Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. The city lies at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans.
It has an urban population of 1.2 million, while the metropolitan area has more than 1.7 million people, making it one of the largest cities of Southeast Europe.
Its name in English translates to White city. Belgrade's wider city area was the birthplace of the largest prehistoric culture of Europe, the VinДЌa culture, as early as the 6th millennium BC.
In antiquity, the area of Belgrade was inhabited by a Thraco-Dacian tribe Singi, while after 279 BC the Celts inhabited the city, naming it "Singidun" (dun, fortress). It was awarded city rights by the Roman Empire and was permanently settled by the Slavs beginning in the 520s.
As a strategic location, the city was battled over in 115 wars and razed to the ground 44 times since the ancient period by countless armies of the East and West.
In medieval times, it was in the possession of Byzantine, Frankish, Bulgarian, Hungarian and Serbian rulers. In 1521 Belgrade was conquered by the Ottomans and became the seat of the Pashaluk of Belgrade, as the principal city of Ottoman Europe and among the largest European cities. It frequently passed from Ottoman to Austrian rule which saw destruction of most of the city during Austro-Turkish wars.
The status as capital city of Serbia would be regained only in 1841, after the Serbian revolution. Northern Belgrade, though, remained a Habsburg outpost until the breakup of Austria-Hungary in 1918. The united city was then proclaimed the capital of the Yugoslav states from 1918 until 2003.Belgrade has its own autonomous government, and has a special administrative status in Serbia.
Its metropolitan territory is divided into 17 municipalities, each having its own local council. It covers 3.6% of Serbia's territory, and 15% of the country's population lives in the city.
It has an urban population of 1.2 million, while the metropolitan area has more than 1.7 million people, making it one of the largest cities of Southeast Europe.
Its name in English translates to White city. Belgrade's wider city area was the birthplace of the largest prehistoric culture of Europe, the VinДЌa culture, as early as the 6th millennium BC.
In antiquity, the area of Belgrade was inhabited by a Thraco-Dacian tribe Singi, while after 279 BC the Celts inhabited the city, naming it "Singidun" (dun, fortress). It was awarded city rights by the Roman Empire and was permanently settled by the Slavs beginning in the 520s.
As a strategic location, the city was battled over in 115 wars and razed to the ground 44 times since the ancient period by countless armies of the East and West.
In medieval times, it was in the possession of Byzantine, Frankish, Bulgarian, Hungarian and Serbian rulers. In 1521 Belgrade was conquered by the Ottomans and became the seat of the Pashaluk of Belgrade, as the principal city of Ottoman Europe and among the largest European cities. It frequently passed from Ottoman to Austrian rule which saw destruction of most of the city during Austro-Turkish wars.
The status as capital city of Serbia would be regained only in 1841, after the Serbian revolution. Northern Belgrade, though, remained a Habsburg outpost until the breakup of Austria-Hungary in 1918. The united city was then proclaimed the capital of the Yugoslav states from 1918 until 2003.Belgrade has its own autonomous government, and has a special administrative status in Serbia.
Its metropolitan territory is divided into 17 municipalities, each having its own local council. It covers 3.6% of Serbia's territory, and 15% of the country's population lives in the city.
