Serbia

• 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)

• extremely varied;
• to the north, rich fertile plains;
• to the east, limestone ranges and basins;
• to the southeast, ancient mountains and hills

noun:

Serb(s)

adjective:

Serbian

• Serbian (official) 88.1%, Hungarian 3.4%, Bosnian 1.9%, Romani 1.4%, other 3.4%, undeclared or unknown 1.8%;
• note - Serbian, Hungarian, Slovak, Romanian, Croatian, and Ruthenian (Rusyn) are official in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina;
• most ethnic Albanians boycotted the 2011 census (2011 est.)

major-language sample(s):

Knjiga svetskih činjenica, neophodan izvor osnovnih informacija. (Serbian); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

at birth:

1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.55 male(s)/female

total population:

0.95 male(s)/female (2022 est.)

degree of risk:

intermediate (2020)

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial diarrhea

total:

7.45 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

3.24 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

1.62 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

2.37 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

39.8% (2020 est.)

male:

40.5% (2020 est.)

female:

39.1% (2020 est.)

women married by age 15:

1.2%

women married by age 18:

5.5% (2019 est.)

• air pollution around Belgrade and other industrial cities;
• water pollution from industrial wastes dumped into the Sava which flows into the Danube;
• inadequate management of domestic, industrial, and hazardous waste

particulate matter emissions:

24.27 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions:

45.22 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

11.96 megatons (2020 est.)

• 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)

urban population:

57.1% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

0.04% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

note: data include Kosovo

degree of risk:

intermediate (2020)

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial diarrhea

municipal solid waste generated annually:

1.84 million tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually:

13,984 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

0.8% (2015 est.)

municipal:

659.5 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial:

4.057 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural:

660.8 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

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

etymology:

• the origin of the name is uncertain, but seems to be related to the name of the West Slavic Sorbs who reside in the Lusatian region in present-day eastern Germany;
• by tradition, the Serbs migrated from that region to the Balkans in about the 6th century A.D.

name:

Belgrade (Beograd)

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

etymology:

• the Serbian "Beograd" means "white fortress" or "white city" and dates back to the 9th century;
• the name derives from the white fortress wall that once enclosed the city

• 5 June 2006 (from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro);
• notable earlier dates: 1217 (Serbian Kingdom established);
• 16 April 1346 (Serbian Empire established);
• 13 July 1878 (Congress of Berlin recognizes Serbian independence);
• 1 December 1918 (Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (Yugoslavia) established)

history:

many previous; latest adopted 30 September 2006, approved by referendum 28-29 October 2006, effective 8 November 2006

amendments:

• proposed by at least one third of deputies in the National Assembly, by the president of the republic, by the government, or by petition of at least 150,000 voters;
• passage of proposals and draft amendments each requires at least two-thirds majority vote in the Assembly;
• amendments to constitutional articles including the preamble, constitutional principles, and human and minority rights and freedoms also require passage by simple majority vote in a referendum

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Serbia

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

3 years

chief of state:

President Aleksandar VUCIC (since 31 May 2017)

head of government:

Prime Minister Ana BRNABIC (since 29 June 2017)

cabinet:

Cabinet elected by the National Assembly

elections/appointments:

• president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term);
• election last held on 3 April 2022 (next to be held in April 2027);
• prime minister elected by the National Assembly;
• note - in October 2020 President VUCIC called for early elections

election results:

• 2022: Aleksandar VUCIC reelected in the first round;
• percent of vote - Aleksandar VUSIC (SNS) 60%, Zdravko PONOS (US) 18.9%, Milos JOVANOVIC (NADA) 6.1%, Bosko OBRADOVIC (Dveri-POKS) 4.5%, Milica DURDEVIC STAMENDOVSKI (SSZ) 4.3%, other 6.2%

;

• 2017: Aleksandar VUCIC elected president in the first round;
• percent of vote - Aleksandar VUCIC (SNS) 55.1%, Sasa JANKOVIC (independent) 16.4%, Luka MAKSIMOVIC (independent) 9.4%, Vuk JEREMIC (independent) 5.7%, Vojislav SESELJ (SRS) 4.5%, Bosko OBRADOVIC (Dveri) 2.3%, other 5.0%, invalid/blank 1.6%;
• Prime Minister Ana BRNABIC reelected by the National Assembly on 5 October 2020

description:

unicameral National Assembly or Narodna Skupstina (250 seats; members directly elected by party list proportional representation vote in a single nationwide constituency to serve 4-year terms)

elections:

last held on 3 April 2022 (next to be held in April 2026)

election results:

• percent of vote by party/coalition - Together We Can Do Everything 44.2%, UZPS 14.1%, Ivica Dacic - Prime Minister 11.8%, NADA 5.6%, We Must 4.9%, Dveri-POKS 3.9%, SSZ 3.8%, other 11.7%;
• seats by party/coalition - Together We Can Do Everything 120, UZPS 38, Ivica Dacic - Prime Minister 31, NADA 15, We Must 13, Dveri-POKS 10, SSZ 10, SVM 6, SPP 3, other 4;
• composition - men 150, women 100, percent of women 40%

highest court(s):

• Supreme Court of Cassation (consists of 36 judges, including the court president);
• Constitutional Court (consists of 15 judges, including the court president and vice president)

judge selection and term of office:

• Supreme Court justices proposed by the High Judicial Council (HJC), an 11-member independent body consisting of 8 judges elected by the National Assembly and 3 ex-officio members;
• justices appointed by the National Assembly;
• Constitutional Court judges elected - 5 each by the National Assembly, the president, and the Supreme Court of Cassation;
• initial appointment of Supreme Court judges by the HJC is 3 years and beyond that period tenure is permanent;
• Constitutional Court judges elected for 9-year terms

subordinate courts:

basic courts, higher courts, appellate courts; courts of special jurisdiction include the Administrative Court, commercial courts, and misdemeanor courts

• Albanian Democratic Alternative (coalition of ethnic Albanian parties) [Shaip KAMBERI]
• Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians or SVM or VMSZ [Istvan PASZTOR]
• Better Serbia or BS [Dragan JOVANOVIC]
• Democratic Party or DS [Zoran LUTOVAC]
• Dveri [Bosko OBRADOVIC]
• Greens of Serbia or ZS [Ivan KARIC]
• Ivica Dacic - Prime Minister of Serbia [Ivica DACIC] (coalition includes SPS, JS, ZS)
• Justice and Reconciliation Party or SPP [Usame ZUKORLIC] (formerly Bosniak Democratic Union of Sandzak or BDZS)
• Movement for the Restoration of the Kingdom of Serbia or POKS [Vojislav MIHAILOVIC]
• Movement of Free Citizens or PSG [Pavle GRBOVIC]
• Movement of Socialists or PS [Aleksandar VULIN]
• National Democratic Alternative or NADA [Milos JOVANOVIC and Vojislav MIHAILOVIC] (coalition includes DSS and POKS)
• New Democratic Party of Serbia or NDSS or New DSS [Milos JOVANOVIC] (formerly Democratic Party of Serbia or DSS)
• Party of Democratic Action of the Sandzak or SDA [Sulejman UGLJANIN]
• Party of Freedom and Justice or SSP [Dragan DILAS]
• Party of United Pensioners, Farmers, and Proletarians of Serbia – Solidarity and Justice or PUPS - Solidarity and Justice [Milan KRKOBABIC] (formerly Party of United Pensioners of Serbia or PUPS)
• People's Party or NS or Narodna [Vuk JEREMIC]
• People's Peasant Party or NSS [Marijan RISTICEVIC]
• Serbian Party Oathkeepers or SSZ [Stefan STAMENKOVSKI]
• Serbian People's Party or SNP [Nenad POPOVIC]
• Serbian Progressive Party or SNS [Aleksandar VUCIC]
• Serbian Renewal Movement or SPO [Vuk DRASKOVIC]
• Social Democratic Party of Serbia or SDPS [Rasim LJAJIC]
• Socialist Party of Serbia or SPS [Ivica DACIC]
• Strength of Serbia or PSS [Bogoljub KARIC]
• Together for Serbia or ZZS [Nebojsa ZELENOVIC]
• Together We Can Do Everything [Milenko JOVANOV] (includes SNS, SDPS, PUPS, PSS, SNP, SPO, PS, NSS, USS, BS)
• United for the Victory of Serbia or UZPS (includes NS, SSP, DS, PSG) (dissolved April 2022)
• United Peasant Party or USS [Milija MILETIC]
• United Serbia or JS [Dragan MARKOVIC]
• We Must or Moramo [Nebojsa ZELENOVIC, Dobrica VESELINOVIC, Aleksandar JOVANOVIC CUTA, Biljana STOJKOVIC, Radomir LAZOVIC, Biljana DORDEVIC]

note: Serbia has more than 110 registered political parties and citizens' associations

chief of mission:

Ambassador Marko DJURIC (since 18 January 2021)

chancery:

2233 Wisconsin Ave NW, Suite 410, Washington, DC 20007

telephone:

[1] (202) 332-0333

FAX:

[1] (202) 332-3933

email address and website:

[email protected]; http://www.washington.mfa.gov.rs/

consulate(s) general:

Chicago, New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador Christopher R. HILL (since 1 April 2022)

embassy:

92 Bulevar kneza Aleksandra Karadjordjevica, 11040 Belgrade

mailing address:

5070 Belgrade Place, Washington, DC 20521-5070

telephone:

[381] (11) 706-4000

FAX:

[381] (11) 706-4481

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://rs.usembassy.gov/

• three equal horizontal stripes of red (top), blue, and white - the Pan-Slav colors representing freedom and revolutionary ideals;
• charged with the coat of arms of Serbia shifted slightly to the hoist side;
• the principal field of the coat of arms represents the Serbian state and displays a white two-headed eagle on a red shield;
• a smaller red shield on the eagle represents the Serbian nation, and is divided into four quarters by a white cross;
• interpretations vary as to the meaning and origin of the white, curved symbols resembling firesteels (fire strikers) or Cyrillic "C's" in each quarter;
• a royal crown surmounts the coat of arms

note: the Pan-Slav colors were inspired by the 19th-century flag of Russia

name:

"Boze pravde" (God of Justice)

lyrics/music:

Jovan DORDEVIC/Davorin JENKO

note: adopted 1904; song originally written as part of a play in 1872 and has been used as an anthem by the Serbian people throughout the 20th and 21st centuries

total World Heritage Sites:

4 (all cultural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

• Stari Ras and Sopoćani;
• Studenica Monastery;
• Gamzigrad-Romuliana, Palace of Galerius;
• Stećci Medieval Tombstone Graveyards

Fitch rating:

BB+ (2019)

Moody's rating:

Ba3 (2017)

Standard & Poors rating: BB+ (2019)

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

agriculture:

19.4%

industry:

24.5%

services:

56.1% (2017 est.)

total:

25.5%

male:

23.5%

female:

28.8% (2021 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.2%

highest 10%:

23.8% (2011)

production:

39.673 million metric tons (2020 est.)

consumption:

40.83 million metric tons (2020 est.)

exports:

72,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports:

987,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves:

7.514 billion metric tons (2019 est.)

total petroleum production:

15,200 bbl/day (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

79,200 bbl/day (2019 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate exports:

200 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports:

53,800 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

77.5 million barrels (2021 est.)

production:

455.787 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

consumption:

2,619,191,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports:

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports:

1,980,647,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves:

48.139 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

number of registered air carriers:

4 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 43

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

2,262,703 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

17.71 million (2018) mt-km

total:

3,809 km (2015)

standard gauge:

3,809 km (2015) 1.435-m gauge (3,526 km one-track lines and 283 km double-track lines) out of which 1,279 km electrified (1,000 km one-track lines and 279 km double-track lines)

total:

44,248 km (2016)

paved:

28,000 km (2016) (16,162 km state roads, out of which 741 km highways)

unpaved:

16,248 km (2016)

• the military's inventory consists of Russian and Soviet-era weapons systems;
• since 2010, Russia has been the largest suppliers of arms to Serbia;
• China has also provided a growing amount of arms (2022)

• the Serbian Armed Forces were established in June 2006;
• the Serbian military traces its origins to the First (1804-1813) and Second (1815-1817) Uprisings against the Ottoman Empire

• Serbia does not aspire to join NATO, but has cooperated with the Alliance since 2006 when it joined the Partnership for Peace program;
• Serbia maintains security ties with Russia (2022)

Serbia-Bosnia and Herzegovina :

Serbia delimited about half of the boundary with Bosnia and Herzegovina, but sections along the Drina River remain in dispute

Serbia-Bulgaria :

none identified

Serbia-Croatia :

• Serbia and Croatia dispute their border along the Danube;
• Serbia claims the border is the median between the current Danube shorelines, with the land to the eastern side of the median belonging to Serbia;
• Croatia contends that the boundary is demarcated according to historic maps, despite the river having meandered since then

Serbia-Hungary :

none identified

Serbia-Kosovo :

• Serbia with several other states protested the US and other states' recognition of Kosovo's declaration of its status as a sovereign and independent state in February 2008;
• ethnic Serbian municipalities along Kosovo's northern border challenge final status of Kosovo-Serbia boundary;
• since 1999, NATO-led Kosovo Force peacekeepers under UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) authority have continued to keep the peace within Kosovo between the ethnic Albanian majority and the Serb minority;
• in October 2021, NATO-led KFOR increased patrols along the border with Serbia to deescalate hostilities caused by a dispute over license plates

Serbia-Montenegro :

the former republic boundary serves as the boundary until a line is formally delimited and demarcated

Serbia-North Macedonia :

none identified

Serbia-Romania :

none identified