Serbia and Montenegro

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Serbia and Montenegro

General Information
Government
Economy and resources
Population and society
Transport
Practical information
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Srbija i Crna Gora/Serbia and Montenegro Area 102,173 sq km/39,449 sq mi Capital Belgrade Major towns/cities Priatina, Novi Sad, Nia, Kragujevac, Podgorica (formerly Titograd), Subotica Physical features federation of republics of Serbia and Montenegro and two former autonomous provinces, Kosovo and Vojvodina


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Svetozar Marovic from 2003 Head of government Vojislav Koatunica (Serbia) from 2004 and Milo Djukanovic (Montenegro) from 2003 Political system emergent democracy Political executive limited presidency Administrative divisions two republics (Serbia and Montenegro) and two nominally autonomous provinces (Kosovo and Vojvodina) Political parties Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), Serb nationalist, reform socialist (ex-communist); Montenegrin Social Democratic Party (SDPCG), federalist, reform socialist (ex-communist); Serbian Radical Party (SRS), Serb nationalist, extreme right wing; People's Assembly Party, Christian democrat, centrist; Democratic Party (DS), moderate nationalist; Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), moderate nationalist; Democratic Community of Vojvodina Hungarians (DZVM), ethnic Hungarian; Democratic Party of Albanians/Party of Democratic Action (DPA/PDA), ethnic Albanian; New Socialist Party of Montenegro (NSPM), left of centre Armed forces 74,500; plus paramilitary forces of 50,000 (2002 est) Conscription military service is compulsory for nine months; voluntary military service for women introduced in 1983 Death penalty abolished in 2002 Defence spend (% GDP) 5.3 (2002 est) Education spend (% GDP) 5.1 (2000 est) Health spend (% GDP) 5.6 (2000 est)


ECONOMY AND RESOURCES

Currency new Yugoslav dinar GDP (US$) 15.6 billion (2002 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 6.2 (2001) GNI (US$) 11.6 billion (2002 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 2,500 (2002 est) Consumer price inflation 13.4% (2003 est) Unemployment 27.5% (2001) Foreign debt (US$) 4.7 billion (2001 est) Major trading partners Italy, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Russia, Germany, Macedonia, Greece Resources petroleum, natural gas, coal, copper ore, bauxite, iron ore, lead, zinc Industries crude steel, pig-iron, steel castings, cement, machines, passenger cars, electrical appliances, artificial fertilizers, plastics, bicycles, textiles and clothing Exports basic manufactures, machinery and transport equipment, clothing, miscellaneous manufactured articles, food and live animals. Principal market: Italy 16.3% (2001) Imports machinery and transport equipment, electrical goods, agricultural produce, mineral fuels and lubricants, basic manufactures, foodstuffs, chemicals. Principal source: Russia 14.3% (2001) Arable land 40% (1998) Agricultural products maize, sugar beet, wheat, potatoes, grapes, plums, soybeans, vegetables; livestock production declined 1991–95


POPULATION AND SOCIETY

Population 10,527,000 (2003 est) Population growth rate 0.1% (2000–15) Population density (per sq km) 103 (2003 est) Urban population (% of total) 52 (2003 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 19%, 15–59 63%, 60+ 18% (2002 est) Ethnic groups 63% Serbs, 14% Albanian, 6% Montenegrin, 4% Hungarian, and 13% other. Serbs predominate in the republic of Serbia, where they form (excluding the autonomous areas of Kosovo and Vojvodina) 85% of the population; in Vojvodina they comprise 55% of the population. Albanians constitute 77% of the population of Kosovo; Montenegrins comprise 69% of the population of the republic of Montenegro; and Muslims predominate in the Sandzak region, which straddles the Serbian and Montenegrin borders. Since 1992 an influx of Serb refugees from Bosnia and Kosovo has increased the proportion of Serbs in Serbia, while many ethnic Hungarians have left Vojvodina, and an estimated 500,000 Albanians have left Kosovo Language Serbian, as well as ethnic minority languages (including Albanian) Religion Serbian and Montenegrin Orthodox; Muslim in southern Serbia Education (compulsory years) 8 Literacy rate 98% (men); 90% (women) (2003 est) Labour force 4.9% agriculture, 45.6% industry, 49.5% services (2000) Life expectancy 71 (men); 76 (women) (2000–05) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 19 (2001) Physicians (per 1,000 people) 2 (1998 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 5.3 (1998 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 282 (2001 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 297 (1998) Internet users (per 10,000 people) 597.0 (2002 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 2.7 (2002 est)


TRANSPORT

Airports four international airports and several domestic airports; total passengers carried: 1.1 million (2001 est) Railways total length: 4,059 km/2,522 mi; total passenger journeys: 12.6 million (1998 est) Roads total road network: 44,993 km/27,957 mi, of which 62.3% paved (2001 est); passenger cars: 150 per 1,000 people (1999 est)


PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Visa requirements UK: visa required. USA: visa required Embassy in the UK 5–7 Lexham Gardens, London W8 5JJ. Tel: (020) 7370 6105; fax: (020) 7370 3838 British embassy Ulica Generala Zdanova 46, 11000 Belgrade. Tel: (1) 645 055; fax: (1) 659 651 Chamber of commerce Chamber of Economy of Serbia, Ulica Generala Zdanova 13–15, 11000 Belgrade. Tel: (1) 340 611; fax: (1) 330 949. Chamber of Economy of Montenegro, Novaka Miloseva 29/II, 81000 Podgorica. Tel: (81) 31071; fax: (81) 34926 Office hours 0700–1430 Mon–Fri Banking hours 0700–1500 Mon–Fri Time difference GMT +1 Chief tourist attractions Montenegro's Adriatic coastline and its great lake of Scutari; varied scenery – rich alpine valleys, rolling green hills, bare, rocky gorges, thick forests, limestone mountains Major holidays 1–2 January, 1–2 May, 4, 7 (Serbia only), 13 (Montenegro only) July, 29–30 November; Orthodox Christian holidays may also be celebrated throughout much of the region


CHRONOLOGY

3rd century BC Serbia (then known as Moesia Superior) conquered by Romans; empire was extended to Belgrade centuries later by Emperor Augustus. 6th century AD Slavic tribes, including Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, crossed River Danube and settled in Balkan Peninsula. 879 Serbs converted to Orthodox Church by St Cyril and St Methodius. mid-10th–11th centuries Serbia broke free briefly from Byzantine Empire to establish independent state. 1217 Independent Serbian kingdom re-established, reaching its height in mid-14th century under Stefan Dushan, when it controlled much of Albania and northern Greece. 1389 Serbian army defeated by Ottoman Turks at Battle of Kosovo; area became Turkish pashalik (province). Montenegro in southwest survived as sovereign principality. Croatia and Slovenia in northwest became part of Habsburg Empire. 18th century Vojvodina enjoyed protection from the Austrian Habsburgs. 1815 Uprisings against Turkish rule secured autonomy for Serbia. 1878 Independence achieved as Kingdom of Serbia, after Turks defeated by Russians in war over Bulgaria. 1912–13 During Balkan Wars, Serbia expanded its territory at expense of Turkey and Bulgaria. 1918 Joined Croatia and Slovenia, formerly under Austrian Habsburg control, to form Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes under Serbian Peter Karageorgevic (Peter I); Montenegro's citizens voted to depose their ruler, King Nicholas, and join the union. 1929 New name of Yugoslavia (‘Land of the Southern Slavs’) adopted; Serbian-dominated military dictatorship established by King Alexander I as opposition mounted from Croatian federalists. 1934 Alexander I assassinated by a Macedonian with Croatian terrorist links; his young son Peter II succeeded, with Paul, his uncle, as regent; Nazi Germany and fascist Italy increased their influence. 1941 Following a coup by pro-Allied air-force officers, Nazi Germany invaded. Peter II fled to England. Armed resistance to German rule began, spearheaded by pro-royalist, Serbian-based Chetniks (‘Army of the Fatherland’), led by Gen Draza Mihailovic, and communist Partisans (‘National Liberation Army’), led by Marshal Tito. An estimated 900,000 Yugoslavs died in the war, including more than 400,000 Serbs and 200,000 Croats. 1943 Provisional government formed by Tito at liberated Jajce in Bosnia. 1945 Yugoslav Federal People's Republic formed under leadership of Tito; communist constitution introduced. 1948 Split with Soviet Union after Tito objected to Soviet ‘hegemonism’; expelled from Cominform. 1953 Workers' self-management principle enshrined in constitution and private farming supported; Tito became president. 1961 Nonaligned movement formed under Yugoslavia's leadership. 1971 In response to mounting separatist demands in Croatia, new system of collective and rotating leadership introduced. 1980 Tito died; collective leadership assumed power. 1981–82 Armed forces suppressed demonstrations in Kosovo province, southern Serbia, by Albanians demanding full republic status. 1986 Slobodan Miloaevic, a populist-nationalist hardliner who had the ambition of creating a ‘Greater Serbia’, became leader of communist party in the Serbian republic. 1988 Economic difficulties: 1,800 strikes, 250% inflation, 20% unemployment. Ethnic unrest in Montenegro and Vojvodina, and separatist demands in rich northwestern republics of Croatia and Slovenia; ‘market socialist’ reform package, encouraging private sector, inward investment, and liberalizing prices combined with austerity wage freeze. 1989 Reformist Croatian Ante Markovic became prime minister. Ethnic riots in Kosovo province against Serbian attempt to end autonomous status of Kosovo and Vojvodina; at least 30 were killed and a state of emergency imposed. 1990 Multiparty systems were established in the republics; Kosovo and Vojvodina were stripped of autonomy. In Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia, and Macedonia elections brought to power new noncommunist governments seeking a looser confederation. 1991 Demonstrations against Serbian president Slobodan Miloaevic in Belgrade were crushed by riot police and tanks. Slovenia and Croatia declared their independence, resulting in clashes between federal and republican armies; Slovenia accepted a peace pact sponsored by the European Community (EC), but fighting intensified in Croatia, where Serb militias controlled over a third of the republic; Federal President Stipe Mesic and Prime Minister Markovic resigned. 1992 There was an EC-brokered ceasefire in Croatia; the EC and the USA recognized Slovenia's and Croatia's independence. Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia then declared their independence, and Bosnia-Herzegovina's independence was recognized by the EC and the USA. A New Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) was proclaimed by Serbia and Montenegro but not internationally recognized; international sanctions were imposed and UN membership was suspended. Ethnic Albanians proclaimed a new ‘Republic of Kosovo’, but it was not recognized. 1993 Pro-Miloaevic Zoran Lilic became Yugoslav president. There was antigovernment rioting in Belgrade. Macedonia was recognized as independent under the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The economy was severely damaged by international sanctions. 1994 A border blockade was imposed by Yugoslavia against Bosnian Serbs; sanctions were eased as a result. 1995 Serbia played a key role in the US-brokered Dayton peace accord for Bosnia-Herzegovina and accepted the separate existence of Bosnia and Croatia. 1996 Diplomatic relations were restored between Serbia and Croatia, and UN sanctions against Serbia were lifted. Allies of Miloaevic were successful in parliamentary elections. Diplomatic relations were established with Bosnia-Herzegovina. There was mounting opposition to Miloaevic's government following its refusal to accept opposition victories in municipal elections. 1997 Miloaevic was elected president and the pro-democracy mayor of Belgrade was ousted. The validity of Serbian presidential elections continued to be questioned. The anti-Miloaevic candidate was elected president of Montenegro. 1998 A Serb military offensive against ethnic Albanian separatists in Kosovo led to a refugee and humanitarian crisis. The offensive against the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) was condemned by the international community and NATO military intervention was threatened. President Miloaevic appointed Momir Bulatovic as prime minister. 1999 Fighting continued between Serbians and Albanian separatists in Kosovo. In March, following the failure of efforts to reach a negotiated settlement, NATO began a bombing campaign against the Serbs; the ethnic cleansing of Kosovars by Serbs intensified and the refugee crisis in neighbouring countries worsened as hundreds of thousands of ethnic Albanians fled Kosovo. In May President Miloaevic was indicted for crimes against humanity by the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague. A peace was agreed on NATO terms in June. Refugees began returning to Kosovo. 2000 Presidential elections were held in September in which opposition candidate Vojislav Koatunica claimed outright victory against President Slobodan Miloaevic, but the federal election commission ordered a second round of voting to be held. The opposition claimed ballot-rigging and organized mass demonstrations throughout Yugoslavia, in the face of which Miloaevic conceded defeat. Zoran Djindjic was appointed prime minister. The UN reinstated Yugoslavia's membership, which had been suspended in 1992, in October. There were clashes with Albanian guerillas on the border between Serbia and Kosovo in November. Fresh parliamentary elections held in December gave a majority to Koatunica's party. 2001 Former president Miloaevicwas arrested and charged with abuse of power, corruption, and fraud. 2002 The most significant war crimes trial since World War II – that of former president Slobodan Miloaevic – began in the Hague, the Netherlands. The constituent republics of Serbia and Montenegro agreed to stay together in a looser federation. Both republics were given equal powers and would have common foreign and defence policies. 2003 The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia ceased to exist as the two remaining republics of the former Yugoslav federation officially became a new constitutional entity called Serbia and Montenegro. Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic was assassinated in Belgrade. Serbia and Montenegro became the 45th member of the Council of Europe.


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