Serbia is a sovereign state situated at the crossroads between Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Pannonian Plain and the central part of the Balkans. Its capital, Belgrade, ranks among the oldest and largest cities in southeastern Europe. Serbia is landlocked and borders Hungary to the north; Romania and Bulgaria to the east; Macedonia to the south; Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro to the west.
Serbia is a democratic republic, with the government divided into legislative, executive and judicial branches. The country has a mixed economy with a dominant service sector, followed by the industrial sector and agriculture. The country covers a total of 77,474 square kilometers (almost 30,000 square miles) and has a population of around 7 million people.
Ethnically, Serbs are the largest group in the country, but there are also significant minorities of Hungarians, Bosniaks, Roma, and others. The official language is Serbian, written in both Cyrillic and Latin script.
The country is also known for its rich history and cultural heritage, filled with influence from various empires such as the Byzantine, Ottoman, and Austro-Hungarian Empire. Orthodoxy is the largest Christian denomination in Serbia with a significant number of Roman Catholics and Protestants.
Serbia is famous for its sporting culture, particularly in basketball, tennis, and football. Famous Serbian sportspeople include tennis player Novak Djokovic and former NBA player Vlade Divac.
The Serbian cuisine is also quite diverse, with dishes such as cevapi (small grilled meat sausages), pljeskavica (a spiced meat patty), and sarma (cabbage rolls filled with minced meat).
Although not a member of the European Union, Serbia has been in accession negotiations with the EU since 2014. It is a member of various international organizations, including the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and the World Trade Organization (WTO).
