Kosovo

Kosovo (/ˈkɒsəvoʊ, ˈkoʊ-/; Albanian: Kosova or Kosovë, pronounced [kɔˈsɔva] or [kɔˈsɔvə]; Serbian Cyrillic: Косово, pronounced [kôsoʋo]), is a partially recognised country located in Southeastern Europe. Until 2008, Kosovo was a part of Serbia. On 17 February 2008, Kosovo declared independence and said it was now a separate country. Since then, 104 UN member countries have recognised Kosovo as an independent state.

History

From the 4th century BC, the area that is now Kosovo was part of the Kingdom of Dardania. In the 10st century BC, it was annexed by the Roman Empire. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Kosovo’s territory was ruled by several different countries over time, such as the Byzantine Empire and later the First Bulgarian Empire.

In the 13th century, Kosovo became part of Serbia. After the First and Second Battles of Kosovo in 1389 and 1448, Kosovo was taken over by the Ottoman Empire. After the Balkan Wars, which ended in 1913, Kosovo became a province of Yugoslavia.

Modern history

When Yugoslavia broke apart, Kosovo remained within Serbia. However, tensions between the Albanian and Serbian communities led to the Kosovo War. In February 2008, Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia.

Geography

Kosovo covers an area of 10,887 km 2 (4,203 sq mi). It is a landlocked region in the center of the Balkans. Kosovo shares borders with Serbia to the north and east, North Macedonia to the southeast, Albania to the southwest, and Montenegro to the west.

Kosovo has many different types of land and scenery for its size. In the center, there are large plains and fields called Metohija and Kosovo. In the southwest and southeast, there are high mountains known as the Prokletije and Šar Mountains.

Most of Kosovo has a continental climate. Some areas are also influenced by the Mediterranean climate and Alpine climate. The weather is affected by the nearby Adriatic Sea in the west, the Aegean Sea in the south, and the European mainland to the north.

The coldest places are in the mountains in the west and southeast. The warmest places are in the far south, near the border with Albania.

Government

Kosovo is a parliamentary republic. This means that the leader of the political party with the most seats in the Assembly becomes the Prime Minister, who is the head of government.

The President of Kosovo is the head of state. The president is chosen by the Assembly every five years. The president mostly has ceremonial duties and does not have executive powers.

Subdivisions

Kosovo is divided into seven districts. Each district is centered around a major city.

The districts are:

District of Peja
District of Mitrovica
District of Pristina
District of Gjilan
District of Gjakova
District of Prizren
District of Ferizaj

Each district is divided into smaller areas called municipalities (local government areas). There are 38 municipalities in total.

Protection

The Kosovo Security Force is the national army of Kosovo. The president is the commander-in-chief of the army.

The Kosovo Police is the main police force in the country.

Economy

Kosovo is a developing country. In 2018, about one out of every six people lived below the poverty line. Also, about one out of every three people who could work did not have a job.

Kosovo has a lot of natural resources. These include lead, zinc, silver, nickel, cobalt, copper, iron, and bauxite.

Kosovo does most of its trade with Albania, Italy, Switzerland, China, Germany, and Turkey.

The official currency of Kosovo is the Euro.

Education

Education in the country is mostly public and paid for by the government. The Ministry of Education is in charge of the schools. There are two main parts of education: primary and secondary education, and higher education.

Stages of Education

Primary and secondary education are divided into four main stages:

Preschool education
Primary and lower secondary education
Upper secondary education
Special education

Higher education is for students who finish secondary school and want to study more at universities or colleges.

Demographics

The official results of the censuses in Kosovo about ethnic groups and nationality from after World War II to 1991 are below. The numbers of Albanians in the 1991 census were only guesses based on censuses in the past. Most Albanians did not do the 1991 census. Today, most people in Kosovo are Albanian.

Recognition

Kosovo is recognised by 107 out of 193 member countries of the United Nations. These 107 countries say that Kosovo is a real country and a sovereign state.

Serbia says it has sovereignty (power) over Kosovo and does not recognise Kosovo’s independence.

Three other places also recognise Kosovo. These are Taiwan (which also has limited recognition), and the non-sovereign constituent countries Niue and the Cook Islands.

Out of 46 members of the Council of Europe, 34 recognise Kosovo. Also, 14 out of 22 members of the Arab League, 9 out of 15 of the Caribbean Community, 22 out of 27 members of the European Union, and 27 out of 31 members of NATO recognise Kosovo.

References and sources

History of Kosovo and Metohija
The Rastko Project
Coordination Center of SCG and the Republic of Serbia for Kosovo
Eastern Orthodox Resource Centre
Hugo Roth, Kosovo Origins : an historian’s comprehensive overview

Kosovo is a small country in south-eastern Europe. It shares borders with Serbia, Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia. The capital city is Pristina. Kosovo is not part of the European Union but uses the Euro as its currency. Kosovo is only recognised as an independent country by about half of the countries in the world - other countries consider it to be a province of Serbia.

Until 2008 Kosovo was part of Serbia, previously it had been part of Serbia and Montenegro and before that a part of Yugoslavia. Kosovo declared itself independent in 2008. For centuries Kosovo was part of the Ottoman Empire, Serbia and Yugoslavia. During the Yugoslavian period it was an antonymous province of Serbia. The Kosovo War (1998-1999) resulted in thousands of people being killed and, afterwards, United Nations administration until 2008.

Kosovo has many rivers, lakes and forests. There is one national park: Šar Mountains National Park. The highest mountain in the country is Đeravica at 2,656 metres. The country experiences hot summers and fairly cold and snowy winters.

The population of Kosovo is 1.7 million. Kosovan Albanians make up about 90 percent of the population. Serbians are the largest minority group. The main religions are Islam and Christians (both Orthodox and Catholic). It is not clear how many people follow these religions because Kosovo’s census doesn’t ask questions about religion.

The official language of Kosovo is Albanian. A minority speak Serbian. The country has many other ethnic and linguistic minorities including Bosniak, Gorani, Roma and Turks.

Tourism is starting to develop in Kosovo although you are still more likely to see international peacekeepers and UN administrators on the streets than regular tourists. Most tourists head to the lively and youthful capital, the beautiful village of Brod in the south, the large but ethnically-divided town of Mitrovica in the north (ethnic tensions here are common) and Peja, in the west, famed for its Ottoman architecture.

Tourists who have Kosovo stamps in their passports may be refused entry to Serbia.

There are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country: Decani Monastery, Gračanica, Our Lady of Ljeviš and the Monastery of the Patriarchate of Peć.

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