Animals and Plants
Which animals live in Serbia?
Quite a few! Because Serbia is home to more than 60 of 100 European bird and mammal species, i.e. more than two thirds. These include many species that have become very rare or even extinct in other parts of Europe. These include brown bears, wolves, wild cats and lynxes. Foxes, wild boars, badgers and martens are even more common in the forests.
Species that are perfectly adapted to the mountains, such as mountain goats and chamois, live in the mountains of Serbia. The bird world in Serbia alone covers 80 percent of all European bird species. So the variety of birds is quite large. There are golden eagles, for example, but also various vultures and owls.
What is growing in Serbia?
A third of the country is forested. There are many different trees, including oak, chestnut and beech, each with different subspecies. The variety is especially great in the Serbian national parks, there are linden forests, primeval forests, maples, pines and much more. In addition, rare and valuable medicinal plants can be found there.
National parks
There are four major national parks in Serbia. The Fruška Gora is home to mouflons, martens and salamanders. The Đerdap National Park consists of a river cliff landscape and is home to brown bears, jackals and lynxes, for example.
In southern Serbia, the Kopaonik National Park is located in a mountain range where the highest waterfall in Serbia plunges into the depths. The Tara National Park is largely forested. For example, the rare Serbian spruce, which is also called Pančić spruce after the Serbian botanist Josif Pančić, grows here. When it comes to nature conservation, there is a lot going on in Serbia. The protected areas are also to be expanded.
Economy
The economic situation in Serbia
In the course of political crises, Serbia’s economic situation has also deteriorated massively. Under the Milošević government (see also History and Politics) the country was cut off and isolated from the outside world.
In the meantime, attempts are being made to improve the economic situation with the help of a freer market economy. At the moment there are still many economic problems. Around 14 out of 100 people have no work. In addition, there is hardly any money for the social sector and poor people find it difficult to get out of poverty. The Serbian state is heavily indebted.
Corn and wheat, plums and raspberries
Quite a large number of people work in agriculture, about 18 out of 100. In the north, mainly maize and wheat, but also sugar beet, sunflowers and potatoes are grown. Fruit thrives very well in the middle of the country. For plums and raspberries, Serbia is the second largest exporter in the world.
Agriculture also includes animal husbandry with pigs, cattle and sheep. Because of the many rivers and lakes, fishing is also important. Due to the large forest areas, there is also the area of wood processing.
Industry and natural resources
Coal and copper are mined in Serbia. Crude oil is also extracted and can cover 43 percent of its own needs.
There are some industrial plants in Serbia. However, many of them are out of date and not very productive. Modernization is slow. It produces food and automobiles as well as agricultural machinery, paper, lead, electronics and textiles.
Tourism
Many people in Serbia rely on the tourism industry to improve the country’s economic situation. A lot has already been initiated in this area to make the country more attractive for visitors from all over the world.
For example, there are many cultural routes, hiking and cycling trails or musical events. Some tourists also come to Serbia for fishing and hunting. Popular cities are Belgrade and Novi Sad, and the Iron Gate also attracts many visitors. This is a breakthrough valley on the Danube.
Typical Serbia
The most expensive cheese in the world
For a kilo of cheese made from donkey milk you pay no less than 1000 euros. But what is special about this cheese made in Serbia? The fact that only one farmer, the farmer Slobodan Simic, produces the cheese from donkey milk is quite extraordinary. His farm is located in the Zasavic nature reserve near Belgrade.
But why does it cost so much now? For a piece of cheese you need 25 liters of donkey milk. In comparison: you only need 10 liters for a whole kilo of normal hard cheese. In addition, a donkey gives much less milk than a goat or a cow. A 50 gram piece of the cheese, which its manufacturer called Simic Pule, costs 65 euros. The fact that Slobodan Simic has no competition when it comes to cheese is because its manufacturing process is a secret. Apart from him, no one else has allegedly made cheese from donkey milk.
Serbia’s culture
For a long time Serbia was the scene of clashes, wars and refugees. Nonetheless, the country has retained an extensive cultural heritage. There are historical sites and natural monuments that mainly attract tourists.
The Medieval and Neolithic Lepenski Vir site is located in the Serbian municipality of Majdanek, which shows that this area was a cultural center of the prehistoric world. There are also remains from the time of the Roman siege. There are also many Orthodox monasteries, some dating back to the 12th century, some of which, such as the Studenica and Visoki Dečani, have been classified as World Heritage by UNESCO.
Serbian night life
According to holidaysort.com, a wild nightlife is really typical in Serbia. There is actually not a day on which nothing is going on in the evening. All generations like to celebrate, whether in a club, a bar or simply in a nice round on the street. Food stands and bakeries are also open at night to cater for the party crowd. Especially in big cities like Belgrade, people love to party.
The iron gate
The so-called Iron Gate is also located in Serbia. This is a valley break, a breakthrough valley where a river (in this case the Danube) breaks through a mountain range. In the course of the history and development of Serbia, the Iron Gate has played a role time and again. The Romans built a bridge there and during the Second World War this place was the scene of some fighting. On the one hand, the place is historically interesting and, on the other hand, offers an impressive natural backdrop.
Music on a Gusle
Music is also part of Serbian culture. There are folk dances and the appropriate musical accompaniment. The string instrument gusle was named the national instrument. For the game of Gusle, heroic stories are told by a Guslar.
People also like to dance in Serbia. A round dance, the Kolo, is particularly popular. There are many ways to dance the kolo. That differs from region to region.
