Country Profile of SERBIA in English

8/20/2019 Country Profile of SERBIA in English

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Info4Migrants

SERBIACountry prole

Project number: UK/13/LLP-LdV/TOI-615


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77,474 km2

7,209 mlnPOPULATION

GDP per capita

CURRENCY

$5,924

Language SERBIAN

Serbian dinar (RSD)

Excluding Kosovo

Excluding Kosovo


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Ocial name: the Republic of Serbia

Locaon: the central part of the Balkan Peninsula in CentralSoutheastern Europe.

Capital and largest city: Belgrade, 1.135 million

Climate: In the north, connental climate (cold winter and hot,humid summers; central poron, connental and Mediterra-nean climate; to the south, hot, dry summers and autumns

and relavely cold winters with heavy snowfall inland.

Languages: Serbian (ocial) 88.1%, Hungarian 3.4%, Bosnian1.9%, Romani 1.4%, other 3.4%, undeclared or unknown 1.8%.Note: Serbian, Hungarian, Slovak, Romanian, Croaan, andRusyn all ocial in Vojvodina.

Ethnicity: Serb 83.3%, Hungarian 3.5%, Romany 2.1%, Bosniak2%, other 5.7%, undeclared or unknown 3.4%

Religions: Serbian Orthodox 84.6%, Catholic 5%, Muslim 3.1%,Protestant 1%, atheist 1.1%, other 0.8%, undeclared or un-known 4.5%

Naonal Flag

Coat of arms

COUNTRY BACKGROUND

Belgrade

SERBIA

CROATIA

ALBANIA

MONTENEGRO

ROMANIA

MACEDONIA

B U L G A R I A

BOSNIAAND HERZE

GOVINA

HUNGARY

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SERBIA FACTS

LanguagesThe ocial language is Serbian, member of the South Slavicgroup of languages, and nave to 88% of the populaon.Serbian is the only European language with acve digraphia,using both Cyrillic and Lan alphabets. Serbian Cyrillic wasdevised in 1814 by Serbian linguist Vuk Karadžić, who creat-ed the alphabet on phonemic principles. The Cyrillic script

itself has its origins in Cyril and Methodius’s transformaonof the Greek script in the 9th century.

Recognized minority languages are: Hungarian, Slovak, Al-banian, Romanian, Bulgarian and Rusyn as well as Bosnianand Croaan, which are completely mutually intelligiblewith Serbian. All these languages are in ocial use in mu-nicipalies or cies where more than 15% of the populaonconsists of a naonal minority. In Vojvodina, the provincial

administraon uses, besides Serbian, ve other languages(Hungarian, Slovak, Croaan, Romanian and Rusyn).

YugoslaviaThe name Yugoslavia previously designated six republics:Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina,Croaa and Slovenia. The word means “land of the south-ern Slavs.” Within Serbia, there are several naonal cul-tures. In addion to the dominant Serb tradion, there isa large Hungarian populaon in the northern province of

Vojvodina, where Hungarian is the common language andthe culture is highly inuenced by Hungary (which bordersthe province to the north). In southern Serbia, the prov-ince of Kosovo is primarily Albanian, and has an Islamicculture that bears many remnants of the earlier Turkishconquest.



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SERBIA FACTS

Nikola TeslaNikola Tesla (1856 - 1943) was a world-renowned inventor,physicist, mechanical engineer and electrical engineer ofSerbian origin. He is regarded as one of the most importantinventors in history. Tesla’s patents and theorecal workform the basis of modern alternang current electric power(AC) systems, including the polyphase power distribuon

systems and the AC motor.

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Belgrade

Belgrade is the capital of the Republic of Serbia. It has beenthe capital of all of the many versions of Yugoslavia through-out history (starng with the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, andSlovenes in 1918, through the communist Socialist Federa-ve Republic of Yugoslavia, and ending with the romp Fed-eral Republic of Yugoslavia that lasted through the 1990’s to2003). It is located on the ouall of the river Sava into theDanube.

In Serbian, the city is called Beograd. The name (meaningwhite city: beo - white, grad - city) is the Slavic version of itsold Celc name, Singidunum.

Ethnic groupsEthnic Serbs constute a majority in Serbia, at about 82.86%(excluding Kosovo). There are 37 dierent ethnicies inSerbia. Ethnic Albanians are concentrated in the Kosovo re-gion of southwest Serbia. Ethnic Hungarians make up about

3.91% of the populaon and live in northern Serbia near theHungarian border. The remaining populaon consists primar-ily of Slavic Muslims, Bulgarians, Slovaks, Macedonians, Cro-ats, Roma, Montenegrins, Ruthenians, Romanians, Vlachs,Bunjevci, and Turks.



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SERBIA FACTS

SlavaThe Slava, also called Krsna Slava (Крсна Слава, “chris-tened Slava”) and Krsno ime (Крсно име, “christenedname”), is a Serbian Orthodox Church tradion of the rit-ual gloricaon of one’s family’s patron saint among Serbs

and Montenegrins, and also Serbs in Macedonia. The fam-ily celebrates the Slava annually on the saint’s feast day.Unlike other major Orthodox Chrisan naons, i.e. Greeks,Russians, Romanians, Bulgarians, Georgians etc., Serbsdo not celebrate individual name days, as when a personnamed aer a saint would celebrate that saint’s feast day,but instead they do it collecvely as the name day of acertain family and/or clan. Serbs usually regard the Slavaas their most signicant and most solemn feast day.

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Kosovo SerbsKosovo Serbs (Serbian: Kosovski Srbi/Косовски Срби) are

the Serbs living in Kosovo, where they are the second larg-

est ethnic group. During the 12-13th century, Kosovo was

the cultural, diplomac and religious core of the Serbian

Kingdom. It was also an important part of the 14th century

Serbian Empire, but was occupied by the Oomans follow-

ing the Bale of Kosovo. Aer ve centuries as part of theOoman Empire, Kosovo was annexed by the Kingdom of

Serbia in 1912, following the First Balkan War. It was then

part of Serbia (and later Yugoslavia), unl the 1999 Kosovo

War resulted in the de facto separaon of Kosovo from the

rest of Serbia, followed by its nal secession from Serbia in

2008.



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State holidays:

1-2 January: New Year’s DayNew Year’s Day is a pub-lic holiday in many placesaround the world and Serbiais no excepon.

7 January: Julian OrthodoxChristmasOrthodox Christmas or Božić

is based on the Old Juliancalendar.

15-16 February:Naonal dayIt is the anniversary of theFirst Serbian Uprising in 1804and the rst Serbian Cons-tuon in 1835.

Moveable date duringspring: Orthodox Good Fri-dayEaster Monday is the dayfollowing Easter Day.

Moveable date during

spring: Orthodox EasterThis day celebrates the res-urrecon of Jesus Christfrom the dead.

Moveable date duringspring: Orthodox Easter

MondayEaster Monday is known as“Bright Monday” or “Renew-al Monday”.

1-2 May: May Day Celebraon of the interna-onal Labour Day

11 November:Armisce DayThis day is commemoratedsince 2012 to mark the ar-misce signed between theAllies of World War I andGermany at Compiègne,France, for the cessaon ofhoslies on the Western

Front of World War I.

The employees of Chris-

an, Muslim and Jewish

religion are allowed not

to work on some of their

religious holidays:

Western Chrisans:• Moveable date duringspring: Good Friday

• Moveable date duringspring: Easter

• Moveable date duringspring: Easter Monday

Serbian Orthodox Chris-ans:• Moveable date: SlavaThe celebraon of patronsaint day of the family, thedates vary among families.

Western Chrisans and Re-vised Julian Calendar Ortho-dox Chrisans:• 25 December: Christmasday

Muslims:• 1 Shawwal (Moveable

date): Eid ul-FitrFeast of the end of RAmadan

• 10 Dhu al-Hijjah (Move-able date): Eid al-AdhaFeast of the Sacrice

Jews:10 Tishrei (moveable dateduring autumn): Yom KippurDay of Atonement is the holi-

est day of the year for Jewish

people.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS



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Belgrade FortressBelgrade’s landmark fortress was originally built as a Roman military camp during the 1stcentury. Visitors who look closely at the walls will noce that they contain dozens of lay-ers, one for nearly each of the 38 res set in Serbia’s capital over the 2,000-year history ofthe fortress. The Turks added outer forcaons in 1760, aer which the fortress’ appear-ance has remained relavely unchanged.

Ada CiganlijaThis island-turned-peninsula on the Sava River has become Belgrade’s most popular re-laxaon spot, aracng up to 300,000 visitors on summer weekends. Over four miles ofbeaches line the manmade Sava Lake’s shores. However, Ada Ciganlija also contains mostof Belgrade’s sport facilies - including those of the extreme variety – as well as tracks forwalking or cycling. Ada Ciganlija also transforms into the city’s hoest beach party andconcert venue aer dark.

Fruska Gora Naonal ParkAt least one full day is recommended to fully explore Fruska Gora Naonal Park, namedaer its highest mountain, and frequently referred to as ‘the jewel of Serbia’ thanks to itspicturesque countryside. Riesling and Traminer are just two of the wines produced fromthe grapes that grow on the mountains, and visitors can even harvest honey from bee-hives in late spring. Hiking, cycling, and rock climbing in Orlovo Bojiste are the park’s mostpopular acvies. However, Fruska Gora’s most famous landmarks are its 35 15th and16th century South Backa monasteries, all of which can be admired on a single guidedtour.

Tara Naonal ParkThe Drina River running through this western Serbia park forms part of the country’s

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

Serbia has a lot of history packed within its relavely small borders, including

some of Europe’s oldest selements and the birthplaces of no fewer than 17 Ro -

man emperors, all of which le monuments and palaces behind. Dozens of cul -

tures and ethnic groups have le their inuence on the country, which has acted

as one of Europe’s major crossroads over the centuries. Belgrade’s famous 1st-

century fortress has survived at least 38 res and 60 invasions over its 2,000-year

history. Another popular landmark in Serbia’s capital is the former island of Ada

Ciganlija, now a popular holiday spot for locals and visitors alike.



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border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The park is named aer one of its most impressivelandmarks, Europe’s deepest canyon, but also contains countless forests, waterfalls, anddeep caves waing to be discovered. The Drina River Gorge is one of Serbia’s most chal-lenging whitewater raing spots. One of the park’s rarest trees, the pancic spruce, hasgrown here since pre-historic mes.

Devils Town (Djavolja Varos)These 202 stone pyramids lining southern Serbia’s Tuta River, which range between justone mile and nine miles in height, were created by an extensive erosion process. Twonatural springs, Red Well and Devil’s Water, spew mineral-loaded water up to 1,000 mesmore acidic than average drinking water.

Lake PalicThe healing powers of this serene ve-mile long lake near Suboca have aracted af -uent visitors from around the world since the 19th century. The lake’s Great Park hasmore than doubled in size since its original 1840 opening. Today, Lake Palic is an ociallyprotected area lled with cycling and walking paths around its 11-mile coast. The lake’ssurrounding area now contains several beaches, restaurants, hotels, sports facilies, andeven a zoo.

Nis Skull TowerThe 58 skulls forming this tower, along with the historic Constannople Road towardsSoa, belonged to Serbian rebels Ooman Sultan Mahmud II, ordered to be killed duringthe 1809 Bale of Čegar. Serbian commander Stevan Sinđelić killed not only himself, butalso the rest of his troops and several Turkish soldiers when he deliberately red at his

gunpowder depot rather than surrender to the Turks. Hursid Pasha, the Turkish com-mander of Nis, ordered the dead Serbian soldiers’ heads be mounted on a tower as anominous warning to anyone else daring to oppose the Ooman Empire. A monument toSinđelić, whose skull sits at the tower’s summit, stands in front of a nearby chapel.

Gamzigrad - RomulianaAmong the most impressive of Serbia’s many buildings from the Roman Empire is thispalace and memorial complex. The construcon was ordered by Emperor Caius ValeriusGalerius Maximianus between the 3rd and 4th centuries. The emperor named the Felix

Romuliana palace aer his mother Romula. Numerous basilicas, temples, forcaons,and even hot baths are found within this UNESCO World Heritage Site and spa resort.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS



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SERBIAN FOOD

The great variety in Serbia’s cuisine originates from its geographical, naon-al and cultural diversity, and the jigsaw of centuries of populaon changes.Inuences on Serbian cuisine have been rich and varied – it rst began as amixture of Greek, Bulgarian, Turkish and Hungarian cooking.

Meats

Ćevapi (or ćevapčići) are small sausage-like grilled porons of minced meat. Serbianćevapčići are made from either beef, lamb or pork or mixed. They are usually served as5-10 pieces on a plate or in a atbread (lepinje or somun), oen with chopped onions,sour cream, kajmak, ajvar, coage cheese, minced red pepper and salt.

Pljeskavica is a popular pay dish, second only to ćevapćići. It is oen served with ka- jmakmilk cream, ajvar sauce of peppers and urnebes mixed spicy sauce. Leskovačkapljeskavica (pljeskavica from Leskovac) is one of the most famous types in Serbia andis usually made of beef or pork, very spicy and served with onions. There are however,many other ways of serving it such as Šarska and Hajdučka. Šarska pleskavica is made ofbeef and stued with kashkaval cheese. Hajdučka pljeskavica is made of beef mixed withsmoked pork meat. Recently, pljeskavica has gained popularity in Europe and is served infew speciality fast foodrestaurants in Germany, Sweden, and Austria.

Pečenje basically means roasted meat (whole roasted pork, lamb and goat), and it’s oneof the most popular dishes in Serbia, especially during all types of celebraons such asweddings or slava. Pečenje can somemes be very greasy, especially when served cold,which is not uncommon.

Bečka šnicla (Schnitzel) is a tradional Austrian dish made with boneless meat thinnedwith a hammer (escalope-style preparaon), coated in bread crumbs and fried. It is a pop-ular part of Austrian cuisine and German cuisine, though variaons are present all overthe world. In Austria, the dish called Wiener Schnitzel (Viennese schnitzel) is tradional-ly garnished with a slice of lemon and either potato salad or potatoes with parsley andbuer. In Serbia, the dish is called bečka šnicla (Viennese schnitzel). A local urban legendstates the dish originated in Serbia and not in Italy, but no one knows why.

Also referred to as “the girls’ dream”, Karadjordje’s steak is a dish named aer the Serbi-

an Prince Karadjordje. It is a rolled veal or pork steak, stued with kajmak, breaded andbaked (or fried). It is served with roasted potatoes and tartar sauce.

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Soups, stews and other “spoon” dishes

Sarma is basically ground beef and rice rolled into cabbage, greens or grapevine. In Ser-bia, the most popular is the cabbage sarma. Some people prefer itwith sour cream (pavlaka), while others like garlic with it. If youare in a sh restaurant by the river, make sure you try thetradional Riblja čorba or Riblji paprikaš (sh stew withtomato juice and paprika). Even people who don’treally like sh enjoy this dish.

Punjene paprike (stued paprikas) is a dishmade of paprika, stued with a mix of meatand rice in tomato sauce, the ingredientsconsisng of green or red capsicums, eggs,spices, salt, tomato, minced meat and rice.

Škembići (Tripe soup) comes in manyvariees in the Eastern European cuisine.In Serbia, Škembići is one of the oldestknown dishes, dang to the 13th century.Škembići are Tripe in vegetable stew withherbs, served with boiled potato.

Pastry

Gibanicais a cheese pie typical of Serbia. It’s oneof the most recognizable types of Serbian pastry. It ismade of layers of thin dough with cheese, and usuallyan egg poured over.

Burek is a family of baked or fried lled pastries of Ooman origin madeof a thin aky dough known as yua (or phyllo). It can be lled with cheese, mincedmeat, or mushrooms. There are also some modern variaons without any lling, andlled with cherry.

Proja is a Serbian dish made of cornbread. It used to be popular in mes of widespreadpoverty, mostly before the 1950’s, but is now a common everyday meal. It is oen mis -taken with projara, a somewhat fancier variant of proja.

SERBIAN FOOD



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Salads and appezers

Urnebes is a type of salad characterisc of Serbian cuisine prominent in the city of Nišand southern Serbia. It is made of cheese and hot chili peppers, with salt and spices.

Kaјmak is a creamy dairy product, similar to cloed cream, very popular with Ćevapćići,Pljeskavica, Prženice or Somun (atbread).

Sweets

Baklava is a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of lo pastry lled with chopped nuts andsweetened with syrup or honey. It is characterisc of the cuisines of the former OomanEmpire and much of Central and Southwest Asia.

Krofne are doughnuts lled with jelly, marmalade, jam or chocolate. They can also belled with custard, or cream, but that is usually less common.

Ušpci, also called Mekike, are doughnut-like balls similar to krofne but with more of aso, bread-like feel to them. They are easier to make than krofne, and they do not nec-essarily have to be sweet. In restaurants they might come with jam and kajmak or withcheese, thus fullling the role of breakfast staple or desert or even a main course.

Palatschinke is a very popular sweet, served with Chocolate cream, ground walnuts,ground biscuit, or honey. There are many palačinkarnice (pancake shops) where you canbuy them. There are also salty version with various types of ham, cheese, etc.

Popular Serbian drinks

The best known Serbian drink is Rakija, a strong brandy (the most common ones are fromplum – Šljivovica, Kajsijevača – from apricot, Dunjevača – from quince, and Vilijamovka – from pear). The alcohol content varies usually between 30-40%, but some private disll-ers get up to 50%.

Pelinkovac is a bier liqueur based on wormwood (pelin). The alcohol content is 28-35%by volume. It has a very bier taste, resembling that of Jägermeister.

There are several breweries in Serbia making various domesc and internaonal types ofbeer. The most popular domesc ones are Jelen (Deer) and Lav (Lion).

SERBIAN FOOD



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INTERESTING FACTS

• Most Serbian last names end with the leers “ic”.• In 274 AD, Constanne the Great, the Roman Emperor, was born in the Serbian city ofNis.• Between the 3rd and 4th centuries, a total of eighteen emperors were born on what ismodern day Serbia. That number accounts for a h of all Roman rulers.• The only Serbian word that is accepted and used across the world is “vampire”.• The Serbian clock-making industry is even older than the world-famous Swiss one. TheSerbs had their own clock 600 years before the Swiss did.

• The Old Downtown Church that stands in the downtown secon of Cacak is home to areligious building that has been turned into a mosque a record ten mes.• The very rst video transmission between North America and Europethat took place in 1963 featured the White Angel from the Serbianfresco at Monastery Milesevo.• Europe’s largest gorge, the Djerdap Gorge is situated inSerbia. The mighty Danube river ows through it.• Beograd (Belgrade) is one of the oldest cies in Eu-rope, rst seled in the 3rd century BC by the Celts,

before becoming the Roman selement of Singidu-num.• Serbia is the largest raspberry exporter, ac-counng for one third of all the raspberries in theworld.• Serbia is the only country outside of CIS to havea free-trade agreement with Russia.• Serbia has the highest number of refugees andinternally displaced persons in Europe, a total of

approximately 314,000.• The Miroslav Gospel, wrien in the twelh cen-tury, is the oldest preserved Serbian manuscript.• Silver lake, also called Serbian sea, is the largestlake in Serbia. It is very popular for being one of theclearest and the cleanest lakes in the country.• Kalemegdan is the most popular park in Belgrade be-cause of the park’s numerous winding walking paths, shadybenches, picturesque fountains, random statues, mammoth his-torical architecture and incredible river views.• The Cathedral of Saint Sava or Hram svetog Save in Belgrade is the largestOrthodox Church currently in use.• Over 30% of the land is covered by forest, with 5 naonal parks and 22 nature reserves.



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Dining Equee

• When dining out, it is customary for thehost to pay. You may oer to contribute,but do not ask to split the bill.• Tradional food is based on grilled meat.• Serbian food uses animal fats, eggs anddairy, and therefore it is rarely suitable for

vegans.• Pork is very popular, whether bacon, sau-sages or fresh meat.• Dress in smart clothing for formal dinners,dinner pares and business lunches.• Remove your shoes before entering yourhosts home.• It is customary to give the host a smallgi.

• Hold a fork in your le hand and the knifein your right.• Alcohol is normally served with the meal.Rakia is a very strong liquor made fromgrape skins.• Try not to get drunk. Leave your glassunnished if you do not wish to be servedmore.• Always make eye contact during a toast.

• You can show gratude by oering to takeyour host out for a meal at a later date.• Smoking is common, so do not be oend-ed if people smoke while you are eang.• Indicate that you have nished eang byplacing your cutlery together and parallel toeach other on the plate.• Dinners oen have several courses, in-cluding starters, soup, a main dish and thendessert.• Round up the ps to about 10% of thebill.

House visits

Upon arriving at someone’s home you willbe treated to a coee (almost always blackcoee, called “Turska kafa” or “Crna kafa”), juice and rakija, usually a home-made onein which every master of the house takesgreat pride (it’s a topic they’ll love to talk

about).

Don’t miss trying the delicious sweet pre-serves “slatko” (literary “sweet”) of whichyou should take just a spoon or two ac-companied by a glass of water. Upon yourrst entry in a household, it is customaryto bring a symbolic present, for example abole of an alcoholic drink, an assortment

of chocolates, or owers.

In saying cheers, “Živeli”, touch glasses andpay aenon that you look into the eyes ofall the people you toast with while touch-ing glasses. Note that your glass will bereplenished as soon as you’ve emped it,so if you don’t want to connue drinking,leave some at the boom. If oered to join

a lunch, you won’t talk your way out of iteasily (and why would you?), and once youdo it, you might easily be oered a supperand breakfast as well.

During meals there are not many rules toobserve. Try to follow the pace of your hostbut don’t hesitate even one moment totake more if you like the food. The courses(starters, soup, main dish, dessert) are ac-companied by saying “Prijatno” (Bon Appe-te) and answering “Hvala, takodje” (Thankyou, same to you).

IMPORTANT TIPS



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Vising for SlavaThe greatest honor for every guest is to be invited to a “slava”, a celebraon of a family’ssaint day. Do not forget to bring a symbolic gi, such as a bole of wine. The most conven -onal greeng is “Srecna slava”, followed by kissing three mes on alternang cheeks whileshaking hands. Upon entering the house, you will be oered “žito”, a ceremonial sweetmade of wheat, honey and nuts; you are required to make the cross sign (if you are Chris-an), take one spoon and leave it in a glass of water. All that you have to do aerwards is toenjoy the hospitality and eagerly answer all the toasts.

Paying Bills when Going OutBy Serbian custom, the host will pay the whole bill when drinking in a cafe or dining out. .You can ask if you may add some money but try not to be too precise; it is beer to oer around aer you have enjoyed several paid by your hosts. If someone shows clear intenonof buying you a drink, do not try to pay for anything, as it might be considered oensive.

SmokingAn almost complete lack of non-smoking zones in a country where a majority of the popula-

on smokes could be an inconvenience for non-smokers. Feel free to ask for a cigaree evenif you don’t know the people you are asking. It is not considered impolite.

Foreign LanguagesLanguage skills of locals depend on educaon and age: younger people even in smallerplaces tend to have good to fair knowledge of English. Amongst the middle-aged and elderlypeople, only those with beer educaon will know English. Other languages that are oenspoken are German, French, Russian and Italian. Knowledge of any Slavic language will proveuseful, since many of the common words are the same.

Vising Churches and MonasteriesUpon vising churches and monasteries you are required to act politely, not to laugh or raiseyour voice. The dress code does not allow shorts or mini-skirts, which could be a problemin the summerme. When entering, take your hat o. If your visit coincides with a service,you can enter, but stand in one place and don’t walk around. On all occasions women arenot allowed in the altar space behind the iconostasis. Ask for permission if you want to takepictures with a ash, especially in a church.

IMPORTANT TIPS



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PEOPLE IN SERBIA

Greeng peopleWhen people meet for the rst me, theysay their rst name, shake hands (try to doit sturdily with men) and say “Drago mi je”(Nice to meet you). If you meet people youare already acquainted with, you will justshake hands and ask “Kako ste?” (more for-mal) or “Kako si?” (informal, with friends)

(both mean “How are you?”). The usual“Hello/Hi” is “Zdravo” or “Chao” amongyounger people and “Dobro jutro” in themorning, “Dobar dan” during the day and“Dobro vece” in the evening for everyoneelse. If you are seated, rise when you meetpeople, especially women and older men.When meeng aer a longer me or uponsome celebraon, such as a birthday, it is

customary to kiss three mes on alternat-ing cheeks while shaking hands, or, morefamiliarly, embrace. The same procedure isobserved when saying goodbye (“Dovidjen-

ja”). Especially younger women will kissfriends lightly on the cheek, just once in-stead of a handshake. Eye contact is valued,and you may expect more physical contactwith the people you meet with, but that just means that they consider you a friend.

Since Serbs are, in general, open, friendly

and direct, personal quesons showinginterest in a stranger’s life, polics, likesand dislikes are oen basis of conversa-ons. You shouldn’t therefore be oendedif people ask you some unusual quesons.When asking for something politely, use thephrase “Molim vas” (please). Always say“Hvala” for “Thank you”.

Serbia is generally perceived as being a landof ‘warm hearted people’ where hospital-ity and catering to the guests is of centralimportance.

As Serbian people are generally open, friendly and direct, showing interest in some-

one’s life, polics, interests and dislikes are oen basis for conversaon. Serbia is gen-

erally perceived as being a land of ‘warm hearted people’ where hospitality and cater -

ing to the guests is of central importance.



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Verbal and Non-VerbalCommunicaon

Serbians tend to stand closer to each otherthan people in the rest of Europe. In therst meeng, they may be more sensi-ve to personal space, but that space willgradually shrink when they get to knowsomeone beer. Shaking hands is essenal,when you rst meet someone and everyme you see the person again. A hand-shake should be rm and friendly. Malesusually do not kiss on the cheek unlessthey are relaves. Three kisses on thecheeks are very common among womenor between a female and a male, althoughespecially among younger people andnon-relaves, it is fashionable to kiss onlyonce. If you are a female, you would notbe expected to kiss your colleagues everyme you meet; kissing is usually commonamong very good friends or relaves, butnot at work.

Eye contact should be maintained, other-wise Serbians may perceive you as untrust-worthy or deceiul. Hand gestures are verycommon when speaking and people arevery entertaining and will joke frequently.They may touch you during conversaon(or just because they are happy to see you)by pang you on the back (among males),giving you a side hug, or placing their handon your back or arm.

The tone of voice is fairly normal, but itmay be slightly louder. It is very easy tonoce if the other person is happy, sad, or

angry. They will always show their feelingsin their facial expressions, even if they donot know you well. It is important not totake these expressions personally (exceptif you are sure that they are directed atyou) because frustraon is very common inSerbia and people do not hide it well. Serbsare temperamental people and years ofsancons (1991-2000), inux of refugees,and a poor economic situaon have allcontributed to the aring of short tempers.In these situaons, it is best to stand yourground.

ConversaonThe best opening when meeng some-one for the rst me is to smile and beapproachable. First impressions are veryimportant to Serbians, and they may lastfor a long me aer the inial conversa-on. Serbians are usually very helpful toforeigners and intrigued about their originand personal style. If the foreigner is froman auent western culture, Serbians arelikely to respect them simply because thewesterners are economically beer o andbecause friendship with a westerner can bevaluable.

CUSTOMS AND ETIQUETTE



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The local populaon will love to speakabout their Serbian culture, give direcons,point to nice places one can visit, recom-mend good food, travel and tourist spots,etc. They will also ask many personal ques-ons (eg: origin, educaon, lifestyle at thehome country, children, etc). This type ofdiscussion may carry on for a long me.Serbians are very personable and like tomake friends, especially ones who are talk-ave and have a good sense of humour. Atasteful joke is an appropriate and success-ful opening of a dialogue and puts Serbiansat ease. It is important that they do notperceive a foreigner as someone who actssuperior in any sense (by being aloof, forinstance).

Polics is a free topic to explore, as long asyou avoid praising naons that Serbians donot trust or that they might feel animosityfor. These may include Americans (due tothe bombing of Serbia in the 1999 Kosovowar), Croats and Muslim Bosnians (dueto the 1991-1995 war that triggered thebreak-up of Yugoslavia), and Germans (whowere perceived to be explicitly againstSerbia in the 1991-1995 war). These neg-ave senments are generally directed atthe polics and foreign policies of thesenaons, and people usually do not give ahard me to the visitors from these coun-tries. Nevertheless, when it comes to pol-ics, it is beer to listen to the complaintsthat Serbians might have rather than giveyour own strong opinions.

Serbians are perceived as aggressors in

Croaa and Bosnia and Herzegovina (ex-cept in Republika Srpska, the Serb domi-nated enty in the laer country). Serbsare very resenul of this percepon andfeel it is very unjust. Serbs feel that thewestern world has received a very biasedmedia representaon of the conicts inBosnia and Kosovo (they feel much morestrongly about Kosovo because they seeit as Serbian land). They are eager to ex-plain their side of the story when given achance. A peaceful, inclusive and tolerantapproach to world cultures is appropriateand acceptable.

CUSTOMS AND ETIQUETTE



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NATIONAL IDENTITY

The people of Yugoslavia idenfy primarily with their region.Serbs are more likely than other groups to subscribe to anidenty as Yugoslav; many minories see this identyas aempng to subsume signicant regional, eth-nic, and religious dierences. Montenegrins alsohave a tradion of Pan-Slavism, which led themto remain with Serbia even as other republicswere demanding independence. However,

Montenegro has had dierences with Serbia,parcularly over policy in Bosnia, Croaa,and, most recently, Kosovo. Religion alsoplays an important role in naonal identy,in parcular for Muslims, the largest reli-gious minority (and the majority in certainareas, such as Kosovo and parts of Bosnia).

Ethnic RelaonsThe Balkan Peninsula is a hodgepodge of cul-tures and ethnicies. While most of the peo-ple are of Slavic origin, their histories divergedunder the varying inuences of dierent govern-ments, religions, and cultures. For example, Sloveniaand Croaa are primarily Roman Catholic, whereasmost of Serbia is Eastern Orthodox; in Kosovo and Bosniathere is a large Islamic populaon. The north has a strong inu-ence from Hungary, and the south displays more remnants of Turkishculture. The union of these dierent cultures under a repressive regime makes for a vola-le situaon; for this reason the enre region has been referred to as the “Balkan nder-box.” The virulent animosity among dierent groups has, in recent years, led to civil war.The Serb government has brutally suppressed virtually all minories to consolidate Serbpower. Under Milosevic, a policy of ethnic cleansing has aempted to rid the country ofCroat Muslims in Bosnia and ethnic Albanians in Kosovo when these groups have agitatedfor self-rule; the results have been ongoing violence and the oppression of ethnic minori-es.

Yugoslavia also has one of the world’s largest Gypsy populaons, who are also treatedwith intolerance. In the 1980s there was a movement among Yugoslav Gypsies for sepa-rate naonhood, but it never materialized and eventually lost steam.



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Gender

Gender dierences are not so pronounced in Serbia. Women have the right (de jure) toequal opportunies. However, it is customary that women stay at home and raise chil-dren or care for sick relaves. Men also tend to have more control over resources, butSerbian women are quite asserve and persistent in meeng their needs, especially in bigcies.

Gender discourse is not very prominent in Serbia, and people do not usually consider it aproblem. At work, women are not regarded as having the same abilies as men and arenot trusted with certain dues perceived to be unwomanly (i.e. defence and military mat-ters). In polics, there are far fewer women than men, and quotas put in place to addressgender representaon are usually very dicult to ll.

Ethnicity

At work, ethnicity does not pose a problem, given that the majority of the populaon isof a one religion. In circumstances where ethnic Albanians and Serbs may work together,there could potenally be some mutual resentment. The Roma are under-representedin public and private instuons, and usually hold no ocial employment, so it is rare tond cases of Serbians and Roma working side by side. There are no specic work-relatedproblems between Hungarians and Serbians.

Privileges

In Serbian culture, granng certain privileges is denitely expected if you are friendlierwith some of your partners, colleagues and clients, as this indicates that they have some-thing more special than simply a superior-employee relaonship. If they come to you fora favour or help (i.e. consideraon of some of his friends and relaves for employment),and you are in a posion to do something, it will be expected that you do it. However,that does not mean that you have to grant them a favour if you are unable to do so orthink it inappropriate. If you explain that special favours are inappropriate and that youcan give their friend an opportunity for an interview just like everyone else, this shouldbe a sucient explanaon. If things do not work out, your friendship may strain aer this,

but as long as you explain your posion, you can avoid misunderstandings. Colleaguesthat are also your friends may expect you to keep them in mind for a promoon, but payincrease without the credenals will never be expected in Serbia.

SOCIETY



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• Avoiding eye contact is considered disre-specul.• Drinking and smoking are common in al-most every social seng, regardless of ageor gender.• Usually, personal space is not highly re-garded. People oen hug and tap each oth-er on the shoulder or touch lightly whileconversing.

• It is common to hear people speaking inloud voices. This usually does not signifyanger, people just tend to be veryexpressive.• Punctuality is a desirable trait,especiallyin business sengs.

Topics to Discuss:• Sports, especially the country’s recentsuccess is tennis and water polo.• Serbs like asking about cultural dierenc-es in lifestyles and systems.

Topics to Avoid:• Kosovo, the wars in the Balkans, or theMilosevic regime.• Discussing polics or US Foreignpolicy unl a closer relaonship isestablished.

Decision-makingMajor decisions in Serbia are made by themanagement. Under Communism, em-ployees had open meengs but they hadlile inuence. Unfortunately, this is sllthe case, even with foreign investors andrms. Idea-sharing and brain storming arenot very common, except in the new, lo-cally-launched and pilot-type iniaves, insuch areas as alternave press and radio,creave art, non-governmental organiza-ons, and the like.

Punctuality is a desirable trait,

especially in business

sengs.

BUSINESS TIPS



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CORPORATE CULTURE

The Role of a ManagerIntercultural sensivity is necessary. Thereis oen a wide gap between managers andtheir subordinates, although this is less soin newer companies, high tech companies,or other high growth industries. Managersare expected to give precise direcons tosubordinates when assigning tasks so thatthere is no queson as to what is expected.In professional jobs, direcons may be inthe form of broad guidelines with the ex-pected method, format of results, and pro-tocols to be observed clearly delineated.

Approach to ChangeSerbia’s intercultural adaptability and read-iness for change is improving althoughchanges are sll made slowly, requiring a

considerable amount of thought, planningand evaluaon.

Intercultural sensivity is important with

Serbia’s atude toward risk dramacallyimpacted by the negave ramicaonsof failure on both the individual and thegroup.

Approach to Time and PrioriesSerbia is a moderate me culture and theremay be some exibility to strict adherence

to schedules and deadlines. Nevertheless,the expectaons of global business havecaused the people to adopt relavely strictstandards of adhering to schedules.

When working with people from Serbia itis advisable to reinforce the importance ofthe agreed-upon deadlines and how thatmay aect the rest of the organizaon.

Successful intercultural management willdepend on the individual’s ability to pro-vide and meet deadlines.

The business set up in Serbia is very formal and intercultural management will be moresuccessful if you bear this in mind. In business it is a good idea to use a third-party intro-ducon rather than making a “cold call”. Aer years of communist rule and internal poli-cal skirmishes, many people remain suspicious of foreigners.

In many ways, Serbia is the last of the major European transional economies. The gov-ernment is aempng to enact privazaon legislaon that may oer opportunies forforeign investors in the ownership and management of previously naonalized industriesas well as in the developing private sector. At the same me, business can oen be amaze of bureaucracy and red tape.

The best approach is to start out in formal mode and allow your Serbian counterparts todetermine when or if to move to a more relaxed demeanor. Always respect the hierarchyand take care to treat people in authority with parcular respect.



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CORPORATE CULTURE

Decision MakingIn general, subordinates do not expect their managers to seek their concurrence. Theyare comfortable complying with decisions. Again, this may depend upon the industry, theprofessional level of the employees concerned, and the corporate culture. Serbia is un-dergoing rapid changes which are impacng business life.

Boss or Team Player?

In post-communist countries, a tradion of teamwork has been inherited from the com-munal aspects of the previous era, when groups and work units commonly met to discussideas and create plans together. However, those plans seldom resulted in implementaonor results, leading to apathy and cynicism among the workers. Today the aer-eects aresll evident among much of the older generaon, resulng in a lack of drive and energy.However, there is vibrancy among the younger generaon, who seem to be eager to tack-le many of the challenges and seize the opportunies presented. They will parcipate inteams and share ideas, but they will need to be coached in the process.

Communicaon and Negoaon StylesExpect to have several meengs before ironing out business details. Developing a per-sonal relaonship takes precedence over business maers. Expect a good deal of bureau-cracy and red tape, especially when dealing with government agencies. Paence may bea necessary cross-cultural aribute. Decision making takes me, as each item must beanalyzed and agreed upon before moving on to the next item.

Negoaon meengs are not always straighorward. It is not uncommon for Serbians toraise their voices during negoaons. Serbians are tough negoators: your inial oer

should be reasonable, but should have some wriggle-room.

In Serbian language, superiors are addressed with a respecul pronoun. There is a re-specul, professional, but friendly relaonship between superiors and employees. It iscommon for management to share jokes and laugh with their sta. When addressingyour superiors, you refer simply to their professional tle rather than to Mr./Mrs/Ms. Forexample, if you are addressing your director, you would say: “Director, would you pleasesign this form”. All other colleagues you can address by their rst name. In formal corre-spondence, or when you refer to a business partner in conversaon, you should use Mr.,

Mrs. or Ms. before the last name of the person. Informally, people usually use clients’ orcustomers’ last names without tles.



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