Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1318

 1266 SERB, CROAT, AND SLOVENE STATE

The principal towns (1919) are : Belgrade (Beograd) (the capital) with 120,000 inhabitants ; Zagreb (Agram), 80,000 ; Ljubliana, 60,000 ; Sarajevo, 50,000 ; Novi Sad, 40,000 ; Speit, 30,000 ; Nish (1910), 24,949 ; Kraguje- vatch, 18,376; Sabac, 11,541 ; Bitolj, 48,370 ; Pristina, 18,174; Pirot, 10,737; Skoplje", 47,384; Prizren, 21,244; Novi Pazar (1913), 13,433; Ohrid, 11,038 ; Debar, 10,199.

Religion.

The State religion of Serbia is Serbian-Orthodox. According to the census of 1910 there were of the total population in the old territory : — Greek-Ortho- dox, 2,881,220; Roman Catholics, 8,435 ; Protestants, 799 ; Jews, 5,997 ; Mohammedan Serbs and Gipsies, 14,335 ; other religions, 915. In the new territories are a large number of Roman Catholics ; there are Roman Catholic bishops in Prizren and Skoplje. In May, 1914, Serbia concluded a concordat with Rome. Under the concordat a Roman Catholic Arch- bishopric of Belgrade is to be established, with jurisdiction over Roman Catholics within the old frontiers of Serbia. After the union of all the Orthodox Serbs in the kingdom, the Church became a Patriarchate under the rule of the Patriarch and Holy Synod for ecclesiastical purposes.

The Serbian Orthodox Church is governed by the Synod of Bishops. All the ecclesiastical officials are under the control of the Minister of Public Worship. There is unrestricted liberty of conscience.

Instruction.

Elementary education in Serbia is compulsory, and, in all the primary schools under the Ministry of Education, it is free. Of the total population in 1900, 423,433 (1699 per cent.) could read and write. In 1919 there were 2,129 elementary schools with 3,867 teachers and 154,976 pupils. There were, of a higher grade, 49 colleges for boys, 5 for girls, and 2 modern schools, with 27,410 pupils (18,012 boys and 9,398 girls). There were 158 special schools for illiterates, and 9 higher elementary schools. Belgrade University, founded in 1838, had (1920) 80 professors and 7,250 students. In 1920 a University of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was established at Ljubliana.

The Government has a Military Academy with 250 cadets, and 10 schools for non-commissioned officers. There are several private schools, elementary and other, and several orphanages supported by voluntary contributions.

For elementary schools the State pays the teachers' salaries, and the muni- cipalities provide for all other expenditure. The cost of the other public schools is borne entirely by the State.

Justice, Grime, and Pauperism.

The judges are appointed by the king and are irremovable. There is a court of cassation in Belgrade (for Serbia, Bacska, Banat, Baranja, and Montenegro) ; the Supreme Court at Serajevo (for Bosnia and Herzegovina) ; and a Jury of Seven at Agram (lor Croatia, Slavonia, Dalmatia, and Slovenia).

There is no pauperism in Serbia in the sense in which it is understood in the West; the poorest peasants have some sort of freehold property, which cannot be sold. There are a few poor people in the large towns, but neither their poverty nor their number ha* necessitated an institution like a work- house. There arc free municipal hospitals