Kosovo

Kosovo (/ˈkɒsəvoʊ, ˈkoʊ-/; Albanian: Kosova or Kosovë, pronounced [kɔˈsɔva] or [kɔˈsɔvə]; Serbian Cyrillic: Косово, pronounced [kôsoʋo]), officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a partially-recognised country and disputed territory in Southeastern Europe. Until 2008, Kosovo was a part of Serbia. On 17 February 2008, Kosovo officially declared that it was an independent country. It has since gained diplomatic recognition as a sovereign state by 95 UN member states.

History 
From the 4th century BC, the area that is now Kosovo was part of the Kingdom of Dardania. In the 1st 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 
Geographically defined in an area of 10,887 km2 (4,203 sq mi), Kosovo is landlocked in the center of the Balkans and bordered by the uncontested territory of Serbia to the north and east, North Macedonia to the southeast, Albania to the southwest and Montenegro to the west. 

It possesses remarkable varied and diverse landscapes for its size by climate along with geology and hydrology. Most of central Kosovo is dominated by the vast plains and fields of Metohija and Kosovo. The rugged Prokletije and Šar Mountains rise in the southwest and southeast, respectively.

Most of Kosovo experiences predominantly a continental climate with Mediterranean and Alpine influences, strongly influenced by Kosovo's proximity to the Adriatic Sea in the west, the Aegean Sea in the south as well as the European continental landmass in the north.

The coldest areas are in the mountains in the west and southeast. The warmest areas are mostly in the far southern areas close to the border with Albania.

Politics

Government 
Kosovo functions under a parliamentary republic. This means that the leader of the political party with the most seats in the Assembly becomes the Prime Minister (head of government). 

The head of state is the President of Kosovo. The president is elected every five years by the Assembly. The president fulfils 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 also divided up into municipalities (local government areas). There are 38 municipalities in total.

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

In addition, the Kosovo Police is the national law enforcement institution.

Economy 
Kosovo is a developing country. As of 2018, one sixth of the population were below the poverty line and one third of working age citizens were unemployed.

Kosovo has large reserves of lead, zinc, silver, nickel, cobalt, copper, iron and bauxite. 

Kosovo's largest trading partners are Albania, Italy, Switzerland, China, Germany and Turkey. 

The official currency of Kosovo is the Euro.

Education 
Education for primary, secondary, and tertiary levels is predominantly public and supported by the state, run by the Ministry of Education. Education takes place in two main stages: primary and secondary education, and higher education.

The primary and secondary education is subdivided into four stages: preschool education, primary and low secondary education, high secondary education and special education.

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, Kosovo is mainly Albanian.

Divisions

Recognition 

Kosovo is recognised by 101 out of 193 member countries of the United Nations. This means that these 101 countries agree that Kosovo is a real country and also that it is a sovereign state. 

Serbia claims to hold sovereignty (power) over Kosovo and does not recognise Kosovo's independence.

In addition, three other states have recognised Kosovo. They are: Taiwan (which also has limited recognition) and the non-sovereign constituent countries Niue and the Cook Islands.

34 of the 46 Council of Europe members recognise Kosovo, as do 13 out of 22 members of the Arab League, 9 out of 15 of the Caribbean Community, 22 out of 27 European Union members and 27 out of 31 NATO members.

Related pages 
 Pristina
 European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo
 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence

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

Bibliography 
 Dušan T. Bataković, The Kosovo Chronicles, Plato Books, Belgrade 1992.
 R. Petrović, M. Blagojević, The Migration of the Serbs and Montenegrins from Kosovo and Metohija, SASA, Belgrade 1992,
 Dušan T. Bataković, Kosovo. La spirale de la haine, L'Age d'Homme,  Lausanne 1998.
 Kosovo-Kosova. Confrontation or Coexistence, Nijmegen: University of Nijmegen & Political Cultural Centre 042 1996.
 Kosovo. Avoiding Another Balkan War,Thanos Veremis & Evangelos Kofos, (eds.), Athens:Eliamep & University of Athens, 1998.
 Kosovo. Contending Voices on Balkan Interventions, William Joseph Buckley, ed.,William B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan &  Cambridge U. K 2000
 
 Jean-Arnault Dérens,  Kosovo. Année zéro, préface de Marek Antoni Nowick,i Paris: Paris-Méditerranée, 2004.

Other websites
 

 
Autonomous areas