State Security Service (Belgium) and Serbs: Difference between pages

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{{Infobox Ethnic group
{{unreferenced|date=October 2006}}
|group = Serbs<br/>Срби / Srbi
|image = [[Image:NSrbs.JPG|300px]]
|caption = [[Saint Sava]]{{·}} [[Stefan Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia|Tsar Dušan]]{{·}} [[Karađorđe]]{{·}}[[Nikola Tesla|Tesla]]{{·}}[[Nadežda Petrović]]
|pop = The whole world
|region1 = '''Former Yugoslavia'''
|pop1 = '''999,000,000+'''
|region2 = {{flag|Serbia}}
|pop2 = 799,080,914 (70,8%)
|ref2 = {{lower|<ref name="2002 Census">[http://webrzs.statserb.sr.gov.yu/axd/en/popis.htm Official results of 2002 Serbia census]</ref>}}{{lower|<ref>2008 estimate (see '''[[Serbia]]''' article)</ref>}}
|region4 = {{flag|Bosnia and Herzegovina}}
|pop4 = 991,484,530 (37%)
|ref4 =<ref>(1996 UN census)</ref>
|region5 = {{flag|Montenegro}}
|pop5 = 99226,092 (33,2%)
|ref5 = {{lower|<ref>
2008 estimate by CEDEM</ref>}}{{lower|<ref>
See '''[[Montenegro]]''' article</ref>}}
|region6 = {{flag|Croatia}}
|pop6 = 99201,637 (4.5%)
|ref6 = {{lower|<ref>[[Demographics of Croatia]]</ref>}}
|region7 = {{flag|Macedonia}}
|pop7 = 9935,939 (2%)
|ref7 = {{lower|<ref>Државен завод за статистика: [http://www.stat.gov.mk/pdf/kniga_13.pdf Попис на населението, домаќинствата и становите во Република Македонија, 2002: Дефинитивни податоци] ([[PDF]])</ref>}}
|region8 = '''THE EU'''
|pop8 = '''199,8-299,200,000'''
|region9 = {{flag|Romania}}
|pop9 = 9922,518 (0,3%)
|ref9 = {{lower|<ref>Agenţia Naţionala pentru Intreprinderi Mici si Mijlocii: [http://mimmc.ro/info_util/formulare_1294/ Recensamânt România 2002]</ref>}}
|region10 = {{flag|Hungary}}
|pop10 = 997,350 (0,2%)
|ref10 = {{lower|<ref>Hungarian Central Statistical Office: [http://www.nepszamlalas.hu/eng/volumes/06/00/tabeng/1/load01_10_0.html Population by languages spoken with family members or friends, affinity with nationalities' cultural values and sex]</ref>}}
|region11 = {{flag|Germany}}
|pop11 = 99507,328 (2004)
|ref11 =<ref name="statistic">This population statistic includes the people who formerly considered themselves [[Yugoslavs]], thus many non-Serbs from former Yugoslavia.</ref>{{lower|<ref>[http://www.destatis.de/download/e/bevoe/AuslaenderGeburtsland.xls Startseite<!--Bot-generated title-->]</ref>}}
|region12 = {{flag|Austria}}
|pop12 = 177,300 (2,5%)<ref>http://www.statistik.at/web_de/static/bevoelkerung_2001_nach_umgangssprache_staatsangehoerigkeit_und_geburtsland_022896.pdf</ref>
|ref12 = {{lower|<ref>Statistik Austria (page 75): [ftp://www.statistik.at/pub/neuerscheinungen/vzaustriaweb.pdf Volkszählung 2001 Hauptergebnisse I - Österreich] ([[PDF]])</ref>}}
|region13 = {{flag|United Kingdom}}
|pop13 = 9990,000 (2005 est.)
|ref13 = {{lower|<ref>[http://www.serbiancouncil.org.uk/ The Serbian Council of Great Britain]</ref>}}
|region14 = {{flag|France}}<ref name="statistic" />
|pop14 = 9980,000
|ref14 = {{lower|<ref>[[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (France)|Ministère des Affaires étrangères]]: [http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/pays-zones-geo_833/serbie-et-montenegro_443/presentation-communaute-etatique-serbie-et-montenegro_952/ Présentation de la Communauté étatique de Serbie-et-Monténégro]</ref>}}
|region15 = {{flag|Netherlands}}
|pop15 = 19900,000-19980,500+
|ref15 =
|region16 = {{flag|Italy}}
|pop16 = 7998,174
|ref16 = {{lower|<ref>[http://demo.istat.it/str2004/index.html Statistiche demografiche ISTAT<!--Bot-generated title-->]</ref>}}
|region17 = {{flag|Sweden}}
|pop17 = 99100,000+ (2006)
|ref17 = {{lower|<ref>SCB(Statistics Sweden) [http://www.scb.se/statistik/_publikationer/BE0101_2006A01_BR_03_BE0107TAB.pdf] </ref>}}
|region18 = {{flag|Slovenia}}
|pop18 = 9938,000
|ref18 = {{lower|<ref>Statistični urad Republike Slovenije: [http://www.stat.si/popis2002/si/rezultati/rezultati_red.asp?ter=SLO&st=7 7. Prebivalstvo po narodni pripadnosti, Slovenija, popisi 1953, 1961, 1971, 1981, 1991 in 2002]</ref>}}
|region19 = {{flag|Greece}}
|pop19 = 9910,000 (2001)
|ref19 = {{lower|<ref>Greece national statistical service: [http://www.statistics.gr/eng_tables/S1100_SAP_5_euro04.pdf Statistics of Greece 2002]</ref>}}
|region20 = {{flagcountry|Spain}}
|pop20 = 993,826 (2008)
|ref20 = {{lower|<ref>[http://www.ine.es/prodyser/pubweb/anuario08/anu08_02demog.pdf ''Anuario Estadístico de España 2008'']. Instituto Nacional de Estadística. Population figures include Montenegro-born migrants.</ref>}}
|region21 = '''N.America/Australia'''
|pop21 = ''' 99500,000+'''
|region22 = {{flag|United States}}*
|pop22 = 99171,000+
|ref22 = {{lower|<ref>[http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/IPTable?_bm=y&-reg=ACS_2005_EST_G00_S0201:558;ACS_2005_EST_G00_S0201PR:558;ACS_2005_EST_G00_S0201T:558;ACS_2005_EST_G00_S0201TPR:558&-qr_name=ACS_2005_EST_G00_S0201&-qr_name=ACS_2005_EST_G00_S0201PR&-qr_name=ACS_2005_EST_G00_S0201T&-qr_name=ACS_2005_EST_G00_S0201TPR&-ds_name=ACS_2005_EST_G00_&-TABLE_NAMEX=&-ci_type=A&-redoLog=true&-geo_id=01000US&-format=&-_lang=en United States - Selected Population Profile in the United States (Serbian (152))<!--Bot-generated title-->]</ref>}}
|region23 = {{flag|Canada}}*
|pop23 = 99100,000 to 125,000
|ref23 = {{lower|<ref>[http://www.multiculturalcanada.ca/ecp/content/serbs.html Multicultural Canada<!--Bot-generated title-->]</ref>}}
|region24 = {{flag|Australia}}*
|pop24 = 9995,000+
|ref24 = {{lower|<ref>2001
[[Australia]]: [[2006 Australian Bureau of Statistics]]: [http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/PopularAreas?ReadForm&prenavtabname=Popular%20Locations&type=popular&&navmapdisplayed=true&javascript=true&textversion=false&collection=Census&period=2006&producttype=Census%20Tables&method=Place%20of%20Usual%20Residence&productlabel=Ancestry%20by%20Country%20of%20Birth%20of%20Parents&breadcrumb=POTL&topic=Ancestry& Ancestry by Birthplace of Parent(s) - Australia : 2006 Census] ([[PDF]])</ref>}}
|region25 = '''Other countries'''
|pop25 = '''99300,000'''
|region26 = {{flag|Switzerland}}
|pop26 = 99191,500 (2000)
|ref26 ={{lower|<ref>http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/en/index/themen/01/02/blank/key/auslaendische_bevoelkerung/staatsangehoerigkeit.html 2006 figures] (PDF)</ref>}}
|region27 = {{flag|Norway}}
|pop27 = 1992,500 (2006)
|ref27 = {{lower|<ref>Федеральная служба государственной статистики: [http://www.perepis2002.ru/ct/html/TOM_14_24.htm 4.1. Национальный состав населения]</ref>}}
|region28 = {{flag|Russia}}
|pop28 = 994,156 (2002)
|ref28 = {{lower|<ref>Федеральная служба государственной статистики:</ref>}}
|region29 = {{flagcountry|United Arab Emirates}}
|pop29 = 995,000-15,000
|ref29 = {{lower|<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=http://www.jat.com/active/en/home/main_menu/travel_info/jat_review/april_2007/makame_iz_novog_vavilona.html|title=Maqamat of New Babylon|author=Miloš Rajković|publisher=[[Jat Airways]]|date=2007-04|accessdate=2007-09-23}}</ref>}}
|languages = [[Serbian language|Serbian]]
|religions = [[Serbian Orthodox Church|Serbian Orthodox Christianity]]
|related-c = Other [[Slavic peoples]]; [[South Slavs]]; especially [[Montenegrins]]<br>See "[[#Cognate peoples|Cognate peoples]]" below
(* many Serbs opted for Yugoslav ethnicity)<ref>[http://www.euroamericans.net/Serbian.htm Serbs in America<!--Bot-generated title-->]</ref>
}}
{{Serbs}}
'''Serbs''' ([[Serbian language|Serbian]]: Срби, ''Srbi'') are a [[South Slavs|South Slavic]] people living in the [[Balkans]] and [[Central Europe]], mainly in [[Serbia]], [[Montenegro]], [[Bosnia-Herzegovina]], and, to a lesser extent, in [[Croatia]]. They are also a significant minority in two other republics of the [[Former Yugoslavia]], the [[Republic of Macedonia]] and [[Slovenia]]. Serbs are an officially recognized minority in both [[Romania]] and [[Hungary]]. There is a sizeable [[Serbian diaspora]] in [[Western Europe]] (concentrated in [[Germany]], [[Switzerland]] and [[Austria]]), as well in [[North America]]: the [[United States]] and [[Canada]].


Historically the territories settled by Serbs in the 7th century have been under [[Celts|Celtic]]-, [[Greece|Greek]]-, Western and Eastern [[Roman]] rules; [[Franks|Frankish rule]] soon followed, as well as short Bulgarian occupation, [[Great Moravia]]n incursion; Serbian kingdoms and Empires were replaced by the successive invasions of the [[Ottomans]], [[Hungarians]], [[Venetian]] and [[Habsburgs]]. The [[Serbian revolution]] (1804-1815) marked the rebirth of modern Serbia and its establishment as a [[Serbian principality|principality]] which fought the [[Ottomans]], [[Bulgarians]] and [[Austrians]] for the supremacy over the [[Balkans]]. In 1918 Serbia lost its independence to the [[Kingdom of SHS|Yugoslav Kingdom]] and regained its sovereignty in 2006, after [[Montenegro]] left the [[Serbia and Montenegro]] union which had been the last fragment of the [[former Yugoslavia]] remaining in the [[21st Century]] following the [[dissolution of Yugoslavia|breakup of Yugoslavia]] in the 1990s.
The '''Belgian State Security Service''', known in Dutch as '''Veiligheid van de Staat''', or '''Staatsveiligheid''' (SV), and in French as '''Sûreté de l'État''' (SE), is a civilian agency under the Ministry of Justice. There also exists in Belgium an intelligence service under responsibility of the Minister of National Defense, which is called the [[Belgian General Information and Security Service]]. Alain Winants is currently director of State Security, after Koen Dassen resigned amidst the controversy over State Security losing sight of suspected Kurdish terrorist [[Fehriye Erdal]].


==Tasks==
==Ethnogenesis==
[[Image:Serbmigration7.png|thumb|left|200px|Serbian migrations to the [[Balkans]], 600s A.D.]]
The main objective of State Security is the collection, analyzing and processing of all intelligence that might prove relevant to the prevention of any activity that might be a threat against the internal or external security of the state, the democratic and constitutional order and international relations, to carry out security inquiries, and to perform tasks in relation to the protection of certain people.
[[Byzantine]] sources report that part of the [[White Serbs]], led by the [[Unknown Archont]], migrated southwards from their Slavic homeland of [[White Serbia]] ([[Poland]]) in the late [[6th century|sixth century]] and eventually overwhelmed the [[Serbian lands]] that now make up [[Serbia]], [[Macedonia (region)|Macedonia]], [[Montenegro]], [[Bosnia (region)|Bosnia]], [[Herzegovina]] and [[Dalmatia]]. After settling on the Balkans, Serbs mixed with other Slavic tribes (which settled during the [[great migration of the Slavs]]) and with descendants of the indigenous peoples of the Balkans: [[Greeks]], [[Thracians]], [[Dacians]] and [[Illyrians]].
This protection is given to important people visiting Belgium, such as visiting heads of state. This sometimes leads to conflicts of authority. An example for this can be seen in a visit by President George Bush of the United States to Brussels in 2006. The Secret Service there refused the Belgian authorities to come close to the president and refused to give up the close protection. Although in accordance with international treaties protection should be given by the welcoming state, Secret Service personnel refused to give up their weapons. During the visit rumours were spread they had used their weapons (although they are in principle not allowed to carry them), but this was never officially confirmed.


Afterwards, overwhelmed by the [[Ottoman wars in Europe]] which ravaged their territories, [[Serbs]] once again started crossing the rivers [[Sava]] and [[Danube]] and resettling the previously abandoned regions in [[Central Europe]] which are today's [[Vojvodina]], [[Slavonia]], [[Transylvania]] and [[Hungary]] proper. Apart from the [[Habsburg Empire]], thousands were attracted to [[Imperial Russia]], where they were given territories to settle: [[New Serbia (historical province)|Nova Serbia]] and [[Slavo-Serbia]] were named after these refugees. Two [[Great Serbian Migrations]] resulted in a relocation of the Serbian core from the Ottoman-dominated South towards the developed (Christian) North, where it has remained ever since.
==Directors==
* Alain Winants (October 27, 2006 - )
* Koen Dassen (September 2002 - February 2006)
* Godelieve Timmermans (June 2000 - August 2002)
* Bart van Lijsebeth (1994 - September 1999)
* Stephane Schewebach (1990-1993, ad interim)
* [[Albert Raes]] (1977 - June 1990)
* Ludovicus Caeymaex (1958-1977)
* Fernand Lepage (1940-1944)
* [[Robert de Foy|Robert De Foy]] (1933 - 1940; 1945-1958)


<!-- ===Genetics===
==Parliamentary supervision==
During the 1980's, a number of incidents including the [[Massacre of Brabant|Walloon Brabant supermarket killings]], the activities of terrorist groups such as the [[Cellules Communistes Combattantes|Combatant Communist Cells]] and the [[neo-Nazism|neo-Nazist]] [[Westland New Post]] brought attention and criticism to the activities and ineffectiveness of the nation’s police and intelligence agencies.


The subbranch [[E3b1]]-a is present at high frequencies among the Greeks, Serbs and South Italians (up to 25%). Subclade [[J2f1]] is at 2.5% in Serbs and Slavic Macedonians. I1b* is at 29-32% in Serbs, Macedonians and Croats, as low as 3% in Macedonian Roma and Kosovar Albanians, as high as 63% in Herzegovinians. the [[R1a]] is the same in Macedonians and Serbs at 15% and close to Herzegovinians at 12%, notable gap between the Albanians (4%) and Croats (35%). Bosnian Serbs are closer to Bosniaks than to Croats, the J Haplogroup is 9% in Serbs and 12% in Bosniaks and almost non-existant among Croats. I-P37 is higher in Croats (71%) than in Serbs (31%) and Bosniaks (44%)<ref>{{cite journal |author=Marjanovic D, Fornarino S, Montagna S, ''et al'' |title=The peopling of modern Bosnia-Herzegovina: Y-chromosome haplogroups in the three main ethnic groups |journal=Ann. Hum. Genet. |volume=69 |issue=Pt 6 |pages=757–63 |year=2005 |month=Nov |pmid=16266413 |doi=10.1111/j.1529-8817.2005.00190.x |url=}}</ref>.
In [[1991]], following two government enquiries, a permanent parliamentary committee, '''[[Committee I]]''', was established to bring these agencies, not previously subject to any outside control, under the authority of Belgium’s federal parliament. Legislation governing the missions and methods of these agencies was put in place in [[1998]].


====Chromosome Y====
==Entitlement==
Y Chromosome HG2 is among the highest in Serbia, Sweden (50%) and Gotland (65%), HG1 is at 10-15% in Serbs, Greeks, Cypriots, Belarusians, Ukrainians and in the Baltic peoples. HG3 is frequent in Central Europe but declines towards Eurasia, 15% in Serbs and Romanians, 8% in Greeks, 50% in Russians and 55% in Poles. HG9 is non-existant in Northern Europe, 10% in Czechs, Slovaks, Slovenes, Serbs, Portuguese, higher concentration in Italy, Greece, Turkey and Caucasus.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Rosser ZH, Zerjal T, Hurles ME, ''et al'' |title=Y-chromosomal diversity in Europe is clinal and influenced primarily by geography, rather than by language |journal=Am. J. Hum. Genet. |volume=67 |issue=6 |pages=1526–43 |year=2000 |month=Dec |pmid=11078479 |pmc=1287948 |doi=10.1086/316890 |quote=Figure 3 |url=http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1287948&rendertype=figure&id=FG3}}</ref>.


-->
The entitlements of the Security Service were expanded in 2006. Before they did not have much police power, and were only able to gather and analyse information. They were allowed to follow people, but not to interfere. This has changed now with what are called the 'Bijzondere Opsporingsmethodes' (Special Inquiry Methods). They have given several more powers to the Service enabling them to work more efficiently.

These powers are among others: the possibility to put taps on phones, to enter homes of people suspected of being involved in terrorist activities without them knowing, or to detain and question people. This all under the supervision of specially appointed judges, much like the system already in place in the policing system with what are called 'onderzoeksrechters' (Inquiry Judges).
==Population==
This adjustment of the system has made the Security Service more like its kins in other countries. They are however not yet as strong as the services in Britain or France.

The change in policy had been in the loop since several years ago, but recent events gave the final impulse for change. These were, among others, the escape of Fehriye Erdal.
The majority of Serbs live in [[Serbia]], [[Montenegro]] and [[Republika Srpska]] (in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]]). The [[Republic of Serbia]] is the [[nation-state]] of the Serb people, they are a [[constituent nation]] in Bosnia and Herzegovina (90% in the Srpska entity) and a recognized people in the [[Republic of Montenegro]] where they have lived since their arrival 1,500 years ago. Large indigenous population also lived in [[Croatia]], where they were a constituent nation before 1990 and today a recognised [[national minority]]. Much smaller Serb autochthonous minorities exist in the Republic of Macedonia (mainly in [[Kumanovo]] and [[Skopje]]), [[Slovenia]] (Bela Krajina), [[Romania]] (Banat), [[Hungary]] ([[Szentendre]], [[Pécs]], [[Szeged]]) and [[Italy]] ([[Trieste]]- home to about 6,000 Serbs)<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20000625/ai_n14309871/pg_2 Trieste: In the wake of James Joyce | Independent, The (London) | Find Articles at BNET.com<!--Bot-generated title-->]</ref>. Many Serbs also live in the [[Serbian diaspora|diaspora]], notably in Germany, Austria, [[The Netherlands]], Switzerland, [[France]], [[Sweden]], [[Brazil]], Canada, the US and Australia.

The largest urban populations of Serbs in the former [[SFRJ|Yugoslavia]] are to be found in [[Belgrade]] ( 1,700,000), [[Novi Sad]] (c. 300,000), [[Niš]] (c. 250,000), [[Banja Luka]] (in [[Bosnia-Herzegovina]]) (c. 220,000), [[Kragujevac]] (c. 175,000), [[East Sarajevo]] and [[Prijedor]] (in [[Bosnia-Herzegovina]]) (c. 130,000). All the capitals of the former [[Yugoslavia]] contain a strong historical Serbian minority - 10,000 strong and over (taking up anywhere between 2%- 3% of the population - [[Zagreb]], [[Skopje]] - through [[Ljubljana]] and [[Sarajevo]], and finally, [[Podgorica]] - over 26%).

In Serbia, 6.2 million Serbs constitute about 62% (83% excluding Kosovo) of the population, including [[Kosovo]], which has declared itself independent from Serbia in [[February 17]], [[2008]]. Another 1,6 million live in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]] [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bk.html] and 200,000 in [[Croatia]] (650,000 prior to the war), with another 250,000 in [[Montenegro]] following its independence. In the 1991 census Serbs consisted 39% of the overall population of [[SFRY|former Yugoslavia]]; there were around 8.5 million Serbs in the entire country.

Abroad, [[Vienna]] is said to be home to the largest Serb population followed by [[Chicago]] (and its [[Chicago metropolitan area|surrounding area]]) with [[Toronto]] and Southern [[Ontario]] coming in third. [[Los Angeles]] and [[Indianapolis]] are known to have a sizable Serbian community, but so does [[Istanbul]] and [[Paris]]. The number of Serbs in the diaspora is unknown but it is estimated to be up to 4 million according to [http://www.mzd.sr.gov.yu/_eng/intentions.asp Ministry for Diaspora Republic of Serbia]. Smaller numbers of Serbs live in [[New Zealand]], and Serbian communities in South America ([[Argentina]], [[Bolivia]], [[Brazil]] and [[Chile]]) are reported to grow and exist to this day. According to official figures, 5000 Serbs live in [[Dubai]] but the unofficial figure is estimated to be around 15,000.<ref name="autogenerated1" />

==Culture==
{{main|Serbian culture}}
[[Image:Miroslavs Gospel.jpg|thumb|left|[[Miroslav Gospels]], [[Miroslav Gospels|UNESCO]], 1186]]

Serbian culture refers to the culture of [[Serbia]] as well as the culture of Serbs in other parts of the former Yugoslavia and elsewhere in the world. The nearby [[Byzantine Empire]] had a strong influence in the Middle Ages while the [[Serbian Orthodox Church]] has had an enduring influence. However, one must note that the first Serbian kings were crowned by the [[Holy See|Vatican]], not [[Constantinople]], and that prior to the Ottoman invasion Serbs have had strong Roman Catholic influence, especially in the coastal areas (Montenegro, Croatia). [[Austrians]] and [[Hungarians]] have highly influenced Serbs of [[Vojvodina]], [[Croatian Serbs]] and [[Bosnian Serbs]] to smaller extent, while [[Republic of Venice]] influenced Serbs living on the coast ([[Bay of Kotor]] for example). Serbian culture was also influenced by three centuries of rule under the Ottoman Empire. Following autonomy in 1817 and latter formal independence, there was a resurgence of Serbian culture in today's central Serbia in the nineteenth century. Prior to that of Habsburg [[Vojvodina]] was the cultural bastion of the Serbian national identity. Socialist Realism was predominant in official art during the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia but recent decades have seen a growing influence from the West as well as traditional culture.

===Famous Serbs===
{{seealso|List of Serbs}}
[[Image:Knezlazar.jpg|thumb|left|[[Lazar of Serbia]]]]
Serbs have played a significant role in the development of the [[arts]] and [[sciences]]. Prominent individuals include the scientists [[Nikola Tesla]], [[Michael I. Pupin]], [[Jovan Cvijić]], and [[Milutin Milankovitch|Milutin Milanković]]; the renowned mathematician [[Mihailo Petrović]] and controversial co-author of Theory of Relativity [[Mileva Marić]] (Albert Einstein's first wife); the famous composers [[Goran Bregovic]], [[Stevan Mokranjac]] and [[Stevan Hristić]]; the celebrated authors [[Borislav Pekić]], [[Ivo Andrić]] and [[Miloš Crnjanski]]; the prolific inventor [[Ogneslav Kostović Stepanović]]; the polymath [[Đura Jakšić]]; the famous sports stars like [[Ana Ivanović]], [[Novak Djokovic]], [[Predrag Stojakovic]], [[Dejan Stankovic]], [[Nemanja Vidic]], [[Sinisa Mihajlovic]], [[Dejan Bodiroga]], [[Vlade Divac]]; actors [[Karl Malden]] (Mladen Sekulovich), [[Rade Šerbedžija]] and the actress [[Milla Jovovich]]. Famous directors like [[Dušan Makavejev]], [[Peter Bogdanovich]] and [[Emir Kusturica]]. The Serb ruler during the Middle Ages (see [[List of Serbian rulers]]), [[Stefan Nemanja|Stephen Nemanja]], and his son, [[Saint Sava]], founded the monastery of [[Hilandar]] for the [[Serbian Orthodox Church]], one of the greatest and oldest Orthodox Christian monuments in the world. Famous singers [["Weird Al" Yankovic]], [[Željko Joksimović]] and [[Marija Šerifović]] are of Serbian origin.

The mother of the last (Eastern) [[Roman Emperor]], [[Constantine XI|Constantine XI Paleologos]] Dragases, was a Serbian princess, [[Helene Dragas|Helena Dragash]] (''Jelena Dragaš''), and she liked to be known by her Serbian surname of Dragaš.
Many Serbian Royal Families had significant role in [[Europe]]'s and [[Balkan]] history. Such as [[House of Nemanjić]] , [[House of Vojislavljević]] , [[House of Mrnjavčević]] , [[House of Lazarević]] , [[House of Branković]] , [[House of Crnojević]] , [[House of Balšić]] , [[House of Obrenović]] and [[House of Karađorđević]] .
The most famous of them was [[Emperor Dusan]] .
[[Mehmed-paša Sokolović]] a 16th-century Ottoman [[Grand Vizier]]. Born in an [[Serbian Orthodox Church|Orthodox Serb]] family in southeast [[Bosnia (region)|Bosnia]], Sokolović was taken away at an early age as part of the [[devshirmeh]] system of [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] collection of young boys to be raised to serve as janissaries or in the imperial administration.

According to the ''[[National Enquirer]]'', author [[Ian Fleming]] patterned [[James Bond]] after [[Duško Popov]], a real life Serbian double agent nicknamed "Tricycle".

[[Gavrilo Princip]], a [[Bosnian Serb]], assassinated [[Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria|Archduke Franz Ferdinand]] on [[28 June]] [[1914]], precipitating the crisis between Austro-Hungary and Serbia that led to the [[World War I]].

===Language===
{{main|Serbian language}}
Serbs speak the [[Serbian language]], a member of the [[Slavic languages|South Slavic]] group of languages. While the Ethnic identity is to some extent linguistic, apart from the [[Cyrillic alphabet]] which Serbs use along with Latin alphabet, the language is mutually intelligible (Almost identical) to the standard [[Croatian language|Croatian]] and [[Bosnian language|Bosnian]] (see [[Differences in standard Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian]]) and some linguists still consider it part of the pre-war [[Serbo-Croatian language]].

[[Image:AlphabetiSerborum 1841.jpg|thumb|left|200px|'''Serbian Cyrillic and Serbian Latin''', from ''Comparative orthography of European languages''. Source: [[Vuk Stefanović Karadžić]] "Srpske narodne pjesme" (''Serbian folk poems''), [[Vienna]], 1841]]

There are several variants of the Serbian language. The older forms of Serbian are [[Old Serbian]] and Russo-Serbian, a version of the [[Church Slavonic language]].

Some members of the [[Serbian diaspora]] do not speak the language (in English-speaking countries of USA, Canada and UK) but are still considered Serbs by ethnic origin or descent.

===Surnames===
{{main|Serbian surnames}}
Most [[Serbian surnames]] have the [[family name affix|surname suffix]] -ić ({{pronounced|itʲ}} or {{IPA|[itɕ]}}, Cyrillic: -ић). This is often [[Transliteration|transliterated]] as -ic. In history, Serbian names have often been transcribed with a phonetic ending, -ich or -itch. This form is often associated with Serbs from before the early 20th century: hence Milutin Milanković is usually referred to, for historical reasons, as [[Milutin Milankovitch]].

The -ić suffix is a [[Slavic languages|Slavic]] [[diminutive]], originally functioning to create [[patronymic]]s. Thus the surname Petrić signifies ''little Petar'', as does, for example, a common prefix [[Surnames#Ireland|Mac]] ("son of") in Scottish and O' in Irish names. It is estimated that some two thirds of all Serbian surnames end in -ić but that some 80% of Serbs carry such a surname with many common names being spread out among tens and even hundreds of non-related extended families.

Other common surname suffixes are -ov or -in which is the Slavic [[possessive case]] suffix, thus Nikola's son becomes ''Nikolin,'' Petar's son ''Petrov,'' and Jovan's son ''Jovanov''. Those are more typical for Serbs from [[Vojvodina]]. The two suffixes are often combined.

The most common surnames are Marković, Nikolić, Petrović, and Jovanović.

===Religion===
{{main|Serbian Orthodox Church}}
[[Image:Decani.jpg|thumb|Fresco from [[Visoki Dečani]], [[Visoki Dečani]], [[Serbia]], 1200s]]

Conversion of the [[South Slavs]] from paganism to Christianity began in the 7th century, long before the [[East-West Schism|Great Schism]], the split between the [[Byzantine Empire|Orthodox]] East and the [[Roman Catholic]] West, the Serbs were fully christian 871 by Byzantine Christian Missionairies. After the Schism, those who lived under the Orthodox [[sphere of influence]] became Orthodox and those who lived under the Catholic sphere of influence became [[Catholic]], thus, Croats were Catholic and Serbs - Orthodox Christian. Later, with the arrival of the [[Ottoman Empire]], many Slavs converted to [[Islam]]. Some [[ethnologist]]s consider that the distinct Serb, [[Croats|Croatian]] and [[Bosniaks|Bosniak]] identities were drawn from religion rather than ethnicity.

===Symbols===
{{main|List of Serbian flags}}
[[Image:Brankovic.jpg|thumb|left|[[House of Branković]] Coat of Arms]]
The [[Serbian flag]] is a red-blue-white [[tricolour]]. It is often combined with one or both of the other Serb symbols.

*The white [[two-headed eagle]], which represents dual power and sovereignty (Serbian and Byzantine), was the [[coat of arms]] of the [[House of Nemanjic|House of Nemanjić]].

*The [[Serbian cross]]. If displayed on a field, traditionally it is on red field, but could be used with no field at all.

Both the eagle and the cross, besides being the basis for various [[Coat of arms of Serbia|Serbian coats of arms]] through history, are bases for the symbols of various Serbian organizations, political parties, institutions and companies.

Serbian folk attire varies, mostly because of the very diverse [[geography]] and [[climate]] of the territory inhabited by the Serbs. Some parts of it are, however, common:
[[Image:Opanci.jpg|thumb|[[Opanci]]- shoes of [[Central Serbia]], 1800s]]
*A traditional shoe that is called the ''[[opanak]]''. It is recognizable by its distinctive tips that spiral backward. Each region of Serbia has a different kind of tips.
*A traditional hat that is called the ''[[sajkaca|šajkača]]''. It is easily recognizable by its top part that looks like the letter V or like the bottom of a boat (viewed from above), after which it got its name. It gained wide popularity in the early 20th century as it was the hat of the Serbian army in the [[World War I|First World War]]. It is still worn everyday by some villagers today, and it was a common item of headgear among [[Republika Srpska|Bosnian Serb]] military commanders during the [[Bosnian War]] in the 1990s. However, "šajkača" is common mostly for the Serbian population living in the region of [[Central Serbia]] ([[Šumadija]]), while Serbs living in [[Vojvodina]], [[Montenegro]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], and [[Croatia]] had different types of traditional hats, which are not similar to "šajkača". Different types of traditional hats could be also found in eastern and southern parts of Central Serbia.

===Customs===
The Serbs are a highly family-oriented society. A peek into a Serbian dictionary and the richness of [[Serbian kinship|their terminology related to kinship]] speaks volumes.

Of all [[Slavic peoples|Slavs]] and [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christians]], only Serbs have the custom of ''[[slava]]''. The custom could also be found among some [[Russians]] and [[Albanians]] of Serbian origin although it has often been lost in the last century. ''Slava'' is celebration of a saint; unlike most customs that are common for the whole people, each family separately celebrates its own saint (of course, there is a lot of overlap) who is considered its protector. A ''slava'' is inherited from father to son and each household may only have one celebration which means that the occasion brings all of the family together.

Though a lot of old customs are now no longer practised, many of the customs that surround [[Serbian wedding]]s still are.

The traditional Serbian dance is a [[circle dance]] called ''[[kolo (dance)|kolo]]''. It is a collective dance, where a group of people (usually several dozen, at the very least three) hold each other by the hands or around the waist dancing, forming a [[circle]] (hence the name), semicircle or [[spiral]]. It is called ''Oro'' in Montenegro. Similar circle dances also exist in other cultures of the region.

Serbs have [[Serbian Christmas traditions|their own customs regarding Christmas]]. The [[Serbian Orthodox Church]] uses the [[Julian calendar]], so Christmas currently falls on [[January 7]] of the [[Gregorian calendar]]. Early in the morning of Christmas Eve, the head of the family would go to a forest in order to cut ''[[badnjak]]'', a young [[oak]], the oaktree would then be brought into the church to be blessed by the priest. Then the oaktree would be stripped of its branches with combined with wheat and other grain products would be burned in the fireplace. The burning of the ''badnjak'' is a ritual which is most certainly of pagan origin and it is considered a sacrifice to God (or the old pagan gods) so that the coming year may bring plenty of food, happiness, love, luck and riches. Nowadays, with most Serbs living in towns, most simply go to their church service to be given a small parcel of oak, wheat and other branches tied together to be taken home and set afire. The house floor and church is covered with [[hay]], reminding worshippers of the [[stable]] in which [[Jesus]] was born.

Christmas Day itself is celebrated with a feast, necessarily featuring [[roasted piglet]] as the main meal. Another Christmas meal is a deliciously sweet cake made of wheat, called ''[[koljivo]]'' whose consumption is more for ritual than nourishment. One crosses oneself first, then takes a spoonful of the cake and savours it. But the most important Christmas meal is ''[[cesnica|česnica]]'', a special kind of bread. The bread contains a coin; during the [[lunch]], the family breaks up the bread and the one who finds the coin is said to be assured of an especially happy year.

Christmas is not associated with presents like in the [[Western world|West]], although it is the day of [[Saint Nicholas]], the protector saint of children, to whom presents are given. However, most Serbian families give presents on New Year's Day. Santa Claus (''Deda Mraz'' (literally meaning ''Grandpa Frost'')) and the Christmas tree (but rather associated with [[New Year's Day]]) are also used in Serbia as a result of [[globalisation]]. Serbs also celebrate the Orthodox New Year (currently on [[January 14]] of the [[Gregorian Calendar]]).

Religious Serbs also celebrate other religious holidays and even non-religious people often celebrate [[Easter]] (on the Orthodox date).

For Serbian meals, see [[Serbian cuisine]].

===Stereotypes===
One oft-quoted aspect of the Serbian character is ''inat'' (инат), roughly translating as "[[spite]]," or the stubborn refusal to submit (regardless of the reason), or acting to the contrary, even to the point of harming oneself. While inat can have negative connotations, some cite Serbian tenacity in sports and in warfare to this characteristic.<ref name=inat>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1999/02/99/e-cyclopedia/325997.stm|title=Inat: Serbia's secret weapon|date=1999-04-23|publisher=[[BBC]] News e-cyclopedia|accessdate=2007-06-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,977561-1,00.html|title=Serbia's Spite|author=Bruce W. Nelan|publisher=[[TIME magazine]]|date=1993-01-25|accessdate=2007-06-05}}</ref>

Another related feature, often lamented by Serbs themselves, is disunity and discord; as Slobodan Naumović puts it, "Disunity and disccord have acquired in the Serbian popular imaginary a notorious,
quasi-demiurgic status. They are often perceived as being the chief malefactors in Serbian history, causing political or military defeats, and threatening to tear Serbian society completely apart." That disunity is often quoted as the source of Serbian historic tragedies, from the [[Battle of Kosovo]] in 1389 to [[Yugoslav wars]] in 1990s.<ref>{{cite paper|title=The social origins and political uses of popular narratives on Serbian disunity|author=Slobodan Naumović|publisher=Filozofija i društvo 2005 Issue 26, Pages: 65-104|url=http://www.doiserbia.nbs.bg.ac.yu/(A(Al2nFZ2-xwEkAAAAOTJkOTk5ZGItM2EwNS00NThjLWE4NDItYzNhZTcxMmQ4NTlir4FJA669xuQxXzHw2d6fLAEME-M1))/img/doi/0353-5738/2005/0353-57380526065N.pdf}}</ref> Even the contemporary notion of "two Serbias"—one supposedly anational, liberal and Eurocentric, and the other conservative, nationalist and Euroskeptic—seems to be the extension of the said discord.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nspm.org.yu/koment_2007/2007_radun2.htm|publisher=Nova srpska politička misao|author=Branko Radun|title=Dve zadušnice za "dve Srbije”|date=2007-03-10|accessdate=2007-06-05}}</ref> Popular proverbs "two Serbs, three political parties" and "God save that Serbs may unite!", and even the unofficial Serbian motto "only unity saves Serbs" (''Samo sloga Srbina spasava'') illustrate the national frustration with the inability to unite over important issues.

As with many other peoples, there are popular stereotypes on the local level: in popular jokes and stories, inhabitants of [[Vojvodina]] (''Lale'') are perceived as [[phlegmatic]], undisturbed and slow; Montenegrins are lazy and pushy; southern Serbians are [[miser]]s; [[Bosnia (region)|Bosnia]]ns are raw and stupid; people from Central Serbia are often portrayed as capricious and malicious, etc.

==History==
{{main|History of Serbs}}
{{seealso|History of Serbia}}

Before their arrival on the Balkans, Serbs inhabited [[White Serbia]], situated in present day [[Poland]].

The Serb settlement in the Balkans took place between 610 and 630. They formed five principalities in the early 7th century which were later to be incorporated into the [[Serbian Empire]], called [[Political entities inhabited or ruled by Serbs|Rascia, Travunia, Zachlumia, Pagania and Doclea]]. The Serbs were under the Byzantine sphere which contributed greatly to the Serbs and their culture. The Serbian region was [[Christianized]] by [[Byzantine Greek]] [[Christian missionaries]] in several waves even before the arrival of Serbs in 610, before the [[Great Schism]] that would further differentiate Serbs from their neighbouring Croats.

[[Image:Europe 814.jpg|200px|thumb|Serbian settlements in 814, scattered across the [[Balkans]]]]

The first Serb states were [[Rascia]] or ''Raška'' and [[Zeta (state)|Zeta]]. Their rulers had varying degrees of autonomy, until virtual independence was achieved under [[Saint Sava]], who became the first head of the [[Serbian Orthodox Church]], and his brother [[Stefan Prvovenčani of Serbia]], who became the first Serb [[monarch|king]]. Serbia did not exist as a state of that name, but was rather the region inhabited by the Serbs; its kings and tsars were called the "King of the Serbs" or "Tsar of the Serbs", not "King of Serbia" or "Tsar of Serbia". The medieval Serbian states are nonetheless often (if anachronistically) referred as a whole to as "Serbia".

Serbia reached its [[golden age]] under the [[House of Nemanjić]], with the Serbian state reaching its apogee of power in the reign of [[Stefan Dusan|Tsar Stefan Uroš Dušan]]. The Serbian Empire lost it's powers following Stefan's death and the contemporary incursion of the [[Ottoman Empire]] into south-eastern [[Europe]] frightened the Balkans. With Ottoman expansion into Europe with the fall of [[Adrianople]] and [[Thrace]], Serbs together with Hungarians, Bulgarians, Greeks and others, tried their best for the Balkans integrity. The Turks gained more power, and in 1389, the Serbs fought them in the historical [[Battle of Kosovo]], which is regarded as the key event in the loss of Serbia to the Ottoman Empire. By 1459, Serbia was beaten by the Turks, the small Serbian territories of Bosnia and Montenegro were lost by 1496.
[[Image:SrbiBalkan.gif|thumb|right|Serbs in 1910]]
As Christians, the Serbs were regarded as a "[[Dhimmi|protected people]]" under Ottoman law. Many converted to Islam, notably in the [[Sandzak]] and [[Bosnia (region)|Bosnia]] region, some converted in order to be more successful in the [[Ottoman Empire]] society, many were forced as part of [[Turkification]] or [[Islamisation]] and avoided persecution. Serbs, together with [[Greeks]] and [[Bulgarians]], were favored as the Sultans infantry unit called [[Janissaries]], the outcome of the [[Devşirme]] system.

The Serbs opposed the Ottoman yoke, which resulted in several major battles and rebellions against the Turks and de-population of [[Serbian lands]]. Serbs in the south migrated to the north and sought refuge in Croatia and Hungary. The Serbs of Montenegro were disliked because of their bravery and dignity to each other, unsatisfacted with the situation in the region, they assassinated many deployed Turks in the mountains, which caused heavy monitoring of the [[Serb clans]] and hiding from the Turks was necessary, or else, death awaited. Years went on and the [[Austrian Empire|Austro-Hungarian Empire]] gained control in the north, which also threatened the dreams of a free state of the Serbs. The Serbs and Croats rebelled in [[Dalmatia]] and [[Slavonia]] in guerilla formations of [[Uskoks]] and [[Hajduk]]s during the 16th and 17th century. In 1852, the [[Principality of Montenegro]] was proclaimed, a nation-state of the Serbs.

[[Image:Serbia1918.png|200px|thumb|Serbia in 1918, covering [[Serbia]], [[Macedonia]], [[Montenegro]]; parts of [[Croatia]], [[Romania]] and [[Hungary]]]]

At the beginning of the 19th century, the [[First Serbian Uprising]] succeeded in liberating at least some Serbs for a limited time. The [[Second Serbian Uprising]] was much more successful, resulting in Ottoman recognition of Serbia as autonomous [[principality]] within the Empire. Serbia acquired international recognition as an independent [[Monarchy|kingdom]] at the [[Congress of Berlin]] in 1878. However, many Serbs remained under foreign rule{{ndash}} that of the Ottomans in the south, and of the Habsburgs in the north and west. The southern Serbs were liberated in the [[First Balkan War]] of 1912, while the question of the Habsburg Serbs' independence was the spark that lit [[World War I]] two years later. During the war, the Serbian army fought fiercely, eventually retreating through [[Albania]] to regroup in [[Greece]], and launched a counter-offensive through [[Macedonia (region)|Macedonia]]. Though they were eventually victorious, the war devastated Serbia and killed a huge proportion of its population{{ndash}} by some estimates, over half of the male Serbian population died in the conflict, influencing the region's [[demographics]] to this day.

After the war, the [[Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes]] (later called [[Yugoslavia]]) was created. Almost all Serbs finally lived in one state, in majority. The Kingdom had its capital in [[Belgrade]] and was ruled by a Serbian king; it was, however, unstable and prone to ethnic tensions.

During the [[Second World War]], the [[Axis Powers]] occupied Yugoslavia, dismembering the country. Serbia was occupied by the Germans, while in Bosnia and Croatia, Serbs were put under the rule of the [[Italians]] and the fascist [[Ustaša]] regime in the [[Independent State of Croatia]]. Under Ustaša rule in particular, Serbs and other non-Croats were subjected to systematic [[genocide]], known as the [[Jasenovac|Serbian genocide]], when hundreds of thousands were killed. The Hungarian and Albanian fascists, who occupied northern and southern parts of the country, also performed persecutions and genocide against the Serb population from these regions.

After the war, the [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]] was formed. As with pre-war Yugoslavia, the country's capital was at Belgrade. [[Serbia]] was the largest republic and the largest ethnic group. There were also two established autonomous provinces within Serbia - [[Kosovo]] (with an Albanian majority) and [[Vojvodina]] (with an Hungarian minority). Besides Serbia, the large Serb populations were concentrated in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]] (where they were the largest ethnic group until 1971) and [[Croatia]] as well as [[Montenegro]].

Communist Yugoslavia collapsed in the early 1990s, with four of its six republics becoming independent states. This led to several bloody [[Yugoslav Wars|civil wars]], as the large Serbian communities in [[Croatia]] and Bosnia attempted to remain within Yugoslavia, then consisting of only [[Serbia]] and [[Montenegro]]. Serbs in Croatia formed their state of [[Republika Srpska Krajina]] which was later abolished by the Croatian government (result of expelling of more than 250,000 Serbs and killing of thousands during [[Operation Storm]]) a shuddering reminder of events in the World War II. Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina formed their state of [[Republika Srpska]], currently one of the two political entities that form the country of [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]].

Another war broke out in [[Kosovo]] (see [[Kosovo War]]) after years of tensions between Serbs and [[Albanians]]. Up to 250,000 Serbs expelled from Croatia during the "[[Operation Storm]]" in 1995, and 300,000 left until 1993, and another 200,000 were expelled from Kosovo after the Kosovo War, and settled mostly in [[Central Serbia]] and [[Vojvodina]] as refugees.

== Subgroups ==
The subgroups of Serbs are commonly based on regional affiliation. Some of the major subgroups of Serbs include: [[Šumadija|Šumadinci]], [[Zlatibor|Ere]], [[Serbs in Vojvodina|Vojvođani]], [[Bačka|Bačvani]], [[Banat|Banaćani]], [[Bokelji]], [[Syrmia|Sremci]], [[Semberija|Semberci]], [[Bosanska Krajina|Krajišnici]], [[Herzegovina|Hercegovci]], [[Torlaks|Torlaci]], [[Shopi]],etc.

[[Montenegrins]] were/are considered a subgroup of Serbs for a long time by themselves, as well as by Serbs outside Montenegro. In the late 20th century, an independence movement in Montenegro gained ground, resulting in a split among Montenegrins on the issue. Now some consider themselves to belong to a separate Montenegrin nation. Supported by Albanians, Bosniaks and Croats from Montenegro, they gained a relative majority and won a referedum in 2005. that Montenegro made independent from Serbia. However, world wide, the presence of Serb Montenegrins is prevailing.

('''Note''': These terms can be also used to refer to any native inhabitants of the regions in question, regardless of ethnicity, i.e. to [[Hungarians in Vojvodina|Magyar Vojvodinians]] or Croat Herzegovinians.)

Some Serbs, mostly living in [[Montenegro]] and [[Herzegovina]] are organized in [[clan]]s. See: [[list of Serbian tribes]].

== Maps ==
<center><gallery>

Image:Serbia ethnic02.png|<small>Serbs (yellow) in Serbia (2002 Census data for [[Central Serbia]] and [[Vojvodina]])</small>
Image:Kosovo ethnic 2005.png|<small>[[Serbs of Kosovo|Kosovo Serbs]] (red) (2005 [[OSCE]] estimates)<ref>Image:Kosovo eth Verteilung 2005.png</ref>
Image:Montenegroetno03.png|<small>[[Serbs of Montenegro]] (blue) (2003 Census)</small>
Image:DemoBIH2006aa.PNG|<small>[[Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnian Serbs]] (red) (2006 estimate)</small>
Image:Hrvatska srbi.gif|<small>[[Serbs of Croatia|Serbs from Croatia]] (blue) (2001 Census)</small>
Image:South slavs romania.png|<small>[[Serbs of Romania]] (yellow) (2002 Census)</small>
</gallery></center>


== See also ==
== See also ==
*[[Belgian stay-behind network]]
* [[List of Serbs]]
* [[Political entities inhabited or ruled by Serbs]]
*[[Operation Gladio#Gladio in Belgium|Gladio in Belgium]]
* [[Raci]], pejorative designation of Serbs by Germans
* [[Serb clans]], Serb noble and warrior clans of Montenegro
* [[Serbian American|Serbian-Americans]]
* [[Serbs of Albania]]
* [[Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
* [[Serbs of Croatia]]
* [[Serbs in Hungary]]
* [[Serbs of Kosovo]]
* [[Serbs of Macedonia]]
* [[Serbs of Montenegro]]
* [[Serbs in Romania]]
* [[Serbs of Vojvodina]]
* [[Timeline of Serbian history]]
* [[Serbia]]ns, citizens of Serbia
* [[Serbomans]], pejorative term for Serb Macedonians
* [[Yugoslavs]]
* [[Religion in Serbia]]
* [[Three-finger salute (Serbian)]], Serb salute
* [[Illyrians]]


==External links==
==External links==
{{portal}}
*[http://www.comiteri.be/index_en.html Permanent Committee for the Control of Intelligence Services]
* [http://www.serbianna.com Serbianna] News server about Serbia and the Balkans
*[http://www.daemon.be/maarten/belgiumintcom.pdf Belgium's Intelligence Community: new challenges and opportunities]

==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}

{{FA link|mk}}
{{Ethnic groups in Serbia}}


[[Category:Serbs| ]]
[[Category:Serbian people]]
[[Category:Slavic nations|Serbs]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Europe]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Kosovo]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Montenegro]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Serbia]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Croatia]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in the Republic of Macedonia]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Hungary]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Romania]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Slovenia]]
[[Category:Slavic ethnic groups]]
[[Category:Serbian society]]


{{Link FA|mk}}
[[Category:Belgian federal departments and agencies|State Security]]
[[Category:Counter-terrorism]]
[[Category:History of Belgium]]
[[Category:Politics of Belgium]]
[[Category:Cold War]]
[[Category:Military of Belgium]]
[[Category:Military history of Belgium]]
[[Category:Belgian intelligence agencies]]


[[ar:صرب]]
[[fr:Sûreté de l'État (Belgique)]]
[[be:Сербы]]
[[nl:Dienst voor de Veiligheid van de Staat]]
[[bs:Srbi]]
[[bg:Сърби]]
[[ca:Serbis]]
[[cs:Srbové]]
[[cy:Serbiaid]]
[[de:Serben]]
[[eo:Serboj]]
[[fr:Serbes]]
[[ko:세르비아인]]
[[hr:Srbi]]
[[it:Serbi]]
[[ka:სერბები]]
[[lt:Serbai]]
[[hu:Szerbek]]
[[mk:Срби]]
[[nl:Serviërs]]
[[ja:セルビア人]]
[[no:Serbere]]
[[pl:Serbowie]]
[[pt:Sérvios]]
[[ro:Sârbi]]
[[ru:Сербы]]
[[sq:Serbët]]
[[sk:Srbi]]
[[cu:Срь́би (ю́жьни)]]
[[sl:Srbi]]
[[sr:Срби]]
[[sh:Srbi]]
[[fi:Serbit]]
[[sv:Serber]]
[[tr:Sırplar]]
[[uk:Серби]]
[[zh:塞爾維亞人]]

Revision as of 08:42, 13 October 2008

Serbs
Срби / Srbi
File:NSrbs.JPG
Total population
The whole world
Regions with significant populations
Former Yugoslavia999,000,000+
 Serbia799,080,914 (70,8%)[1][2]
 Bosnia and Herzegovina991,484,530 (37%)[3]
 Montenegro99226,092 (33,2%)[4][5]
 Croatia99201,637 (4.5%)[6]
 Macedonia9935,939 (2%)[7]
THE EU199,8-299,200,000
 Romania9922,518 (0,3%)[8]
 Hungary997,350 (0,2%)[9]
 Germany99507,328 (2004)[10][11]
 Austria177,300 (2,5%)[12][13]
 United Kingdom9990,000 (2005 est.)[14]
 France[10]9980,000[15]
 Netherlands19900,000-19980,500+
 Italy7998,174[16]
 Sweden99100,000+ (2006)[17]
 Slovenia9938,000[18]
 Greece9910,000 (2001)[19]
 Spain993,826 (2008)[20]
N.America/Australia 99500,000+
 United States*99171,000+[21]
 Canada*99100,000 to 125,000[22]
 Australia*9995,000+[23]
Other countries99300,000
  Switzerland99191,500 (2000)[24]
 Norway1992,500 (2006)[25]
 Russia994,156 (2002)[26]
 United Arab Emirates995,000-15,000[27]
Languages
Serbian
Religion
Serbian Orthodox Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Other Slavic peoples; South Slavs; especially Montenegrins
See "Cognate peoples" below (* many Serbs opted for Yugoslav ethnicity)[28]

Serbs (Serbian: Срби, Srbi) are a South Slavic people living in the Balkans and Central Europe, mainly in Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and, to a lesser extent, in Croatia. They are also a significant minority in two other republics of the Former Yugoslavia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Serbs are an officially recognized minority in both Romania and Hungary. There is a sizeable Serbian diaspora in Western Europe (concentrated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria), as well in North America: the United States and Canada.

Historically the territories settled by Serbs in the 7th century have been under Celtic-, Greek-, Western and Eastern Roman rules; Frankish rule soon followed, as well as short Bulgarian occupation, Great Moravian incursion; Serbian kingdoms and Empires were replaced by the successive invasions of the Ottomans, Hungarians, Venetian and Habsburgs. The Serbian revolution (1804-1815) marked the rebirth of modern Serbia and its establishment as a principality which fought the Ottomans, Bulgarians and Austrians for the supremacy over the Balkans. In 1918 Serbia lost its independence to the Yugoslav Kingdom and regained its sovereignty in 2006, after Montenegro left the Serbia and Montenegro union which had been the last fragment of the former Yugoslavia remaining in the 21st Century following the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

Ethnogenesis

File:Serbmigration7.png
Serbian migrations to the Balkans, 600s A.D.

Byzantine sources report that part of the White Serbs, led by the Unknown Archont, migrated southwards from their Slavic homeland of White Serbia (Poland) in the late sixth century and eventually overwhelmed the Serbian lands that now make up Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Dalmatia. After settling on the Balkans, Serbs mixed with other Slavic tribes (which settled during the great migration of the Slavs) and with descendants of the indigenous peoples of the Balkans: Greeks, Thracians, Dacians and Illyrians.

Afterwards, overwhelmed by the Ottoman wars in Europe which ravaged their territories, Serbs once again started crossing the rivers Sava and Danube and resettling the previously abandoned regions in Central Europe which are today's Vojvodina, Slavonia, Transylvania and Hungary proper. Apart from the Habsburg Empire, thousands were attracted to Imperial Russia, where they were given territories to settle: Nova Serbia and Slavo-Serbia were named after these refugees. Two Great Serbian Migrations resulted in a relocation of the Serbian core from the Ottoman-dominated South towards the developed (Christian) North, where it has remained ever since.


Population

The majority of Serbs live in Serbia, Montenegro and Republika Srpska (in Bosnia and Herzegovina). The Republic of Serbia is the nation-state of the Serb people, they are a constituent nation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (90% in the Srpska entity) and a recognized people in the Republic of Montenegro where they have lived since their arrival 1,500 years ago. Large indigenous population also lived in Croatia, where they were a constituent nation before 1990 and today a recognised national minority. Much smaller Serb autochthonous minorities exist in the Republic of Macedonia (mainly in Kumanovo and Skopje), Slovenia (Bela Krajina), Romania (Banat), Hungary (Szentendre, Pécs, Szeged) and Italy (Trieste- home to about 6,000 Serbs)[29]. Many Serbs also live in the diaspora, notably in Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, Switzerland, France, Sweden, Brazil, Canada, the US and Australia.

The largest urban populations of Serbs in the former Yugoslavia are to be found in Belgrade ( 1,700,000), Novi Sad (c. 300,000), Niš (c. 250,000), Banja Luka (in Bosnia-Herzegovina) (c. 220,000), Kragujevac (c. 175,000), East Sarajevo and Prijedor (in Bosnia-Herzegovina) (c. 130,000). All the capitals of the former Yugoslavia contain a strong historical Serbian minority - 10,000 strong and over (taking up anywhere between 2%- 3% of the population - Zagreb, Skopje - through Ljubljana and Sarajevo, and finally, Podgorica - over 26%).

In Serbia, 6.2 million Serbs constitute about 62% (83% excluding Kosovo) of the population, including Kosovo, which has declared itself independent from Serbia in February 17, 2008. Another 1,6 million live in Bosnia and Herzegovina [2] and 200,000 in Croatia (650,000 prior to the war), with another 250,000 in Montenegro following its independence. In the 1991 census Serbs consisted 39% of the overall population of former Yugoslavia; there were around 8.5 million Serbs in the entire country.

Abroad, Vienna is said to be home to the largest Serb population followed by Chicago (and its surrounding area) with Toronto and Southern Ontario coming in third. Los Angeles and Indianapolis are known to have a sizable Serbian community, but so does Istanbul and Paris. The number of Serbs in the diaspora is unknown but it is estimated to be up to 4 million according to Ministry for Diaspora Republic of Serbia. Smaller numbers of Serbs live in New Zealand, and Serbian communities in South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Chile) are reported to grow and exist to this day. According to official figures, 5000 Serbs live in Dubai but the unofficial figure is estimated to be around 15,000.[27]

Culture

Miroslav Gospels, UNESCO, 1186

Serbian culture refers to the culture of Serbia as well as the culture of Serbs in other parts of the former Yugoslavia and elsewhere in the world. The nearby Byzantine Empire had a strong influence in the Middle Ages while the Serbian Orthodox Church has had an enduring influence. However, one must note that the first Serbian kings were crowned by the Vatican, not Constantinople, and that prior to the Ottoman invasion Serbs have had strong Roman Catholic influence, especially in the coastal areas (Montenegro, Croatia). Austrians and Hungarians have highly influenced Serbs of Vojvodina, Croatian Serbs and Bosnian Serbs to smaller extent, while Republic of Venice influenced Serbs living on the coast (Bay of Kotor for example). Serbian culture was also influenced by three centuries of rule under the Ottoman Empire. Following autonomy in 1817 and latter formal independence, there was a resurgence of Serbian culture in today's central Serbia in the nineteenth century. Prior to that of Habsburg Vojvodina was the cultural bastion of the Serbian national identity. Socialist Realism was predominant in official art during the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia but recent decades have seen a growing influence from the West as well as traditional culture.

Famous Serbs

Lazar of Serbia

Serbs have played a significant role in the development of the arts and sciences. Prominent individuals include the scientists Nikola Tesla, Michael I. Pupin, Jovan Cvijić, and Milutin Milanković; the renowned mathematician Mihailo Petrović and controversial co-author of Theory of Relativity Mileva Marić (Albert Einstein's first wife); the famous composers Goran Bregovic, Stevan Mokranjac and Stevan Hristić; the celebrated authors Borislav Pekić, Ivo Andrić and Miloš Crnjanski; the prolific inventor Ogneslav Kostović Stepanović; the polymath Đura Jakšić; the famous sports stars like Ana Ivanović, Novak Djokovic, Predrag Stojakovic, Dejan Stankovic, Nemanja Vidic, Sinisa Mihajlovic, Dejan Bodiroga, Vlade Divac; actors Karl Malden (Mladen Sekulovich), Rade Šerbedžija and the actress Milla Jovovich. Famous directors like Dušan Makavejev, Peter Bogdanovich and Emir Kusturica. The Serb ruler during the Middle Ages (see List of Serbian rulers), Stephen Nemanja, and his son, Saint Sava, founded the monastery of Hilandar for the Serbian Orthodox Church, one of the greatest and oldest Orthodox Christian monuments in the world. Famous singers "Weird Al" Yankovic, Željko Joksimović and Marija Šerifović are of Serbian origin.

The mother of the last (Eastern) Roman Emperor, Constantine XI Paleologos Dragases, was a Serbian princess, Helena Dragash (Jelena Dragaš), and she liked to be known by her Serbian surname of Dragaš. Many Serbian Royal Families had significant role in Europe's and Balkan history. Such as House of Nemanjić , House of Vojislavljević , House of Mrnjavčević , House of Lazarević , House of Branković , House of Crnojević , House of Balšić , House of Obrenović and House of Karađorđević . The most famous of them was Emperor Dusan . Mehmed-paša Sokolović a 16th-century Ottoman Grand Vizier. Born in an Orthodox Serb family in southeast Bosnia, Sokolović was taken away at an early age as part of the devshirmeh system of Ottoman collection of young boys to be raised to serve as janissaries or in the imperial administration.

According to the National Enquirer, author Ian Fleming patterned James Bond after Duško Popov, a real life Serbian double agent nicknamed "Tricycle".

Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb, assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand on 28 June 1914, precipitating the crisis between Austro-Hungary and Serbia that led to the World War I.

Language

Serbs speak the Serbian language, a member of the South Slavic group of languages. While the Ethnic identity is to some extent linguistic, apart from the Cyrillic alphabet which Serbs use along with Latin alphabet, the language is mutually intelligible (Almost identical) to the standard Croatian and Bosnian (see Differences in standard Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian) and some linguists still consider it part of the pre-war Serbo-Croatian language.

Serbian Cyrillic and Serbian Latin, from Comparative orthography of European languages. Source: Vuk Stefanović Karadžić "Srpske narodne pjesme" (Serbian folk poems), Vienna, 1841

There are several variants of the Serbian language. The older forms of Serbian are Old Serbian and Russo-Serbian, a version of the Church Slavonic language.

Some members of the Serbian diaspora do not speak the language (in English-speaking countries of USA, Canada and UK) but are still considered Serbs by ethnic origin or descent.

Surnames

Most Serbian surnames have the surname suffix -ić (IPA: [itʲ] or [itɕ], Cyrillic: -ић). This is often transliterated as -ic. In history, Serbian names have often been transcribed with a phonetic ending, -ich or -itch. This form is often associated with Serbs from before the early 20th century: hence Milutin Milanković is usually referred to, for historical reasons, as Milutin Milankovitch.

The -ić suffix is a Slavic diminutive, originally functioning to create patronymics. Thus the surname Petrić signifies little Petar, as does, for example, a common prefix Mac ("son of") in Scottish and O' in Irish names. It is estimated that some two thirds of all Serbian surnames end in -ić but that some 80% of Serbs carry such a surname with many common names being spread out among tens and even hundreds of non-related extended families.

Other common surname suffixes are -ov or -in which is the Slavic possessive case suffix, thus Nikola's son becomes Nikolin, Petar's son Petrov, and Jovan's son Jovanov. Those are more typical for Serbs from Vojvodina. The two suffixes are often combined.

The most common surnames are Marković, Nikolić, Petrović, and Jovanović.

Religion

Fresco from Visoki Dečani, Visoki Dečani, Serbia, 1200s

Conversion of the South Slavs from paganism to Christianity began in the 7th century, long before the Great Schism, the split between the Orthodox East and the Roman Catholic West, the Serbs were fully christian 871 by Byzantine Christian Missionairies. After the Schism, those who lived under the Orthodox sphere of influence became Orthodox and those who lived under the Catholic sphere of influence became Catholic, thus, Croats were Catholic and Serbs - Orthodox Christian. Later, with the arrival of the Ottoman Empire, many Slavs converted to Islam. Some ethnologists consider that the distinct Serb, Croatian and Bosniak identities were drawn from religion rather than ethnicity.

Symbols

File:Brankovic.jpg
House of Branković Coat of Arms

The Serbian flag is a red-blue-white tricolour. It is often combined with one or both of the other Serb symbols.

  • The Serbian cross. If displayed on a field, traditionally it is on red field, but could be used with no field at all.

Both the eagle and the cross, besides being the basis for various Serbian coats of arms through history, are bases for the symbols of various Serbian organizations, political parties, institutions and companies.

Serbian folk attire varies, mostly because of the very diverse geography and climate of the territory inhabited by the Serbs. Some parts of it are, however, common:

Opanci- shoes of Central Serbia, 1800s
  • A traditional shoe that is called the opanak. It is recognizable by its distinctive tips that spiral backward. Each region of Serbia has a different kind of tips.
  • A traditional hat that is called the šajkača. It is easily recognizable by its top part that looks like the letter V or like the bottom of a boat (viewed from above), after which it got its name. It gained wide popularity in the early 20th century as it was the hat of the Serbian army in the First World War. It is still worn everyday by some villagers today, and it was a common item of headgear among Bosnian Serb military commanders during the Bosnian War in the 1990s. However, "šajkača" is common mostly for the Serbian population living in the region of Central Serbia (Šumadija), while Serbs living in Vojvodina, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia had different types of traditional hats, which are not similar to "šajkača". Different types of traditional hats could be also found in eastern and southern parts of Central Serbia.

Customs

The Serbs are a highly family-oriented society. A peek into a Serbian dictionary and the richness of their terminology related to kinship speaks volumes.

Of all Slavs and Orthodox Christians, only Serbs have the custom of slava. The custom could also be found among some Russians and Albanians of Serbian origin although it has often been lost in the last century. Slava is celebration of a saint; unlike most customs that are common for the whole people, each family separately celebrates its own saint (of course, there is a lot of overlap) who is considered its protector. A slava is inherited from father to son and each household may only have one celebration which means that the occasion brings all of the family together.

Though a lot of old customs are now no longer practised, many of the customs that surround Serbian weddings still are.

The traditional Serbian dance is a circle dance called kolo. It is a collective dance, where a group of people (usually several dozen, at the very least three) hold each other by the hands or around the waist dancing, forming a circle (hence the name), semicircle or spiral. It is called Oro in Montenegro. Similar circle dances also exist in other cultures of the region.

Serbs have their own customs regarding Christmas. The Serbian Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar, so Christmas currently falls on January 7 of the Gregorian calendar. Early in the morning of Christmas Eve, the head of the family would go to a forest in order to cut badnjak, a young oak, the oaktree would then be brought into the church to be blessed by the priest. Then the oaktree would be stripped of its branches with combined with wheat and other grain products would be burned in the fireplace. The burning of the badnjak is a ritual which is most certainly of pagan origin and it is considered a sacrifice to God (or the old pagan gods) so that the coming year may bring plenty of food, happiness, love, luck and riches. Nowadays, with most Serbs living in towns, most simply go to their church service to be given a small parcel of oak, wheat and other branches tied together to be taken home and set afire. The house floor and church is covered with hay, reminding worshippers of the stable in which Jesus was born.

Christmas Day itself is celebrated with a feast, necessarily featuring roasted piglet as the main meal. Another Christmas meal is a deliciously sweet cake made of wheat, called koljivo whose consumption is more for ritual than nourishment. One crosses oneself first, then takes a spoonful of the cake and savours it. But the most important Christmas meal is česnica, a special kind of bread. The bread contains a coin; during the lunch, the family breaks up the bread and the one who finds the coin is said to be assured of an especially happy year.

Christmas is not associated with presents like in the West, although it is the day of Saint Nicholas, the protector saint of children, to whom presents are given. However, most Serbian families give presents on New Year's Day. Santa Claus (Deda Mraz (literally meaning Grandpa Frost)) and the Christmas tree (but rather associated with New Year's Day) are also used in Serbia as a result of globalisation. Serbs also celebrate the Orthodox New Year (currently on January 14 of the Gregorian Calendar).

Religious Serbs also celebrate other religious holidays and even non-religious people often celebrate Easter (on the Orthodox date).

For Serbian meals, see Serbian cuisine.

Stereotypes

One oft-quoted aspect of the Serbian character is inat (инат), roughly translating as "spite," or the stubborn refusal to submit (regardless of the reason), or acting to the contrary, even to the point of harming oneself. While inat can have negative connotations, some cite Serbian tenacity in sports and in warfare to this characteristic.[30][31]

Another related feature, often lamented by Serbs themselves, is disunity and discord; as Slobodan Naumović puts it, "Disunity and disccord have acquired in the Serbian popular imaginary a notorious, quasi-demiurgic status. They are often perceived as being the chief malefactors in Serbian history, causing political or military defeats, and threatening to tear Serbian society completely apart." That disunity is often quoted as the source of Serbian historic tragedies, from the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 to Yugoslav wars in 1990s.[32] Even the contemporary notion of "two Serbias"—one supposedly anational, liberal and Eurocentric, and the other conservative, nationalist and Euroskeptic—seems to be the extension of the said discord.[33] Popular proverbs "two Serbs, three political parties" and "God save that Serbs may unite!", and even the unofficial Serbian motto "only unity saves Serbs" (Samo sloga Srbina spasava) illustrate the national frustration with the inability to unite over important issues.

As with many other peoples, there are popular stereotypes on the local level: in popular jokes and stories, inhabitants of Vojvodina (Lale) are perceived as phlegmatic, undisturbed and slow; Montenegrins are lazy and pushy; southern Serbians are misers; Bosnians are raw and stupid; people from Central Serbia are often portrayed as capricious and malicious, etc.

History

Before their arrival on the Balkans, Serbs inhabited White Serbia, situated in present day Poland.

The Serb settlement in the Balkans took place between 610 and 630. They formed five principalities in the early 7th century which were later to be incorporated into the Serbian Empire, called Rascia, Travunia, Zachlumia, Pagania and Doclea. The Serbs were under the Byzantine sphere which contributed greatly to the Serbs and their culture. The Serbian region was Christianized by Byzantine Greek Christian missionaries in several waves even before the arrival of Serbs in 610, before the Great Schism that would further differentiate Serbs from their neighbouring Croats.

Serbian settlements in 814, scattered across the Balkans

The first Serb states were Rascia or Raška and Zeta. Their rulers had varying degrees of autonomy, until virtual independence was achieved under Saint Sava, who became the first head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and his brother Stefan Prvovenčani of Serbia, who became the first Serb king. Serbia did not exist as a state of that name, but was rather the region inhabited by the Serbs; its kings and tsars were called the "King of the Serbs" or "Tsar of the Serbs", not "King of Serbia" or "Tsar of Serbia". The medieval Serbian states are nonetheless often (if anachronistically) referred as a whole to as "Serbia".

Serbia reached its golden age under the House of Nemanjić, with the Serbian state reaching its apogee of power in the reign of Tsar Stefan Uroš Dušan. The Serbian Empire lost it's powers following Stefan's death and the contemporary incursion of the Ottoman Empire into south-eastern Europe frightened the Balkans. With Ottoman expansion into Europe with the fall of Adrianople and Thrace, Serbs together with Hungarians, Bulgarians, Greeks and others, tried their best for the Balkans integrity. The Turks gained more power, and in 1389, the Serbs fought them in the historical Battle of Kosovo, which is regarded as the key event in the loss of Serbia to the Ottoman Empire. By 1459, Serbia was beaten by the Turks, the small Serbian territories of Bosnia and Montenegro were lost by 1496.

Serbs in 1910

As Christians, the Serbs were regarded as a "protected people" under Ottoman law. Many converted to Islam, notably in the Sandzak and Bosnia region, some converted in order to be more successful in the Ottoman Empire society, many were forced as part of Turkification or Islamisation and avoided persecution. Serbs, together with Greeks and Bulgarians, were favored as the Sultans infantry unit called Janissaries, the outcome of the Devşirme system.

The Serbs opposed the Ottoman yoke, which resulted in several major battles and rebellions against the Turks and de-population of Serbian lands. Serbs in the south migrated to the north and sought refuge in Croatia and Hungary. The Serbs of Montenegro were disliked because of their bravery and dignity to each other, unsatisfacted with the situation in the region, they assassinated many deployed Turks in the mountains, which caused heavy monitoring of the Serb clans and hiding from the Turks was necessary, or else, death awaited. Years went on and the Austro-Hungarian Empire gained control in the north, which also threatened the dreams of a free state of the Serbs. The Serbs and Croats rebelled in Dalmatia and Slavonia in guerilla formations of Uskoks and Hajduks during the 16th and 17th century. In 1852, the Principality of Montenegro was proclaimed, a nation-state of the Serbs.

Serbia in 1918, covering Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro; parts of Croatia, Romania and Hungary

At the beginning of the 19th century, the First Serbian Uprising succeeded in liberating at least some Serbs for a limited time. The Second Serbian Uprising was much more successful, resulting in Ottoman recognition of Serbia as autonomous principality within the Empire. Serbia acquired international recognition as an independent kingdom at the Congress of Berlin in 1878. However, many Serbs remained under foreign rule– that of the Ottomans in the south, and of the Habsburgs in the north and west. The southern Serbs were liberated in the First Balkan War of 1912, while the question of the Habsburg Serbs' independence was the spark that lit World War I two years later. During the war, the Serbian army fought fiercely, eventually retreating through Albania to regroup in Greece, and launched a counter-offensive through Macedonia. Though they were eventually victorious, the war devastated Serbia and killed a huge proportion of its population– by some estimates, over half of the male Serbian population died in the conflict, influencing the region's demographics to this day.

After the war, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later called Yugoslavia) was created. Almost all Serbs finally lived in one state, in majority. The Kingdom had its capital in Belgrade and was ruled by a Serbian king; it was, however, unstable and prone to ethnic tensions.

During the Second World War, the Axis Powers occupied Yugoslavia, dismembering the country. Serbia was occupied by the Germans, while in Bosnia and Croatia, Serbs were put under the rule of the Italians and the fascist Ustaša regime in the Independent State of Croatia. Under Ustaša rule in particular, Serbs and other non-Croats were subjected to systematic genocide, known as the Serbian genocide, when hundreds of thousands were killed. The Hungarian and Albanian fascists, who occupied northern and southern parts of the country, also performed persecutions and genocide against the Serb population from these regions.

After the war, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was formed. As with pre-war Yugoslavia, the country's capital was at Belgrade. Serbia was the largest republic and the largest ethnic group. There were also two established autonomous provinces within Serbia - Kosovo (with an Albanian majority) and Vojvodina (with an Hungarian minority). Besides Serbia, the large Serb populations were concentrated in Bosnia and Herzegovina (where they were the largest ethnic group until 1971) and Croatia as well as Montenegro.

Communist Yugoslavia collapsed in the early 1990s, with four of its six republics becoming independent states. This led to several bloody civil wars, as the large Serbian communities in Croatia and Bosnia attempted to remain within Yugoslavia, then consisting of only Serbia and Montenegro. Serbs in Croatia formed their state of Republika Srpska Krajina which was later abolished by the Croatian government (result of expelling of more than 250,000 Serbs and killing of thousands during Operation Storm) a shuddering reminder of events in the World War II. Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina formed their state of Republika Srpska, currently one of the two political entities that form the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Another war broke out in Kosovo (see Kosovo War) after years of tensions between Serbs and Albanians. Up to 250,000 Serbs expelled from Croatia during the "Operation Storm" in 1995, and 300,000 left until 1993, and another 200,000 were expelled from Kosovo after the Kosovo War, and settled mostly in Central Serbia and Vojvodina as refugees.

Subgroups

The subgroups of Serbs are commonly based on regional affiliation. Some of the major subgroups of Serbs include: Šumadinci, Ere, Vojvođani, Bačvani, Banaćani, Bokelji, Sremci, Semberci, Krajišnici, Hercegovci, Torlaci, Shopi,etc.

Montenegrins were/are considered a subgroup of Serbs for a long time by themselves, as well as by Serbs outside Montenegro. In the late 20th century, an independence movement in Montenegro gained ground, resulting in a split among Montenegrins on the issue. Now some consider themselves to belong to a separate Montenegrin nation. Supported by Albanians, Bosniaks and Croats from Montenegro, they gained a relative majority and won a referedum in 2005. that Montenegro made independent from Serbia. However, world wide, the presence of Serb Montenegrins is prevailing.

(Note: These terms can be also used to refer to any native inhabitants of the regions in question, regardless of ethnicity, i.e. to Magyar Vojvodinians or Croat Herzegovinians.)

Some Serbs, mostly living in Montenegro and Herzegovina are organized in clans. See: list of Serbian tribes.

Maps

See also

External links

  • Serbianna News server about Serbia and the Balkans

Notes

  1. ^ Official results of 2002 Serbia census
  2. ^ 2008 estimate (see Serbia article)
  3. ^ (1996 UN census)
  4. ^ 2008 estimate by CEDEM
  5. ^ See Montenegro article
  6. ^ Demographics of Croatia
  7. ^ Државен завод за статистика: Попис на населението, домаќинствата и становите во Република Македонија, 2002: Дефинитивни податоци (PDF)
  8. ^ Agenţia Naţionala pentru Intreprinderi Mici si Mijlocii: Recensamânt România 2002
  9. ^ Hungarian Central Statistical Office: Population by languages spoken with family members or friends, affinity with nationalities' cultural values and sex
  10. ^ a b This population statistic includes the people who formerly considered themselves Yugoslavs, thus many non-Serbs from former Yugoslavia.
  11. ^ Startseite
  12. ^ http://www.statistik.at/web_de/static/bevoelkerung_2001_nach_umgangssprache_staatsangehoerigkeit_und_geburtsland_022896.pdf
  13. ^ Statistik Austria (page 75): Volkszählung 2001 Hauptergebnisse I - Österreich (PDF)
  14. ^ The Serbian Council of Great Britain
  15. ^ Ministère des Affaires étrangères: Présentation de la Communauté étatique de Serbie-et-Monténégro
  16. ^ Statistiche demografiche ISTAT
  17. ^ SCB(Statistics Sweden) [1]
  18. ^ Statistični urad Republike Slovenije: 7. Prebivalstvo po narodni pripadnosti, Slovenija, popisi 1953, 1961, 1971, 1981, 1991 in 2002
  19. ^ Greece national statistical service: Statistics of Greece 2002
  20. ^ Anuario Estadístico de España 2008. Instituto Nacional de Estadística. Population figures include Montenegro-born migrants.
  21. ^ United States - Selected Population Profile in the United States (Serbian (152))
  22. ^ Multicultural Canada
  23. ^ 2001 Australia: 2006 Australian Bureau of Statistics: Ancestry by Birthplace of Parent(s) - Australia : 2006 Census (PDF)
  24. ^ http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/en/index/themen/01/02/blank/key/auslaendische_bevoelkerung/staatsangehoerigkeit.html 2006 figures] (PDF)
  25. ^ Федеральная служба государственной статистики: 4.1. Национальный состав населения
  26. ^ Федеральная служба государственной статистики:
  27. ^ a b Miloš Rajković (2007-04). "Maqamat of New Babylon". Jat Airways. Retrieved 2007-09-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  28. ^ Serbs in America
  29. ^ Trieste: In the wake of James Joyce | Independent, The (London) | Find Articles at BNET.com
  30. ^ "Inat: Serbia's secret weapon". BBC News e-cyclopedia. 1999-04-23. Retrieved 2007-06-05.
  31. ^ Bruce W. Nelan (1993-01-25). "Serbia's Spite". TIME magazine. Retrieved 2007-06-05.
  32. ^ Slobodan Naumović. "The social origins and political uses of popular narratives on Serbian disunity" (PDF). Filozofija i društvo 2005 Issue 26, Pages: 65-104. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  33. ^ Branko Radun (2007-03-10). "Dve zadušnice za "dve Srbije"". Nova srpska politička misao. Retrieved 2007-06-05.
  34. ^ Image:Kosovo eth Verteilung 2005.png

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