Name: in Serbian, the city is called Beograd (Београд in Cyrillic). The name (meaning white city: beo = white, grad = city) is a Slavic translation of its old Celtic name, Singidunum. Belgrade Location: Belgrade is the capital of the Republic of Serbia. It has been the capital of all of the many versions of Yugoslavia in history (starting with the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes in 1918, through the communist Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia, and ending with the ‘romp’ Federal Republic of Yugoslavia that lasted through the 1990’s to 2003). It is located on the outfall of the river Sava into the Danube, and a sign in Knez Mihailova street marks its latitude and longitude: 44.49° North and 20.27° East, at an altitude of 116.75 meters. Time zone: Central european time (GMT +1). Belgrade population: According to the 2002 census, exactly 1,576,124. Don’t trust anyone who tries to tell you it’s actually 3 million or something like that – like other big cities in Central or Eastern Europe, we really wish we were bigger and mattered more. Unlike the rest of Serbia (esp. its northernmost and southernmost parts), Belgrade is ethnically fairly homogenous –90% of its population declare themselves as Serbs, 1.3% as Montenegrins, and a whole 1.4% as the extinct breed of Yugoslavs. However, the census fails to capture the size of the Roma population, which is the one significant minority group in the city. Language: The official language is Serbian, with Cyrillic as the official alphabet. Other than street names, however, you will find that much of the important stuff is written in the Latin alphabet as well (people get taught both in school). Most people also speak fairly good English, thanks to movies being subtitled rather than dubbed even on TV. Money and the currency: The Serbian Dinar (CSD), with one dinar consisting of 100 paras. The EURO is the most widely accepted foreign currency, and the daily exchange rates for all currencies can be found here. Visit this page for a list of banknotes and coins currently in use. ATMs (cash machines) are no longer rare and most major credit cards are widely accepted. Belgrade climate: Moderate continental, 4 seasons. Warm summers and usually long Indian summers; on average, there are 31 days annually with temperatures above 30C/86F (95 days above 25C/77F). Winters are fairly cold and snowy, with an average of 21 days annually below zero (32F). Springs are usually short and rainy. The daily forecast can be found here. Business hours: Grocery stores are usually open from 6:30 to 20:00 or 21:00 on workdays; they close slightly earlier on Saturdays, and are either shut or open until 13:00 or 15:00 on Sundays. Larger supermarkets such as MAXI and bigger C-Market stores are open until 21:00 or 22:00 every day except Sunday (when they close around 15:00). The Mercator hyper-market in New Belgrade is open from 9:00 to 21:00 every day except Sunday, and 9:00 to 15:00 on Sundays. Shopping malls and shops in the city center are usually open until 22:00 every day. Green markets open at 6:00 and close at 17:00. Banks and post offices are open from 8:00 until 19:00 (some banks until 21:00). Nightlife: Cafés and bars usually close somewhere between 1:00 and 2:00, with some open until 4:00 or later. Clubs don’t usually close before 4:00, but some (very few) shut as early as 2:00. Important phone numbers: Outgoing international code: 99 Area codes: Belgrade 011, Novi Sad 021, Niš 018 Country code: 381 Police - 92 Fire - 93 Ambulance – 94 Belgrade pictures: visit http://search.pbase.com/search?q=Belgrade Belgrade map: visit http://www.planplus.co.yu