In a wedge of land bounded by the Danube, Morava, and Sava rivers, many great events of nineteenth and twentieth century Serbian history occurred. The area includes the modern-day capital, Belgrade, and the medieval capital, Smederevo. It was a chunk of geography that kingdoms vied for – Serbia, Byzantium, Hungary, the Ottomans all held it, and for good reason. The land is fertile, the forests rich, and the rivers were numerous. Besides the large, navigable rivers, the area is criss-crossed by seemingly countless smaller tributaries and streams, each creating habitable lowlands between hilly stretches, and each lending its name to local microregions.