 1953 Tito became president. 1961 Nonaligned movement formed under Yugoslavia's leadership. 1971 In response to mounting separatist demands in Croatia, new system of collective and rotating leadership introduced. 1980 Tito died; collective leadership assumed power in Federation. 1981–82 Armed forces suppressed demonstrations in Kosovo province, southern Serbia, by Albanians demanding full republic status. 1986 Slobodan Miloaevic, populist-nationalist with ambition to create ‘Greater Serbia’, became communist party leader in Serbian republic. 1988 Economic difficulties. Ethnic unrest in Montenegro and Vojvodina, and separatist demands in republics of Croatia and Slovenia. 1989 Ethnic riots in Kosovo province against Serbian attempt to end autonomous status of Kosovo and Vojvodina. 1990 Multiparty systems established in republics; Kosovo and Vojvodina stripped of autonomy; elections in Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Macedonia returned new noncommunist governments seeking looser confederation. 1991 Slovenia and Croatia declared independence; clashes between Yugoslav federal and republican armies; Slovenia accepted peace pact sponsored by European Community (EC); continued resistance in Croatia by Serb militias. 1992 Macedonia declared independence; Bosnian independence ignited three-year war between Bosnian Serbs, Croats, and Muslims. New Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) proclaimed by Serbia and Montenegro, but not internationally recognized; international sanctions imposed and UN membership suspended. 1995 US-brokered Dayton peace accord for Bosnia; Serbia accepted separate existence of Bosnia and Croatia. 1996 Diplomatic relations restored with Croatia and established with Bosnia; UN sanctions against FRY lifted. 1997 Miloaevic elected FRY president. 1998 Serb military offensive against ethnic Albanian separatists in Kosovo condemned by international community. 1999 NATO bombing campaign against Serbs; ethnic cleansing of Kosovars by Serbs intensified refugee crisis in neighbouring countries; Miloaevic indicted for crimes against humanity by International War Crimes Tribunal in the Hague; peace agreed on NATO terms; Kosovo became UN protectorate, but remained part of Serbia. 2000 Miloaevic accused by opposition of rigging presidential elections, provoking mass demonstrations; forced to concede defeat to Vojislav Koatunica; reformist alliance won parliamentary elections. FRY joined UN. 2001 Miloaevic arrested and charged with abuse of power, corruption, and fraud. 2002 Miloaevic's trial began at the Hague tribunal in the Netherlands. Serbia and Montenegro agreed to stay together in looser federation with equal powers and common foreign and defence policies. 2003 FRY ceased to exist as federation officially became new constitutional entity called Serbia and Montenegro. Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic assassinated in Belgrade. Serbia and Montenegro joined Council of Europe. 2004 Koatunica became prime minister of centre-right coalition; Democratic Party leader Boris Tadic elected Serbian president. 2006 Miloaevic died in detention in the Hague. Montenegro declared independence from Serbia, which also became independent. New constitution declaring Kosovo an integral part of Serbia approved in referendum. 2007 Ultranationalists made gains in first post-independence parliamentary elections. UN plan for Kosovo welcomed by Albanians but rejected by Serbia.


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