TOEFL Test Centers in Serbia

EDU February 16, 2019

Serbia Overview

Serbia, state in Southeastern Europe with the province of Vojvodina. The largely mountainous country at the confluence of the Danube, Tisza, Save and Morava rivers is rich in mineral resources (coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, petroleum) and produces v. a. Wheat, corn, potatoes, fruits and grapes. The industry processes agricultural and mining products. The population consists of around 83% Serbs, 4% Hungarians and 2% Bosniaks.

History: The area, which was inhabited by Illyrian, Thracian and Celtic tribes in antiquity, was probably immigrated in the 7th century by the South Slav Serbs, who had been under Bulgarian and Byzantine sovereignty since the 8th century. In 1180 Serbia became independent as a principality. The old Serbian empire, a kingdom since 1217, came under Turkish rule after the defeat on the Amselfeld in 1389.

In 1830, after the struggle for freedom (from 1804), Serbia was recognized as an autonomous hereditary principality and in 1878 as an independent state (since 1882 a kingdom). The growing opposition to Austria-Hungary and Greater Serbian aspirations were some of the reasons for the outbreak of the First World War (murder of the Austrian heir to the throne Franz Ferdinand by Serbian nationalists on June 28, 1914, the anniversary of the battle on the Amselfeld).

In 1918 the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was founded (Yugoslavia). 1941–44 Serbia was under German occupation, in 1945/46 it became a part of the republic of Yugoslavia.

In the Yugoslav civil war after 1989, under President Slobodan Milošević (* 1941, † 2006), Serbia tried forcibly to maintain the cohesion of the entire state with the help of the Yugoslav army. When this failed (1991 declarations of independence in Slovenia, Croatia and Macedonia), Serbia and Montenegro proclaimed a new Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on April 27, 1992.

Serbia tried to expand its position of power in south-eastern Europe through bloody conflicts with Croatia (1991–95), Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992–95) and the predominantly Albanian province of Kosovo (from 1998). The situation in Kosovo escalated into an international crisis in 1998/99, which finally led to NATO military action (March to June 1999) against Serbia and the withdrawal of Serbian troops from the province. Since then, Serbia has been striving for economic reforms and democratization of the country. Since 2003, Serbia has been a part of the confederation of states Serbia and Montenegro. After a referendum in Montenegro in early 2006, the confederation broke up. On June 5, 2006, the Serbian parliament also declared the state union ended, and Serbia took over as legal successor. On February 17, 2008, the province declared Kosovo their independence.

Country facts

• Official name: Republic of Serbia
• License plate: SRB
• ISO-3166: RS, SRB (688)
• Internet domain:.rs
• Currency: 1 Serbian dinar (RSD) = 100 para
• Area: 88,360 km²
• Population (2018): 7 million
• Capital: Belgrade
• Official language (s): Serbian
• Form of government: Republic
• Administrative division: Serbia (22 districts) and the autonomous province of Vojvodina (7 districts)
• Head of State: President Aleksandar Vučić
• Head of Government: Ana Brnabić
• Religion (s) (2011): 84.6% Orthodox, 5% Catholics, 3% Muslims, 6% other / n / a, non-denominational
• Time zone: Central European Time
• National holiday: February 15th

Location and infrastructure

• Location (geographical): Southeastern Europe
• Position (coordinates): between 41 ° 50 ‘and 46 ° 13’ north latitude and 19 ° and 23 ° east longitude
• Climate: temperate continental climate
• Highest mountain: Midzor (2 169 m)
• Road network (2016): 28,000 km (paved), 16,248 km (unpaved)
• Railway network (2015): 3,809 km

Population

• Annual population growth (2020): -0.5%
• Birth rate (2020): 8.8 per 1000 residents.
• Death rate (2020): 13.5 per 1000 residents.
• Average age (2020): 43.4 years
• Average life expectancy (2020): 76.3 years (men 73.4; women 79.4)
• Age structure (2020): 14.1% younger than 15 years, 20% older than 65 years
• Literacy rate (15-year-olds and older) (2016): 98.3%
• Mobile phone contracts (pre-paid and post-paid) (2017): 124 per 100 residents
• Internet users (2017): 70 per 100 residents

Economy

• GDP per capita (2018): US $ 7,243
• Total GDP (2018): US $ 51 billion
• GNI per capita (2018): US $ 6,390
• Education expenditure (2016): 3.9% of GDP
• Military expenditure (2018): 1.4% of GDP
• Unemployment rate (15 years and older) (2017): 14.1%

National symbols

The flag consists of three identical stripes in the Pan-Slavic colors red over blue and white with the small national coat of arms offset towards the leech.

The coat of arms shows a red shield with a silver, gold-armored double-headed eagle inside. The four-part heart shield is formed by a continuous silver cross with a fire steel in each of the four cross arms. In the upper coat of arms is the crown of the Nemanjiden.

The national holiday is February 15 (to commemorate the uprising against the Ottoman rule in 1804).