Central Serbia
Encyclopedia
Central Serbia also referred to as Serbia proper , was the region of Serbia
from 1945 to 2009. It included central parts of Serbia outside of the autonomous provinces of Kosovo
and Vojvodina
. The region of Central Serbia was not an administrative division of Serbia as such; it was under the direct jurisdiction of the republic authorities. With the formation of new statistical regions of Serbia
in 2009-2010, territory of Central Serbia was officially transformed into 3 statistical regions: Region of Belgrade, Region of Šumadija and Western Serbia and Region of South and East Serbia.
Central Serbia was divided into 17 districts and the city of Belgrade
, while districts were further divided into municipalities. The districts were:
(present-day Kostolac
) was a capital of the Roman province of Upper Moesia
in the 2nd century. The capitals of several medieval Serbian states were also located in the territory of later Central Serbia: Stari Ras (the capital of Raška
), Debrc
and Belgrade
(the capitals of the Kingdom of Syrmia
of Stefan Dragutin), Kruševac
(the capital of the Moravian Serbia
of Lazar Hrebeljanović), and Smederevo
(the capital of the Serbian Despotate
).
After the Serbian Despotate was conquered by the Ottoman Empire
in the 15th century, an Ottoman administrative unit named the Sanjak of Smederevo
was formed in part of this area with its seat in the city of Smederevo
. Later, the seat of the sanjak
was moved to Belgrade
and the territory also became known as the Pashaluk of Belgrade.
Between 1718 and 1739, part of the the region was under Habsburg
administration and was known as the Kingdom of Serbia. After the First Serbian Uprising
in 1804, it became a free Serbian state known as Serbia
. It was conquered again by the Ottomans in 1813, but the Second Serbian Uprising
(1815-1817) resulted in Serbia being recognized as an autonomous principality within the Ottoman Empire
. In 1878, Serbia became a fully independent state, also enlarging its territory in the south-east. The borders of Serbia established in 1878 were similar to the borders of the later Central Serbia.
In 1913, Serbia further expanded its borders to the south, taking control of much of present-day Kosovo
and Macedonia
. Further territorial gains were made in the north and south-west in 1918. Serbia became part of the new Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes on December 1, 1918. The region later known as Central Serbia did not had a separate political status within the Kingdom, although in 1929, when new provinces of the Kingdom were formed, one of the provinces (Morava Banovina
) was established in the eastern part of the later Central Serbia with its capital in Niš
.
Between 1941 and 1944, the territory of later Central Serbia was occupied by German
troops and was mostly part of the puppet state of Serbia that included most of later Central Serbia, Banat
and the northern part of Kosovo
. The south-eastern parts of later Central Serbia were during this time under Bulgaria
n occupation, while the south-western parts were occupied by Italy
and were annexed to the neighbouring puppet state of Montenegro
.
The Axis occupation ended in 1944 and the Democratic Republic of Serbia was formed as one of the republics of the new socialist Yugoslavia. In 1945, Vojvodina
and Kosovo
(also known as Kosmet in Serbian) became autonomous provinces within Serbia, thus the part of Serbia that was outside of these two regions became known as Uža Srbija ("Serbia Proper" in English). At the beginning of the 1990s, the term Uža Srbija was replaced with the new term Centralna Srbija ("Central Serbia" in English) and this new term was used in all official publications of the Serbian government that referred to the region.
With the formation of new statistical regions of Serbia
in 2009-2010, territory of Central Serbia was officially transformed into 3 statistical regions: Region of Belgrade, Region of Šumadija and Western Serbia and Region of South and East Serbia.
to refer to the region. "Serbia Proper" is simply an English translation of the Serbian term "Uža Srbija" (Ужа Србија), which was used as a name of the region during the existence of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
. The term "Uža Srbija" was controversial and, due to that, Serbian government publications used "Centralna Srbija" (Central Serbia) instead. The term "Uža Srbija" was rejected because it implied a distinction between Serbia and its autonomous provinces.
According to the Library of Congress
, "Serbia Proper" denoted "the part of the Republic of Serbia not including the provinces of Vojvodina and Kosovo; the ethnic and political core of the Serbian state." However, the ethnic and political center of the Serbian people in one part of the Middle Ages was in Kosovo, while in one part of the Early modern period it was in Vojvodina. The region designated as "Serbia Proper" became the political center of Serbs in the 19th century, although its parts had important political role between 12th and 15th centuries.
The term "Serbia Proper" has also been used to differentiate the whole of Serbia (including the autonomous provinces) from the Serbian statelets in Croatia
and Bosnia
, and to differentiate the rest of Serbia (including Vojvodina) from Kosovo.
The use of the term "Serbia Proper" in English was purely geographical without any particular political meaning being implied. It has been used most often by the (non-Serbian) English-language media but also by the United Nations
, English-language reports by the Serbian media and even on occasion by the Serbian government. Its usage crossed political boundaries, with both pro- and anti-Serbian groups employing it.
The largest cities of Central Serbia were (with approximative population figures from 2002):
In 2002, most of the municipalities of Central Serbia had an ethnic Serb majority, three municipalities (Novi Pazar
, Tutin
, and Sjenica
) had Bosniak majority, two municipalities (Bujanovac
and Preševo
) had Albanian majority, one municipality (Bosilegrad
) had a Bulgarian majority, and one municipality (Dimitrovgrad
) was ethnically mixed with a Bulgarian relative majority.
, Sandžak
, Niš
and Preševo Valley
.
Some other political parties in Serbia (for example Democratic Party of Serbia
) also proposed creation of new administrative units of Serbia. According to one of these proposals, territory of Central Serbia was to be divided into 4 regions: Šumadija
(capital city: Kragujevac
), Podunavlje (capital city: Niš
), Podrinje (capital city: Užice
), and Belgrade
City Region.
Transformation of Central Serbia into 3 statistical regions did not solved these political issues since, like Central Serbia itself, new regions are not administrative units.
, Viminacium
, Mediana
, etc. There were also notable medieval fortresses such as Kalemegdan
in Belgrade
, Fortress of Smederevo
, Golubac
, and Fetislam near Kladovo
. One of the important features of the region were numerous medieval Serbian churches and monasteries such as Đurđevi Stupovi, Studenica
, Sopoćani
, Žiča
, etc.
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
from 1945 to 2009. It included central parts of Serbia outside of the autonomous provinces of Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
and Vojvodina
Vojvodina
Vojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad...
. The region of Central Serbia was not an administrative division of Serbia as such; it was under the direct jurisdiction of the republic authorities. With the formation of new statistical regions of Serbia
Statistical regions of Serbia
Serbia is divided into five statistical regions in accordance to NUTS 2, which are in turn grouped into two higher NUTS 1 statistical units ....
in 2009-2010, territory of Central Serbia was officially transformed into 3 statistical regions: Region of Belgrade, Region of Šumadija and Western Serbia and Region of South and East Serbia.
Administrative subdivisions
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, while districts were further divided into municipalities. The districts were:
- Mačva DistrictMacva DistrictMačva District is a district of Serbia. The District expands in the western parts of Serbia, in the geographical regions of Mačva, Podrinje, Posavina, and Pocerina. It has a population of 297,778 people...
- Kolubara DistrictKolubara DistrictThe Kolubara District occupies the central part of western Serbia. It has a population of 174,228...
- Moravica DistrictMoravica DistrictThe Moravica District is located in the central parts of Serbia. It has a population of 212,149...
- Zlatibor DistrictZlatibor DistrictZlatibor District is a district in the western, mountainous part of the Republic of Serbia. The district was named after the mountain region of Zlatibor. According to the 2011 Census Data, the Zlatibor District has a population of 284,729 people...
- Podunavlje DistrictPodunavlje DistrictThe Podunavlje District lies in Serbia, it expands across the central part of Serbia. The population of the district is 198,184, and the Seat of the District is in the city of Smederevo.-Municipalities:...
- Braničevo DistrictBranicevo DistrictThe Braničevo District expands in the north-east of Serbia. It has a population of 180,480. Seat of the District is in the city of Požarevac, a famous cross-roads, with numerous communications running through it still today...
- Šumadija DistrictŠumadija DistrictThe Šumadija District is located in the central part of Serbia. It has a population of 290,900, and the district seat is the city of Kragujevac...
- Pomoravlje DistrictPomoravlje DistrictThe Pomoravlje District expands in the central part of Serbia. It has a population of 212,839...
- Raška DistrictRaška DistrictThe Raška District expands in the south-western part of Serbia. It has a population of 300,274. Its seat is in the city of Kraljevo.-Municipalities:It encompasses the municipalities of:*Kraljevo*Vrnjačka Banja*Raška...
- Rasina DistrictRasina DistrictThe Rasina District expands in the central part of the Republic of Serbia. It has a population of 240,463...
- Bor DistrictBor DistrictBor District is a district of Serbia with seat in Bor. It has a population of 123,848 .-History:...
- Zaječar DistrictZajecar DistrictZaječar District is a district of Serbia. It expands in the eastern part of Serbia. It has a population of 118,295 . The Seat of the District is in the city of Zaječar.-Municipalities:It encompasses the municipalities of:*Boljevac...
- Nišava DistrictNišava DistrictThe Nišava District expands in the south-eastern parts of Serbia. It has a population of 373,404...
- Pirot DistrictPirot DistrictThe Pirot District expands in the south eastern parts of Serbia. It has a population of 92,277. Its seat is in the city of Pirot.-Municipalities:It encompasses the municipalities of:*Bela Palanka*Pirot*Babušnica...
- Toplica DistrictToplica DistrictThe Toplica District expands in the southern part of Serbia. It has a population of 90,600 and has been named after the river Toplica. Seat of the District is in the city of Prokuplje.-Municipalities:It encompasses the municipalities of:*Prokuplje*Blace...
- Jablanica DistrictJablanica DistrictThe Jablanica District expands in the south eastern parts of Serbia. It has a population of 215,463...
- Pčinja DistrictPcinja DistrictThe Pčinja District expands to the southern parts of Serbia, bordering Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia. Its seat is in the city of Vranje....
- Belgrade CityBelgradeBelgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
History
ViminaciumViminacium
Viminacium was a major city and military camp of the Roman province of Moesia , and the capital of Moesia Superior. The archeological site occupies a total of 450 hectares. Viminacium is located 12 km from Kostolac, was devastated by Huns in the 5th century, but rebuilt by Justinian...
(present-day Kostolac
Kostolac
Kostolac is a small Serbian town on the Danube river in the Braničevo District. The remains of the Roman capital of the province of Moesia Superior Viminacium are located near Stari Kostolac some 2 km to the east of Kostolac. Kostolac is situated in the municipality of Požarevac...
) was a capital of the Roman province of Upper Moesia
Moesia
Moesia was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans, along the south bank of the Danube River. It included territories of modern-day Southern Serbia , Northern Republic of Macedonia, Northern Bulgaria, Romanian Dobrudja, Southern Moldova, and Budjak .-History:In ancient...
in the 2nd century. The capitals of several medieval Serbian states were also located in the territory of later Central Serbia: Stari Ras (the capital of Raška
Raška (state)
Principality of Serbia or Serbian Principality was an early medieval state of the Serbs ruled by the Vlastimirović dynasty, that existed from ca 768 to 969 in Southeastern Europe. It was established through an unification of several provincial chiefs under the supreme rule of a certain Višeslav,...
), Debrc
Debrc
Debrc is a former town, today a village, located in the Vladimirci municipality, in Mačva District of Serbia. In 2002, the population of the village was 875, of which 855 were ethnic Serbs. Debrc was a capital of medieval Kingdom of Syrmia ruled by Serb king Stefan Dragutin.-See also:*List of...
and Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
(the capitals of the Kingdom of Syrmia
Syrmia
Syrmia is a fertile region of the Pannonian Plain in Europe, between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia in the east and Croatia in the west....
of Stefan Dragutin), Kruševac
Kruševac
Kruševac is a city and municipality, and the administrative center of the Rasina District, in central Serbia. According to the 2011 census, the municipality has a population of 127,429, while the town has 57,627....
(the capital of the Moravian Serbia
Moravian Serbia
The Moravian Serbia was one of the states that emerged from the collapse of the Serbian Empire in the 14th century. The state was created through political and military activities of its first ruler Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović, who later fought and perished at the Battle of Kosovo.-History:Lazar...
of Lazar Hrebeljanović), and Smederevo
Smederevo
Smederevo is a city and municipality in Serbia, on the right bank of the Danube, about 40 km downstream of the capital Belgrade. According to official results of the 2011 census, the city has a population of 107,528...
(the capital of the Serbian Despotate
Serbian Despotate
The Serbian Despotate was a Serbian state, the last to be conquered by the Ottoman Empire. Although the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 is generally considered the end of the medieval Serbian state, the Despotate, a successor of the Serbian Empire and Moravian Serbia survived for 70 more years,...
).
After the Serbian Despotate was conquered by the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in the 15th century, an Ottoman administrative unit named the Sanjak of Smederevo
Sanjak of Smederevo
The Sanjak of Smederevo , also known as the Pashaluk of Belgrade , was an Ottoman administrative unit , that existed between the 15th and the outset of the 19th centuries...
was formed in part of this area with its seat in the city of Smederevo
Smederevo
Smederevo is a city and municipality in Serbia, on the right bank of the Danube, about 40 km downstream of the capital Belgrade. According to official results of the 2011 census, the city has a population of 107,528...
. Later, the seat of the sanjak
Sanjak
Sanjaks were administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire. Sanjak, and the variant spellings sandjak, sanjaq, and sinjaq, are English transliterations of the Turkish word sancak, meaning district, banner, or flag...
was moved to Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
and the territory also became known as the Pashaluk of Belgrade.
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
administration and was known as the Kingdom of Serbia. After the First Serbian Uprising
First Serbian Uprising
The First Serbian Uprising was the first stage of the Serbian Revolution , the successful wars of independence that lasted for 9 years and approximately 9 months , during which Serbia perceived itself as an independent state for the first time after more than three centuries of Ottoman rule and...
in 1804, it became a free Serbian state known as Serbia
History of Serbia
The history of Serbia, as a country, begins with the Slavic settlements in the Balkans, established in the 6th century in territories governed by the Byzantine Empire. Through centuries, the Serbian realm evolved into a Kingdom , then an Empire , before the Ottomans annexed it in 1540...
. It was conquered again by the Ottomans in 1813, but the Second Serbian Uprising
Second Serbian Uprising
The Second Serbian Uprising was a second phase of the Serbian revolution against the Ottoman Empire, which erupted shortly after the re-annexation of the country to the Ottoman Empire, in 1813. The occupation was enforced following the defeat of the First Serbian Uprising , during which Serbia...
(1815-1817) resulted in Serbia being recognized as an autonomous principality within the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. In 1878, Serbia became a fully independent state, also enlarging its territory in the south-east. The borders of Serbia established in 1878 were similar to the borders of the later Central Serbia.
In 1913, Serbia further expanded its borders to the south, taking control of much of present-day Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
and Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
. Further territorial gains were made in the north and south-west in 1918. Serbia became part of the new Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes on December 1, 1918. The region later known as Central Serbia did not had a separate political status within the Kingdom, although in 1929, when new provinces of the Kingdom were formed, one of the provinces (Morava Banovina
Morava Banovina
The Morava Banovina or Morava Banate was a province of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1929 and 1941. This province consisted of parts of present-day Central Serbia and it was named for the Morava Rivers...
) was established in the eastern part of the later Central Serbia with its capital in Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
.
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
troops and was mostly part of the puppet state of Serbia that included most of later Central Serbia, Banat
Banat
The Banat is a geographical and historical region in Central Europe currently divided between three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania , the western part in northeastern Serbia , and a small...
and the northern part of Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
. The south-eastern parts of later Central Serbia were during this time under Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n occupation, while the south-western parts were occupied by Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and were annexed to the neighbouring puppet state of Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
.
The Axis occupation ended in 1944 and the Democratic Republic of Serbia was formed as one of the republics of the new socialist Yugoslavia. In 1945, Vojvodina
Vojvodina
Vojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad...
and Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
(also known as Kosmet in Serbian) became autonomous provinces within Serbia, thus the part of Serbia that was outside of these two regions became known as Uža Srbija ("Serbia Proper" in English). At the beginning of the 1990s, the term Uža Srbija was replaced with the new term Centralna Srbija ("Central Serbia" in English) and this new term was used in all official publications of the Serbian government that referred to the region.
With the formation of new statistical regions of Serbia
Statistical regions of Serbia
Serbia is divided into five statistical regions in accordance to NUTS 2, which are in turn grouped into two higher NUTS 1 statistical units ....
in 2009-2010, territory of Central Serbia was officially transformed into 3 statistical regions: Region of Belgrade, Region of Šumadija and Western Serbia and Region of South and East Serbia.
Name
Besides the name "Central Serbia", the term "Serbia Proper" was also used in EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
to refer to the region. "Serbia Proper" is simply an English translation of the Serbian term "Uža Srbija" (Ужа Србија), which was used as a name of the region during the existence of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
. The term "Uža Srbija" was controversial and, due to that, Serbian government publications used "Centralna Srbija" (Central Serbia) instead. The term "Uža Srbija" was rejected because it implied a distinction between Serbia and its autonomous provinces.
According to the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
, "Serbia Proper" denoted "the part of the Republic of Serbia not including the provinces of Vojvodina and Kosovo; the ethnic and political core of the Serbian state." However, the ethnic and political center of the Serbian people in one part of the Middle Ages was in Kosovo, while in one part of the Early modern period it was in Vojvodina. The region designated as "Serbia Proper" became the political center of Serbs in the 19th century, although its parts had important political role between 12th and 15th centuries.
The term "Serbia Proper" has also been used to differentiate the whole of Serbia (including the autonomous provinces) from the Serbian statelets in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
and Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, and to differentiate the rest of Serbia (including Vojvodina) from Kosovo.
The use of the term "Serbia Proper" in English was purely geographical without any particular political meaning being implied. It has been used most often by the (non-Serbian) English-language media but also by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, English-language reports by the Serbian media and even on occasion by the Serbian government. Its usage crossed political boundaries, with both pro- and anti-Serbian groups employing it.
Geographical regions
Some notable geographical regions located in Central Serbia were:- ŠumadijaŠumadijaŠumadija is a geographical region in Serbia. The area is heavily covered with forests, hence the name...
- MačvaMacvaMačva is a geographical region in Serbia, mostly situated in the northwest of Central Serbia. It is located in a fertile plain between the Sava and Drina rivers. The chief town of this region is Šabac. The modern Mačva District of Serbia is named after the region, although the region of Mačva...
- Timočka KrajinaTimočka KrajinaTimočka Krajina is a geographical region located in Serbia. It is situated in eastern Serbia around the Timok River. The population of Timočka Krajina is 284,112 .-Name:...
- PomoravljePomoravljePomoravlje may refer to:* Pomoravlje , a geographical area around the Morava river, Serbia* Pomoravlje District, a district in Serbia...
- PodunavljePodunavljePodunavlje is the name of the Danube river basin parts located in Serbia and Croatia .-History:...
- PosavinaPosavinaPosavina is a Slavic name for the region of the Sava river basin in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia that is adjacent or near the Sava river itself.-History:...
- Podrinje
- ZlatiborZlatiborZlatibor is a mountain region situated in the western part of Serbia, a part of the Dinaric Alps.The mountain range spreads over an area of 300 km², 27 miles in length, southeast to northwest, and up to 23 miles in width. The highest peak is Tornik at 1496 m...
- RaškaRaška (region)Raška is a region in south-central Serbia and northern Montenegro. It is mostly situated in the Raška District. The southern part of Raška is also known as Sandžak and is divided between Serbia and Montenegro....
- SandžakSandžakSandžak also known as Raška is a historical region lying along the border between Serbia and Montenegro...
- Preševo ValleyPreševo ValleyThe Preševo Valley , is an Albanian political catchphrase used to describe the two south Serbian municipalities of Bujanovac and Preševo, which have a majority ethnic Albanian population. Medvedja municipality is sometimes also included under this term, although it has a majority Serbian population...
Cities
- Also see: Serbian cities.
The largest cities of Central Serbia were (with approximative population figures from 2002):
- BelgradeBelgradeBelgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
= 1,280,600 - NišNišNiš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
= 173,400 - KragujevacKragujevacKragujevac is the fourth largest city in Serbia, the main city of the Šumadija region and the administrative centre of Šumadija District. It is situated on the banks of the Lepenica River...
= 146,000 - ČačakCacakČačak is a city in central Serbia. It is the administrative center of the Moravica District of Serbia. Čačak is also the main industrial, cultural and sport center of the district...
= 73,200 - LeskovacLeskovacLeskovac is a city and municipality in southern Serbia. It is the administrative center of the Jablanica District of Serbia...
= 63,100 - SmederevoSmederevoSmederevo is a city and municipality in Serbia, on the right bank of the Danube, about 40 km downstream of the capital Belgrade. According to official results of the 2011 census, the city has a population of 107,528...
= 62,700 - ValjevoValjevoValjevo is a city and municipality located in western Serbia. It is the center of the Kolubara District, which includes five other smaller municipalities with a total population of almost 180,000 people...
= 61,400 - KraljevoKraljevoKraljevo is a city and municipality in central Serbia, built beside the river Ibar, 7 km west of its confluence with the Western Morava. It is located in the midst of an upland valley, between the mountains of Kotlenik in the north, and Stolovi in the south.In 2011 the city has population of...
= 57,800 - KruševacKruševacKruševac is a city and municipality, and the administrative center of the Rasina District, in central Serbia. According to the 2011 census, the municipality has a population of 127,429, while the town has 57,627....
= 57,400 - UžiceUžiceUžice is a city and municipality in western Serbia, located at the banks of the Đetinja river. It is the administrative center of the Zlatibor District...
= 55,000 - VranjeVranjeVranje is a city and municipality located in southern Serbia. In 2011 the city has total population of 82,782, while the urban area has 54,456...
= 55,000 - ŠabacŠabacŠabac is a city and municipality in western Serbia, along the Sava river, in the historic region of Mačva. It is the administrative center of the Mačva District. The city has a population of 52,822 , while population of the municipality is 115,347...
= 54,800 - Novi PazarNovi PazarNovi Pazar is a city and municipality located in southwest Serbia, in the Raška District. According to the official census in 2011, number of inhabitants of municipality is 92,776, while the city itself has a population of 60,638...
= 54,600
Demographics
Ethnic groups of Central Serbia according to the 2002 census.- SerbsSerbsThe Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
= 4,891,031 (89.48%) - BosniaksBosniaksThe Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller minority also present in other lands of the Balkan Peninsula especially in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia...
= 135,670 (2.48%) - Roma = 79,136 (1.45%)
- AlbaniansAlbaniansAlbanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
= 59,952 (1.10%) - Vlachs = 39,953 (0.73%)
- Montenegrins = 33,536 (0.61%)
- YugoslavsYugoslavsYugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora...
= 30,840 (0.56%) - BulgariansBulgariansThe Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
= 18,839 (0.34%) - MuslimsMuslims by nationalityMuslims by nationality was a term used in Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as an official designation of nationality of Slavic Muslims. They were one of the constitutive groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
= 15,869 (0.29%) - MacedoniansMacedonians (ethnic group)The Macedonians also referred to as Macedonian Slavs: "... the term Slavomacedonian was introduced and was accepted by the community itself, which at the time had a much more widespread non-Greek Macedonian ethnic consciousness...
= 14,062 (0.26%) - CroatsCroatsCroats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
= 14,056 (0.26%)
In 2002, most of the municipalities of Central Serbia had an ethnic Serb majority, three municipalities (Novi Pazar
Novi Pazar
Novi Pazar is a city and municipality located in southwest Serbia, in the Raška District. According to the official census in 2011, number of inhabitants of municipality is 92,776, while the city itself has a population of 60,638...
, Tutin
Tutin
Tutin is a town and municipality in Raška/Sandžak region of Serbia. According to a 2011 census, the municipality of Tutin has a population of 30,770 people. It is the first municipality in Serbia that has renewable wind power.-History:...
, and Sjenica
Sjenica
Sjenica , is a town and municipality in the Zlatibor District of Serbia. The population of the town, according to 2011 census, is 13,056 inhabitants, while the municipality has 25,448.-History:...
) had Bosniak majority, two municipalities (Bujanovac
Bujanovac
Bujanovac is a town and municipality in Pčinja District of southern Serbia, located at the South Morava basin.It is known for its source of mineral water, so it is also known as Bujanovačka Banja ....
and Preševo
Preševo
Preševo , is a town and municipality in the Pčinja District of southern Serbia, bordering Republic of Macedonia. It is the largest town of the region known as the Preševo valley, and the cultural center of Albanians in Central Serbia....
) had Albanian majority, one municipality (Bosilegrad
Bosilegrad
Bosilegrad is a town and municipality in Pčinja District of Serbia. The municipality comprises an area of 571 km². According to 2011 census, it has total population of 7,979 inhabitants, while the town has 2,530.-1991 census:...
) had a Bulgarian majority, and one municipality (Dimitrovgrad
Dimitrovgrad, Serbia
Dimitrovgrad is a town and 483 km² large municipality located in the Pirot District of the Republic of Serbia. According to 2011 census, the municipality of Dimitrovgrad has a population of 10,056 people and the town 6,247.-Name:...
) was ethnically mixed with a Bulgarian relative majority.
Politics
Since Central Serbia was not an administrative division of Serbia, the political movements that asked for autonomy of the parts of the region have appeared. Such political movements were found in ŠumadijaŠumadija
Šumadija is a geographical region in Serbia. The area is heavily covered with forests, hence the name...
, Sandžak
Sandžak
Sandžak also known as Raška is a historical region lying along the border between Serbia and Montenegro...
, Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
and Preševo Valley
Preševo Valley
The Preševo Valley , is an Albanian political catchphrase used to describe the two south Serbian municipalities of Bujanovac and Preševo, which have a majority ethnic Albanian population. Medvedja municipality is sometimes also included under this term, although it has a majority Serbian population...
.
Some other political parties in Serbia (for example Democratic Party of Serbia
Democratic Party of Serbia
The Democratic Party of Serbia is a political party in Serbia.-Foundation:The Democratic Party of Serbia was founded when a faction of the Democratic Party that supported its involvement in the Democratic Movement of Serbia split from the party and formed their own in 1992.Soon after the March...
) also proposed creation of new administrative units of Serbia. According to one of these proposals, territory of Central Serbia was to be divided into 4 regions: Šumadija
Šumadija
Šumadija is a geographical region in Serbia. The area is heavily covered with forests, hence the name...
(capital city: Kragujevac
Kragujevac
Kragujevac is the fourth largest city in Serbia, the main city of the Šumadija region and the administrative centre of Šumadija District. It is situated on the banks of the Lepenica River...
), Podunavlje (capital city: Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
), Podrinje (capital city: Užice
Užice
Užice is a city and municipality in western Serbia, located at the banks of the Đetinja river. It is the administrative center of the Zlatibor District...
), and Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
City Region.
Transformation of Central Serbia into 3 statistical regions did not solved these political issues since, like Central Serbia itself, new regions are not administrative units.
Culture
The region of Central Serbia possessed rich cultural monuments. There were numerous remnants of Roman civilization, such as GamzigradGamzigrad
Gamzigrad is an archaeological site, spa resort and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Serbia, located south of the Danube river, near the city of Zaječar. It is the location of the ancient Roman complex of palaces and temples Felix Romuliana, built by Emperor Galerius...
, Viminacium
Viminacium
Viminacium was a major city and military camp of the Roman province of Moesia , and the capital of Moesia Superior. The archeological site occupies a total of 450 hectares. Viminacium is located 12 km from Kostolac, was devastated by Huns in the 5th century, but rebuilt by Justinian...
, Mediana
Mediana
Mediana is an important archeological site from the late Roman period located in the eastern suburb of the Serbian city of Niš. It represents a luxurious residence with a highly organized economy. Excavatations have revealed a villa with peristyle, thermae, granary and water tower. The residence...
, etc. There were also notable medieval fortresses such as Kalemegdan
Kalemegdan
Belgrade Fortress , represent old citadel and Kalemegdan Park on the confluence of the River Sava and Danube, in an urban area of modern Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Stari Grad...
in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Fortress of Smederevo
Smederevo
Smederevo is a city and municipality in Serbia, on the right bank of the Danube, about 40 km downstream of the capital Belgrade. According to official results of the 2011 census, the city has a population of 107,528...
, Golubac
Golubac
Golubac is a village and municipality in north-eastern Serbia, on the right side of the Danube river. It is bordered by Romania to the east, Veliko Gradište to the west and Kučevo to the south...
, and Fetislam near Kladovo
Kladovo
Kladovo is a town and municipality in the Bor District of eastern Serbia. It is situated on the right bank of the Danube river...
. One of the important features of the region were numerous medieval Serbian churches and monasteries such as Đurđevi Stupovi, Studenica
Studenica monastery
The Studenica monastery is a 12th-century Serbian Orthodox monastery situated 39 km southwest of Kraljevo, in central Serbia. It is one of the largest and richest Serb Orthodox monasteries....
, Sopoćani
Sopocani
The Sopoćani monastery , an endowment of King Stefan Uroš I of Serbia, was built in the second half of the 13th century, near the source of the Raška River in the region of Ras, the centre of the Serbian medieval state. It is World Heritage Site, added in 1979 with Stari Ras...
, Žiča
Žica
Žiča is an early 13th century Serb Orthodox monastery near Kraljevo, Serbia. The monastery, together with the Church of the Holy Dormition, was built by the first King of Serbia, Stefan the First-Crowned and the first Head of the Serbian Church, Saint Sava....
, etc.