Serbia

Serbia is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central- and Southeastern Europe, covering the southern part of the Pannonian Plain and central part of the Balkans. Serbia has borders with 8 countries, Hungary to the north; Romania, Bulgaria to the east; Republic of Macedonia to the south; and Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro to the west; its border with Albania is disputed. Although landlocked, the country has access to the Black Sea through the Danube river. Its capital city, Belgrade, is among the largest in Southeastern Europe. After their settlement in the Balkans, Serbs formed a medieval kingdom that evolved into a Serbian Empire, which reached its peak in the 14th century. By the 16th century Serbian lands were conquered and occupied by Ottomans. Serbia regained independence from the Ottoman Empire in a 19th century revolution and subsequently expanded its territory. Serbia was the second state in Europe that abolished feudalism and serfdom. The former Habsburg crownland of Vojvodina joined Serbia in 1918. Decimated as a result of World War I, the country united with other South Slavic peoples into a Yugoslav state which would exist in several formations up until 2006, when Serbia once again became independent. In February 2008, the parliament of Kosovo, Serbia's southern province with an ethnic Albanian majority, declared independence. The response from the international community has been mixed. Serbia regards Kosovo as its autonomous province governed by UNMIK, a UN mission. Serbia is a member of the United Nations, OSCE, Council of Europe and will preside over the CEFTA in 2010. Serbia is classified as an emerging and developing economy by the International Monetary Fund and an upper-middle income economy by the World Bank. WTO accession is expected in 2010. Serbia has a high Human Development Index and Freedom House in 2008 listed Serbia as one of few free Balkan states. The country is also an EU membership applicant and a militarily neutral country. ( source Wikipedia )