Adjacent Words

Serbia definitions

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Flag of Serbia

CIA World Factbook, 2008

Background
The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes was formed in 1918; its name was changed to Yugoslavia in 1929. Various paramilitary bands resisted Nazi Germany's occupation and division of Yugoslavia from 1941 to 1945, but fought each other and ethnic opponents as much as the invaders. The military and political movement headed by Josip TITO (Partisans) took full control of Yugoslavia when German and Croatian separatist forces were defeated in 1945. Although Communist, TITO's new government and his successors (he died in 1980) managed to steer their own path between the Warsaw Pact nations and the West for the next four and a half decades. In 1989, Slobodan MILOSEVIC became president of the Serbian Republic and his ultranationalist calls for Serbian domination led to the violent breakup of Yugoslavia along ethnic lines. In 1991, Croatia, Slovenia, and Macedonia declared independence, followed by Bosnia in 1992. The remaining republics of Serbia and Montenegro declared a new Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) in April 1992 and under MILOSEVIC's leadership, Serbia led various military campaigns to unite ethnic Serbs in neighboring republics into a "Greater Serbia." These actions led to Yugoslavia being ousted from the UN in 1992, but Serbia continued its - ultimately unsuccessful - campaign until signing the Dayton Peace Accords in 1995. MILOSEVIC kept tight control over Serbia and eventually became president of the FRY in 1997. In 1998, a small-scale ethnic Albanian insurgency in the formerly autonomous Serbian province of Kosovo provoked a Serbian counterinsurgency campaign that resulted in massacres and massive expulsions of ethnic Albanians living in Kosovo by FRY forces and Serb paramilitaries. The MILOSEVIC government's rejection of a proposed international settlement led to NATO's bombing of Serbia in the spring of 1999 and to the eventual withdrawal of Serbian military and police forces from Kosovo in June 1999. UNSC Resolution 1244 in June 1999 authorized the stationing of a NATO-led force (KFOR) in Kosovo to provide a safe and secure environment for the region's ethnic communities, created a UN interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) to foster self-governing institutions, and reserved the issue of Kosovo's final status for an unspecified date in the future. In 2001, UNMIK promulgated a constitutional framework that allowed Kosovo to establish institutions of self-government and led to Kosovo's first parliamentary election. FRY elections in September 2000 led to the ouster of MILOSEVIC and installed Vojislav KOSTUNICA as president. A broad coalition of democratic reformist parties known as DOS (the Democratic Opposition of Serbia) was subsequently elected to parliament in December 2000 and took control of the government. The arrest of MILOSEVIC by DOS in 2001 allowed for his subsequent transfer to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague to be tried for crimes against humanity. (MILOSEVIC died at The Hague in March 2006 before the completion of his trial.) In 2001, the country's suspension from the UN was lifted, and it was once more accepted into UN organizations. In 2003, the FRY became Serbia and Montenegro, a loose federation of the two republics with a federal level parliament. Widespread violence predominantly targeting ethnic Serbs in Kosovo in March 2004 caused the international community to open negotiations on the future status of Kosovo in January 2006. In May 2006, Montenegro invoked its right under the Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro to hold a referendum on independence from the state union. The referendum was successful, and Montenegro declared itself an independent nation on 3 June 2006. Two days later, Serbia declared that it was the successor state to the union of Serbia and Montenegro. In October 2006, the Serbian parliament unanimously approved - and a referendum confirmed - a new constitution for the country.

Location
total: 88,361 sq km land: 88,361 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative
total: 2,027 km border countries: Albania 115 km, Bosnia and Herzegovina 302 km, Bulgaria 318 km, Croatia 241 km, Hungary 151 km, Macedonia 221 km, Montenegro 203 km, Romania 476 km

Coastline
lowest point: NA highest point: Daravica 2,656 m

Natural resources
arable land: NA permanent crops: NA other: NA

Irrigated land
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note
total: 37.3 years male: 35.9 years female: 38.8 years (2007 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
total population: 75.06 years male: 72.49 years female: 77.86 years (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate
noun: Serb(s) adjective: Serbian

Ethnic groups
note: Romanian, Hungarian, Slovak, Ukrainian, and Croatian all official in Vojvodina; Albanian official in Kosovo

Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96.4% male: 98.9% female: 94.1% (2003 census) note: includes Montenegro but excludes Kosovo

Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Serbia conventional short form: Serbia local long form: Republika Srbija local short form: Srbija former: People's Republic of Serbia, Socialist Republic of Serbia

Government type
name: Belgrade geographic coordinates: 44 50 N, 20 30 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions
Serbia Proper: Beograd: Barajevo, Cukavica, Grocka, Lazarevac, Mladnovac, Novi Beograd, Obrenovac, Palilula, Rakovica, Savski Venac, Sopot, Stari Grad, Surcin, Vozdovac, Vracar, Zemun, Zrezdara; Borski Okrug: Bor, Kladovo, Majdanpek, Negotin; Branicevski Okrug: Golubac, Kucevo, Malo Crnice, Petrovac, Pozarevac, Veliko Gradiste, Zabari, Zagubica; Jablanicki Okrug: Bojnik, Crna Trava, Lebane, Leskovac, Medvedja, Vlasotince; Kolubarski Okrug: Lajkovac, Ljig, Mionica, Osecina, Ub, Valjevo; Macvanski Okrug: Bogatic, Koceljeva, Krupanj, Ljubovija, Loznica, Mali Zvornik, Sabac, Vladimirci; Moravicki Okrug: Cacak, Gornkji Milanovac, Ivanjica, Lucani; Nisavski Okrug: Aleksinac, Doljevac, Gadzin Han, Merosina, Nis, Razanj, Svrljig; Pcinjski Okrug: Bosilegrad, Bujanovac, Presevo, Surdulica, Trgoviste, Vladicin Han, Vranje; Pirotski Okrug: Babusnica, Bela Palanka, Dimitrovgrad, Pirot; Podunavski Okrug: Smederevo, Smederevskia Palanka, Velika Plana; Pomoravski Okrug: Cuprija, Despotovac, Jagodina, Paracin, Rckovac, Svilajnac; Rasinski Okrug: Aleksandrovac, Brus, Cicevac, Krusevac, Trstenik, Varvarin; Raski Okrug: Kraljevo, Novi Pazar, Raska, Tutin, Vrnjacka Banja; Sumadijski Okrug: Arandjelovac, Batocina, Knic, Kragujevac, Lapovo, Raca, Topola; Toplicki Okrug: Blace, Kursumlija, Prokuplje, Zitoradja; Zajecarski Okrug: Boljevac, Knjazevac, Sokobanja, Zalecar; Zlatiborski Okrug: Arilje, Bajina Basta, Cajetina, Kosjeric, Nova Varos, Pozega, Priboj, Prijepolje, Sjenica, Uzice; Vojvodina Autonomous Province: Juzno-Backi Okrug: Backi Petrovac, Beocin, Novi Sad, Sremski Karlovci, Temerin, Titel, Zabalj; Juzno Banatski Okrug: Alibunar, Bela Crkva, Kovacica, Kovin, Opovo, Pancevo, Plandiste, Vrsac; Severno-Backi Okrug: Backa Topola, Mali Idjos, Subotica; Severno-Banatski Okrug: Ada, Coka, Kanjiza, Kikinda, Novi Knezevac, Senta; Srednje-Banatski Okrug: Nova Crnja, Novi Becej, Secanj, Zitiste, Zrenjanin; Sremski Okrug: Indjija, Irig, Pecinci, Ruma, Sid, Sremska Mitrovica, Stara Pazova; Zapadno-Backi Okrug: Apatin, Kula, Odzaci, Sombor; Kosovo and Metojia Autonomous Province: Kosovski Okrug: Glogovac, Kacanik, Kosovo Polje, Lipljan, Obilic, Podujevo, Pristina, Stimlje, Strpce, Urosevac; Kosovsko-Mitrovacki Okrug: Kosovska Mitrovica, Leposavic, Srbica, Vucitrn, Zubin Potok, Zvecan; Kosovsko-Pomoravski Okrug: Gnjilane, Kosovska Kamenica, Novo Brdo, Vitina; Pecki Okrug: Decani, Djakovica, Istok, Klina, Pec; Prizrenski Okrug: Dragas, Orahovac, Prizren, Suva Reka

Independence
chief of state: President Boris TADIC (since 11 July 2004); Kosovo - President Fatmir SEJDIU (since 10 February 2006) head of government: Prime Minister Vojislav KOSTUNICA (since 3 March 2004); Kosovo - Prime Minister designate Hasim THACI (since 12 December 2007) cabinet: Federal Ministries act as cabinet; Kosovo - ministers act as cabinet; some ministry functions are controlled by the UNMIK elections: president elected by direct vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 27 June 2004 (next to be held in 2008 due to constitutional changes); prime minister elected by the Assembly; Kosovo - president is elected by the Assembly for a three-year term; prime minister and proposed cabinet are elected by the Assembly; elections last held 17 November 2007 election results: Boris TADIC elected president in the second round of voting; Boris TADIC received 53% of the vote

Legislative branch
elections: last held on 21 January 2007 (next to be held in 2011); Kosovo - last held on 17 November 2007(next to be held in 2010) election results: Serbia National Assembly: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SRS 81, DSS 64, DSS-NS 47, G17 Plus 19, SPS 16, LDP Coalition 15, SVM 3, KZS 2, URS 1, KAPD 1, RP 1; Kosovo Assembly: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDK 37, LDK 25, AKR 13, LDD 11, AAK 10, KDTP 3, SLS 3, Vakat 3, SDSKiM 3, PDAK 3, SDA 2, SNS 1, ND 1, PREBK 1, SNSDKiM 1, IRDK 1, SKMS 1, GIG 1

Judicial branch
note: Ministry of Justice was created on 20 December 2004; UNMIK appoints all judges and prosecutors; UNMIK is working on transferring competencies

Political parties and leaders
chief of mission: Ambassador Ivan VUJACIC chancery: 2134 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-0333 FAX: [1] (202) 332-3933 consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Cameron MUNTER embassy: Kneza Milosa 50, 11000 Belgrade mailing address: 5070 Belgrade Place, Washington, DC 20521-5070 telephone: [381] (11) 361-9344 FAX: [381] (11) 361-8230 note: there is a branch office in Pristina at 30 Nazim Hikmet 38000 Prstina, Kososvo; telephone: [381] (38) 5959-3000; FAX:[381] (38) 549-890

Flag description
note: economic data for Serbia currently reflects information for the former Serbia and Montenegro, unless otherwise noted; data for Serbia alone will be added when available

GDP (purchasing power parity)
note: data for Serbia includes Kosovo (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)
agriculture: 12.3% industry: 24.2% services: 63.5% (2007 est.)

Labor force
agriculture: 30% industry: 46% services: 24% note: excluding Kosovo and Montenegro (2002)

Unemployment rate
note: unemployment is approximately 50% in Kosovo (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line
note: data covers the former Serbia and Montenegro (1999 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index
revenues: $17.34 billion expenditures: $17.54 billion note: figures are for Serbia and Montenegro; Serbian Statistical Office indicates that for 2006 budget, Serbia will have revenues of $7.08 billion (2007 est.)

Public debt
note: includes Montenegro (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves
general assessment: modernization of the telecommunications network has been slow as a result of damage stemming from the 1999 war and transition to a competitive market-based system; network was only 65% digitalized in 2005 domestic: teledensity remains below the average for neighboring states; GSM wireless service, available through multiple providers with national coverage, is growing very rapidly; best telecommunications service limited to urban centers international: country code - 381

Radio broadcast stations
total: 16 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 4 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 23 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 12 (2007)

Heliports
total: 3,800 km standard gauge: 3,800 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified 1,195 km) (2006)

Roadways
total: 37,887 km paved: 23,937 km unpaved: 13,950 km (2002)

Waterways
refugees (country of origin): 100,651 (Croatia), 46,951 (Bosnia and Herzegovina) IDPs: 228,000 (mostly ethnic Serbs and Roma who fled Kosovo in 1999) (2006)

Illicit drugs
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin moving to Western Europe on the Balkan route; economy vulnerable to money laundering

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a historical region in central and northern Yugoslavia; Serbs settled the region in the 6th and 7th centuries [syn: Serbia, Srbija]

Merriam Webster's

or formerly Servia geographical name federated republic of Serbia and Montenegro including Kosovo & Vojvodina capital Belgrade area 34,115 square miles (88,358 square kilometers), population 9,823,000; once a kingdom

Britannica Concise

Constituent republic of Yugoslavia, comprising 80% of its area. The formerly autonomous provinces of Vojvodina and Kosovo are within its borders. Area: 34,116 sq mi (88,361 sq km). Population (1996 est.): 5,800,000. Capital: Belgrade. Ethnic Serbs, Croats, Bosnians, and Albanians live in the republic. Language: Serbo-Croatian (official). Religions: Serbian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Islam. Currency: Yugoslav new dinar. Serbia is mountainous, with forests in the central area and low-lying plains in the north. The fertile plains of Vojvodina supply much of the nation's grain, tobacco, and sugar beets, while the hilly central areas specialize in dairy, fruit, and livestock. Before the 1990s civil war, mining and manufacturing were the economic mainstays, with industries noted for textiles, and deposits of lead, zinc, coal, copper, and oil. Serbs settled the region in the 6th-7th cent. AD. In the 9th cent., nominally under Byzantine suzerainty, the Serbs converted to Eastern Orthodox Christianity. The Ottoman Turks triumphed at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389; after a period of resistance it became part of the Ottoman empire in 1459. After the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-29, it became an autonomous principality under Turkish suzerainty and Russian protection. It became completely independent of Turkey in 1878. After World War I, it became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, which was renamed Yugoslavia in 1929. In 1946 Serbia was made one of six federated republics of Yugoslavia. As the Yugoslav economy faltered in the 1980s, the country began to break apart. After an unsuccessful attempt to prevent Slovenia's secession in 1991, Serb elements of the Yugoslav armed forces began assisting Bosnian Serbs to sweep Muslims and Croats from E and N Bosnia and Herzegovina. After Yugoslavia's breakup, Serbia joined with Montenegro to form a new Yugoslav federation. The area remained in turmoil (see Bosnian conflict). The 1995 signing of the Dayton peace accords ultimately brought little relief. S. Milosevic retained power, and the push for more autonomy by Albanian Kosovars provoked another round of fighting in 1998-99 (see Kosovo conflict).