Serbs

Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans. They form the largest ethnic group in Serbia and have sizable communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Croatia, as well as a global diaspora.

Serbian is the language most commonly spoken by Serbs. It is a South Slavic language written in both Cyrillic and Latin scripts; standard Serbian is based on the Shtokavian dialect with Ekavian or Ijekavian reflexes.

Historically, Serbs emerged as a distinct people in the medieval Balkans, uniting under the Nemanjić dynasty and establishing the Serbian Orthodox Church as a central institution. The medieval Serbian state declined under Ottoman rule in the 15th century. A national revival and gradual autonomy in the 19th century led to full independence in the early 20th century and the formation of a Yugoslav state after World War I.

During the 20th century Serbs were a key constituent nation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and later of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. After the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Serbia became an independent republic; Kosovo’s declaration of independence in 2008 is recognized by some states but remains disputed by Serbia.

Culturally, Serbs have a rich tradition of Orthodox Christian heritage, literature, music, and architecture, seen in historic monasteries and churches. Contemporary Serbs are citizens of Serbia and of neighboring countries, as well as members of global diasporas.