Introduction
Map/Still
The capital of the republic of Serbia, Belgrade is also the administrative center of the union of Serbia and Montenegro. Situated where the Sava River flows into the Danube in southern Europe, Belgrade is the chief city in a troubled region. The name Belgrade (spelled Beograd in the Serbo-Croatian language) means “White Fortress.”
Places of interest
Belgrade has been attacked and rebuilt so many times over the centuries that it appears at first glance to be a newer city than it actually is. The oldest part of the city occupies a point of land that overlooks the merging waters of the Sava and Danube rivers. There lie the ruins of an ancient fortress. The park surrounding the ruins is known by the Turkish name of Kalemegdan, meaning “Castle Square.” The name reflects the fact that Belgrade was once part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire. The Turks built more than 20 mosques in the city, only one of which still stands.
Belgrade's most impressive public building is the home of the parliament, a massive domed structure. The oldest museum is the National Museum, which dates back to 1844. Among the city's cultural and educational institutions are the University of Belgrade, which was founded in 1863, and the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts. On the west bank of the Sava is the modern suburb of New Belgrade. It contains government buildings, apartment blocks, and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Economy
Many people in Belgrade work in government offices, schools, business offices, banks, and restaurants. Most of Serbia's industry is concentrated in Belgrade. Factories make farm equipment, machine tools, electric equipment, chemicals, and clothing. Serbia's most productive farmland is also in the region of Belgrade.
Belgrade is on several rail lines. It is also served by highways and by river boats on the Danube. An international airport serves the city.
History
Belgrade has long been an important city because it is located where several land and river trade routes meet. The routes connect the Balkan Peninsula with the outside world.
In the 4th century BC,Celtic people built a fort where the Sava and the Danube rivers come together. Romans who ruled the region later named the fort Singidunum. In the wake of the Huns, who destroyed the city in 442, there came one warlike tribe after another—Sarmatians, Goths, Gepidae, Franks, and Bulgars. The Bulgars gave the city its present name.
In 1284, a group called the Serbs seized Belgrade from the Byzantine Empire, and in 1402 they made it the capital of their kingdom. In 1521 Belgrade fell to the Ottoman Turks, who held it almost continuously until the 19th century.
In 1867 Belgrade once again became the capital of Serbia. During World War I (1914–18) the city was attacked by Austrian forces. After the war, Belgrade was made the capital of the newly created Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, which was later renamed Yugoslavia. Belgrade was again heavily damaged in World War II. In 1945 the city was named capital of both the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Serbian part of the federal republic. Under Yugoslavia's new leadership, Belgrade became an industrial city.
In 1991 and 1992 most of Yugoslavia's republics broke away, leaving only Serbia and Montenegro to be governed from Belgrade. Afterward, Serbia was involved in conflict after conflict. One of the most serious of these involved a region in Serbia called Kosovo. The region had been attempting to gain independence from Serbia for years. Eventually this turned into an armed conflict, and in 1999 international forces joined the fight on the side of Kosovo. They attacked military targets throughout the country. People were killed and buildings were destroyed in Belgrade. In 2003 the remaining Yugoslav republics agreed to drop the name Yugoslavia and form a new state called Serbia and Montenegro. The government offices remained in Belgrade. Population (2000 estimate), 1,168,454.
