Belgrade - The Capital of Serbia
- Population
- 1,405,192
- Language
- Serbian
- Continent
- Europe
- Since
- 1918
- Eco Ranking
- 66/195
Source: Environmental Performance Index 2024.
About Belgrade
Belgrade's position at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers has made it a strategically contested site for over two millennia, and by some historical counts it has been destroyed and rebuilt more than 40 times. The city became the capital of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918, following the collapse of Austria-Hungary, and served as the capital of Yugoslavia through multiple political transformations, royalist, wartime occupied, socialist, until the federation began to dissolve in the early 1990s. During World War II, Belgrade was occupied by Nazi Germany from 1941 to 1944 and subjected to aerial bombardment both by the Germans in 1941 and by Allied forces in 1944. As Yugoslavia fragmented, Belgrade remained the capital of a shrinking federation: the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) from 1992, then the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro from 2003, and finally the Republic of Serbia from 2006 when Montenegro declared independence. The city houses the National Assembly, the Presidency, and the Government of Serbia. NATO bombed Belgrade in 1999 during the Kosovo conflict, targeting government and military infrastructure.
About Serbia
Serbia is a parliamentary republic in which the President holds a significant political role alongside the Prime Minister. The country is a candidate for European Union membership but has not met accession benchmarks, in part due to the unresolved status of Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and is recognized by over 100 UN member states but not by Serbia or several EU members.
View Belgrade on the map
Flight time from Belgrade to other capitals
| City | Distance (km) | Flight Time |
|---|---|---|
| Rome | 700 | 0h 49m |
| Paris | 1400 | 1h 39m |
| London | 1700 | 2h 0m |
| Abu Dhabi | 3800 | 4h 28m |
| Washington, D.C. | 7600 | 8h 56m |
| Cape Town | 8800 | 10h 21m |
| Tokyo | 9200 | 10h 49m |
| Singapore | 9400 | 11h 4m |
| Buenos Aires | 11900 | 14h 0m |
| Canberra | 15600 | 18h 21m |
Capitals with similar population to Belgrade
| City | Population |
|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi | 1,482,816 |
| Sofia | 1,405,612 |
| Belgrade | 1,405,192 |
| Dublin | 1,388,233 |
| Montevideo | 1,381,611 |
| Tegucigalpa | 1,363,000 |
| Prague | 1,335,084 |
Capitals with similar eco ranking to Belgrade
Source: Environmental Performance Index 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Belgrade become the capital of Serbia?
Belgrade became the capital of the modern Serbian state in stages. It served as capital of the Kingdom of Serbia before World War I, became the capital of Yugoslavia in 1918, and has been the capital of independent Serbia since 2006, when Montenegro declared independence and dissolved the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro.
Was Belgrade the capital of Yugoslavia?
Yes. Belgrade was the capital of Yugoslavia from its establishment as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918 through its various forms, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and then the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, until Yugoslavia's final dissolution in 2006.
How many times has Belgrade been destroyed?
Historical estimates suggest Belgrade has been destroyed and rebuilt more than 40 times, owing to its location at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, which made it a key strategic position fought over by the Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, Habsburg, and later European powers. These figures are approximate and used by historians to illustrate the city's turbulent history.
Why did NATO bomb Belgrade in 1999?
NATO conducted an air campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from March to June 1999 in response to Serbian security forces' actions against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, which had sparked a humanitarian crisis and mass displacement. Belgrade was struck along with other targets; the campaign ended with a UN-brokered agreement placing Kosovo under UN administration.
Is Belgrade the largest city in Serbia?
Yes. Belgrade is by far the largest city in Serbia, with around 1.4 million people in the city and nearly 1.7 million in the wider metropolitan area. Novi Sad, the second-largest city, has a population of around 280,000, making Belgrade's dominance over the urban hierarchy considerable.
