Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1345

 RELIGION — INSTIIUCTION

989

The principal towns are : Belgrade (the capital) with 59,494 inhabitants ; Nisch, 21,524 ; Kragouyovatz, 13,870 ; Leskovatz, 13,165 ; Pozarevatz, 11,699 ; Pirot, 9,920 ; Shabatz, 11,689 ; Vranya, 11,553 ; Smederevo, 7,027 ; Ujitze, 6,618; Valyevo, 6,712; Krouzhevatz, 6,946; Zaichar, 7,234; Alexinatz, 5,488.

Movement of Population.

^^^^ ing Births

Illegiti- mate living

Stillborn

Marriages

Deaths

Suri)lus

1893

1894 1895 1896 1897

95,232 96,488

101,676 96,752

101,605

953

1,032

946

746

__

23,679 24,963 20,599 20,841 21,157

66,568 63,766 62,184 63,399 63,237

28,664 32,722 39,492 33,353 38,368

There are no trustworthy statistics of emigration and immigiation. For 1894 the nuinber of immigrants is given as 840.

Religion.

The State religion of Servia is Greek-orthodox. According to the census of 1891 there were of the total population : — Greek-orthodox, 2,127,744 ; Roman Catholics, 11,596; Protestants, 1,149 ; Jews, 4,652 ; Mohammedans, 16,764. To the last belong, besides the Arnauts and Turks, almost all the gipsies. 1 n 1895, 2,281,018 belonged to the Greek Orthodox Church, and 31,466 belonged to other professions.

The Church is governed by the Synod of Bishops, the Archbishop of Belgrade as Metropolitan of Servia being president, but all the ecclesiastical officials are under the control of the Minister of Education and Public Worship. There is unrestricted liberty of conscience.

Instruction.

Elementary education in Servia is compulsory, and, in all the schools under the Ministry of Education, including the University, education is free. In the year 1893-94 the numbers of these schools, and of their teaching staff and pupils, were as follows : —

Elementary Schools

iliddle Schools : Lower Gymnasiums. Hij^her ,, Technical Schools High School for Girls. Normal Schools. Theological Seminary Total of Middle Sch.

University : Philosophical Faculty Jurisjirudence. Technical. Total of University.

The school attendance was, however, considerably less than that indicated in the table, over 16 per cent, of the children at the elementuiy schools, and