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Figure 7. Ethnic Groups

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Figure 8. Principal Languages and Religions

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Croatians in native costume
Courtesy Sam and Sarah Stulberg

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A Canal in Ljubljana
Courtesy Sam and Sarah Stulberg

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Mostar and the Neretva River
Courtesy Sam and Sarah Stulberg

Modern Yugoslavia had its genesis in a nineteenth-century Romantic idea that the South Slavs, chiefly the Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, and Bulgars, should be united in a single independent state. Except for the existence of an independent Bulgaria, the Yugoslavia created after World War I was a virtual realization of this idea. With the creation of the South Slav state, however, the Yugoslavs had to face the fact that besides similar languages, similar ancient ethnic roots, and the shared experience of foreign oppression, they had rather little in common.

Data as of December 1990

NOTE: The information regarding Yugoslavia (former) on this page is re-published from The Library of Congress Country Studies and the CIA World Factbook. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Yugoslavia (former) YUGOSLAVIA'S PEOPLES information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Yugoslavia (former) YUGOSLAVIA'S PEOPLES should be addressed to the Library of Congress and the CIA.