Serbia

Serbia is a landlocked nation bordered by Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia. The northern Vojvodina region lies within the Pannonian Plain where the Danube and Tisza Rivers meet, while central Serbia features Morava valleys, Šumadija orchards, and Tara National Park's conifer forests. Southern ranges such as Kopaonik and Stara Planina rise to over 2,000 meters, hosting ski resorts, mineral springs, and endemic wildlife. Belgrade stands at the confluence of the Danube and Sava Rivers, where ancient fortresses like Kalemegdan overlook modern bridges and research campuses.

Serbia is a parliamentary republic with a president as head of state and a prime minister leading the government accountable to the National Assembly. Municipalities and autonomous provinces, including Vojvodina, manage agriculture, education, infrastructure, and minority rights councils. The judiciary and ombudsman oversee rule of law reforms as Serbia pursues European Union accession while cooperating with the United Nations, Council of Europe, and regional energy communities.

History includes Roman frontier towns, the medieval Serbian Kingdom and Empire, and monasteries adorned with frescoes such as Studenica and Gračanica. Ottoman and Habsburg spheres shaped architecture and cuisine, and the 19th-century uprisings led by Karadjordje and Miloš Obrenović restored autonomy and monarchy. After World War I, Serbia joined the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, later Yugoslavia, and endured wars in the 1990s before establishing the current republic in 2006 following the dissolution with Montenegro.

Serbia's economy blends agriculture of grains, raspberries, and plums with automotive suppliers, tire factories, mining, renewable energy, and a fast-growing IT sector. Novi Sad hosts startup incubators and video game studios, Niš produces electronics and drones, and science parks in Belgrade collaborate on biomedical devices. Hydropower dams on the Danube and Drina Rivers provide electricity alongside wind projects in Vršac and solar rooftops across cities. Transport corridors X and XI connect Central Europe to the Aegean through upgraded railways and highways.

Cultural life highlights EXIT music festival in Novi Sad's Petrovaradin Fortress, Guča trumpet festival in western Serbia, and culinary staples such as ćevapi, kajmak cheese, and ajvar pepper spread. Traditional kolo circle dances and gusle storytelling accompany weddings and harvest celebrations. Serbia's UNESCO heritage includes medieval monasteries and stećak tombstones, and artists from Nikola Tesla to modern filmmakers inspire innovation. Diplomatically, Serbia contributes troops to UN peace operations, supports Danube Commission shipping safety, and mediates regional archaeology and biodiversity projects.