Serbia[rɛpǔblika sř̩�bija]

Geographical Position

Crossroads of Central and South-East Europe

Landlocked Country

Landscape

Đavolja Varoš Ćele Kula

Population Density

Belgrade (Beograd): 1,2 mil

Novi Sad : 220,000 Niš : 180,000

Ethnic Groups

82.9 % Serbs

3.9 % Hungarians

1.8 % Bosniaks

1.4 % Roma

10 % Others

Religion

84.1 % Orthodoxy

6.24 % Catholicism

3.42 % Islam

1.44 % Protestantism

The Economical Situation

estimated GDP in 2012 of $82.274 billion or $11.079 per capita

upper-middle income economy

GDP per capita is 35% of EU average

Main Industries

Tobacco Industry

Electricity

2003: the world‘s largest cigarette maker Phillip Morris buys DIN and DIV for €605

million

most important energy center in South-East

Europe

Cultural Influences

Eastern Rome

Western Rome

Over centuries Serbia was straddeling the boundaries between West and East

Kingdom of Hungary

Bulgarian Empire

Frankish Kingdom

Austrian – Hungarian

EmpireByzantium

Ottoman Empire

Result: distinct characters and sharp contrast between East and South

Cultural Differences

North South

Tied to Western Europe Leaning towards Balkans

and Mediterranean character

people mostly use Cyrillic letters

people mostly use Roman letters

Common Traditions

The Year 1389 - Battle of Blackbird's Field

Lazar Hrebeljanović

Sultan Murad I.

Kosovo Field - Priština

June 15th - St. Vitus' Day

Beginning of national consciousness and national pride – National Identity

2nd YoguslaviaSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Yugoslav Wars1991 - 1995

bitter ethnic conflicts

War in Slovenia (1991) Croatian War (1991-1995) Bosnian War (1992-1995)

The Breakup of Yugoslavia

1991: Slovenia, Croatia,

Macedonia

1999: Bosnia and Herzegovina

2008: Montenegro and Kosovo

The Kosovo War 1998 - 1999

1998: Open conflict

March 1999: NATO intervention

June 1999: Milošević agreed to withdraw

troops

August 1999: Kfor was sent to Kosovo

Serbian civilians flee revenge attacks

KLA = Kosovo Liberation Army

Aftermath and Present Situation

In February 2008 the government of Kosovo

proclaimed the independence

Even today around 62% of the Serbs do not accept

the independence of Kosovo

In March 2004 - 19 people are killed in the worst clashes

between Serbs and ethnic Albanians since 1999.

February 2005: Boris Tadic

promises to defend rights of Serbs in

Kosovo

NATO bombing caused substantial harm

to infrastructure and economy

Why do you think the Kosovo is so important for Serbs ?

Thank You For Your Attention !