Serbs

The Serbs (Serbian: Срби/Srbi, pronounced [sr̩̂bi]) are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to the Balkans. The majority of Serbs inhabit Serbia (including the disputed territory of Kosovo), as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, and form significant minorities in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. There is a large Serb diaspora in Western Europe, and outside Europe there are significant communities in the North America and Australia.

The Serbs share cultural traits with the rest of Southeast Europe, and are predominantly Orthodox Christians by religion. The Serbian language is official in Serbia (also in disputed Kosovo) and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is spoken by the majority in Montenegro.

Ethnology

The modern identity of Serbs is rooted in Eastern Orthodoxy and traditions. In the 19th century, the Serbian national identity was manifested, with awareness of history and tradition, medieval heritage, cultural unity, despite living under different empires. Three elements, together with the legacy of the Nemanjić dynasty, were crucial in forging identity and preservation during foreign domination: the Serbian Orthodox Church, Kosovo Myth, and the Serbian language. When the Principality of Serbia gained independence from the Ottoman Empire, Orthodoxy became crucial in defining the national identity, instead of language which was shared by other South Slavs (Croats and Bosniaks). The tradition of slava, the family saint feast day, is an important ethnic marker of Serb identity, and is usually regarded their most significant and most solemn feast day.