Serbia

Serbia is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, crossed by the Danube. It borders seven states and claims Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008. Belgrade is the capital, and Serbian is the official language, written in both Cyrillic and Latin letters; the constitution names Cyrillic the official script.

The Neolithic Starčevo and Vinča cultures lived along the Danube around 6500 BC, and Lepenski Vir lies on its banks. Constantine the Great was one of several Roman emperors born on its territory. Slavs arrived in the 6th century, and Stefan Nemanja founded the Nemanjić dynasty; the Serbian Kingdom dates from 1217 and became an empire in 1346. The Battle of Kosovo against the Ottomans in 1389 became central to national memory, and by the mid-16th century Ottoman rule covered the whole territory. The Serbian Revolution of 1804 to 1835 restored the state, which won recognition in 1878 and became a kingdom in 1882. In 1918 Serbia joined the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and after World War II it was one of six republics of socialist Yugoslavia. Its union with Montenegro ended in 2006.

The parliamentary republic has a president, a government led by a prime minister and a single-chamber National Assembly, and it is negotiating to join the European Union. The Stellantis plant in Kragujevac builds the Fiat Grande Panda and Citroën C3, and many suppliers of car parts work nearby. Serbia is a major grower of raspberries, plums and sour cherries, and plum brandy, slivovitz, is the national drink.

The medieval capital of Stari Ras, the 12th-century Studenica Monastery and the Roman palace of Felix Romuliana are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The slava feast of a family's patron saint, the kolo dance and singing to the gusle are listed as intangible heritage. Exit and the Guča Trumpet Festival draw music fans, and Kopaonik and Zlatibor are mountain resorts. Tennis player Novak Djokovic and basketball player Nikola Jokić come from Serbia.