The regions of Serbia include geographical and, to a lesser extent, traditional and historical areas. Geographical regions have no official status, though some of them serve as a basis for the second-level administrative divisions of Serbia , okrugs districts of Serbia ). Not being administratively defined, the boundaries of the regions are in many cases vague: they may overlap, and various geographers and publications may delineate them differently, not just in the sense of regions' extents, but also in the sense as to whether they form separate geographical entities or subsist as parts of other super-regions, etc.
For the most part, regions correspond to the valleys or to the watershed-areas of rivers and were simply named after them (some even a millennium ago), while mountain ridges and peaks often mark boundaries. In some cases, a defined region may refer only to the inhabited parts of the valleys (see župa ).
Valleys and plains along the largest rivers are special cases. The Serbian language usually forms their names with the prefix po- (Sava – Posavina , Danube (Dunav ) – Podunavlje , Tisa – Potisje , etc.). Considered geographical regions per se , they usually have very elongated shapes and cover large areas (Pomoravlje ), sometimes spreading through several countries (Posavina, Potisje, Podrinje , etc.). For the most part they overlap with other, smaller regions established during history along their course, in most cases named after the tributaries of the main river (most notably, in the case of all three sections of Pomoravlje).
For the purpose of easier presentation in the tables, the territory of Serbia is roughly divisible into six geographical sections: northern, western, central, eastern, south-western and south. Thus the tables do not follow the political divisions. Kosovo declared independence in February 2008. Serbia and a number of UN member states have not recognised its independence, and the territory is disputed.
Region
Population centers
Notes
Bačka Novi Sad , Subotica
part of Vojvodina ; partially in Hungary (Bácska )
Gornji Breg
Gornji Breg
sub-region of Bačka
Potisje
Bečej , Senta
sub-region of both Bačka and Banat
Šajkaška
Temerin , Žabalj
sub-region of Bačka
Telečka
Vrbas , Kula
sub-region of Bačka
Banat Zrenjanin , Pančevo
part of Vojvodina ; partially in Romania , Hungary (Bánság ) and Central Serbia
Gornje Livade
sub-region of Banat
Ilandžanski Rit
Ilandža , Lokve
sub-region of Banat
Pančevački Rit
Borča , Krnjača
sub-region of Banat; part of Central Serbia
Pomorišje
Novi Kneževac , Srpski Krstur
today considered sub-region of Banat; partially in Hungary and Romania
Repište
Knićanin
sub-region of Banat
Veliki Rit
north-west of Vršac
sub-region of Banat
Srem Belgrade , Sremska Mitrovica
part of Vojvodina; partially in Central Serbia and Croatia (Srijem )
Crni Lug
Progar , Boljevci
sub-region of Podlužje
Kupinovski Kut
Kupinovo
sub-region of Podlužje
Podlužje
Jakovo , Hrtkovci
sub-region of Srem; partially in Central Serbia
Region
Population centers
Notes
Kolubara Valjevo , Lazarevac
partially in Vojvodina
Podgorina
Valjevo , Mionica
sub-region of Kolubara ("Upper Kolubara")
Mačva Šabac , Bogatić
partially in Vojvodina
Pocerina Petkovica , Tekeriš
Podrinje Loznica , Bajina Bašta
partially in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Azbukovica
Ljubovija , Ljuboviđa
sub-region of Podrinje
Jadar
Loznica , Osečina
sub-region of Podrinje
Lešnica
Lešnica , Lipnički Šor
sub-region of Podrinje
Posavina Obrenovac , Zvečka
geographically, part of a much larger area stretching through Slovenia , Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Rađevina Krupanj , Pecka
Tamnava Ub , Koceljeva
Podgorina
Užička Crna Gora
Kolubara
Posava-Tamnava
Region
Population centers
Notes
Šumadija Belgrade (Part of Belgrade), Kragujevac
Belica
Jagodina , Majur
sub-region of Šumadija
Gruža
Knić , Gruža
sub-region of Šumadija
Jasenica
Aranđelovac , Smederevska Palanka
sub-region of Šumadija
Kačer
Ljig , Belanovica
sub-region of Šumadija
Kosmaj
Mladenovac , Sopot
sub-region of Šumadija
Lepenica
Kragujevac , Batočina
sub-region of Šumadija
Levač
Rekovac , Velike Pčelice
sub-region of Šumadija; formerly called Levče
Lugomir
minor settlements
sub-region of Šumadija
Takovo
Gornji Milanovac
sub-region of Šumadija
Temnić
Varvarin , Velika Drenova
sub-region of Šumadija
Podunavlje Smederevo , Grocka
Požarevačka Morava Požarevac
Veliko Pomoravlje Velika Plana , Ćuprija
part of Pomoravlje
Zapadno Pomoravlje Čačak , Kraljevo
part of Pomoravlje
Crna Gora
Kosjerić , Ježevica
sub-region of Zapadno Pomoravlje; not to be confused with Montenegro
Rasina Kruševac , Parunovac
Aleksandrovačka župa [sr ] Aleksandrovac , Gornje Rataje
Region
Population centers
Notes
Banja Sokobanja , Mozgovo
Braničevo Veliko Gradište , Carevac
Homolje
Žagubica , Krepoljin
Stig
Kostolac , Malo Crniće
Crna Reka Podgorac , Gamzigrad
Ključ Kladovo , Brza Palanka
Kučaj sparsely populated
Mlava Petrovac na Mlavi , Veliko Laole
Poreč [sr ] Donji Milanovac , Rudna Glava
not to be confused with Poreč in Croatia
Svrljig Svrljig
Šopluk
Krajište
Vlasina
Vlasotince
Resava Svilajnac , Despotovac
Timok Valley Zaječar , Knjaževac
Negotin Valley
Negotin , Jabukovac
also called "Krajina" in Serbian
Visok north of Dimitrovgrad
partially in Bulgaria (Висок )
Zaglavak east of Knjaževac
Zvižd Kučevo , Neresnica
South-Western Serbia [ edit ]
Region
Population centers
Notes
Raška
partially in Montenegro; parts of it is called Sandžak
Dragačevo
Lučani , Guča
sub-region of Raška
Ibarski Kolašin
Tutin , Zubin Potok
sub-region of Raška; also called Stari Kolašin ; partially in Kosovo
Komarani
Brodarevo , Gostun
sub-region of Polimlje ; partially in Montenegro
Moravac
Suvi Do , Đerekare
sub-region of Raška and Sandžak and Pešter ; partially in Montenegro
Moravica
Ivanjica , Arilje
sub-region of Raška
Pešter
Sjenica , Štavalj
sub-region of Raška and Sandžak; partially in Montenegro
Polimlje
Priboj , Prijepolje
sub-region of Raška; partially in Montenegro
Sjeničko Polje
Sjenica
sub-region of Raška and Sandžak; west of Pešter
Stari Vlah
Priboj , Prijepolje
sub-region of Raška; partially in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro; formerly called Dabar (western) and Jelci (eastern part)
Rujno
sub-region of Raška; north of Stari Vlah
Tara
Zaovine , Perućac
sub-region of Raška and Podrinje
Zlatibor
Zlatibor , Čajetina
sub-region of Raška
Region
Population centers
Notes
Dobrič south-east of Prokuplje
Golak north-west of Svrljig
Goljak Tulare , Medveđa
partially in Kosovo
Jablanica Leskovac , Lebane
formerly called Glbočica
Južno Pomoravlje Vranje , Vladičin Han
Binačko Pomoravlje
Gjilan , Bujanovac
sub-region of Južno Pomoravlje; also called Gornja Morava ; partially in Kosovo
Vranjsko Pomoravlje
Vranje
sub-region of Južno Pomoravlje
Inogošte
west of Vranje
sub-region of Južno Pomoravlje
Krajište Bosilegrad
partially in Bulgaria (Краище )[ 1]
Lužnica Babušnica
Pčinja Trgovište
Poljanica south of Lebane
Ponišavlje Niš , Pirot
partially in Bulgaria
Donja Koritnica
Bela Palanka
sub-region of Ponišavlje
Gornja Koritnica
Bela Palanka
sub-region of Ponišavlje
Pusta Reka Bojnik , Pukovac
Sirinić Štimlje , Brezovica
Toplica Prokuplje , Kuršumlija
Kosanica
Kuršumlija , Rača, Prolom Banja
sub-region of Toplica
Vlasina Crna Trava
Zaplanje Gadžin Han
Znepolje Strezimirovci
partially in Bulgaria (Знеполе )
Žegligovo Gadžin Han
partially in Macedonia
Preševo Valley
Preševo , Miratovac , Oraovica
sub-region of Žegligovo; politically coined and non-geographical term coined in the early 2000s; correct name is "Vranje-Preševo depression"
Nišava
north of Zaplanja
Leskovačka Morava
Leskovac
Atlas of Serbia (2006); Intersistem Kartofragija; ISBN 86-7722-205-7 Jovan Đ. Marković (1990): Enciklopedijski geografski leksikon Jugoslavije ; Svjetlost-Sarajevo; ISBN 86-01-02651-6
Mala Prosvetina Enciklopedija , Third edition (1986), Vol.I; Prosveta; ISBN 86-07-00001-2 Auto atlas Jugoslavija-Evropa , Eleventh edition (1979); Jugoslavenski leksikografski zavod
(*) indicates location within
Kosovo
Sovereign states States with limited Dependencies and
