Serbia and Montesquieu: Difference between pages

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{{Infobox Country or territory

[[Image:Charles Montesquieu.jpg|thumb|right|Montesquieu in 1728.]]

|native_name = Република Србија<br/>''Republika Srbija''

'''Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu''' ([[January 18]], [[1689]] in Bordeaux &ndash; [[February 10]], [[1755]]), more commonly known as '''Montesquieu''', was a [[France|French]] social commentator and political thinker who lived during the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]]. He is famous for his articulation of the theory of [[separation of powers]], taken for granted in modern discussions of [[government]] and implemented in many [[constitution]]s throughout the world. He was largely responsible for the popularization of the terms [[feudalism]] and [[Byzantine Empire]].

|conventional_long_name = Republic of Serbia

|common_name = Serbia

|image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg

|image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg

|image_map = Europe ___location SRB.png

|map_caption = {{map_caption |region=on the [[Europe|European continent]]}}

<!--*NATIONAL MOTTO* OF SERBIA IS **NOT** SAMO SLOGA SRBINA SPASAVA. THANKS FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING.-->

|national_anthem = <span style="line-height:1.25em;">''[[Bože pravde]]''<small><br/>''God of Justice''</small></span>

|official_languages = [[Serbian language|Serbian]] written with<br/>the [[Cyrillic alphabet]]{{smallsup|1}}

|capital = [[Image:Coat of arms of Belgrade.jpg|22px]]&nbsp;[[Belgrade]]

|latd=44 |latm=48 |latNS=N |longd=20 |longm=28 |longEW=E

|largest_city = capital

|government_type = [[Parliamentary republic]]

|leader_title1 = [[President of Serbia|President]]

|leader_title2 = [[Prime Minister of Serbia|Prime Minister]]

|leader_name1 = [[Boris Tadić]]

|leader_name2 = [[Vojislav Koštunica]]

|area_rank = 113th

|area_magnitude = 1 E10

|area = 88,361

|areami² = 34,116

|percent_water = 0.13

|population_estimate = 10,147,398

|population_estimate_rank = 83rd

|population_estimate_year = March 2007

|population_density = 115

|population_densitymi² = 297

|population_density_rank = 94th

|GDP_PPP_year = 2006

|GDP_PPP = $47,77 billion

|GDP_PPP_rank = 77th

|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $5,713

|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 99th

|sovereignty_type = Establishment

|sovereignty_note =

|established_event1 = Formation

|established_event2 = Independence

|established_event3 = Kingdom established

|established_event4 = Empire established

|established_event5 = Independence lost<br/>{{spaces|3}}to [[Ottoman Empire]]

|established_event6 = {{nowrap|[[First Serbian Uprising]]}}

|established_event7 = First Constitution

|established_event8 = [[Congress of Berlin|Recognized]]

|established_event9 = [[Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians|Kingdom of SCS]]

|established_event10 = [[Serbia and Montenegro|SCG]]&nbsp;[[Montenegrin independence referendum, 2006|dissolved]]

|established_date1 = [[8th century]]

|established_date2 = [[Circa|c.]][[1166]]

|established_date3 = [[1077]] (''Dioclea'')<br/>[[1217]] (''[[Raška (state)|Rascia]]'')

|established_date4 = [[1346]]

|established_date5 = <br/>[[1459]]

|established_date6 = [[February 15|Feb 15]], [[1804]]

|established_date7 = [[February 15|Feb 15]], [[1835]]

|established_date8 = [[1878]]

|established_date9 = [[1918]]

|established_date10 = [[June 5]], [[2006]]

|HDI_year = n/a

|HDI = n/a

|HDI_rank = n/a

|HDI_category = <font color="gray">not ranked</font>

|currency = [[Serbian dinar]]{{smallsup|2}}

|currency_code = RSD

|country_code = RS

|time_zone = [[Central European Time|CET]]

|utc_offset = +1

|cctld = [[.yu]] ([[.rs]]){{smallsup|3}}

|calling_code = 381{{smallsup|4}}

|ISO_3166-1_alpha2 = RS

|ISO_3166-1_alpha3 = SRB

|ISO_3166-1_num = 688

|alt_sport_code = SRB

|vehicle_code = SRB

|footnotes = ¹ In [[Vojvodina]], the following languages are also official: [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]], [[Slovak language|Slovak]], [[Romanian language|Romanian]], [[Pannonian Rusyn language|Rusyn]] and [[Croatian language|Croatian]]. Following the adoption of the new [[Constitution of Serbia|Constitution]], [[Serbian]] [[Latin]] script is awaiting parliamentary approval. In [[Kosovo]], [[Albanian language|Albanian]] and [[English language|English]] are also official.<br/>² The [[euro]] is used in Kosovo alongside the dinar.<br/>³ The .rs is the official internet ___domain suffix since September 2006, but former ___domain suffix .yu is still in use until the current active leases expire.<br/>⁴ To be shared with [[Montenegro]] until 2007.

}}

'''Serbia''', '''Republic of Serbia''' ({{lang-sr|Република Србија or ''Republika Srbija''}}, {{Audio|Republika Srbija.ogg|listen}}), is a [[landlocked]] [[country]] in [[Central Europe|Central]] and [[Balkans|Southeastern]] [[Europe]], covering the central part of the [[Balkans|Balkan Peninsula]] and the southern part of the [[Pannonian Plain]]. It is bordered by [[Hungary]] on the north; [[Romania]] and [[Bulgaria]] on the east; [[Albania]] and the [[Republic of Macedonia]] on the south; and [[Montenegro]], [[Croatia]] and [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]] on the west. The capital is [[Belgrade]].

==Name Biography ==

In 17th and early 20th century English works, the country was often referred to as ''Servia''.<ref name="B1911">[http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Servia 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica:Servia]</ref><ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13732a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia] used the name "Servia"</ref> The usage was often resented by Serbs, who felt that the use of "Servia" linked the Serbs to the Latin ''servus'', a slave or servant.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://clcwebjournal.lib.purdue.edu/clcweb99-2/deltcheva99.html|title=East Central Europe as a Politically Correct Scapegoat: The Case of Bulgaria}}</ref><ref name="B1911"/> The British press stopped using the term by the 1930s, allegedly due to the efforts of [[Vojislav M. Petrovich]], publisher of the Serbian grammar in London.<ref>[http://www.croatianhistory.net/etf/et112.html The period of Croatia within ex-Yugoslavia]</ref>

The basic name, [[Serboi]], originates in the works of [[Tacitus]], [[Plinius]] and [[Ptolomy]] in the 1st and 2nd centuries, describing a people living north of the [[Caucasus]]. The name is of [[Iranian]] origin, not of [[Slavic]] nor [[Roman]], so the connection to the Roman word "servus" is accidental. Following the migration into [[Central Europe]], [[White Serbs]] have established a state [[Sorbia]] in the 5th century, prior to their arrival to the [[Balkans]] in 630. Serbian kings were crowned as ''Kings of all Serbs'' rather than ''Kings of Serbia'', and were using the terms ''Serb lands'' rather than ''Serbia'' itself. This is due to the fact that [[Serbs]] have mostly lived in several different tribal denominations such as [[Dioclea]] and [[Travunija]], rather than in one unified state; however, the first unified state was under the [[Vlastimirovic dynasty]] in the 9th century and has reemerged several times during [[History of Serbia|Serbian history]].

After having studied at the Catholic [[College of Juilly]], he married Jeanne de Latrigue, a Protestant who brought him a substantial dowry when he was 26. The next year, he inherited a fortune upon the death of his uncle, as well as the title Baron de [[Montesquieu]] and [[Président à Mortier]] in the [[Parlement]] of Bordeaux. By that time, England had declared itself a constitutional monarchy in the wake of its [[Glorious Revolution]] (1688–89), and had joined with [[Scotland]] in the [[Union of 1707]] to form the [[Kingdom of Great Britain]]. And in 1715 the long-reigning [[King Louis XIV|Sun King]], Louis XIV died and was succeeded by the weaker and more feeble Louis XV. These national transformations impacted Montesquieu greatly; he would later refer to them repeatedly in his work.

==Geography==

{{main|Geography of Serbia}}

Soon afterwards he achieved literary success with the publication of his ''Lettres persanes'' (''[[Persian Letters]]'', 1721), a [[satire]] based on the imaginary correspondence of an [[Oriental]] visitor to [[Paris]], pointing out the absurdities of contemporary society. He next published ''Considérations sur les causes de la grandeur des Romains et de leur décadence'' (''[[Considerations on the Causes of the Grandeur and Decadence of the Romans]]'', 1734), considered by some scholars a transition from ''The Persian Letters'' to his master work. ''De l'Esprit des Lois'' (''[[The Spirit of the Laws]]'') was originally published anonymously in [[1748]] and quickly rose to a position of enormous influence. In France, it met with an unfriendly reception from both supporters and opponents of the regime. The Roman Catholic Church banned ''l'Esprit'' – along with many of Montesquieu's other works – in 1751 and included it on the papacy's notorious [[Index Librorum Prohibitorum|Index]]. But from the rest of Europe, especially Britain, it received the highest praise.

Serbia is located in the [[Balkans]] and in the [[Pannonian Plain]]. It is placed at the crossroads between [[Central Europe|Central]], [[Southern Europe|Southern]] and [[Eastern Europe]]. The [[Danube]] river (2850 km) flows through the northern third of the country; it is 588&nbsp;km long and forms the border with [[Croatia]] and part of [[Romania]]. The [[Sava River|Sava]] river forms the southern border of the [[Vojvodina]] province, flows into (why do they always send the poor)the Danube in central [[Belgrade]], and bypasses the hills of the [[Fruška Gora]] in the west. Sixty kilometers to the northeast of Belgrade, the [[Tisza|Tisa]] river flows into the Danube and ends its 1350&nbsp;km long journey from [[Ukraine]], and the partially navigable [[Tamis]] (60&nbsp;km/350&nbsp;km) flows into the Danube near [[Pancevo]]. The [[Begej]] river (254&nbsp;km) flows into Tisa near [[Titel]]. All five rivers are navigable, connecting the country with ''Northern'' and ''Western Europe'' (through the [[Rhine-Main-Danube Canal]]–[[North Sea]] route), to ''Eastern Europe'' (via the Tisa–, [[Tamis]]–, [[Begej]]– and Danube–[[Black sea]] routes) and to ''Southern Europe'' (via the Sava river).

Montesquieu was also highly regarded in the British colonies in America as a champion of British liberty (though not of American independence). Political scientist Donald Lutz found that Montesquieu was the most frequently quoted authority on government and politics in colonial pre-revolutionary British America.<ref>"The Relative Influence of European Writers on Late Eighteenth-Century American Political Thought," ''American Political Science Review'' 78,1(March, 1984), 189-197.</ref> And following the American secession, Montesquieu remained a powerful influence on many of the [[United States|American]] Founders, most notably [[James Madison]] of [[Virginia]], the "Father of the Constitution." Montesquieu's philosophy that "government should be set up so that no man need be afraid of another" reminded Madison and others that a free and stable foundation for their new national government required the inclusion of a clearly defined and balanced separation of powers.

The eastern border of the country is determined by the [[Carpathian Mountain range]], which runs through the whole of [[Central Europe]]. The [[Carpathian Mountains|Carpathians]] meet the [[Balkan Mountains]], following the course of [[Velika Morava]], a 500&nbsp;km long (partially navigable) river. [[Midzor]] peak is the highest point in Eastern Serbia at 2156&nbsp;m. In the southeast, the [[Balkan Mountains]] meet the [[Rhodope Mountains]], connecting the country with [[Greece]]. The [[Sar Mountains]] of Kosovo form the border with [[Albania]], with one of the highest peaks in the region, [[Djeravica]] (2656 m). [[Dinaric Alps]] of Serbia follow the flow of the [[Drina river]] (at 350&nbsp;km navigable for smaller vessels only) overlooking the Dinaric peaks on the other side of the shore in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]].

[[Image:Serbia mountain ranges.png|thumb|right|250px|Serbia's geographic components]]

Besides composing additional works on society and politics, Montesquieu traveled for a number of years through [[Europe]] including [[Austria]] and [[Hungary]], spending a year in [[Italy]] and eighteen months in [[England]] before resettling in [[France]]. He was troubled by poor eyesight, and was completely blind by the time he died from a high fever in [[1755]]. He was buried in L'église [[Saint-Sulpice]] in Paris, France.

== Political views ==

===Climate===

Montesquieu's most radical work divided French society into three classes (or ''[[trias politica]]'', a term he coined): the monarchy, the aristocracy, and the commons. Montesquieu saw two types of governmental power existing: the sovereign and the administrative. The administrative powers were the [[legislative]], the [[executive (government)|executive]], and the [[judiciary]]. These should be separate from and dependent upon each other so that the influence of any one power would not be able to exceed that of the other two, either singly or in combination. This was radical because it completely eliminated the three ''Estates'' structure of the French Monarchy: the [[clergy]], the aristocracy, and the people at large represented by the [[Estates-General]], thereby erasing the last vestige of a [[feudalism|feudalistic]] structure.

The Serbian [[climate]] varies between a continental climate in the north, with cold winters, and hot, humid summers with well distributed rainfall patterns, and a more Adriatic climate in the south with hot, dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy inland snowfall. Differences in elevation, proximity to the [[Adriatic sea]] and large river basins, as well as the exposure to the winds account for climate differences.<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-92892/Serbia Serbia], ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'' Online</ref> [[Vojvodina]] possesses typical continental climate, with airmasses from [[Northern Europe|Northern]] and [[Western Europe]] which shape its climatic profile. South and Southwest Serbia is subject to Mediterranean influences, however the [[Dinaric Alps]] and other mountain ranges contribute cooling down the biggest part of warm air masses. Winters are quite harsh in [[Sandžak]] due to the mountains which encircle that plateau.<ref>Radovanović, M and Dučić, V, 2002, [http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2002EGSGA..27.2283R Variability of Climate in Serbia in the Second Half of the 20th Century], EGS XXVII General Assembly, Nice, [[21 April]] to [[26 April]] [[2002]], abstract #2283, '''27''':2283–, provided by the [[Smithsonian]] / [[NASA]] Astrophysics Data System</ref>

Likewise, there were three main forms of government, each supported by a social "principle": [[monarchy|monarchies]] (free governments headed by a hereditary figure, e.g. king, queen, emperor), which rely on the [[Honour|principle of honor]]; [[republic]]s (free governments headed by popularly elected leaders), which rely on the [[Virtue|principle of virtue]]; and [[despot|despotisms]] (enslaved governments headed by [[dictator]]s), which rely on [[fear]]. The free governments are dependent on fragile constitutional arrangements. Montesquieu devotes four chapters of ''The Spirit of the Laws'' to a discussion of England, a contemporary free government, where liberty was sustained by a balance of powers. Montesquieu worried that in France the intermediate powers (i.e., the nobility) which moderated the power of the prince were being eroded.

Average annual air temperature for the period [[1961]]–[[1990|90]] for the area with the altitude of up to 300 m amounts to 10.9&nbsp;[[°C]]. The areas with the altitudes of 300 to 500 m have average annual temperature of around 10.0&nbsp;°C, and over 1000 m of altitude around 6.0&nbsp;°C.<ref name="RHMZ">[http://www.hidmet.sr.gov.yu/eng/meteorologija/klimatologija_srbije.php Basic Climate Characteristics for the Territory of Serbia], Hydrometeorologic Service of Serbia</ref>

Like many of his generation, Montesquieu held a number of views that might today be judged controversial. While he endorsed the idea that a woman could head a government, he held that she could not be effective as the head of a family. He firmly accepted the role of a hereditary aristocracy and the value of [[primogeniture]]. His views have also been abused by modern [[Revisionism|revisionists]]; for instance, even though Montesquieu was ahead of his time as an ardent opponent of [[slavery]], he has been quoted out of context in attempts to show he supported it.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}

===Cities===

{{main|Serbian cities}}

[[Image:Sr-map.png|270px|thumb|right|Map of Serbia]]

One of his more exotic ideas, outlined in ''[[The Spirit of the Laws]]'' and hinted at in ''Persian Letters'', is the [meteorological] climate theory, which holds that [[climate]] may substantially influence the nature of man and his society. He goes so far as to assert that certain climates are superior to others, the temperate climate of France being ideal. His view is that people living in very warm countries are "too hot-tempered," while those in northern countries are "icy" or "stiff." The climate of middle Europe is therefore optimal. On this point, Montesquieu may well have been influenced by similar statements in ''[[Germania (book)|Germania]]'' by [[Tacitus]], one of Montesquieu's favorite authors.

Major cities (over 100,000 inhabitants) — 2002 census data, for Kosovo current [http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=1150378054&men=gcis&lng=en&dat=32&geo=-244&srt=npan&col=aohdq&geo=-3985 World Gazetteer] estimates (unofficial):

* [[Beograd]] (Belgrade): 1,273,651 (inner city area); 1,576,124 (with suburbs)

* [[Novi Sad]]: 215,659 (298,139 greater metropolitan area)

* [[Priština]]: between 155,499 (1991 census) and 262,686 (2006 calculation)

* [[Niš]]: 194,790 (250,518 greater metropolitan area)

* [[Kragujevac]]: 147.473 (180.252 greater metropolitan area)

* [[Prizren]]: between 92,303 (1991 census) and 165,227 (2006 calculation)

* [[Subotica]]: 99,471 (147,758 greater metropolitan area)

* [[Leskovac]]: 78,030 (156,252 greater metropolitan area)

==Notes==

===National parks===

<references/>

Serbia has five [[national park]]s:

*[[Fruška Gora]] (250 km²)

*[[Kopaonik]] (120 km²)

*[[Tara National Park|Tara]] (220 km²)

*[[Đerdap]] ([[Iron Gate (Danube)|Iron Gate]]) (640 km²)

*[[Šar mountain|Šar-planina]] (390 km²)

==HistoryFurther reading==

{{French literature (small)}}

{{main|History of Serbia}}

* Pangle, Thomas, ''Montesquieu’s Philosophy of Liberalism'' (Chicago: 1989 rpt.; 1973).

{{see also|List of Serbian monarchs|History of Yugoslavia|}}

* Person, James Jr., ed. “Montesquieu” (excerpts from chap. 8) in ''Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800'', (Gale Publishing: 1988), vol. 7, pp. 350-52.

* Shackleton, Robert. ''Montesquieu; a Critical Biography''. (Oxford: 1961).

* Schaub, Diana J. ''Erotic Liberalism: Women and Revolution in Montesquieu's'' 'Persian Letters'. (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 1995).

* Spurlin, Paul M. ''Montesquieu in America, 1760-1801'' (New York: Octagon Books, 1961).

== List of works ==

Upon arrival to [[Balkans]] in 6th and 7th century, the [[Serbs]] formed several medieval states, which succumbed to the [[Ottoman Empire]] in 16th century. The first Serbia was made in 1217 and modern Serbia was reinstated in 19th century, when it become an independent principality and then kingdom. In 20th century, Serbia was a backbone of various [[Yugoslavia|South Slavic states]], including the [[Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes]] from 1918 to 1941 (renamed the [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia]] in 1929), the [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]] from 1945 to 1992, the [[Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]] from 1992 to 2003, and the State Union of [[Serbia and Montenegro]] from 2003 to 2006.<ref>[http://www.lahana.org/blog/Second%20Balkan%20War.htm Second Balkan War 1913], Lahana.org</ref><ref>[http://www.germannotes.com/hist_ww1_opening.shtml Outbreak and Opening of WW1], GermanNotes.com</ref><ref>[http://www.infoplease.com/spot/yugotimeline1.html Timeline: The Former Yugoslavia], InfoPlease.com</ref> After [[Montenegro]] [[Montenegrin independence referendum, 2006|voted]] for independence from the State Union, Serbia officially proclaimed its independence on [[June 7]], [[2006]], as the [[successor state]] to the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro.

* ''Les causes de l'écho'' (''The Causes of an Echo'')

* ''Les glandes rénales'' (''The Renal Glands'')

* ''La cause de la pesanteur des corps'' (''The Cause of Gravity of Bodies'')

* ''La damnation éternelle des païens'' (''The Eternal Damnation of the Pagans'', 1711)

* ''Système des Idées'' (''System of Ideas'', 1716)

* ''[[Lettres persanes]]'' (''Persian Letters'', 1721)

* ''Le Temple de Gnide'' (''The Temple of Gnide'', a novel; 1724)

* ''Arsace et Isménie'' (''(The True History of) Arsace and Isménie'', a novel; 1730)

* ''Considérations sur les causes de la grandeur des Romains et de leur décadence'' (''Considerations on the Causes of the Grandeur and Decadence of the Romans'', 1734)

* ''[[De l'esprit des lois]]'' (''(On) The Spirit of the Laws'', 1748)

* ''La défense de «L'Esprit des lois»'' (''In Defence of "The Spirit of the Laws"'', 1748)

* ''Pensées suivies de Spicilège'' (''Thoughts after Spicilège'')

===Early history=See also ==

{{portalpar|Philosophy|Socrates.png}}

[[Serbs]] settled the region by 630 AD, having been invited by the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] [[List of Byzantine Emperors|emperor]] [[Heraclius]]. They were fully converted to [[Christianity]] by 865 AD.<ref>[http://www.njegos.org/medieval/zeta.htm Serb Medieval State of Zeta], Serb Land of Montenegro website</ref><ref>[http://www.snaga.org.yu/ilustrovana_istorija_srba/tekst/engleski/01/01-06-doseljavanje-slovena.html The Arrival of Slavs, the Adoption of Christianity and the Serbian State of Stefan Nemanja], Illlustrated History of the Serbs</ref> The roots of the Serbian state date back to the [[7th century]] and the [[House of Vlastimirović]]. A Serbian kingdom (centered around [[Duklja]]) was established in the [[11th century]]. It lasted until the end of the [[12th century]].

* [[Liberalism]]

* [[Contributions to liberal theory]]

* [[French Government]]

* [[Napoleon]]

== External links ==

===Medieval===

{{wikiquote}}

[[Image:Golubac.JPG|thumb|right|230px|[[Golubački grad|Golubac fortress]]]][[Image:Serbia02.png|230px|thumb|right|Austrian and Ottoman Serbia in 1849]]

{{wikisource author|Montesquieu}}

[[Image:Kara-Djordje Petrovic.jpg|thumb|right|230px|[[Karađorđe Petrović]], leader of the [[First Serbian uprising]] in 1804]]

* [http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/search?author=Montesquieu&amode=words Free full-text works online]

* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10536a.htm Montesquieu] in The Catholic Encyclopedia.

* [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/montesquieu/ Montesquieu] in The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

* [http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/philosophers/montesquieu.html Timeline of Montesquieu's Life]

<br clear=all>

Serbs formed four distinct independent kingdoms by the 14th century — in [[Duklja|Dioclea]], [[Raška (state)|Rascia]], [[Syrmia]] and [[Bosnia (region)|Bosnia]].<ref>[http://www.njegos.org/medieval/mihailo.htm Fresco of King Mihailo], Serb Land of Montenegro website</ref><ref>[http://www.suc.org/culture/history/Serb_History/nemanjici.html Serbian Medieval History: Balkan Power (1168–1321)], Serbian Unity Congress</ref><ref>[http://www.blinkbits.com/en_wikifeeds/Szerem]</ref><ref>{{sr icon}} [http://www.rastko.org.yu/rastko-bo/istorija/srednjivek/nserovic-tvrtko_l.html Stefan Tvrtko I Kotromanić], Projekat Rastko-Boka</ref>. Of those, the most viable was [[Raška (state)|Raška]], formed in the 12th century by the Serbian [[Župan|Grand Župan]] [[Stefan Nemanja]]. In [[1220]], under [[Stefan the First Crowned]], Serbia became a kingdom, and rose from Byzantine, [[Second Bulgarian Empire|Bulgaria]]n and [[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungarian]] patronage<ref>[http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=22926]</ref>. In [[1346]], [[Stefan Dušan]] established the [[Serbian Empire]].

{{start box}}{{succession box|

title= [[List of members of the Académie française#Seat 2|Seat 2]]<br>[[Académie française]] | years=1728&ndash;1755 |

The Empire was disintegrated and fell to the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman Turks]] after the historic [[Battle of Kosovo]] in [[1389]]. The northern Serbian territories (the [[Serbian Despotate]]) were conquered in [[1459]] following the siege of the "temporary" capital [[Smederevo]]. [[Bosnia (region)|Bosnia]] fell a few years after Smederevo, and [[Herzegovina]] in [[1482]]. [[Belgrade]] was the last major Balkan city to endure Ottoman onslaughts, as it joined Catholic [[Royal Hungary]], following heavy Turkish defeat in [[Siege of Belgrade]] of [[1456]]. It held out for another 70 years, succumbing to the Ottomans in [[1521]], alongside greater part of Hungary that was soon conquered. Another shortlasting incarnation of the Serbian state was the one of [[Emperor Jovan Nenad]] in 16th-century [[Vojvodina]]' however it also collapsed to the [[Ottoman Empire]], before finally passing to the [[Habsburg Empire]], where it would remain for centuries to come.

before= [[Louis de Sacy]] |

after= [[Jean-Baptiste de Vivien de Châteaubrun]]

===Ottoman/Austrian rule===

Following the collapse of [[Serbian Empire]] in Battle of Kosovo, between [[1459]] and [[1804]], Serbia was under the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] occupation, despite three [[Austrian Empire|Austrian]] invasions and numerous rebellions (such as the [[Banat Uprising]]). [[Islam]] was in a period of expansion during this time, especially in [[Raška (region)|Raška]], Kosovo and [[Bosnia Province, Ottoman Empire|Bosnia]]. The Ottoman period was a defining one in the history of the country; Slavic, Byzantine, Arabic and Turkish cultures suffused. Many contemporary cultural traits can be traced back to Ottoman period. However the majority of the Serbs managed to keep their culture and religion through the long period of Ottoman rule. Despite three [[Austrian]] occupations and numerous rebellions, two-thirds of the modern state had remained under Ottoman rule until the early 19th century. Northern third of the modern country, [[Vojvodina]], has endured a century long Ottoman occupation before passing to [[Habsburg Empire]] in the 17th century, only to proclaim independence from [[Austria-Hungary]] in 1918.

===Principality of Serbia===

The [[First Serbian Uprising]] of [[1804]]–[[1813|13]], led by [[Đorđe Petrović]] (also known as ''Karađorđe'' or "Black George"), and the [[Second Serbian Uprising]] of [[1815]] resulted in autonomy and self-governance of the new [[Principality of Serbia]] (previously [[Pashaluk of Belgrade]]) from the [[Porte]]. As it was semi-independent from the Ottoman Empire, it is considered to be the precursor of the formation of [[History of Modern Serbia|modern Serbia]]. After the Ottomans were definitely expelled the in 1867, Serbia de facto secured its sovereignty, which was formally recognised internationally at the [[Congress of Berlin]] in 1878.<ref>[http://www.royalfamily.org/ustanak/USTANAK_ENG.htm The First Serbian Uprising], website of the Royal Family of Serbia and Yugoslavia</ref>

From [[1815]] to [[1903]], the Serbian state was ruled by the [[House of Obrenović]], except from [[1842]] to [[1858]], when Serbia was ruled by Prince [[Alexander Karađorđević, Prince of Serbia|Aleksandar Karađorđević]]. In 1903, the House of Obrenović was replaced by the [[House of Karađorđević]], who were descendants of Đorđe Petrović.

In the northern part of present-day Serbia that was ruled by the [[Austrian Empire]], the local Serbs created in 1848 their autonomous region known as the [[Serbian Vojvodina]]. The region was in 1849 transformed into new Austrian crownland known as the [[Vojvodina of Serbia and Tamiš Banat]]. Although the crownland was abolished in 1860, the Serbs from the Vojvodina region gained another opportunity to achieve their political demands in 1918.

===Independent Kingdom===

The struggle for liberty, modern society and a [[nation-state]] in Serbia lasted almost three decades and was completed with the adoption of the constitution on [[15 February]] [[1835]]. In 1876, [[Montenegro]], Serbia, and [[Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnia]] declared war against the Ottoman Empire and proclaimed their unification. However, the [[Treaty of Berlin, 1878|1878 Treaty of Berlin]], which was signed at the [[Congress of Berlin]] by the [[Great Powers]], granted complete independence only to Serbia and Montenegro, leaving Bosnia and [[Sanjak of Novi Pazar]] to [[Austria-Hungary]], who blocked their unification until the [[Balkan Wars]] of 1912 and 1913 and [[World War I]].

[[Image:Kralj_Petar_I_Karadjordjevic.jpg|220px|thumb|left|King [[Peter I of Yugoslavia|Petar I Karađorđević]], Serbian leader in the [[First World War]]]]

On [[28 June]] [[1914]] the [[Assassination in Sarajevo|assassination]] of [[Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria]] at [[Sarajevo]] in [[Austria-Hungary]] by [[Gavrilo Princip]], a South Slav unionist, Austrian citizen and member of [[Young Bosnia]], led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia. The [[Russian Empire]] started to mobilize its troops in defence of its ally Serbia, which resulted in the [[German Empire]] declaring war on Russia in support of its ally Austria-Hungary. However, as German military planners [[Schlieffen Plan#The Schlieffen Plan In Action.2C And Its Failure|wished to avoid a war on two fronts]] against both Russia and [[French Third Republic|France]], they attacked France first. This eventually culminated in all the major [[European Powers]] being drawn into the war. The Serbian Army won several major victories against Austria-Hungary at the beginning of [[World War I]], but it was overpowered by the joint forces of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria in 1915. Most of its army and some people went to exile to [[Greece]] and [[Corfu]] where it healed, regrouped and returned to [[Thessaloniki front]] to lead a final breakthrough through enemy lines on [[15 September]] [[1918]], freeing Serbia again and ending the war on [[11 November]].<ref>[http://www.archives.org.yu/ Archive of Serbia]</ref> In World War I, Serbia had 1,264,000 casualties — 28% of its total population, and 58% of its male population.{{Fact|date=January 2007}}

{{History of Serbia}}

===Yugoslavia===

After 1918, Serbia, along with [[Montenegro]], was a founding member of the [[Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes]], later known as the [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia]]. The Kingdom faced many internal challenges by those opposed to the Serbian monarchy during its early existence such as the assassination of their King and later controversy over the Kingdom's advocation of creating regional districts to replace the largely nationality and historical-deriven states which composed Yugoslavia.

During [[World War II]], Nazi Germany invaded Yugoslavia and deposed the royal family. Subsequently a puppet state of Serbia that included present-day Central Serbia and Banat, popularly called [[Nedić's Serbia]] was created. However, parts of the present-day territory of Serbia were occupied by Croatian, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Albanian, and Italian armies. The occupying powers committed numerous crimes against the civilian population, especially against Serbs and Jews.{{Fact|date=January 2007}}To counter the violence created by Royalist [[Chetnik]] guerillas, Nazi Germany negotiated with the extreme nationalist Ustase movement and agreed to the creation of an [[Independent State of Croatia]] which was permitted to persecute Serbs, Jews and others. In response to Germany creating ethnic strife in Yugoslavia, Croatian Communist [[Josip Broz Tito]] created the [[Yugoslav partisans]] combining Croat, Serb, Slovene and other nationalities fighting to oust the Nazis, the Ustase, and both the monarchist and Nedić Chetniks. The Partisans managed to create a capable and steady resistance to the Nazis and Ustase and earned the trust of the Allies in 1943 who regarded Tito as the legitimate leader of the Yugoslav resistance as a whole. By the end of 1944, the Nazis were forced out of Yugoslavia and Serbia along with other lost territory rejoined into a Yugoslav state led by Tito and the Communist Party. Tito's multiple wars against Nazis, Ustase, and Chetniks made him a natural hero to many citizens from across cultural backgrounds in Yugoslavia who despised the divisions that had been exacerbated during the war.

In 1945, Serbia was established as one of the federal units of the [[SFRJ|second Yugoslavia]], the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia, led by Tito until his death in 1980. Serbia's territorial integrity was a controversial issue during Tito's rule. In the 1960s, Tito advocated a series of policies which aggravated Serbs, the major policy being the creation of two autonomous provinces, Vojvodina and Kosovo within Serbia which had mixed populations. The measures were used as a means of balancing power in the League of Communists to insure that a Serb vote would not necessarily be a majority vote to represent Yugoslavia, in order to allow the smaller republics of Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia, and Bosnia to be able to pass votes without fear of stalemate by Serbia's vote. Thus Serbia would have to rely on getting votes from its autonomous provinces and other republics in order to pass legislation. With the historical antagonism between the different nationalities it appeared rational at the time to insure that no single republic could dominate over another. However the measure to diminish Serb dominance went further with the controversial creation of a [[Montenegrin]] ethnicity to reduce the threat of Serb nationalism within Yugoslavia. Prior to that time, Montenegrins were considered coastal and mountain Serbs who were only separated previously by different monarchies. This step presented a danger to the foundations of the Yugoslav state itself as one of the first steps in the creation of the original Yugoslav state was bringing Montenegro into the [[Kingdom of Serbia]] in 1918. This creation of a Montenegrin ethnicity and protection of Albanian autonomy in Kosovo were and remain controversial issues to this day in the Balkans.

=== Milošević and the Fall of Yugoslavia ===

Following the death of Tito, tensions grew in the Albanian-dominated autonomous province of Kosovo in southern Serbia, with Serb nationalists calling for an end to Kosovo's autonomy claiming that it was a de facto republic within Yugoslavia which nationalists could not tolerate. In 1987, a scuffle between Kosovo police and Serb nationalists caused Serbian Communist leader [[Ivan Stambolić]] to send his protege, [[Slobodan Milošević]], a Serbian with Montenegrin-Serb heritage as well as being a Communist hardliner, to calm the situation. Milošević broke the policy of neutrality and took the side of the Serbs, saying "you will not be beaten again." Afterwards, Milošević began to speak of cracking down on Kosovo separatists and strengthening Serbia's position in Yugoslavia by ridding Serbia of its autonomous provinces of Vojvodina and Kosovo and of conspiracy being leveled against Serbia within Yugoslavia.

[[Image:Smilo.jpg‎|left|thumb|220px|Slobodan Milošević, President of Serbia and later the Serb-Montenegrin remnant state of Yugoslavia.]]

Afterwards, Milošević organized large rallies in the autonomous provinces of Vojvodina, Kosovo, and the republic of Montenegro demanding the resignations of leaders and the installation of politicians loyal to Milošević. The coups succeeded and in 1989 Ivan Stambolić was forced out as Communist leader and replaced by Milošević. The final and most controversial act of 1989 was the arrest of former Kosovo communist representative [[Azem Vllasi]] which set off protests in Kosovo and the deepening of the crisis in Kosovo.

By 1990, Serbia had consolidated hold on the votes in the League of Communists but had aggravated the delegates of Slovenia and Croatia which walked out of the congress of the [[League of Communists of Yugoslavia]] and subsequently the Yugoslav communist party was dissolved. In Croatia and Slovenia, multi-party elections were called. Slovenia elected their former communist President but Croatia's electorate, reacted adversely to Milošević. Croatians and elected controversial nationalist [[Franjo Tuđman]] who promised to challenge Serbia within Yugoslavia. Milošević followed the wave of change in the rest of Yugoslavia and was made [[President of Serbia]] and officially adopted a multi-party system with Serbia's former communist establishment subsequently united around Milošević's new [[Socialist Party of Serbia]]. With Yugoslavia collapsing along ethnic and religious lines, Milošević cast himself as both the protector of Serbs and Yugoslavia from Tuđman, whom was hated and feared by Serbs because of Serbia's tragic history and raw feelings toward Croatian nationalism and Croatia itself due to its previous nationalist movement, the [[Ustaše]], which committed genocide against Serbs with the backing of Nazi Germany during World War II.

==== Balkans Wars ====

Serbia's reaction to the separation of Slovenia and Croatia by 1991 was the advocation of war by the federal [[Yugoslav People's Army]] to regain the territory and to protect Serbs in Croatia. The war with Croatia officially ended in 1992, though Serb militants continued to fight afterwards. With [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]] separating in 1992, the SFRY collapsed, resulting in Milošević and the Montenegrin president agreeing to form a new [[Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]] consisting of the two republics and having a multi-party system. This new Yugoslavia was dominated almost completely by Serbia and its presidents were largely deemed as ceremonial to represent Serb-Montenegrin unity and was not recognized by the [[United Nations]] which considered the remains of Yugoslavia to be Serbia, along with a [[protectorate]] Montenegrin state, all under the de facto rule of Milošević. The only unique power the federal government had was its official authority over the military, but again the new Yugoslav military was dominated by Serbs and was forced to coinside with Serbian military policy.

Though Yugoslavia remained officially neutral during the [[Bosnian War]], official and financial support was given by Yugoslavia to [[Bosnian Serb]] rebels who had established their own republic within Bosnia, which was held responsible by the international tribunal for war crimes in the Former Yugoslavia for mass killings of Bosniaks during the war. In 1995, the United States created a plan to end the vicious war in Bosnia known as the Dayton Accord. The U.S. did not recognize the [[Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]] to be the successor state to the [[Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia]]. The United States regarded Serbia as the successor to Yugoslavia and requested that President Milošević be at the peace accord, to represent Serbia and the Bosnian Serbs during the talks.

Milošević agreed to the territorial settlement which created a dual-republic state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a Croat-Bosniak federation in the southwest and a Serb republic called [[Srpska]] in the northeast. Serbs were also angered at the U.S. by the fact that Croatia did not face as much criticism as Bosnian Serbs had for Croatia's own displacement and alleged killings of Serbs in [[Kninska Krajina]] which completely distintigrated the formerly large Serb populations in parts of Croatia.

The aftermath of the Bosnian war, left Serbs aggravated against Milošević and his popularity in Serbia began to decline. Furthermore Montenegro had elected a Milošević Loyalist-turned-separatist Prime Minister [[Milo Đukanović]] who threatened Yugoslavia's very existance and the status of Serbian naval presence through Montenegro. With the federal government of Yugoslavia in political crisis, Milošević stepped down as Serbian president and ran for Yugoslav president in 1997 and won. Though the federal presidency had been largely ceremonial in the early 1990s, Milošević attained it so that he could have official and total control of the Serb-dominated Yugoslav military which he did not have as Serbian president. But the situation in Serbia went from bad to worse, as Kosovo separatists began to step up fighting against Serbian law enforcement.

Serbia remained officially peaceful until 1998, when clashes with the [[Kosovo Liberation Army]] (KLA) started in Kosovo and [[Metohija]]. Between 1998 and 1999, continued clashes in Kosovo between Serbian and federal Yugoslav security forces and the KLA prompted a [[Operation Allied Force|NATO aerial bombardment]] which lasted for 78 days. The attacks were stopped when Milošević agreed to remove all security forces, including the military and the police, and have them replaced by a body of international police, in return for which Kosovo would formally remain within the Yugoslav Federation (See: [[Kosovo War]]).

[[Image:5_okt_na_MTV-iju.jpg|left|thumb|220px|The age of mass-media: The 5th October revolution even made news on [[MTV]]]]

==== Ousting of Milošević ====

In September 2000, opposition parties claimed that Milošević committed fraud in routine federal elections. Street protests and rallies throughout Serbia eventually forced Milošević to concede and hand over power to the recently formed Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS), a broad coalition of anti-Milošević parties. [[5th October Overthrow|The fall of Milošević]] led to end of the international isolation Serbia suffered during the Milošević years. Serbia's new leaders announced that Serbia would seek to join the [[European Union]] and [[NATO]]. In October 2005, the EU opened negotiations with Serbia for a Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), a preliminary step towards joining the [[EU]]. These talks, however, were suspended in 2006 after the EU concluded that Serbia had not done enough to meet its obligations to cooperate with the [[International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia]].

===State Union with Montenegro and independence===

From 2003 to 2006, Serbia was part of the [[Serbia and Montenegro|State Union of Serbia and Montenegro]], into which the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia had been transformed. On [[21 May]] [[2006]] Montenegro held a [[Montenegrin independence referendum, 2006|referendum]] to determine whether or not to end the union with Serbia. The next day, state-certified results showed 55.5% of voters in favor of independence, which was just above the 55% required by the referendum. The vote of independence from Montenegro was considered by international observers to be the final end of the remains of Yugoslavia and perceived to the end to any chance of fulfilling the [[Greater Serbia]] ambition of Serbian nationalists within the near future.

On [[5 June]] [[2006]] [[National Assembly of Serbia]] declared Serbia the successor to the State Union, following the decision of the [[Parliament of Montenegro]] who declared [[Montenegro]] independent. Serbia was then recognized as an independent nation in the United Nations after eighty-eight years of being within a Yugoslav state.

==Government and politics==

{{main|Politics of Serbia}}

{{see also|Politics of Vojvodina|Elections in Serbia|Human rights in Serbia|Constitutional status of Kosovo}}

On [[4 February]] [[2003]] the [[Parliament of Serbia and Montenegro|parliament of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]] agreed to a weaker form of cooperation between Serbia and Montenegro within a [[commonwealth]] called Serbia and Montenegro. The union ceased to exist following Montenegrin and Serbian declarations of independence in June 2006.

After the ousting of [[Slobodan Milošević]] on [[5 October]] [[2000]], the country was governed by the [[Democratic Opposition of Serbia]]. Tensions gradually increased within the coalition until the [[Democratic Party of Serbia]] (DSS) left the government, leaving the [[Democratic Party (Serbia)|Democratic Party]] (DS) in overall control. Nevertheless, in March [[2004]] the DSS gathered enough support to form the new [[Government of Serbia]], together with [[G17 Plus]] and coalition [[Serbian Renewal Movement|SPO]]–[[New Serbia|NS]], and the support of the [[Socialist Party of Serbia]], who do not take part in the government, but in exchange for the support hold minor government and justice positions and influence policies. The [[Prime Minister of Serbia]] is [[Vojislav Koštunica]], leader of the [[Democratic Party of Serbia]].

The current [[President of Serbia]] is [[Boris Tadić]], leader of the [[Democratic Party (Serbia)|Democratic Party]] (DS). He was elected with 53% of the vote in the second round of the [[Serbian presidential election, 2004|Serbian presidential election]] held on [[27 June]] [[2004]], following several unsuccessful elections since [[2002]].

Serbia held a two-day [[Serbian constitutional referendum, 2006|referendum]] on [[October 28]] and [[October 29]], [[2006]], that ratified a new constitution to replace the Milošević-era constitution.

Serbia held Parliamentary elections on [[21 January]] [[2007]]. The [[Serbian Radical Party]] claimed victory, but no party has won an absolute majority.

===Administrative subdivisions===

{{main|Subdivisions of Serbia}}

[[Image:Srbija okruzi.png|thumb|200px|right|Political map of Serbia]]

Serbia is divided into 29 [[districts of Serbia|districts]] plus the [[City of Belgrade]]. The districts and the city of Belgrade are further divided into [[municipalities of Serbia|municipalities]]. Serbia has two autonomous provinces: [[Kosovo]] (called ''Kosovo i Metohija'', often abbreviated to ''Kosmet'' in [[Serbian language|Serbian]]) in the south (5 districts, 30 municipalities), which is presently under the administration of the [[UNMIK|United Nations Mission in Kosovo]], and [[Vojvodina]] in the north (7 districts, 46 municipalities).

The part of Serbia that is neither in Kosovo nor in Vojvodina is called [[Central Serbia]]. Central Serbia is not an administrative division, unlike the two autonomous provinces, and it has no regional government of its own. In [[English language|English]] this region is often called "[[Serbia proper]]" to denote "the part of the Republic of Serbia not including the provinces of Vojvodina and Kosovo", as the [[Library of Congress]] puts it.<ref>[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/yugoslavia/yu_glos.html Glossary — Yugoslavia], [[Library of Congress]]</ref> This usage was also employed in [[Serbo-Croatian]] during the Yugoslav era (in the form of "uža Srbija", literally: "narrow Serbia"). Its use in English is purely geographical, without any particular political meaning being implied.

Negotiations are currently underway to determine the final status of [[Kosovo]]. The [[Contact Group]] has postponed the completing of the status process until after Serbian parliamentary elections in January 2007.

==Demographics==

{{main|Demographics of Serbia}}

{{see also|Demographic history of Serbia|Demographic history of Vojvodina|Demographic history of Kosovo|Ethnic groups of Vojvodina}}

[[Image:Slovaci_u_Srbiji.jpg|150px|thumb|right|[[Slovaks]] in Serbia]]

;Population statistics of Serbia (Estimate May 2005):

*Serbia (total): 9,396,411

**[[Vojvodina]]: 2,116,725

**[[Central Serbia]]: 5,479,686

**Kosovo: 1,800,000

{{bar box

|width=300px

|title=Serbia <small>(excluding Kosovo)</small> in 2002

|titlebar=#ddd

|bars=

{{bar percent|Serbs|red|82.86}}

{{bar percent|Hungarians|green|3.91}}

{{bar percent|Bosniaks|lightgreen|1.82}}

{{bar percent|Roma|yellow|1.44}}

{{bar percent|Yugoslavs|blue|1.08}}

{{bar percent|other|gray|9.79}}

}}

Serbia is populated mostly by [[Serbs]]. Significant [[minority|minorities]] include [[Albanians]] (who are a majority in the province of Kosovo), [[Magyars|Hungarians]], [[Bosniaks]], [[Roma (people)|Roma]], [[Croats]], [[Slovaks]], [[Montenegrins]], [[Macedonians (ethnic group)|Macedonians]], [[Bulgarians]], [[Romanians]], etc. The two provinces, Vojvodina and Kosovo, are ethnically and religiously diverse, as they were ruled by the [[Habsburg Empire]] and [[Ottoman Empire]] respectively for longer time than the Central Serbia.

According to the last official census<ref>[http://www.statserb.sr.gov.yu/ Statistical office of the Republic of Serbia]</ref> data collected in 2002, ethnic composition of Serbia is:

*Total: 7,498,001

**Serbs: 6,212,844 (82.86%)

**Hungarians: 293,172 (3.91%)

**Bosniaks: 136,464 (1.82%)

**Roma: 107,971 (1.44%)

**Yugoslavs: 80,978 (1.08%)

**Others (each less than 1%): 666,572 (8.89%)

Albanians in the province of Kosovo did not take part in official census; their population is estimated to around 1.9 million, bounded only to the province.

==Economy==

{{main|Economy of Serbia}}

[[Image:100RSD front.jpg|right|thumb|[[Nikola Tesla]] on 100 [[Serbian dinar]] banknote]]

Serbia has an economy based mostly on various [[services]], [[industry]] and [[agriculture]]. In the late 1980s, at the beginning of the process of economic transition, its position was favourable, but it was gravely impacted by [[UN]] [[economic sanctions]] [[1992]]–[[1995|95]], the damage to infrastructure and industry during the [[NATO]] airstrikes in [[1999]], as well as having problems from losing the markets of ex-[[Yugoslavia]] and [[Comecon]]. Main economic problems include high unemployment (26.6% in 2005) and an insufficient amount of economic reforms.

After the ousting of former Federal Yugoslav President Milošević in October [[2000]], the country experienced faster economic growth (the amount of economic growth in [[2006]] was 6.3 percent<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ebrd.com/new/pressrel/2006/152nov14.htm |title=Domestic consumption drives growth in Eastern Europe |accessdate=2006-11-16 |format=HTML|work=EBRD Transition Report 2006 }}</ref>), and has been preparing for membership in the [[European Union]], its most important trading partner. Serbia suffers from high export/import trade deficit and considerable national debt. The country expects some major economic impulses and high growth rates in the next years. Serbia has been occasionally called a "Balkan tiger" due to its recent high economic growth rates, a reference to the [[East Asian Tigers]].<!-- Page no longer exists: ref>[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/world/4346608.html]</ref --> Nevertheless, Serbia's GDP is still well below 1990 levels.

Estimated GDP of Serbia for [[2006]] is $47.77 billion which is $5,713 per capita [[Purchasing Power Parity]](PPP), $3 490 (nominal). GDP growth rate in [[2006]] is 5.8%.<ref>[http://webrzs.statserb.sr.gov.yu/axd/en/index1.php?SifraV=157&Link= Economic Trends in the Republic of Serbia 2006], Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia</ref> Growth in 2005 was 6.3%<ref>[http://webrzs.statserb.sr.gov.yu/axd/en/drugastrana.php?Sifra=0001&izbor=odel&tab=30 Gross Domestic Product of the Republic of Serbia 1997–2005], Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia</ref>

FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) is [[US dollar|$]]5.85 billion or [[€]]4.5 billion.

==Culture==

{{main|Serbian culture}}

[[Image:Meister von Mileseva 001.jpg|155px|thumb|right|The White Angel in [[Mileševa monastery]]]]

Serbia is one of [[Europe|Europe's]] most culturally diverse countries. The borders between large empires ran through the territory of today's Serbia for long periods in history: between the [[Byzantine Empire|Eastern]] and [[Western Roman Empire|Western]] halves of the [[Roman Empire]]; between [[Royal Hungary]] and [[Byzantium]]; and between the [[Ottoman Empire]] and the [[Austrian Empire]] (later [[Austria-Hungary]]). As a result, while the north is culturally [[Mitteleuropa|Central European]], the south is rather more [[Oriental]]. Of course, both regions have influenced each other, and so the distinction between north and south is artificial to some extent.

The [[Byzantine Empire]]'s influence on Serbia was perhaps the greatest. Serbs are [[Eastern Orthodox Christianity|Orthodox Christians]] with their own national church — the [[Serbian Orthodox Church]]. They use both the [[Cyrillic]] and [[Latin]] alphabets, as a result of both Eastern and Western influences. The [[List of Serb Orthodox monasteries|monasteries of Serbia]], built largely in the [[Middle Ages]], are one of the most valuable and visible traces of [[History of Medieval Serbia|medieval Serbia's]] association with the Byzantium and the Orthodox World, but also with the Romanic (Western) Europe that Serbia had close ties with back in Middle Ages. Most beloved queens in [[History of Serbia|Serbian history]] were mostly of foreign origin: Helen d'Anjou (French), Anna Dondolo (Venetian), Catherine of Hungary, Symonide of Byzantium, [[Milica Nemanjic|Empress Milica of Rascia]] (Serbian).<!-- who are all these queens? can they be wikilinked? -->

===Education===

{{main|Education in Serbia}}

Education in Serbia is regulated by the [[Serbian Ministry of Education and Sports]]. Education starts in either pre-schools or elementary schools. Children enroll in elementary schools ({{lang-sr|''Osnovna škola'' / Основна школа}}) at age of 7 and it lasts for eight years.

===Tourism===

{{main|Tourism in Serbia}}

{{seealso|Agrotourism in Serbia}}

Tourism in Serbia is mostly based in mountains and villages. The most famous mountain resorts are [[Zlatibor]], [[Kopaonik]], and the [[Tara Mountain|Tara]]. There also are a lot of spas in Serbia, one the biggest of which is the [[Vrnjačka Banja]]. There is also significant tourism in [[Belgrade]] and [[Novi Sad]] (the capital of the [[Vojvodina]] province), as well to the [[EXIT (festival)|Exit Festival]] and the [[Guča|Guča trumpet festival]]. In 2006, there have been over 2 million tourists arrivals in Serbia.

===Serbian holidays===

{| class="wikitable"

! Date

! Name

! Notes

|-

| [[January 7]]

| [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox]] [[Christmas]]

|-

| [[January 13]] / [[January 14]]

| {{lang|sr|''Pravoslavna Nova Godina'' (Православна Нова Година)}}

| Orthodox [[New Year]]

|-

| [[February 15]]

| {{lang|sr|''Dan državnosti Srbije'' (Дан државности Србије)}}

| Serbian [[National Day]]

|-

| [[April 6]]

| Orthodox [[Good Friday]]

| Date for 2007 only

|-

| [[April 8]]

| Orthodox [[Easter]]

| Date for 2007 only

|-

| [[April 9]]

| Orthodox [[Easter Monday]]

| Date for 2007 only

|-

| [[May 1]] / [[May 2]]

| [[Labour Day]]

|

|-

| [[May 9]]

| [[Victory Day]]

|

|}

==Infrastructure==

===Communications===

{{main|Communications in Serbia}}

{{Expand|date=January 2007}}

===Transportation===

{{main|Transportation in Serbia}}

Serbia, in particular the valley of the [[Morava]], is often described as "the crossroads between East and West", which is one of the primary reasons for its turbulent history. The Morava valley route, which avoids mountainous regions, is by far the easiest way of traveling overland from continental [[Europe]] to [[Greece]] and [[Asia Minor]].

[[European routes]] E65, E70, E75 and E80, as well as the E662, E761, E762, E763, E771, and E851 pass through the country. The E70 westwards from Belgrade and most of the E75 are modern highways of [[motorway]] / [[autobahn]] standard or close to that.

The Danube River, [[central Europe]]'s connection to the [[Black Sea]], flows through Serbia.

There are three international airports in Serbia: [[Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport]], [[Niš Constantine the Great Airport]], and [[Priština International Airport]] (last one is located in the Serbian province of Kosovo).

The national airline carrier is [[Jat Airways]] and the railway system is operated by [[Beovoz]] in [[Belgrade]] and by [[Serbian Railways]] on the national level.

===Military===

{{main|Military of Serbia}}

The Yugoslav National Army's (JNA) structure was changed several times since the Slovenian War of Independence. Three major military re-organizations took place in 1991, 1992 and 1993. But, until the summer of 1991, the JNA was organized into three Military Districts (MD) and a Naval Military District. The Air and Air Defence Force had a separate headquarters at the same level of command as the MD. The MD, designated the 1st, 3rd, and 5th, represented an intermediate level of command between the General Staff and actual combat units. Each MD was responsible for exercising Federal control of forces within its geographic region.

The 1st MD, headquartered in Belgrade, was responsible for coordinating the defence of central and north-eastern Yugoslavia. Its estimated strength was 40,000 troops organized into six corps formations, plus units directly subordinate to the MD. Corps headquarters subordinate to the 1st MD were the following:

4th Corps, headquartered at Sarajevo;

5th Corps, headquartered at Banja Luka;

12th Corps, headquartered at Novi Sad;

17th Corps, headquartered at Tuzla;

24th Corps, headquartered at Kragujevac; and

37th Corps, headquartered at Uzice.

In addition to these forces, the 1st MD had a mechanized infantry division (headquartered in Belgrade), three mixed artillery and anti-tank brigades, and a rocket artillery brigade directly subordinate to the MD headquarters. The 1st MD was thought to have 968 tanks, 633 armoured combat vehicles and 1,392 artillery pieces, including 92 multiple rocket launchers.

The 3rd MD, headquartered in Skopje, was responsible for the defence of Yugoslavia's southern flank. Its estimated troop strength was 41,000, again organized into Corps and direct reporting units. The five Corps headquarters subordinate to the 3rd MD were:

2nd Corps, headquartered at Titograd;

21st Corps, headquartered at Niš;

41st Corps, headquartered at Bitola;

42nd Corps, headquartered at Kumanovo; and

52nd Corps, headquartered at Priština.

Two brigades of armour and two brigades of mixed artillery and anti-tank weapons were directly subordinate to the MD. The 3rd MD had 729 tanks, 472 armoured combat vehicles, and 1,190 artillery pieces, including 60 multiple rocket launchers.

The 5th MD, headquartered at Zagreb, was responsible for the defence of northern Yugoslavia and had an estimated troop strength of 35,000. The 5th MD had five Corps headquarters:

10th Corps, headquartered at Zagreb;

13th Corps, headquartered at Rijeka;

14th Corps, headquartered at Ljubljana;

31st Corps, headquartered at Maribor; and

32nd Corps, headquartered at Vara din.

The 5th MD had 711 tanks, 367 armoured combat vehicles, and 869 artillery pieces, of which 64 were multiple rocket launchers.

reference: globalsecurity.org

==Trivia==

*On [[August 17]] [[2004]] the [[National Assembly of Serbia]] adopted [[Bože Pravde]] as the country's [[national anthem|anthem]]

*In addition, the [[Obrenović]] royal coat of arms now replaces the [[Coat of Arms of Serbia]] adopted after [[World War II]]. It was first used in the [[19th century]]. The arms are those of the royal Obrenović dynasty; they are used in two versions, the large (pictured) and small (just the central shield with eagle and crown surmounting). Use of these arms is 'recommended' which means that the coat of arms is not yet official. It will become so if adoption of the Obrenović arms is approved by more than 50% of the voters in a constitutional referendum

*[[1564 Srbija]] [[Asteroid]] is discovered by [[Milorad B. Protić]] and named after Serbia

*Serbia grows about one-third of the world's [[raspberry|raspberries]] and is the leading frozen fruit exporter.<ref>[http://www.invest-in-serbia.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=66 Rebranding Serbia: A Hobby Shortly to Become a Full-Time Job?!]</ref>

*Serbia and Montenegro were represented by [[Serbia and Montenegro national football team|a single football team]] in the [[2006 FIFA World Cup]] tournament, despite having formally split just days prior to its start

==See also==

{{portal|Serbia|Flag of Serbia (state) (bordered).svg}}

*[[List of Serbs]]

*[[List of computer systems from Serbia]]

*[[Radio Television of Serbia]]

*[[Serbian Campaign (World War I)]]

*[[Serbian law]]

*[[Timeline of Serbian history]]

==References==

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==External links==

{{commonscat|Serbia}}

{{sisterlinks|Serbia}}

===Government links===

<small>(In alphabetical order of ___domain name.)</small>

* [http://www.narodnakancelarija.srbija.yu/ People's Office of Serbian President]

* [http://www.nbs.yu/english/index.htm National Bank of Serbia]

* [http://www.seio.sr.gov.yu/ The EU integration Office of Serbian Government]

* [http://www.serbia-tourism.org/index_e.php/ National Tourism Organisation of Serbia]

* [http://www.srbija.sr.gov.yu/?change_lang=en Serbian Government]

* [http://www.statserb.sr.gov.yu/ Republic of Serbia Statistical Office]

* [http://www.parlament.sr.gov.yu/content/eng/index.asp National Assembly of Serbia]

===Other links===

*[https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/rb.html CIA World Factbook profile on Serbia]

<br/>{{Political divisions of Serbia}}

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