The full name of Serbia: Serbia * * * Republic (Serbian: републикасрби? а or Republika Srbija (English: Republic of Serbia) is a landlocked country located in the southeast of Europe and the middle of Balkan Peninsula, with an area of 8836 1 square kilometer. The capital is Belgrade. Bordering Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Albania, one fifth of the Danube, the second largest river in Europe, flows through its territory.

The Kingdom of Serbia in history was founded by the Yugoslavs. After World War I, it became the main part of Yugoslavia. 1992 Serbia and Montenegro formed the federal Republic of yugoslavia (later renamed Serbia and Montenegro), and on June 3, 2006, Montenegro officially became independent.

Serbia's economy has experienced rapid growth in recent years (the economic growth rate reached 6.3% in 2006), so it is called "the tiger of the Balkans" by some people. Its economy is dominated by service industry, which accounted for 63% of the gross national product in 2008. Football is the most popular group sport for Serbs.