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Background:
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 The
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes was formed in 1918; its
name was changed to Yugoslavia in 1929. Occupation by Nazi
Germany in 1941 was resisted by various paramilitary bands
that fought each other as well as the invaders. The group
headed by Marshal TITO took full control upon German expulsion
in 1945. Although Communist, his new government and its
successors (he died in 1980) managed to steer their own path
between the Warsaw Pact nations and the West for the next four
and a half decades. In the early 1990s, post-TITO Yugoslavia
began to unravel along ethnic lines: Slovenia, Croatia, The
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Bosnia and
Herzegovina were recognized as independent states in 1992. The
remaining republics of Serbia and Montenegro declared a new
"Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" (FRY) in April 1992
and, under President Slobodan MILOSEVIC, Serbia led various
military intervention efforts to unite ethnic Serbs in
neighboring republics into a "Greater Serbia." All
of these efforts were ultimately unsuccessful. In 1999,
massive expulsions by FRY forces and Serb paramilitaries of
ethnic Albanians living in Kosovo provoked an international
response, including the NATO bombing of Serbia and the
stationing of NATO, Russian, and other peacekeepers in Kosovo.
Federal elections in the fall of 2000, brought about the
ouster of MILOSEVIC and installed Vojislav KOSTUNICA as
president. The arrest of MILOSEVIC in 2001 allowed for his
subsequent transfer to the International Criminal Tribunal for
the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague to be tried for crimes
against humanity. In 2001, the country's suspension was
lifted, and it was once more accepted into UN organizations
under the name of Yugoslavia. Kosovo has been governed by the
UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) since June
1999, under the authority of UN Security Council Resolution
1244. In 2002, the Serbian and Montenegrin components of
Yugoslavia began negotiations to forge a looser relationship.
These talks became a reality in February 2003 when lawmakers
restructured the country into a loose federation of two
republics called Serbia and Montenegro. An agreement was also
reached to permit a referendum in each republic in three years
on full independence. |
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Location:
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Southeastern
Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Albania and Bosnia
and Herzegovina |
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Geographic coordinates:
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44 00 N, 21 00 E |
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Map references:
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Europe |
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Area:
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total:
102,350 sq km
water: 214 sq km
land: 102,136 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller
than Kentucky |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
2,246 km
border countries: Albania 287 km, Bosnia and
Herzegovina 527 km, Bulgaria 318 km, Croatia (north) 241 km,
Croatia (south) 25 km, Hungary 151 km, The Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia 221 km, Romania 476 km |
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Coastline:
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199 km |
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Climate:
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in the north,
continental climate (cold winters and hot, humid summers with
well distributed rainfall); central portion, continental and
Mediterranean climate; to the south, Adriatic climate along
the coast, hot, dry summers and autumns and relatively cold
winters with heavy snowfall inland |
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Terrain:
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extremely varied;
to the north, rich fertile plains; to the east, limestone
ranges and basins; to the southeast, ancient mountains and
hills; to the southwest, extremely high shoreline with no
islands off the coast |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Daravica 2,656 m |
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Natural resources:
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oil, gas, coal,
iron ore, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, antimony, chromite,
nickel, gold, silver, magnesium, pyrite, limestone, marble,
salt, hydropower, arable land |
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Land use:
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arable land:
36.34%
permanent crops: 3.44%
other: 60.22% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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570 sq km |
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Natural hazards:
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destructive
earthquakes |
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Environment - current issues:
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pollution of
coastal waters from sewage outlets, especially in
tourist-related areas such as Kotor; air pollution around
Belgrade and other industrial cities; water pollution from
industrial wastes dumped into the Sava which flows into the
Danube |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to:
Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
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Geography - note:
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controls one of
the major land routes from Western Europe to Turkey and the
Near East; strategic location along the Adriatic coast |
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Population:
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10,825,900 (July
2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
18.3% (male 1,027,479; female 956,681)
15-64 years: 66.8% (male 3,602,959; female 3,627,616)
65 years and over: 14.9% (male 693,929; female 917,236)
(2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
36.6 years
male: 35.1 years
female: 38.1 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.03% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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12.13
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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10.53
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-1.33 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth:
1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
13.43 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 15.04 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 74.4 years
male: 71.9 years
female: 77.12 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.2% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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10,000 (2001
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than 100
(2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Serb(s); Montenegrin(s)
adjective: Serbian; Montenegrin |
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Ethnic groups:
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Serb 62.6%,
Albanian 16.5%, Montenegrin 5%, Hungarian 3.3%, other 12.6%
(1991) |
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Religions:
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Orthodox 65%,
Muslim 19%, Roman Catholic 4%, Protestant 1%, other 11% |
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Languages:
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Serbian 95%,
Albanian 5% |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93%
male: 97.2%
female: 88.9% (1991) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Serbia and Montenegro
conventional short form: none
local short form: none
abbreviation: SCG
local long form: Srbija i Crna Gora |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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Belgrade |
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Administrative divisions:
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2
republics (republike, singular - republika); and 2 nominally
autonomous provinces* (autonomn pokrajine, singular -
autonomna pokrajina); Kosovo*, Montenegro, Serbia, Vojvodina* |
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Independence:
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27
April 1992 (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia or FRY - now Serbia
and Montenegro - formed as self-proclaimed successor to the
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia or SFRY) |
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National holiday:
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National
Day, 27 April |
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Constitution:
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4
February 2003 |
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Legal system:
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based
on civil law system |
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Suffrage:
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16
years of age, if employed; 18 years of age, universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: President Svetozar MAROVIC (since 7 March 2003);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
elections: president elected by the Parliament for a
four-year term; election last held 7 March 2003 (next to be
held NA 2007); prime minister appointed by the president
head of government: President Svetozar MAROVIC (since 7
March 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state
and head of government
cabinet: Federal Ministries act as Cabinet
election results: Svetozar MAROVIC elected president by
the Parliament; vote was Svetozar MAROVIC 65, other 47 |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral
Parliament (126 seats - 91 Serbian, 35 Montenegrin - filled by
nominees of the two state parliaments for the first two years,
after which the president will call for public elections
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats
by party - DOS 37, DLECG 19, DSS 17, ZP 14, SPS 12, SRS 8, SDP
5, SSJ 5, other 9
elections: last held 25 February 2003 (next to be held
NA 2005) |
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Judicial branch:
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Federal
Court or Savezni Sud; Constitutional Court; judges for both
courts are elected by the Federal Assembly for nine-year terms
note: since the promulgation of the 2003 Constitution,
the Federal Court has constitutional and administrative
functions; it has an equal number of judges from each republic |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Democratic
Opposition of Serbia or DOS (a coalition of many small parties
including DSS; it disbanded in November 2003) [leader NA];
Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians or SVM [Jozsef KASZA];
Democratic League of Kosovo or LDK [Dr. Ibrahim RUGOVA,
president]; Democratic List for European Montenegro or DLECG
[Milo DJUKANOVIC, Ranko KRIVOKAPIC]; Democratic Party or DS
[collective interim leadership led by Cedomir JOVANOVIC];
Democratic Party of Serbia or DSS [Vojislav KOSTUNICA];
Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro or DPS [Milo
DJUKANOVIC]; G17+ [Miroljub LABUS]; Party of Serb Unity or SSJ
[Borislav PELEVIC]; Serbian Radical Party or SRS [Tomislav
NIKOLIC]; Serbian Socialist Party or SPS (former Communist
Party and party of Slobodan MILOSEVIC) [Zoran ANDJELKOVIC,
general secretary]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Rasim
LJAJIC] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Otpor
Student Resistance Movement [leader NA]; Political Council for
Presevo, Meveda and Bujanovac or PCPMB [leader NA] |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Ivan VUJACIC
chancery: 2134 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008
FAX: [1] (202) 332-3933
consulate(s) general: Chicago
telephone: [1] (202) 332-0333 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires
Roderick W. MOORE; note - Michael C. POLT to become ambassador
embassy: Kneza Milosa 50, 11000 Belgrade
mailing address: 5070 Belgrade Place, Washington, DC
20521-5070
telephone: [381] (11) 361-9344
FAX: [381] (11) 361-8230
consulate(s): Podgornica |
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Economy - overview:
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MILOSEVIC-era
mismanagement of the economy, an extended period of economic
sanctions, and the damage to Yugoslavia's infrastructure and
industry during the NATO airstrikes in 1999 have left the
economy only half the size it was in 1990. After the ousting
of former Federal Yugoslav President MILOSEVIC in October
2000, the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) coalition
government implemented stabilization measures and embarked on
an aggressive market reform program. After renewing its
membership in the IMF in December 2000, Yugoslavia continued
to reintegrate into the international community by rejoining
the World Bank (IBRD) and the European Bank for Reconstruction
and Development (EBRD). A World Bank-European Commission
sponsored Donors' Conference held in June 2001 raised $1.3
billion for economic restructuring. An agreement rescheduling
the country's $4.5 billion Paris Club government debts was
concluded in November 2001; it wrote off 66% of the debt. The
smaller republic of Montenegro severed its economy from
federal control and from Serbia during the MILOSEVIC era and
continues to maintain its own central bank, uses the euro
instead of the Yugoslav dinar as official currency, collects
customs tariffs, and manages its own budget. Kosovo, while
technically still part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
(now Serbia and Montenegro) according to United Nations
Security Council Resolution 1244, is largely autonomous under
United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)
and is greatly dependent on the international community and
the diaspora for financial and technical assistance. The euro
and the Yugoslav dinar are official currencies, and UNMIK
collects taxes and manages the budget. The complexity of
Serbia and Montenegro political relationships, slow progress
in privatization, legal uncertainty over property rights, and
scarcity of foreign-investment are holding back Serbia and
Montenegro's economy. Arrangements with the IMF, especially
requirements for fiscal discipline, are an important element
in policy formation. Severe unemployment remains a key
political economic problem. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $24.01 billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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2% (2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $2,300 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
26%
industry: 36%
services: 38% (2001 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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30% (1999 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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11.6% (2003 est.) |
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Labor force:
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3 million (2001
est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture NA%,
industry NA%, services NA% |
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Unemployment rate:
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34.5% (2003 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$3.9 billion
expenditures: $4.3 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
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Industries:
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machine building
(aircraft, trucks, and automobiles; tanks and weapons;
electrical equipment; agricultural machinery); metallurgy
(steel, aluminum, copper, lead, zinc, chromium, antimony,
bismuth, cadmium); mining (coal, bauxite, nonferrous ore, iron
ore, limestone); consumer goods (textiles, footwear,
foodstuffs, appliances); electronics, petroleum products,
chemicals, and pharmaceuticals |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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1.7% (2002 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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31.71 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
62.9%
hydro: 37.1%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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32.37 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
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15,000 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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64,000 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - production:
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602 million cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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602 million cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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cereals, fruits,
vegetables, tobacco, olives; cattle, sheep, goats |
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Exports:
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$2.667 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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manufactured
goods, food and live animals, raw materials |
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Exports - partners:
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Italy 31.3%,
Germany 19.7%, Greece 6.9%, Austria 5.9%, France 4.5%, Hungary
4.3% (2002) |
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Imports:
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$7.144 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and
transport equipment, fuels and lubricants, manufactured goods,
chemicals, food and live animals, raw materials |
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Imports - partners:
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Germany 18.9%,
Italy 17.1%, Austria 8%, Slovenia 7.6%, Hungary 5.2%, Greece
4.1%, France 4.1%, Bulgaria 4% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$12.8 billion
(2003 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$2 billion
pledged in 2001 (disbursements to follow for several years) |
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Currency:
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new Yugoslav
dinar (YUM); note - in Montenegro the euro is legal tender; in
Kosovo both the euro and the Yugoslav dinar are legal (2002) |
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Currency code:
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YUM |
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Exchange rates:
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new Yugoslav
dinars per US dollar - official rate: 65 (2002) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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2.493 million
(2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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2,750,400 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 381; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 113, FM 194,
shortwave 2 (1998) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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more than 771
(including 86 strong stations and 685 low-power stations, plus
20 repeaters in the principal networks; also numerous local or
private stations in Serbia and Vojvodina) (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.yu |
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Internet hosts:
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16,972 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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640,000 (2002) |
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Railways:
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total:
4,059 km
standard gauge: 4,059 km 1.435-m gauge (1,364 km
electrified) (2002) |
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Highways:
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total:
49,805 km
paved: 31,029 km (including 560 km of expressways)
unpaved: 18,776 km (2000) |
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Waterways:
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587 km
note: the Danube River, central Europe's connection to
the Black Sea, runs through Serbia; since early 2000, a
pontoon bridge, replacing a destroyed conventional bridge, has
obstructed river traffic at Novi Sad; the obstruction is
bypassed by a canal system, but the inadequate lock size
limits the size of vessels which may pass; the pontoon bridge
can be opened for large ships but has slowed river traffic
(2001) |
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Pipelines:
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gas 3,177 km; oil
393 km (2003) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Bar, Belgrade,
Kotor, Novi Sad, Pancevo, Tivat, Zelenika |
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Airports:
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45 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 19
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 4 (2003 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 26
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 12 (2003 est.) |
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Heliports:
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4 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Army
(VJ) (including ground forces with border troops, naval
forces, air and air defense forces) |
|
Military manpower - military age:
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19
years of age (nine months compulsory service) (2004) |
|
Military manpower - availability:
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males
age 15-49: 2,718,234 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males
age 15-49: 2,184,937 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
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males:
81,245 (2004 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$654
million (2002) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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NA |
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Disputes - international:
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the future status
of Kosovo remains an unresolved issue in South Central Europe
with Kosovo Albanians overwhelmingly supporting and Serbian
officials opposing Kosovo independence; the international
community has agreed to begin a process to determine final
status only after significant progress has been made in
solidifying multi-ethnic democracy in Kosovo as outlined in
the policy of "standards before status"; the
Contract group will review progress on the UNMIK standard
around mid-2005; ethnic Albanians in Kosovo resist demarcation
of the F.Y.R.O.M. boundary in accordance with the 2000
delimitation treaty, which transfers on net a small amount of
land to F.Y.R.O.M.; Serbia and Montenegro have delimited about
half of the boundary with Bosnia and Herzegovina, but sections
along the Drina River remain in dispute |
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Illicit drugs:
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transshipment
point for Southwest Asian heroin moving to Western Europe on
the Balkan route; economy vulnerable to money laundering |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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