Former Yugoslavia

Brief information about former Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia was a union of several small Balkan states, grouped along ethnic and religious lines. There is a lot of confusion and misconception in the world about what really went on in Yugoslavia, during the recent Balkan wars in the 1990s. Also, what are the actual relations between the former country of Yugoslavia and the newly created, independent countries in its place.

While this website does not concern itself with those wars or politics, it's important to clarify some fundamental facts about the former country of Yugoslavia, to make it easier for an outsider to have a somewhat better, if only basic, understanding about the local relations.

Without wanting to delve into any historical origins, here are some basic facts about former Yugoslavia.

Tito and the Non-Aligned Movement

Even though the country's origins date back to the turn of the 19th century, the so-called modern Yugoslavia was created after the WWII. Its President from 1945 to 1980 was Tito, a well know political figure in the world circles, who together with the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru and the Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser instigated the Non-Aligned Movement. The first official non-aligned movement summit in Belgrade in 1961, which included 25 countries. Initially this political movement represented a credible political alternative during the Cold War era, but it lost its credibility in the 1970s, especialy after Tito's death in 1980. Today the movement still counts 114 countries. [See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-Aligned_Movement for more info.]

Josip Broz Tito (his full name) was Yugoslavia's dictatorial President until his death in 1980. While he adhered to communist Soviet philosophy, he nonetheless also held good relations between Yugoslavia and the West, playing the balancing act with the both political blocs. His world reputation was evident in 1980, when his funeral was attended by over 140 countries' heads of state or their representatives. [See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josip_Broz_Tito for more info about Tito.]

The above map shows the 6 Republics of former Yugoslavia
Map courtesy of: www.dunav.org.il/maps/maps_yugoslavia.html

Break-up of Yugoslavia

The country of Yugoslavia consisted of 6 republics, as they were called. Those republics were (starting from the north west): Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia. Serbia also incorporated two so-called autonomous enclaves, Vojvodina (up north near Hungary and Romania) and now well-known Kosovo (bordering with Albania and Macedonia).

Following the bloody wars in the 1990s, Slovenia and Croatia became independent countries and achieved international dimplomatic recognition. Macedonia managed to do the same, breaking away from what was left of Yugoslavia, largely unscathed by the war. The Bosnia and Herzegovina was split into 3 ethnic enclaves, Bosnian (Muslim), Serbian, and Croatian, all of which are still under international UN protectorate.

Serbia and Montenegro remained together in an entity now known as SiCG or SCG - meaning Serbia and 'Crna Gora' (Montenegro). Following national referendum in 2006, Montenegro also became an independent country, thus making Serbia also an independent country by default. The break-up of Yugoslavia was now complete.

Former Yugoslavia Countries

There are now 7 countries that make up the former Yugoslavia are. These are (in alphabet order):

- Bosnia and Herzegovina - still under UN protectorate; population 3,981,000
- Croatia - soon to join the EU; population 4,491,000
- Kosovo - achieved independence in 2008; population 2,126,000
- Macedonia - still in dispute with Greece over its name; population 2,061,000
- Montengro - the smallest of former Yugoslavia countries; population 678,000
- Serbia - the largest of former Yugoslavia countries; population 7,395,000
- Slovenia - member of the EU; population 2,053,000

Slovenia has in the meantime joined the European Union and on the 1st January 2007 has changed over to using Euro as its official currency. Croatia has been officially invited in October 2005, to join the EU and is currently undergoing negotiations and the lengthy process of 'screening', before it too could become a member of the European Union. This could happen as early as in 2009, or as late as in 2012.

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