塞尔维亚

塞尔维亚-克罗埃西亚语作Srbija

塞尔维亚与蒙特内哥罗的立宪共和国,占其领土面积的80%。前自治省伏伊伏丁那(Vojvodina)和科索沃都位於其境内。面积:88,361平方公里。人口约9,945,000(1997)。首都:贝尔格勒。种族包括塞尔维亚人、克罗埃西亚人、波士尼亚人和阿尔巴尼亚人。语言:塞尔维亚-克罗埃西亚语(官方)。宗教:塞尔维亚东正教天主教伊斯兰教。货币:南斯拉夫新第纳尔。该国多山,中部森林密布,北部为低地平原。肥沃的伏伊伏丁那平原为该国供应大量的谷物、烟草和甜菜,多山的中部地区在乳品业、水果种植和饲养牲畜方面都已专业化。1990年代爆发内战以前,采矿业和制造业是该国的经济支柱,工业以纺织业,以及铅、锌、煤、铜和石油矿藏为主。塞尔维亚人在西元6~7世纪时已定居於此。在9世纪,名义上受到拜占庭封建统治的塞尔维亚人皈依了东正教。389年的科索沃战役中,鄂图曼土耳其人在此获胜。经过一段时间的反抗,於1459年归属鄂图曼帝国。1828~1829年的俄土战争後,成为受土耳其封建统治和俄国保护的自治公国。1878年脱离土耳其,完全独立。第一次世界大战之後,成为塞尔维亚、克罗埃西亚及斯洛维尼亚王国的一部分,该王国在1929年改名为南斯拉夫。1946年塞尔维亚成为南斯拉夫六个联邦共和国之一。在南斯拉夫的经济於1980年代出现衰退之後,国家开始出现分裂。1991年未能制止斯洛维尼亚脱离联盟,此後,南斯拉夫军队中的塞尔维亚人便开始帮助波士尼亚的塞尔维亚人将穆斯林和克罗埃西亚人驱逐出波士尼亚赫塞哥维纳北部。南斯拉夫解体後,塞尔维亚和蒙特内哥罗一起成立了新的南斯拉夫联盟。该地区仍处於混乱中(参阅Bosnian conflict)。1995年签订的达顿和平协定使这一状况稍有缓解。米洛塞维奇把持了权力,而科索沃的阿尔巴尼亚人为了获得更多自治权而奋斗,导致了1998~1999年间的又一系列战争(参阅Kosovo conflict)。由於暴力不断升级,北约采取了轰炸行动来对付,之後於1999年6月达成了和平协定。2000年底,南斯拉夫政府更替後,该国重新获得了在联合国以及欧洲理事会中的席位。不过,争取独立的抗争活动仍在科索沃和蒙特内哥罗继续。

Serbia

Constituent republic of Yugoslavia, comprising 80% of its area. The formerly autonomous provinces of Vojvodina and Kosovo are within its borders. Area: 34,116 sq mi (88,361 sq km). Population (1997 est.): 9,945,000. Capital: Belgrade. Ethnic Serbs, Croats, Bosnians, and Albanians live in the republic. Language: Serbo-Croatian (official). Religions: Serbian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Islam. Currency: Yugoslav new dinar. Serbia is mountainous, with forests in the central area and low-lying plains in the north. The fertile plains of Vojvodina supply much of the nation's grain, tobacco, and sugar beets, while the hilly central areas specialize in dairy, fruit, and livestock. Before the 1990s civil war, mining and manufacturing were the economic mainstays, with industries noted for textiles and with deposits of lead, zinc, coal, copper, and oil. Serbs settled the region in the 6th-7th century AD. In the 9th century, nominally under Byzantine suzerainty, the Serbs converted to Eastern Orthodox Christianity. The Ottoman Turks triumphed at the Battle of Kosovo in 389; after a period of resistance, it became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1459. After the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-29, it became an autonomous principality under Turkish suzerainty and Russian protection. It became completely independent of Turkey in 1878. After World War I, it became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, which was renamed Yugoslavia in 1929. In 1946 Serbia was made one of six federated republics of Yugoslavia. As the Yugoslav economy faltered in the 1980s, the country began to break apart. After an unsuccessful attempt to prevent Slovenia's secession in 1991, Serb elements of the Yugoslav armed forces began assisting Bosnian Serbs in sweeping Muslims and Croats from eastern and northern Bosnia and Herzegovina. After Yugoslavia's breakup, Serbia joined with Montenegro to form a new Yugoslav federation. The area remained in turmoil (see Bosnian conflict). The 1995 signing of the Dayton peace accords ultimately brought little relief. Slobodan Milosevic retained power, and the push for more autonomy by Albanian Kosovars provoked another round of fighting in 1998-99 (see Kosovo conflict). NATO retaliated with a bombing campaign as the violence escalated, which led to a peace accord in June 1999. A change in the Yugoslav government late in 2000 brought reinstatement in the United Nations and the Council of Europe. Nevertheless, agitation for independence continued in Kosovo and Montenegro.