|
|
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, an 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. 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. DOS arrested MILOSEVIC in 2001 and allowed for him to be
tried in The Hague for crimes against humanity. (MILOSEVIC died in March
2006 before the completion of his trial.) In 2001, the country's
suspension from the UN was lifted. 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 to secede from the federation and - following
a successful referendum - it 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, a new Serbian
constitution was approved. Following 15 months of inconclusive
negotiations mediated by the UN and four months of further inconclusive
negotiations mediated by the US, EU, and Russia, on 17 February 2008, the
UNMIK-administered province of Kosovo declared itself independent of
Serbia. |
|
Location: |
Southeastern Europe, between
Macedonia and Hungary |
|
Geographic coordinates: |
44 00 N, 21 00 E |
|
Map references: |
Europe |
|
Area: |
total: 77,474 sq km
land: 77,474 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
|
Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than South
Carolina |
|
Land boundaries: |
total: 2,026 km
border countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina 302 km, Bulgaria 318
km, Croatia 241 km, Hungary 151 km, Kosovo 352 km, Macedonia 62 km,
Montenegro 124 km, Romania 476 km |
|
Coastline: |
0 km (landlocked) |
|
Maritime claims: |
none (landlocked) |
|
Climate: |
in the north, continental
climate (cold winters and hot, humid summers with well distributed
rainfall); in other parts, continental and Mediterranean climate
(relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall and hot, dry summers and
autumns) |
|
Terrain: |
extremely varied; to the north,
rich fertile plains; to the east, limestone ranges and basins; to the
southeast, ancient mountains and hills |
|
Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: NA
highest point: Midzor 2,169 m |
|
Natural resources: |
oil, gas, coal, iron ore,
copper, zinc, antimony, chromite, gold, silver, magnesium, pyrite,
limestone, marble, salt, arable land |
|
Land use: |
arable land: NA
permanent crops: NA
other: NA |
|
Irrigated land: |
NA |
|
Total renewable water resources: |
208.5 cu km (note - includes
Kosovo) (2003) |
|
Natural hazards: |
destructive earthquakes |
|
Environment - current issues: |
air pollution around Belgrade
and other industrial cities; water pollution from industrial wastes dumped
into the Sava which flows into the Danube |
|
Environment - international agreements: |
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: |
controls one of the major land
routes from Western Europe to Turkey and the Near East |
|
Population: |
10,159,046
note: all
population data includes Kosovo (July 2008 est.) |
|
Median age: |
total: 37.5 years
male: 36.1 years
female: 39 years (2008 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 75.29
years
male: 72.7 years
female: 78.09 years (2008
est.) |
|
Total fertility rate: |
1.69 children born/woman (2008
est.) |
|
Major infectious diseases: |
degree of risk:
intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
and hepatitis A
vectorborne disease: Crimean Congo hemorrhagic
fever
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been
identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare
cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2008)
|
|
Nationality: |
noun: Serb(s)
adjective: Serbian |
|
Ethnic groups: |
Serb 82.9%, Hungarian 3.9%,
Romany (Gypsy) 1.4%, Yugoslavs 1.1%, Bosniaks 1.8%, Montenegrin 0.9%,
other 8% (2002 census) |
|
Religions: |
Serbian Orthodox 85%, Catholic
5.5%, Protestant 1.1%, Muslim 3.2%, unspecified 2.6%, other, unknown, or
atheist 2.6% (2002 census) |
|
Languages: |
Serbian 88.3% (official),
Hungarian 3.8%, Bosniak 1.8%, Romany (Gypsy) 1.1%, other 4.1%, unknown
0.9% (2002 census)
note: Romanian, Hungarian, Slovak,
Ukrainian, and Croatian all official in Vojvodina |
|
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 |
|
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: |
republic |
|
Capital: |
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: |
161 municipalities (opcstine,
singular - opcstina)
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 |
|
Independence: |
5 June 2006 (from Serbia and
Montenegro) |
|
National holiday: |
National Day, 15 February
|
|
Constitution: |
adopted 8 November 2006;
effective 10 November 2006 |
|
Legal system: |
based on civil law system; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
|
Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal
|
|
Executive branch: |
chief of state:
President Boris TADIC (since 11 July 2004)
head of government:
Prime Minister Vojislav KOSTUNICA (since 3 March 2004) resigned 8 March
2008
cabinet: Federal Ministries act as cabinet
elections: president elected by direct vote for a five-year
term (eligible for a second term); election last held 3 February 2008
(next to be held in 2013); prime minister elected by the Assembly
election results: Boris TADIC elected president in the second
round of voting; Boris TADIC received 51.2% of the vote and Tomislav
NIKOLIC 48.8% |
|
Legislative branch: |
unicameral National Assembly
(250 seats; deputies elected by direct vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 21 January 2007 (next to be held in 11
May 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - SRS 81, DS 64, DSS-NS 47, G17 Plus 19, SPS 16, LDP
Coalition 15, SVM 3, KZS 2, URS 1, KAPD 1, RP 1
note: President
Tadic dissolved the Assembly on 13 March 2008 and called for national
elections on 11 May 2008 |
|
Judicial branch: |
Constitutional Court, Supreme
Court (to become court of cassation under new constitution), appellate
courts, district courts, municipal courts |
|
Political parties and leaders: |
Coalition for Sandzak or KZS
[Sulejman UGLJANIN]; Democratic Party of Albanians or PDSh [Ragmi
MUSTAFA]; Democratic Party of Serbia or DSS [Vojislav KOSTUNICA];
Democratic Party or DS [Boris TADIC]; Democratic Union of the Valley or
BDL [Skender DESTANI]; Force of Serbia Movement or PSS [Bogoljub KARIC];
G17 Plus [Mladjan DINKIC]; League of Vojvodina Hungarians or SVM [Istvan
PASTOR]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Cedomir JOVANOVIC]; Movement for
Democratic Progress of LPD [Jonuz MUSLIU]; New Serbia or NS [Velimir
ILIC]; Party of Democratic Action or PVD [Riza HALIMI]; Roma Party or RP
[Srdjan SAJN]; Serbian Radical Party or SRS [Vojislav SESELJ (currently on
trial at The Hague), but Tomislav NIKOLIC is acting leader]; Socialist
Party of Serbia or SPS [Ivica DACIC]; Union of Roma of Serbia or URS
[Rajko DJURIC] |
|
International organization participation: |
ABEDA, BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC,
EBRD, FAO, G-9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD (suspended),
IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO,
ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIF (observer),
OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL,
UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US: |
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 |
|
Flag description: |
three equal horizontal stripes
of red (top), blue, and white; charged with the coat of arms of Serbia
shifted slightly to the hoist side |
|
Economy - overview: |
MILOSEVIC-era mismanagement of
the economy, an extended period of economic sanctions, and the damage to
Yugoslavia's infrastructure and industry during the NATO airstrikes in
1999 left the economy only half the size it was in 1990. After the ousting
of former Federal Yugoslav President MILOSEVIC in October 2000, the
Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) coalition government implemented
stabilization measures and embarked on a market reform program. After
renewing its membership in the IMF in December 2000, a down-sized
Yugoslavia continued to reintegrate into the international community by
rejoining the World Bank (IBRD) and the European Bank for Reconstruction
and Development (EBRD). A World Bank-European Commission sponsored Donors'
Conference held in June 2001 raised $1.3 billion for economic
restructuring. In November 2001, the Paris Club agreed to reschedule the
country's $4.5 billion public debt and wrote off 66% of the debt. In July
2004, the London Club of private creditors forgave $1.7 billion of debt
just over half the total owed. Belgrade has made only minimal progress in
restructuring and privatizing its holdings in major sectors of the
economy, including energy and telecommunications. It has made halting
progress towards EU membership and is currently pursuing a Stabilization
and Association Agreement with Brussels. Serbia is also pursuing
membership in the World Trade Organization. Unemployment remains an
ongoing political and economic problem. |
|
GDP (purchasing power parity): |
$56.89 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
GDP (official exchange rate): |
$41.44 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
GDP - real growth rate: |
7% (2007 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita (PPP): |
$7,700 (2007 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 12.3%
industry: 24.2%
services: 63.5% (2007 est.) |
|
Labor force: |
2.961 million (2002 est.)
|
|
Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture: 30%
industry: 46%
services: 24% (2002) |
|
Unemployment rate: |
18.8% (2007 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line: |
6.5% (2007 est.) |
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index: |
30 (2003) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
10.1% (2007 est.) |
|
Investment (gross fixed): |
20.1% of GDP (2007 est.) |
|
Budget: |
revenues: $9.6 billion
expenditures: $9.8 billion (2007 est.) |
|
Public debt: |
37% of GDP (2007 est.) |
|
Agriculture - products: |
wheat, maize, sugar beets,
sunflower, raspberries, beef, pork, milk |
|
Industries: |
sugar, agricultural machinery,
electrical and communication equipment, paper and pulp, lead,
transportation equipment |
|
Industrial production growth rate: |
1.8% (2007 est.) |
|
Electricity - production: |
33.87 billion kWh (2004) |
|
Electricity - consumption: |
NA kWh |
|
Electricity - exports: |
12.05 billion kWh (2004) |
|
Electricity - imports: |
11.23 billion kWh (2004) |
|
Oil - production: |
14,660 bbl/day (2003) |
|
Oil - consumption: |
85,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
|
|
Oil - exports: |
NA bbl/day |
|
Oil - imports: |
NA bbl/day |
|
Oil - proved reserves: |
77.5 million bbl (1 January
2006 est.) |
|
Natural gas - production: |
650 million cu m (2005 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - consumption: |
2.55 billion cu m (2005 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - exports: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports: |
2.1 billion cu m (2004 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - proved reserves: |
46.17 billion cu m (1 January
2006) |
|
Current account balance: |
-$6.7 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
Exports: |
$8.824 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
Exports - commodities: |
manufactured goods, food and
live animals, machinery and transport equipment |
|
Imports: |
$18.3 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
Economic aid - recipient: |
$2 billion pledged in 2001 to
Serbia and Montenegro (disbursements to follow over several years; some
aid pledged by EU and US has been placed on hold because of lack of
cooperation by Serbia in handing over General Ratko MLADIC to the criminal
court in The Hague) |
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: |
$14.22 billion (2007) |
|
Debt - external: |
$26.24 billion (includes debt
for Montenegro and Kosovo) (2007 est.) |
|
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: |
$11.95 billion (2006 est.)
|
|
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: |
|
|
Market value of publicly traded shares: |
$5.409 billion (2005) |
|
Currency (code): |
Serbian dinar (RSD) |
|
Exchange rates: |
Serbian dinars per US dollar -
54.5 (2007), 59.98 (2006) |
|
Telephones - main lines in use: |
2.719 million (2006) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular: |
6.644 million (2006) |
|
Telephone system: |
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: |
153 (station types NA) (2001)
|
|
Internet country code: |
.rs |
|
Internet hosts: |
NA |
|
Internet users: |
1.4 million (2006)
|
|
Airports: |
29 (2008) |
|
Airports - with paved runways: |
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: |
2 (2007) |
|
Pipelines: |
gas 1,921 km; oil 393 km (2007)
|
|
Railways: |
total: 3,379 km
standard gauge: 3,379 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified 1,254 km)
(2006) |
|
Roadways: |
total: 37,841 km
paved: 32,100 km
unpaved: 5,741 km (2006) |
|
Waterways: |
587 km (primarily on Danube and
Sava rivers) (2005) |
|
Military branches: |
Serbian Armed Forces (Vojska
Srbije, VS): Land Forces Command (includes Serbian naval force, consisting
of a river flotilla on the Danube), Joint Operations Command, Air and Air
Defense Forces Command (2007) |
|
Military service age and obligation: |
19-35 years of age for
compulsory military service; under a state of war or impending war,
conscription can begin at age 16; conscription is to be abolished in 2010;
9-month service obligation, with a reserve obligation to age 60 for men
and 50 for women (2007) |
| Transnational Issues |
Serbia |
|
Disputes - international: |
Serbia with several other
states protest the U.S. and other states' recognition of Kosovo's
declaring itself as a sovereign and independent state in February 2008;
ethnic Serbian municipalities along Kosovo's northern border challenge
final status of Kosovo-Serbia boundary; several thousand NATO-led KFOR
peacekeepers under UNMIK authority continue to keep the peace within
Kosovo between the ethnic Albanian majority and the Serb minority in
Kosovo; Serbia delimited about half of the boundary with Bosnia and
Herzegovina, but sections along the Drina River remain in dispute |
|
Refugees and internally displaced persons: |
refugees (country of
origin): 100,651 (Croatia); 46,951 (Bosnia and Herzegovina); 206,000
(Kosovo), note - mostly ethnic Serbs and Roma who fled Kosovo in 1999
(2008) |
|
Illicit drugs: |
transshipment point for
Southwest Asian heroin moving to Western Europe on the Balkan route;
economy vulnerable to money laundering |
|
