Discover Serbia

To start with writing about some country it is necessary to introduce you with some basic information, geography, hydrology, climate and other grounds which are characteristic to Serbia as an independent country.

Republic of Serbia, how its officially name, is situated in the Balkans - the region of Southeast Europe and the Pannonian Plain - the region of Central Europe. However, geographical, and climate, one part is on the Mediterranean countries. Total length of borders with neighboring countries is 2027 km. The of the country is neighbors: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Macedonia, Montenegro and Romania. The northern part of country covers the plain called Vojvodina, and in the southern part are the hills and mountains. There are over 15 mountain peaks over 2000meters and the highest peak is Djeravica with height of 2656 meters. The top of Djeravica is called The Prokletije. The mountainous relief of Serbia explains the appearance of many canyons, gorges and caves.

Much of Serbia belongs to the Danube River, which itself flows through northern Serbia length of 558 kilometers. In the Danube waterway and its tributaries are Sava, Tisa and Velika Morava, and other major rivers like the West Morava, South Morava, Ibar, Drina and Timok. The largest lake in Serbia Iron Lake, more known as Djerdap lake, with 163 km², where is also the largest and longest canyon of Serbia and Europe, Iron Gate. The largest natural lake is White Lake in Vojvodina area with 25 km². Other important lakes are Vlasinsko Lake and Lake Perucac.

The largest river island of Serbia is an island in the Danube near Kostolac area, and its 60 km² and the highest waterfall in Serbia is Jelovarnik with 71 meters, on Mountain Kopaonik.

Serbia is on the ground mass of the Balkan peninsula which is surrounded by warm seas (Adriatic, Aegean and Black), while in the north rests on the European continent. An additional important factor that determines the climate is a relief. I could say that winters in Serbia are short, cold and snowy, while summers are warm. The coldest month is January while the warmest is July.

Interesting information is that the coldest temperature recorded in Serbia was -39.5C° in January 13, 1985th, and the highest was 44.9C° on July 24, 2007. But don't let this scare you, because average temperature in Serbia is from 0 to 10C° on winter and from 20-30C° on summer.

The most important Serbian Stream are:
Kosava (cold and dry wind characteristic of northern Serbia)
Norther (cold and dry north wind)
Moravian (cold and dry, comes from the north and blowing along the valley of the Morava)
South wind (warm and dry, blowing from the south valley of the Morava)
Southwesterly wind (warm and moist, comes from the Adriatic and reach Western Serbia)

In Serbia is also two zonal of vegetation (ie, two bioma). Most of the area belongs to mixed temperature forest landscapes, while areas above the upper limits of forest presents Tundra. In the forest bioma present 4 ecoregions: the Balkan mixed forests, the Pannonian mixed forest, mixed forests dinar and Rhodope mountain mixed forest. In addition to zonal vegetation and depending on local conditions, in Serbia are represented and other vegetal forms, eg. Lowland meadows, tresave, steppe fragments.

At the end of this part I will mention the natural heritage of Serbia, about whom I'll write you more in later stories.

The natural heritage of each country's like National Parks, occupy a very special place. These are areas of exceptional natural, cultural and historical significance. In Serbia is 5 important National Parks and its:

1. National Park Fruska Gora
2. National Park Iron Gate (Djerdap)
3. National Park Kopaonik
4. National Park Tara
5. National Park Sar-mounatin

They all include one of the highest forms of environmental protection, and how protection of Nature in Serbia has a long tradition (the first written record of that its in Dušan's law code from the 14th century) natural parks of Serbia's borders are included in the European federation of national parks - EUROPARC.