- Flag of Serbia and Montenegro
Until 2003 Serbia and Montenegro were republics of Yugoslavia, a nation with a short but dramatic history. It was formed in the aftermath of World War I as a homeland for several ethnic groups in southeastern Europe. For seven decades Yugoslavia survived as an uneasy union between these hostile groups. The ethnic tensions among these peoples exploded in the 1990s. As a result, Yugoslavia was broken apart. Most of the country's republics became independent, but two—Serbia and Montenegro—stayed united under the name Yugoslavia. In 2003 they dropped that name and formed a new union known simply as Serbia and Montenegro. Within Serbia are two provinces, Vojvodina in the north and Kosovo in the south. The administrative center of Serbia and Montenegro is Belgrade. GeographyThe country of Serbia and Montenegro is located on the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe. It is bordered on the north by Hungary, on the northeast by Romania, on the east by Bulgaria, on the south by Macedonia and Albania, on the southwest by the Adriatic Sea, and on the west by Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The total area of Serbia and Montenegro is 39,449 square miles (102,173 square kilometers). Serbia occupies 86 percent of this area and Montenegro 14 percent. - Mountains surround the historic town of Cetinje in southern Serbia and Montenegro.
Geographically, Serbia and Montenegro can be divided into two regions. The northern part of the country is flatland known as the Pannonian, or Danubian, Plain. The area south of the Danube River is mountainous. The Balkan Mountains rise on Serbia's eastern border. To the south are the ?ar and Kopanik Mountains. The Dinaric Alps are the main range in Montenegro. The Danube is the main river in Serbia and Montenegro. It flows southeastward from the Hungarian border, cutting through the northern plain. Its primary tributaries are the Sava, Drava, Tisa, and Morava. Throughout history, the many waterways made the region an important avenue of trade between Europe and the Middle East. Plants and animalsForests, meadows, and pastures cover about 38 percent of Serbia and Montenegro. Oak and beech grow in the lower forests. Evergreens such as pine and fir grow in the mountains. The country has a wide range of animals, including deer, foxes, wolves, wild pigs, bears, and martens. Birds include grouse, partridge, swans, buzzards, woodpeckers, and pelicans. Some mountain pastures are used for herding sheep and goats. The Adriatic Sea contains anchovies, sardines, mackerel, tuna, and other fish. PeopleSerbia and Montenegro is an ethnically diverse country. The largest group is the Serbs, who make up some two thirds of the population. They speak Serbo-Croatian, a Slavic language, and belong to the Eastern Orthodox church. A non-Slavic people, the Albanians, form the largest minority. They are Muslim and speak their own language, which is also called Albanian. They live in the southern province of Kosovo. The Montenegrin people are concentrated within the borders of their republic. They are Eastern Orthodox and speak Serbo-Croatian. Small populations of Hungarians, Bosniacs (formerly called Bosnian Muslims), Romanians, Bulgarians, and Roma (Gypsies) also live in Serbia and Montenegro. The largest city in Serbia and Montenegro is Belgrade, the administrative center of the union and the capital of Serbia, with about 1.2 million inhabitants. Pri?tina, the capital of Kosovo, is the second largest, with about 187,000 people. Other important cities include Ni?; Novi Sad, the capital of Vojvodina; and Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro. CultureFor centuries the territory that is now Serbia and Montenegro was part of the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire. The influence of the long Turkish occupation can be seen in the food, folk costumes, and architecture of the nation. The culture has also been influenced by the Slavs, Italians, and Austrians. The earliest literature in the region was religious in nature. The first popular literature appeared in Serbia in the Middle Ages, mainly in the form of epic poems describing the struggle of the Serbs against the Turks. In the 19th century Serbian writers laid the foundations of a modern literature. The Serb writer Ivo Andric won the 1961 Nobel prize for literature. EconomyNear constant warfare, government bankruptcy, and foreign embargoes severely damaged the economy of Yugoslavia during the 1990s. Following the end of widespread fighting in 1999, small signs of improvement began to appear. Agriculture makes up a large portion of Serbia and Montenegro's economy. The major crops are corn (maize), sugar beets, wheat, potatoes, and sunflowers. Plums, watermelons, apples, pears, and various berries are grown for domestic use. Grapes are widely grown for wine production. Livestock herding and fishing also contribute to the economy. Once-significant industries in Serbia and Montenegro suffered during the 1990s. Major industries include the production of machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food, electronics, textiles, automobiles, and trucks. The area also has extensive mineral and metallic deposits and a large mining industry. HistoryAlthough Serbia and Montenegro is a very young country, the history of the peoples living in the region dates back many centuries. Slavic peoples, including the Serbs and Montenegrins, settled in the Balkans during the 6th and 7th centuries AD. Over the years these peoples came under the control of various neighboring powers. In 1389 the Turks defeated the Serbs at the battle of Kosovo. After decades of resistance, Serbia finally became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1459. The small state of Montenegro managed to stay independent, largely because its mountainous landscape kept outsiders from invading. The growth of nationalismThe Serbs rebelled frequently against the Turks. In 1829 Serbia was given a degree of self-government. In 1878 the Treaty of Berlin, signed after a war between Russia and Turkey, recognized Serbia's independence. The agreement expanded the territory of Serbia and Montenegro. It also gave the empire of Austria-Hungary control over the neighboring territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Austria-Hungary formally annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908. This angered Serbia, which considered the territory part of its historic land. In 1914 a Serb patriot assassinated the Austrian archduke Francis Ferdinand. Austria declared war on Serbia. This conflict developed into World War I. The rise of YugoslaviaWorld War I destroyed Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. The collapse of these vast empires left the Balkan region in chaos. In 1918 Serbia and Montenegro were united with Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina in a new state known as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. In 1929 the new nation was renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Despite the union, tensions between the various ethnic groups in Yugoslavia remained high. These tensions exploded in 1941, when the German, Italian, Hungarian, and Bulgarian armies invaded Yugoslavia during World War II. The Croats and Slovenes openly sided with Germany and its allies. The Serbs, led by Communist forces, resisted the invading powers. The Federal Republic of YugoslaviaThe leader of the Communists was Josip Broz, later known as Marshal Tito. The Communists succeeded in fighting back the German army. After the war ended in 1945 the Communists took control of Yugoslavia. Tito abolished the monarchy and reunited the devastated country. Yugoslavia was proclaimed a republic in 1946. Tito ruled Yugoslavia for more than four decades. His death in 1980 weakened the Communists' hold on the government of Yugoslavia. In the late 1980s the Communists agreed to give up power. In 1990 Yugoslavia held its first democratic elections since Tito took power. Civil warDuring his life Tito held in check tensions between the various ethnic groups in Yugoslavia. These tensions resurfaced after his death. In 1991 Croatia, Slovenia, and Macedonia declared their independence from Yugoslavia. Bosnia and Herzegovina voted for independence in 1992. Serbia strongly opposed the breakup of Yugoslavia. The Serbian government supported Serbs living in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in their fight to reunite those republics with Serbia. Bosnia and Herzegovina endured the worst fighting of this civil war. Croat and Serb forces committed many war crimes, many of which were aimed at the Muslim population of the region. In 1995 the United Nations helped the warring sides reach a peace agreement. By this time, the old borders of Yugoslavia had been completely redrawn. In place of one there existed five independent countries. They were Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and Yugoslavia (consisting of Serbia and Montenegro). Kosovo conflict and beyondEthnic tensions continued in the remaining republics of Yugoslavia after the civil war. For years Albanian minorities living in the southern Serbian region of Kosovo had been calling for independence. By 1998 Albanian rebels were battling Serb forces. In early 1999 the Serbs launched a major offensive against the rebels. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), led by the United States, responded with a military campaign against Serbia. The air strikes drove back the Serbian army and ended the fighting. Nevertheless, tensions between Albanians and Serbs remained high. The NATO war against Serbia weakened the repressive government of President Slobodan Milosevic. Milosevic also lost the support of the Serbian people. In September 2000 he was defeated in the country's presidential elections. Milosevic refused to accept the results, leading to massive protests. In October he finally agreed to step down. In 2001 Milosevic was arrested by Yugoslavian forces and turned over to Western powers to stand trial for war crimes allegedly committed during the war in Kosovo. The new Yugoslavian government expressed the desire to end the country's ongoing troubles and strengthen ties to the rest of Europe. When Montenegro began to call for independence in the late 1990s, international leaders worried that more violence might result. In 2002 the foreign minister of the European Union helped draw up an agreement between the leaders of Montenegro and Serbia to form a new state. Under the agreement each republic would have more independence but maintain a loose union. The national parliament and that of each of the two republics accepted the new union, and in February 2003 the new country of Serbia and Montenegro replaced the old Yugoslav federation. Population (2002 estimate), 10,664,000. |