Republic of Serbia
Republic of SerbiaKNOW YOUR COMMUNITY-KNOW YOUR WORLD
Speaker:
Serbia is located in Southeastern Europe in a region known as
the Balkans. The geography is diverse, with plains in the north and
mountains in central and south Serbia. It is landlocked and borders
8 countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Romania,
Bulgaria, Macedonia, Kosovo, and Montenegro.
Country Quick FactsFull Name: Republic of Serbia Population:
about 7.2 million (July 2014)Capital: Belgrade Largest City:
Belgrade Official Language: Serbian Major Religion: Serbian
Orthodox (84.6%)Life Expectancy: Male- 72.17, Female- 78.07Monetary
Unit: Serbian Dinar Main Exports: iron & steel, rubber,
clothes, wheat, fruit & vegetables, metals & metal
products, electric appliances, weapons & ammunition,
automobiles GNI per capita: $12,480
Serbian History in BriefSerbian history goes back about 8,500
years agoBy the 2nd century BC the Romans ruled over the region of
SerbiaHowever, the beginning of the Serbian state did not happen
until the Slavic people arrived in the 7th century AD and its
received its independence in 850 AD under the Byzantine EmpireBy
the 1300s, the Serbian Empire had become the most powerful state in
the Balkans Shortly after, the Serbian Empire fell under the rule
of the Ottoman Turks
History continued Serbia fought for and eventually gained
independence from the Ottomans in late 1800sSerbia suffered in WWI
and then WWII, when it was under Nazi Germany ruleCommunists then
took over after the war and it became part of the Socialist Federal
Republic of YugoslaviaIn 1990s Yugoslavia broke apart and wars
resulted that lasted into the early 2000sThe Republic of Serbia
that exists today was officially formed on June 6, 2006
These pictures are from the Skull Tower in Nis, Serbia. In the
1800s, during the Ottoman Turk rule, the skulls of many deceased
Serbian rebels who fought against the Ottoman Empire were placed in
this tower by their enemies.
Language HELLO: /Zdravo GOODBYE: /Dovienja)YES: / DaNO: /
NeTHANK YOU: /HvalaYOURE WELCOME: /MolimPLEASE: /MolimI LOVE YOU:
/Volim teHOW ARE YOU: ?/Kako si?
Belgrade
Main shopping street (left), Belgrade Fortress (bottom left),
and Kalemegdan Park (below)
GovernmentPresident: Tomislav NikoliPrime Minister: Aleksandar
VuiGovernment structure: parliamentary republicVoting Age: 18
years, 16 if employed
NikoliVui
Current Issues Still lots of displaced persons from the war
Corruption in government Economic instability High unemployment
Slow judicial system Ethnic clashes within the country and with
some neighbors, especially over territory Protests Kosovos
declaration of independence from Serbia which is accepted by the
U.S. and many other countries in Europe and the world
EconomyFree market economy still recovering from communist past
and war in the 1990sBecame a candidate country for the European
Union in 2012Economy relies on manufacturing and exports driven
mostly by foreign investmentMain industries: Chemical, electrical,
food processing, hydroelectric power, machinery, mining, clothing,
automobiles
CurrencySerbian Dinar1 US Dollar= 108.27 Serbian Dinar (July
2015)
Traditional Dance and Dresshttps://youtu.be/Ja8sarGSbYM
Traditional FoodSerbia has lots of delicious Balkan dishes as
part of their traditional cuisine and also has a mix from many
different cultures including Turkish, Austrian, Hungarian, and
GreekBurek- flaky pastry filled with cheese, meat, and/or
vegetables Sarma- cabbage filled with minced meat Stuffed peppers
Grilled meats like evapii (grilled minced meat usually eaten with
plain onions and bread)
Burek
evapii
Sarma
Fun FactsSerbia is the largest raspberry exporter worldwide with
1/3 being from Serbia Constantine the Great, the Roman Emperor, was
born in SerbiaSt. Sava Church in Belgrade, Serbia is the largest
Orthodox Church currently in useThe only word from the Serbian
language used throughout the world today is vampire
St. Sava Church in Belgrade (above) and a Serbian raspberry farm
(right)Constantine the Great (above)
Links
http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/rs.htmhttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ri.htmlhttp://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/serbia-facts/http://serbia.usembassy.gov/
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