SERBIA 34£ SERBIA Silk culture is also carried on exten- sively, and before the World War about 35,000 persons were employed in this industry. The total production of wheat is about 25,000,000 cwt. annually. The mineral resources are considerable, al- though they have not been developed. They include coal, iron, copper, ore, gold and cement. In Idria are well-known quicksilver mines which produce about 130,000 tons yearly. The milling of flour is one of the most important in- dustries, and before the World War there were 50 large flour mills in the country. Other industries are the brew- ing and distilling of liquors, weaving, tanning, boot making, carpet weaving, pottery and iron work. Statistics of commerce are not available for recent dates. Before the World War the im- ports were about £4,000,000 and the ex- ports about £3,000,000 annually. There are about 1,000 miles of railway. The railway systems were practically de- stroyed during the war. The chief bank is the National Bank of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, with a nominal capital of 50,000,000 dinars. The State religion is the Serbian- Orthodox. There are also a large num- ber of Roman Catholics, especially in the newly acquired territories. Education is compulsory and, in pri- mary schools, free. There are about 20 secondary schools and a number of theological, normal and special schools. Belgrade University, founded in 1838, had in 1920 7,250 students and 80 in- structors. In the same year the Uni- versity of the Serbs, Croats and Slo- venes was established at Lioublina. The government has a military academy and 5 schools for non-commissioned officers. The army was reorganized in 1916, following the invasion of Serbia. Dur- ing the war over 750,000 men served in the armies, exclusive of 70,000 Jugo-Slav volunteers. The total losses in killed and missing amounted to about 370,000. The army was demobilized following the armistice of 1919, and was succeeded by the new army of Jugoslavia. Mili- tary service is compulsory and universal. The Serbian language, formerly often called the Illyrian, is a melodious Sla- vonic dialect closely allied to the Bul- garian and Slovenian, and forms with them the southern Slavonic group. Sev- eral collections of patriotic Serbian songs have been published, and both Goethe and Grimm have acknowledged the ex- cellence of Serbian poetry. In prose literature, however, little has been pro- duced besides theological and religious works. The present constitution of Serbia dates from 1903. The Slovenes, Croats, Dalmatians and Bosnians de- clared their independence in 1918, after the Austrian revolution. On Dec. 29, 1918, the kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was formed, with Crown Prince Alexander as regent. The government was an hereditary monarchy, and the people were represented by an elected legislative assembly called the skwp- shtina. History. — Serbia was anciently inhabi- ted by Thracian tribes; subsequently it formed part of the Roman province of Mcesia. It was afterward occupied in succession by Huns, Ostrogoths, Lom- bards, Avares, and other tribes. The Serbians entered it in the 7th century, and were converted to Christianity in the next century. They acknowledged the supremacy of the Byzantine emperors, but latterly made themselves independent, and under Stephen Dushan (1331-1355) the kingdom of Serbia included all Mace- donia, Albania, Thessaly, northern Greece, and Bulgaria. About 1374 a new dynasty ascended the throne in the person of Lazar I., who was captured by the Turks at the battle of Kossovo (in Albania) in 1389, and put to death. Serbia now became tributary to Turkey. About the middle of the 15th century it became a Turkish province, and so remained for nearly 200 years. By the peace of Pas- sarowitz in 1718 Austria received the greater part of Serbia, with the capital, Belgrade. But by the peace of Belgrade in 1739 this territory was transferred to Turkey. The barbarity of the Turks led to several insurrections. Early in the 19th century Czerny George placed him- self at the head of the malcontents, and, aided by Russia, succeeded after eight years of fighting in securing the inde- pendence of his country by the peace of Bucharest, May 28, 1812. The war was renewed in 1813, and the Turks pre- vailed. In 1815 all Serbia rose in arms under Milosh, and after a successful war obtained complete self-government, Mi- losh being elected hereditary prince of the land. Milosh was compelled to abdi- cate in 1839, and was nominally succeeded by his son Milan, who died immediately, leaving the throne vacant to his brother Michael. In 1842 this prince was com- pelled to follow the example of his father and quit the country. Alexander Kara- Georgevitch, son of Czerny George, was elected in his room; but in December, 1858, he also was forced to abdicate. Milosh was then recalled, but survived his restoration little more than a year. His son Michael succeeded him (I860), but was assassinated by the partisans of Prince Alexander July 10, 1868. The princely dignity was then conferred on Milan (Obrenovitch), grand-nephew of Milosh. After the fall of Plevna in the
