POPULATION

According to the 1991 census, the Belgrade urban area a population of 1.168.454, and together with the suburban areas the capital city has a population of 1.602.226. Estimates are that Belgrade now has more than 2.000.000 inhabitants.

As a result of its stormy past, many nations have been living in Belgrade for centuries, and Serbs are the majority (86%).


LANGUAGE AND ALPHABET

The official language in Serbia is Serbian - one of the south Slavic languages. Officially the Cyrillic alphabet is used, and the Latin alphabet is also very much in use. Both are taught at school. The Serbian Cyrillic alphabet has 30 letters - one letter for every sound, which makes it quite unique compared to the other alphabets.

The languages and alphabets of the ethnic minorities are in use in the areas they live in.

Foreigners can rely on English to communicate with the locals, and on German French and Russian to a lesser extent.


CULTURE AND EDUCATION

Belgrade is the capital of Serbian culture, education and science. It has the highest concentration of nationally important science and art institutions. Among them are the Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences, established in 1886 as the Serbian Royal Academy; the National Library of Serbia, founded in 1832; the National Museum, founded in 1841 and the National Theater, founded in 1869. Belgrade is also the seat of the Belgrade University, founded in 1808, and of the University of Arts.

Orthodox Christian is the dominant religion in Serbia and Montenegro. The Serbian Orthodox Church has been autocephalous since 1219. The Church is separated from the state.

Belgrade has precious cultural monuments churches, monasteries, and temples of various denominations. According to the 1991 census, 87% of Belgraders are Christian Orthodox, 2% belong to the Islamic or Catholic religion, Protestants are about 0,2%, Jews are 0,03%, 6% belong to unspecified religions and 3% have stated that they are not believers.