While more comprehensive information is available in each of the preceding eight lessons and their constituent links, it is important to keep in mind the following key
information:
The language you are studying, when construed in its entirety is called BCS (which stands for either Bosniac/Croatian/Serbian or Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian) or SCB (Serbian/Croatian/Bosnia{c/n}) or Serbo-Croatian. This language has three established ethnic variants (which differ in the way American and British English do) called Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian. When talking to a Bosniac (Bosnian Muslim) call the language Bosnian. In conversation with Croatians call the language Croatian. When communicating with Serbs call the language Serbian. While numerous people, especially from intermarriages, are finding the designation Serbo-Croatian acceptable, those who do not accept it are in the majority. Using the latter term, in particular in Croatia, is likely to subject you to prolonged fervid political discourses.
What was known as Yugoslavia is now six different countries, two of which form a confederation. Variants of Serbo-Croatian are in official use in Bosnia (Bosniac, Croatian, and Serbian), Croatia (Croatian), Serbia and Montenegro (Serbian). The remaining two former Yugoslav use different standard Slavic languages -- Macedonian in Macedonia and Slovene in Slovenia. In addition, Hungarian is in official use in the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina, whereas Albanian is used in its southern province of Kosovo.
The capital of Croatia is Zagreb. Other important cities include Osijek in the North-East, as well as Rijeka and Split on the Adriatic coast. Bosnia-Herzegovina is divided into two entities, called the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Republic of Srpska. The capital of both Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina is Sarajevo. The capital of the Republic of Srpska is Banjaluka. Other important cities include Mostar in the south and Tuzla in the north. Serbia and Montenegro form the confederation of Serbia-Montenegro. The capital of both Serbia and the confederation is Belgrade, and the capital of Montenegro is Podgorica. Serbia features two autonomous provinces, Vojvodina (the capital city is Novi Sad) and Kosovo (the capital city is Priština). Since 1999 Kosovo is de facto an international protectorate. Other important cities include Nikšić in Montenegro and Niš in Serbia.
If they are religious, Serbs are Orthodox Christians, Croats are Catholics, and Bosnian Muslims followers of Islam. The calendar of fixed holidays in the Orthodox church lags thirteen days behind the one of the Catholic church. The most important fixed holiday, Christmas (called Božić), is observed on December 25th in the Catholic tradition and on January 7th in the Orthodox church. The second most important holiday is Easter (called Uskrs), which is a movable date in both Christian religions. In addition, Croatians observe Namesday on the day of their namesake saint. Serbs observe the so called Slava, the day of the saint who is patron to entire family rather than one person. Holidays include Croatian Christmas tree decorating and the Serbian burning of the Yule log (dry oak branches) on Christmas Eve, as well as the dying of eggs and the game of trying to smash an opponent's egg with one's own for Easter in both the Catholic and Orthodox traditions. It is common for Croatians to keep a crucifix at their homes, while Serbs have the icon of their patron saint. Bosnian Muslims observe two major holidays (both movable dates): First, the last three days of the holy month of Ramadan are called Ramazanski Bajram. Second, there is another day in the year, called Kurban-Bajarm, when sacrificed mutton is carved and parts taken to friends and relatives. All major holidays in both Muslim and Christian religious traditions feature family gatherings at the tables with elaborate meals.
An astute observer will undoubtedly notice numerous differences in the patterns of daily life between the American and Serbo-Croatian speaking cultures. The major differentiating features of the region can be summarized as follows:
The school system in the target countries is divided into the following tiers:
1) The grading system is different. The scale from 1 (failing) to 5 (excellent) is used at all levels in Croatia while universities in Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro use the scale from 5 (failing) to 10
(excellent).
2) All tiers except the graduate level at universities are far more demanding than in the
US. In particular, students are required to acquire more information.
3) At the secondary-school and university levels, students usually follow a pre-determined set of courses with only limited possibility to make choices.
4) Secondary schools are divided into general secondary schools (an equivalent of the American high school), which normally lead to the university level, and vocational secondary schools (similar to the American community colleges), which lead to jobs such as car mechanic, plumber, secretary, nurse, etc.
5) Education is generally free of charge, although co-payment may be required for certain services.
6) One is not required to take courses when pursuing a Ph.D. degree. The only required elements are a record of publications and
a Ph.D. dissertation, which needs to be defended.
7) Universities can be found only in major urban centers.
The region is characterized by high biodiversity. The biomes range from prairie-like plains with oak cultivated fields and oak woods in the north, over steep mountain chains with confers in the center to scarce bushes, pine trees and vineyards of the Mediterranean belt in the South.
The region features two major climatic types: the moderate Continental and the Mediterranean. The former is characterized by four distinct seasons, harsh winters with ample snow and moderate summers, and the latter by long hot summers and mild winters. The temperatures in the region are measured in centigrade.
Although large American-style grocery stores are mushrooming in recent years, shopping is still by-and-large performed in a series of smaller stores and open-air markets. This is particularly true for grocery shopping. There are four majors kinds of institutions in this regard:
Local currencies are as follows:
Emergencies
!!!Instead of one 911 number for all emergencies you have to dial the following:!!!
Bosnia-Herzegovina: 122 Police, 123 Firefighters, 124 Paramedics (i.e., the "hitna pomoć")
Croatia: 92 Police, 93 Firefighters, 94 Paramedics (i.e., the "hitna pomoć")
Serbia-Montenegro: 92 Police, 93 Firefighters, 94 Paramedics (i.e., the "hitna pomoć")
Each of the countries and entities in the region host one major state-owned TV and radio station. Those stations cover the entire territory of their respective countries. There also exist an array of other, privately owned TV and radio stations, which, as a rule, cover a limited area (usually only major urban centers). Satellite dishes and cable TV providers are very common in urban centers - they offer numerous Western European stations, such as CNN, Sky, BBC, RTL, etc.
Central state-owned TV and radio stations are as follows:
| Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina | Radio-televizija Federacije BiH |
| Republic of Srpska | Radio-televizija Republike Srpske |
| Croatia | Hrvatska radio-televizija |
| Montenegro | Radio-televizija Crne Gore |
| Serbia | Radio-televizija Srbije |
Transportation in the region features the following major differences as compared to the situation in the United States:
The following are country dialing codes:
| Bosnia | ++387 |
| Croatia | ++385 |
| Serbia and Montenegro | ++381 |
| United States (from the region) | 001 |
Although major urban centers offer important sightseeing points, it is the regions in the province that offer most interesting natural and historic sights. In northern Croatia, one can find medieval castles, such as Trakošćan, and numerous hot thermal spas. The Adriatic coast of Croatia and Montenegro offers numerous examples of Ancient Roman, Medieval, and Renaissance architecture (primarily in the cities of Pula, Zadar, Šibenik, Split, and Dubrovnik in Croatia, as well as Kotor, Budva, and Bar in Montenegro). The region is furthermore characterized by marvels of natural beauty, such as the archipelago of Kornati near Zadar, Plitvice lakes in the hinterland to the North of the port of Šibenik, both in Croatia, and the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro. Finally, the region is abundant in marvelous stone beaches. Serbia is known for the sites of Neolithic culture, such as Vinča, Ancient Roman sites (e.g., Gamzigrad and Mediana), and most importantly for numerous medieval monasteries, such as Žiča and Studenica. Natural beauties in Serbia and continental Montenegro include the Đerdap gorge on the Danube, and the canyon of Tara. Serbia is also known for its health spas, such as Vrnjačka banja. Bosnia and Herzegovina are best known for pearls of Islamic architecture, with numerous mosques, clock-towers, and hamams in many towns, some of which, such as Počitelj, have preserved the entire city structure from the times of the Turkish rule (15-19 century). The best known natural marvel is Perućica, the only preserved European jungle. The mountains around Sarajevo, Bjelašnica and Jahorina, offer excellent skiing terrains.
The region features several major culinary influences, including Mediterranean, Near Eastern, and Central European. Some culinary habits (such as roasting young lambs and piglets on a spit, eating animal brains, testicles, etc.) may strike American visitors as unusual. However, ethnic food and beverages by-and-large are tasty and congruent with American nutritional habits. Most common beverages include wine, as well as brandy prepared from both plums and grapes.
Popular music in the region falls under the following broad categories:
Sports are very important in the target countries. Any international appearance of domestic team or national selection commands considerable attention. Soccer is the most popular sport in the region, followed by basketball. The most popular soccer teams in the region are Željezničar and Sarajevo (both from Sarajevo, Bosnia), Dinamo from Zagreb and Hajduk from Split (Croatia), as well as Crvena zvezda and Partizan (both from Belgrade, Serbia). Other group sports such as volleyball, water polo, and handball (a European game with goals like soccer, yet played indoors with the ball thrown rather than kicked) also enjoy considerable popularity. Appearances of soccer national selections at the world cup are normally associated with empty streets and closed stores and offices. Individual sports, such as alpine skiing, tennis, table tennis, etc. become popular only when domestic competitors achieve world-class results. The popular American sports of baseball and football are not played in the region, and they attract no attention at all.
All Serbo-Croatian speaking areas feature numerous works of classical, medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and contemporary architecture. Most notably, churches along the Dalmatian coast, the monasteries in Serbia, and Bosnian mosques should be mentioned. There are also rich musical traditions reaching as far back as the medieval and Renaissance periods.
Early literary traditions feature Serbian epic folk songs and hagiographies as well as Croatian Renaissance literature (authors such as Marko Marulic and Marin Držic). The major authors of Romanticism are the Croatian Ivan Mažuranic and the Serbian Petar Petrovic Njegoš. The best known twentieth-century authors are the Croatian Miroslav Krleža as well as the Serbians Ivo Andric (who won Nobel Prize in 1961) and Danilo Kiš. Most recently, authors such as Milorad Pavic and Dubravka Ugrešic have commanded considerable attention abroad.