Serbia is a landlocked country in Southeast and Central Europe, situated in the Balkans. It shares borders with Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro, and claims a border with Albania through Kosovo. Its capital and largest city is Belgrade. The country has a population of approximately 6.6 million people, excluding Kosovo.
In 1903, the House of Karađorđević assumed power following the May Overthrow.
In 1904, Politika, the oldest newspaper in the Balkans, was founded.
On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip, leading to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia.
Despite initial success, Serbia was eventually overpowered by the Central Powers in 1915 and Austro-Hungarian occupation of Serbia followed.
The Corfu Declaration was signed on 20 July 1917 on Corfu, a formal agreement between the government-in-exile of the Kingdom of Serbia and the Yugoslav Committee that pledged to unify Kingdom of Serbia and Kingdom of Montenegro with Austria-Hungary's South Slav autonomous crown lands in a post-war Yugoslav state.
On 15 September 1918, the remains of the Serb army returned east and led a final breakthrough through enemy lines, liberating Serbia and defeating Bulgaria and Austria-Hungary.
In November 1918, Serbia contributed significantly to the Allied victory in the Balkans, especially by helping France force Bulgaria's capitulation.
On 24 November 1918, the territory of Syrmia united with Serbia. The Great People's Assembly of Serbs, Bunjevci and other Slavs in Banat, Bačka and Baranja declared the unification of these regions with Serbia on 25 November 1918.
On 1 December 1918, Prince Regent Alexander Karađorđević proclaimed the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, under King Peter I of Serbia, in Belgrade.
From 1882 to 1918, Serbia was renamed to the Kingdom of Serbia.
In 1918, following World War I, the Kingdom of Serbia united with the former Habsburg crownland of Vojvodina. Later in 1918, Serbia joined with other South Slavic nations in the foundation of Yugoslavia.
In August 1921, King Peter was succeeded by his son, Alexander.
King Alexander established a dictatorship in 1929 with the aim of establishing the Yugoslav ideology and single Yugoslav nation, changed the name of the country to Yugoslavia.
In 1934, Alexander was assassinated in Marseille, succeeded by his son Peter II.
In August 1939 the Cvetković–Maček Agreement established an autonomous Banate of Croatia as a solution to Croatian concerns.
In 1941, the Axis powers invaded Yugoslavia, dividing the territory of modern Serbia.
In the autumn of 1941, the Republic of Užice was a short-lived liberated territory established by the Partisans in the west of occupied Serbia, functioning as a military mini-state.
The Draginac and Loznica massacre of 2,950 villagers in Western Serbia in 1941 was the first large execution of civilians in occupied Serbia by Germans, with Kragujevac massacre and Novi Sad Raid of Jews and Serbs by Hungarian fascists being the most notorious. In 1941, around 16,000 Serbian Jews were murdered in the area during The Holocaust in Serbia.
By late 1944, the Belgrade Offensive swung in favour of the partisans in the civil war; the partisans subsequently gained control of Yugoslavia.
In 1944, The victory of the Communist Partisans resulted in the abolition of the monarchy and a subsequent constitutional referendum. It is claimed between 60,000 and 70,000 people died in Serbia during the 1944–45 communist purge.
From 1945 to 1963, the official name for Serbia was the People's Republic of Serbia.
From 1950, Serbian chess players began a period of excellence.
The NIN Prize has been awarded every January since 1954 for the best newly published novel in Serbian.
In September 1961, Belgrade, the capital of FPR Yugoslavia and PR Serbia, hosted the first Non-Aligned Movement Summit.
Ivo Andrić, author of "The Bridge on the Drina", won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1961.
The average annual air temperature for the period 1961–1990 for the area with an elevation of up to 300 m (984 ft) is 10.9 °C (51.6 °F).
From 1963 to 1990, the official name for Serbia was the Socialist Republic of Serbia.
In 1965-66 Partizan reached the European Cup final.
The Belgrade International Theatre Festival – BITEF, was founded in 1967.
In 1974, KK Crvena zvezda won the FIBA Saporta Cup.
From October 1977 to March 1978, Belgrade hosted the first major gathering of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) with the aim of implementing the Helsinki Accords.
From October 1977 to March 1978, Belgrade hosted the first major gathering of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) with the aim of implementing the Helsinki Accords.
Serbian-American screenwriter Steve Tesich won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1979.
By 1980, Serbian chess players had won 15 Olympic medals.
In 1980, Milena Dravić won the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival.
In January 1985, the lowest recorded temperature in Serbia was −39.5 °C (−39.1 °F) in Karajukića Bunari in Pešter.
In 1985, Emir Kusturica won a Palme d'Or for Best Feature Film at the Cannes Film Festival for 'When Father Was Away on Business'.
In 1989, Slobodan Milošević rose to power in Serbia, promising a reduction of powers for the autonomous provinces of Kosovo and Vojvodina.
In 1989, the industrial output was double of what it was expected to be in 2013.
In 1990, multi-party democracy was introduced in Serbia, officially dismantling the one-party system, although Milošević retained significant political influence.
Since 1990, the official name of the country has been the Republic of Serbia.
The UN imposed sanctions against Serbia and Montenegro which led to the collapse of the economy (GDP decreased from $24 billion in 1990 to under $10 billion in 1993).
The average annual air temperature for the period 1961–1990 for the area with an elevation of up to 300 m (984 ft) is 10.9 °C (51.6 °F).
During 1991 and 1992, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia declared independence.
Fueled by ethnic tensions, the Yugoslav Wars (1991–2001) erupted, with the most severe conflicts taking place in Croatia and Bosnia.
In 1992, KK Partizan won the EuroLeague.
In 1992, Serbia and Montenegro remained together as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY).
The UN imposed sanctions against Serbia and Montenegro which led to the collapse of the economy (GDP decreased from $24 billion in 1990 to under $10 billion in 1993).
Emir Kusturica won another Palme d'Or for Best Feature Film at the Cannes Film Festival for 'Underground' in 1995.
In 1996, large protests erupted in Serbia against the government after the ruling Socialist Party refused to accept its defeat in municipal elections.
In 1998, continued clashes between the Albanian guerilla Kosovo Liberation Army and Yugoslav security forces led to the Kosovo War (1998–99), in which NATO intervened, leading to the withdrawal of Serbian forces and the establishment of UN administration in the province.
In 1999, the NATO bombing caused serious damage to the environment in Serbia, with the release of several thousand tonnes of toxic chemicals into the soil and water basins.
Serbia's popular rejection of joining NATO is largely a legacy of the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999.
In September 2000, following accusations of electoral fraud in the presidential elections, a campaign of civil resistance culminated on 5 October with half a million people congregating in Belgrade, compelling Milošević to concede defeat, ending Yugoslavia's international isolation.
In 2000, Serbia's men's national volleyball team won the Olympic gold medal.
Since 2000, Serbia has attracted over $40 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI).
Fueled by ethnic tensions, the Yugoslav Wars (1991–2001) erupted, with the most severe conflicts taking place in Croatia and Bosnia.
In 2003, Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić was assassinated as a result of a plot originating from organised crime and former security officials, creating political tension in Serbia.
In 2003, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was renamed Serbia and Montenegro. Also in 2003, the EU opened negotiations with the country for the Stabilisation and Association Agreement.
In 2004, unrest in Kosovo resulted in 19 deaths and the destruction or damage of several Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries.
Željko Joksimović won second place at the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest.
In May 2006, Montenegro held a referendum, with 55.4% of voters favouring independence.
On June 5, 2006, Serbia declared its independence, marking its re-emergence as an independent state, and declared itself the legal successor to the former state union.
In 2006, the current constitution of Serbia was adopted in the aftermath of the Montenegro independence referendum.
In 2006, the union between Serbia and Montenegro was peacefully dissolved, restoring Serbia's independence as a sovereign state in 2006.
In July 2007, the highest temperature recorded in Serbia was 44.9 °C (112.8 °F), in Smederevska Palanka.
In December 2007, Serbia's parliament formally proclaimed military neutrality, making joining any military alliance contingent on a popular referendum.
On 26 December 2007, the National Assembly of Serbia stated that both Kosovo's declaration of independence and recognition thereof by any state would be a gross violation of international law.
Marija Šerifović won the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Molitva".
In February 2008, Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia. The government of Serbia considers this declaration illegal and illegitimate.
In 2008, representatives of the Assembly of Kosovo unilaterally declared independence, leading to mixed international responses while Serbia continues to claim it as part of its sovereign territory in 2008.
In 2008, the national petrol company, Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS), was acquired by Gazprom Neft.
On December 22, 2009, Serbia officially applied for membership in the European Union.
Serbia entered a recession in 2009 with a negative growth of -3%.
In 2010, the Serbian men's national tennis team won the Davis Cup.
In 2010, there were 10,989 books and brochures published in Serbia.
In December 2011, the process for Serbia to receive candidate status for membership in the European Union faced a delay.
According to the 2011 census, literacy in Serbia stood at 98% of the population, while computer literacy was at 49%.
Conscription was abolished in the Serbian Armed Forces in 2011 as part of a period of downsizing, restructuring and professionalisation.
In 2011, Roman Catholics numbered 356,957 in Serbia, representing approximately 6% of the population. The Greek Catholic Church had around 25,000 adherents.
In 2011, there were 578 Jews in Serbia. Atheists numbered 80,053, representing 1.1% of the population, with an additional 4,070 declaring themselves as agnostics.
In 2024 the Serbian president approved the reintroduction of mandatory military service, which was abolished in 2011.
In March 2012, Serbia received candidate status for membership in the European Union.
On March 1, 2012, Serbia received a full candidate status for membership in the European Union.
In 2012, Aleksandar Vučić and his Serbian Progressive Party came to power.
In 2012, domestic production of natural gas in Serbia totaled 491 million cubic meters.
Serbia experienced a recession in 2012 with a negative growth of -1%.
In June 2013, following positive recommendations from the European Commission and European Council, negotiations to join the EU commenced for Serbia.
In 2013, Serbia's industrial output was expected to be only half of what it was in 1989.
In 2013, the Belgrade Book Fair, the industry's centerpiece event, saw 158,128 visitors.
Serbia became an observer member of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) in 2013.
The Exit festival in Novi Sad had 200,000 visitors in 2013.
In January 2014, negotiations for Serbia to join the EU officially commenced.
On January 21, 2014, Serbia started accession talks to become a member of the European Union.
In May 2014, Serbia experienced disastrous floods that resulted in 57 deaths and over 1.5 billion euros in damage.
A survey from 2014 indicated that 47% of Serbians prefer the Latin alphabet, 36% favor the Cyrillic alphabet, and 17% have no preference.
Serbia experienced a recession in 2014 with a negative growth of -1.8%.
Since 2014, Serbia has been negotiating its EU accession, with the possibility of joining the European Union.
Since the imposition of sanctions against Russia in 2014, Russia has sought to solidify its relations with Serbia, described as a centuries-old religious, ethnic and political alliance.
In 2015, Serbia completed its digital television transition using the DVB-T2 standard for signal transmission.
In 2015, electricity production in Serbia was 36.5 billion kilowatt-hours (KWh), while consumption was 35.5 billion kilowatt-hours (KWh).
In 2016, Serbia exported agricultural and food products worth $3.2 billion, with an export-import ratio of 178%.
In 2016, Serbia's men's national volleyball team won the FIVB Volleyball World League.
As of September 2017, Serbia had 14 free economic zones.
As of 2017, the most visited web-portals in Serbia are the online editions of Blic and Kurir, the B92 news web-portal, and KupujemProdajem classifieds.
Following the 2017 presidential election, Aleksandar Vučić of the Serbian Progressive Party became the current president.
In 2017, Serbia spent 0.9% of its GDP on scientific research, slightly below the European average.
The Exit festival in Novi Sad won the Best Major Festival award at the European Festivals Awards for 2017.
According to EBU research in 2018, Serbs watch an average of five and a half hours of television per day.
As of 2018, the European Commission considered Serbia's accession to the EU possible by 2025.
As of 2018, there were 1,999,771 registered passenger cars in Serbia, or 1 car per 3.5 inhabitants.
During the 2018 academic year, 210,480 students attended 19 universities in Serbia, with 181,310 at public universities and 29,170 at private universities.
In 2018, Serbia produced nearly 2 million tonnes of raw steel, entirely from the Smederevo steel mill, which is owned by the Chinese company Hesteel. Also Serbia manufactures Tesla smartphones.
In 2018, Serbia's defense exports totaled around $600 million.
In 2018, Serbia's exports reached $19.2 billion.
In 2018, more than 8 million tonnes of cargo were transported on Serbian rivers and canals. The largest river ports include Novi Sad, Belgrade, Pančevo, Smederevo, Prahovo, and Šabac.
Since 2018, Serbia is a full member of CERN. Serbia's information technology sector generated over $1.2 billion in exports.
In May 2019, the average monthly net salary in Serbia was 47,575 dinars or $525.
As of 2019, the Serbian defence budget amounted to $804 million.
As of 2019, there were 26 feature films produced in Serbia, of which 14 were domestic films. 20% of total tickets sold were for domestic films.
During the 2018/2019 academic year, 210,480 students attended 19 universities in Serbia (181,310 at public universities and some 29,170 at private universities) while 47,169 attended 81 "higher schools".
In 2019, Serbia had a Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 5.29/10, ranking it 105th globally out of 172 countries.
In 2019, Serbia recorded over 3.6 million tourists in accommodations, half of whom were foreign. Foreign exchange earnings from tourism were estimated at $1.5 billion.
In March 2020, after the COVID-19 pandemic spread to Serbia, a state of emergency was declared, and a curfew was introduced for the first time in Serbia since World War II.
Following the 2020 parliamentary election, the largest political parties in the National Assembly are the populist Serbian Progressive Party and Socialist Party of Serbia.
In 2020, the Serbian men's national tennis team won the ATP Cup.
As of 2021, the unemployment rate in Serbia was 11%.
In 2021, Serbia's sljivovica was added to the United Nations Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
In 2021, the Balkan Stream gas pipeline opened through Serbia.
On January 16, 2022, a Serbian constitutional referendum took place where citizens chose to amend the Constitution concerning the judiciary.
In April 2022, President Aleksandar Vučić was re-elected.
As of the 2022 census, Serbia (excluding Kosovo) has a total population of 6,647,003 with a population density of 85.8 inhabitants per square kilometer. Kosovo held its own census that numbered their total population at 1,586,659.
In 2022, Serbia's airports served over 6 million passengers, with Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport handling the bulk of it. Air Serbia carried 2.75 million passengers in 2022.
In 2022, Serbs make up 81% of the total population with 5,360,239 people. Hungarians are the largest ethnic minority with a population of 184,442. The official Romani population was 131,936 according to the 2022 census.
In 2022, approximately 75 km of new high-speed rail line between Belgrade and Novi Sad was opened.
In 2022, the Russian invasion of Ukraine led to more than 300,000 Russians emigrating to Serbia by January 2024.
In December 2023, President Vučić won a snap parliamentary election, which resulted in protests by opposition supporters alleging electoral fraud.
In 2023, Nikola Jokić was named the NBA Finals MVP.
In 2023, Serbia's arms exports surpassed $1.6 billion, ranking 25th worldwide.
In 2023, the Serbian men's chess team won the European Team Competition.
As of January 2024, more than 300,000 Russians had emigrated to Serbia since the start of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
According to the International Monetary Fund, in 2024 Serbian nominal GDP is officially estimated at $81.873 billion or $12,385 per capita.
According to the World Happiness Report 2024, Serbia is ranked 37th out of 140 countries.
Construction work for a 212 km long extension of the high-speed rail line to the south, to the city of Niš, is set to commence in 2024.
In 2024 the Serbian president approved the reintroduction of mandatory military service, which was abolished in 2011.
In 2024, Novak Djokovic achieved a Career Super Slam with his Olympic gold.
In 2024, Serbia was ranked 98th out of 180 countries in the Press Freedom Index report compiled by Reporters Without Borders.
In 2024, the Serbian men's national basketball team won a bronze medal at the Olympics.
In 2024, the University of Belgrade was placed in the 401–500 bracket on the Shanghai Ranking of World Universities.
In 2024–2025, large-scale anti-corruption protests erupted.
Serbia was ranked 52nd in the Global Innovation Index in 2024.
As of 2018, the European Commission considered Serbia's accession to the EU possible by 2025.
In 2024 the Serbian president approved the reintroduction of mandatory military service, which was abolished in 2011. If the Government adopts this decision, military service will last 75 days, starting with 2025.
In 2024–2025, large-scale anti-corruption protests erupted.
The planned opening of an additional 108 km high-speed rail line from Novi Sad to Subotica and the border with Hungary is set to occur in 2025.
In 2027, Serbia is chosen to host international specialised exposition Expo 2027.
Serbia has been negotiating its EU accession since 2014, with the possibility of joining the European Union by 2030.
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