Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of, independent country in southeastern Europe, bordered by Croatiaon the west and the north, Bosnia Hercegovina on the west, Hungary on the north, Romania and Bulgaria on the east, and Macedonia and Albania in the south. The Federal Republic consists of Montenegro in the south and the dominant republic Serbia in the north.

Land and climate

Serbia's landscape is varied, with fertile plains and woody hills. Montenegro is mainly mountainous. Along the coast the climate is Mediterranean, while the interior has a continental climate.

People

About two-thirds of the population is Serbian. Montenegrans constitute 5% of the population. Many Albanians live in the Kosovo province (17%). The official language is Serbian. The major religions are: the Serbian Orthodox Church (44%), the Roman Catholic Church (31%), and the Islam (12%).

Economy

Because of the wars against Croatia and in Bosnia and the UN trade boycott, the economy suffered severely. In the early 1990s tourism collapsed. Agriculture and mining are currently on the increase.

History

Although Serbia was a dominant republic in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, it could not prevent the separation of the prosperous republics Slovenia and Croatia in the early 1990s. Serbia then amalgamated with Montenegro to form a new Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Serbian troops were involved in the civil war that followed the collapse of Yugoslavia in 1991. In 1998 tensions in Kosovo resulted in a civil war in that province.