General background: 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 themselves as well as the invaders. The group
headed by Marshal TITO took full control upon German
expulsion in 1945. Although Communist, his new government
successfully steered its 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, and
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia all declared
their independence in 1991; Bosnia and Herzegovina in
1992. The remaining republics of Serbia and Montenegro
declared a new "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia"
(FRY)in 1992 and, under President Slobodan MILOSEVIC,
Serbia led various military intervention efforts to
unite 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 and Russian peacekeepers in Kosovo.
There are Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS)-led
coalitions governing at the federal and Serbian Republic
levels, implementing a wide-ranging political and economic
reform program. The governing coalition in Montenegro
is seeking independence from the Federation. 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.
Area
comparative: Slightly smaller than Kentucky.
Climate: 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.
Terrain:
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.
Population: 10,656,929
Ethnic groups: Serb 62.6%, Albanian 16.5%,
Montenegrin 5%, Hungarian 3.3%, other 12.6% (1991)
Religions: Orthodox 65%, Muslim 19%, Roman
Catholic 4%, Protestant 1%, other 11%
Language: Serbian 95%, Albanian 5%
Government type: Republic
Capital: Belgrade
Legal system: Based on civil law system
Economic overview: MILOSEVIC-era mismanagement
of the economy, an extended period of economic sanctions,
and the damage to Yugoslavia's infrastructure and
industry during the war in Kosovo has left the economy
only half the size it was in 1990. Since the ousting
of former Federal Yugoslav President MILOSEVIC in
October 2000, the Democratic Opposition of Serbia
(DOS) coalition government has 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
will write off 66% of the debt and provide a basis
for Belgrade to seek similar debt relief on its $2.8
billion London Club commercial debt. The smaller republic
of Montenegro severed its economy from federal control
and from Serbia during the MILOSEVIC era and continues
to maintain it's 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 according to United Nations Security
Council Resolution 1244, is moving toward local autonomy
under United Nations Interim Administration Mission
in Kosovo (UNMIK) and is dependent on the international
community for financial and technical assistance.
The euro and the Yugoslav dinar are official currencies,
and UNMIK collects taxes and manages the budget.
Communication/Telephone system: Not available
Places of interest:
Travel tips: Keep up to date on the current
political climate and stay out of trouble. Travel
to all parts of Kosovo and in the Presovo area of
southern Serbia, near the administrative border of
Serbia and Kosovo, should be avoided due to landmines
and ongoing tensions.
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