Kosovo: Difference between revisions

| area_sq_mi = 4,212

| percent_water = 1.0<ref>{{cite web|title=Water percentage in Kosovo (Facts about Kosovo; 2011 Agriculture Statistics)|url=http://ask.rks-gov.net/|publisher=Kosovo Agency of Statistics, KAS|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829035712/http://ask.rks-gov.net/|archive-date=29 August 2017}}</ref>

| population_estimate_rank =

| population_estimate_year =

| established_date10 = 19 April 2013

| footnote_a = [[Pristina]] is the capital of Kosovo and its [[seat of government]].<ref>{{cite act |date=9 April 2008 |article= 13 |legislature=[[Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo]] |title=Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo|page= |url=http://old.kuvendikosoves.org/common/docs/Constitution_of_the_Republic_of_Kosovo_with_amend.I-XXV_2017.pdf}}</ref><ref name="capital">{{cite web |publisher=Gazeta Zyrtare e Republikës së Kosovës |title=Ligji Nr. 06/L-012 për Kryeqytetin e Republikës së Kosovës, Prishtinën |url=https://gzk.rks-gov.net/ActDetail.aspx?ActID=16506 |access-date=24 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924130927/https://gzk.rks-gov.net/ActDetail.aspx?ActID=16506 |archive-date=24 September 2020 |language=sq |date=6 June 2018}}</ref> A separate law recognises [[Prizren]] as the ''historic capital'' of Kosovo.<ref name="capital" />

| footnote_c = XK is a "user assigned" ISO 3166 code not designated by the standard, but used by the [[European Commission]], Switzerland, the [[Deutsche Bundesbank]] and other organisations. However, [[ISO 3166-2:RS|ISO 3166-2:RS-KM]] remains in use.

| today =

}}

 

 

 

 

Kosovo [[unilateral declaration of independence|unilaterally]] [[2008 Kosovo declaration of independence|declared its independence]] from [[Serbia]] on 17 February 2008,<ref name="icj2020">{{cite web |publisher=[[International Court of Justice]] (ICJ) |title=Accordance with International Law of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence in Respect of Kosovo |url=https://www.icj-cij.org/files/case-related/141/141-20100722-ADV-01-00-EN.pdf |access-date=24 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924140658/https://www.icj-cij.org/files/case-related/141/141-20100722-ADV-01-00-EN.pdf |archive-date=24 September 2020 |date=22 July 2010}}</ref> and has since gained diplomatic recognition as a [[sovereign state]] by [[International recognition of Kosovo|104 member states]] of the [[United Nations]]. Although Serbia does not officially recognise Kosovo as a sovereign state and continues to claim it as its constituent [[Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija]], it accepts the governing authority of the Kosovo institutions as a part of the [[Brussels Agreement (2013)|2013 Brussels Agreement]].<ref name=foreignaffairs>{{cite magazine |first=Nikolas K. |last=Gvosdev |title=Kosovo and Serbia Make a Deal |url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/kosovo/2013-04-24/kosovo-and-serbia-make-deal |date=24 April 2013 |magazine=Foreign Affairs |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305041508/https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/kosovo/2013-04-24/kosovo-and-serbia-make-deal |archive-date=5 March 2016}}</ref>

Kosovo is a developing country, with an [[Economy of Kosovo|upper-middle-income economy]]. It has experienced solid [[International rankings of Kosovo|economic growth]] over the last decade as measured by international financial institutions since the onset of the [[financial crisis of 2007–2008]]. Kosovo is a member of the [[International Monetary Fund]], [[World Bank]], [[European Bank for Reconstruction and Development|EBRD]], [[Venice Commission]], the [[International Olympic Committee]], and has applied for membership in the [[Council of Europe]], [[UNESCO]], [[Interpol]], and for observer status in the [[Organisation of Islamic Cooperation]]. In December 2022, Kosovo filed [[Accession of Kosovo to the European Union|a formal application]] to become a member of the [[European Union]].<ref name="dw10"/>

 

{{Main|Names of Kosovo}}

 

The name ''Kosovo'' is of South Slavic origin. {{lang|sr-Latn|Kosovo}} ({{lang-sr-Cyrl|Косово|links=no}}) is the Serbian neuter possessive adjective of {{lang|sr-Latn|kos}} ({{lang|sr-Cyrl|кос}}), '[[Common blackbird|blackbird]]',<ref>{{cite book |last1=Judah |first1=Tim |title=Kosovo: What Everyone Needs to Know |date=2008 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780195373455 |page=31 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UGwSDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA31 |access-date=15 August 2023 |archive-date=15 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230815174228/https://books.google.com/books?id=UGwSDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA31 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Manić |editor1-first=Emilija |editor2-last=Nikitović |editor2-first=Vladimir |editor3-last=Djurović |editor3-first=Predrag |title=The Geography of Serbia: Nature, People, Economy |date=2021 |publisher=Springer |isbn=9783030747015 |page=47 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BPJQEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA47 |access-date=15 August 2023 |archive-date=15 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230815174228/https://books.google.com/books?id=BPJQEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA47 |url-status=live }}</ref> an [[ellipsis (linguistics)|ellipsis]] for {{lang|sr-Latn|Kosovo Polje}}, 'Blackbird Field', the name of [[Kosovo field|a karst field]] situated in the eastern half of today's Kosovo and the site of the 1389 [[Battle of Kosovo|Battle of Kosovo Field]].<ref name="Everett-Heath2000">{{cite book |author=J. Everett-Heath |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uK2HDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA373 |title=Place Names of the World - Europe: Historical Context, Meanings and Changes |date=1 August 2000 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan UK |isbn=978-0-230-28673-3 |pages=373– |access-date=13 August 2023 |archive-date=30 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230930143730/https://books.google.com/books?id=uK2HDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA373#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> The name of the karst field was for the first time applied to a wider area when the [[Kosovo vilayet|Ottoman Vilayet of Kosovo]] was created in 1877.

 

Dukagjini or Dukagjini plateau (Albanian: 'Rrafshi i Dukagjinit') is an alternative name for Western Kosovo, having been in use since the 15th-16th century as part of the [[Sanjak]] of [[Sanjak of İpek|Dukakin]] with its capital [[Peja]], and is named after the medieval Albanian [[Dukagjini family]].<ref name="Drançolli">{{cite web |last1=Drançolli |first1=Jahja |title=Illyrian-Albanian Continuity the Areal of Kosova |url=https://www.academia.edu/9304559 |website=academia.edu |access-date=11 February 2024 |archive-date=20 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231120230138/https://www.academia.edu/9304559 |url-status=live }}</ref>

 

Some Albanians also prefer to refer to Kosovo as [[Kingdom of Dardania|''Dardania'']], the name of an ancient kingdom and later [[Dardania (Roman province)|Roman province]], which covered the territory of modern-day Kosovo. The name is derived from the ancient tribe of the ''[[Dardani]]'', which is considered be related to the Proto-Albanian term ''dardā'', which means "pear" (Modern Albanian: {{Lang|sq|dardhë}}).<ref name="Everett-Heath2000" /><ref>Albanian Etymological Dictionary, V.Orel, Koninklijke Brill, Leiden Boston Köln 1998, p. 56</ref> The former Kosovo President [[Ibrahim Rugova]] had been an enthusiastic backer of a "Dardanian" identity, and the Kosovar presidential flag and seal refer to this national identity. However, the name "Kosova" remains more widely used among the Albanian population. The flag of Dardania remains in use as the official [[President of Kosovo|Presidential seal and standard]] and is heavily featured in the institution of the presidency of the country.

 

{{Main|History of Kosovo}}

 

{{See also|Archaeology of Kosovo|Copper, Bronze and Iron Age sites in Kosovo}}

{{Further|Illyrians|Dardania (Roman province)|l2=Dardania}}

The strategic position including the abundant natural resources were favorable for the development of human settlements in Kosovo, as is highlighted by the hundreds of archaeological sites identified throughout its territory.<ref name=SchermerShukriu>{{cite book |last1=Schermer |first1=Shirley |last2=Shukriu |first2=Edi |last3=Deskaj |first3=Sylvia |editor1-last=Marquez-Grant |editor1-first=Nicholas |editor2-last=Fibiger |editor2-first=Linda |title=The Routledge Handbook of Archaeological Human Remains and Legislation: An International Guide to Laws and Practice in the Excavation and Treatment of Archaeological Human Remains |date=2011 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1136879562 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Lzi4N-74QmAC |page=235 |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-date=4 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204134209/https://books.google.com/books?id=Lzi4N-74QmAC |url-status=live}}</ref>

 

[[File:Hyjnesha muze.jpg|thumb|Neolithic [[Goddess on the Throne]] is one of the most significant archaeological artifacts of Kosovo and has been adopted as the symbol of [[Pristina]].]]

 

The earliest archaeological evidence of organised settlement, which have been found in Kosovo, belong to the [[Neolithic]] [[Starčevo culture|Starčevo]] and [[Vinča culture|Vinča]] cultures.<ref name="Berisha">{{cite web |last=Berisha |first=Milot |title=Archaeological Guide of Kosovo |url=https://www.mkrs-ks.org/repository/docs/drafti_i_guides_-anglisht_final.pdf |year=2012 |publisher=Ministry of Culture of Kosovo |pages=17–18 |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-date=17 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417092446/https://www.mkrs-ks.org/repository/docs/drafti_i_guides_-anglisht_final.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Vlashnjë]] and [[Runik]] are important sites of the [[Neolithic sites in Kosovo|Neolithic era]] with the rock art paintings at Mrrizi i Kobajës near [[Vlashnjë]] being the first find of prehistoric art in Kosovo.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Shukriu |first1=Edi |author-link1=Edi Shukriu |title=Spirals of the prehistoric open rock painting from Kosova |journal=Proceedings of the XV World Congress of the International Union for Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences |date=2006 |volume=35 |url=https://www.academia.edu/1787676 |page=59 |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-date=14 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210914015031/https://www.academia.edu/1787676 |url-status=live}}</ref> Amongst the finds of excavations in Neolithic Runik is a baked-clay [[ocarina]], which is the first musical instrument recorded in Kosovo.<ref name="Berisha"/>

 

[[File:Dardanian Kingdom (late 3rd century BC).png|left|thumb|[[Kingdom of Dardania]] in the 3rd century BCE.]]

 

Thracian names are absent in western Dardania, while some Illyrian names appear in the eastern parts. Thus, their identification as either an [[Illyrians|Illyrian]] or [[Thracians|Thracian]] tribe has been a subject of debate, the ethnolinguistic relationship between the two groups being largely uncertain and debated itself as well. The correspondence of Illyrian names, including those of the ruling elite, in Dardania with those of the southern Illyrians suggests a thracianization of parts of Dardania.<ref>{{cite book|last=Wilkes|first=John|title=The Illyrians|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Nv6SPRKqs8C|year=1996|orig-year=1992|publisher=Wiley|isbn=978-0-631-19807-9|page=85|access-date=20 September 2020|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502085653/https://books.google.com/books?id=4Nv6SPRKqs8C|url-status=live}}</ref> The Dardani retained an individuality and continued to maintain social independence after Roman conquest, playing an important role in the formation of new groupings in the Roman era.<ref name="Papazoglou">{{Cite book|last=Papazoglu|first=Fanula|author-link=Fanula Papazoglu|title=The Central Balkan Tribes in pre-Roman Times: Triballi, Autariatae, Dardanians, Scordisci and Moesians|year=1978|location=Amsterdam|publisher=Hakkert|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Up4JAQAAIAAJ|page=131|isbn=9789025607937|access-date=27 September 2020|archive-date=11 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411011011/https://books.google.com/books?id=Up4JAQAAIAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref>

 

{{See also|Roman heritage in Kosovo}}

 

It is also known that the region was Christianised during Roman rule, though little is known regarding Christianity in the Balkans in the three first centuries AD.<ref>{{cite book|last=Harnack|first=Adolf|title=The Expansion of Christianity in the First Three Centuries|volume=1–2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FltKAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA1|year=1998|publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers|isbn=978-1-57910-002-5 |page=371}}</ref> The first clear mention of Christians in literature is the case of Bishop Dacus of Macedonia, from Dardania, who was present at the [[First Council of Nicaea]] (325).{{sfn|Harnack|1998|p=80}} It is also known that Dardania had a [[Diocese]] in the 4th century, and its seat was placed in Ulpiana, which remained the [[diocese|episcopal]] center of Dardania until the establishment of [[Justiniana Prima]] in 535 AD.<ref name="CetinkayaExcavate">{{cite journal |last1=Çetinkaya |first1=Halûk |title=To Excavate or not? Case of Discovery of an Early Christian Baptistery and Church at Ulpiana, Kosovo |journal=Actual Problems of Theory and History of Art |url=https://actual-art.org/files/sb/06/Cetinkaya.pdf |volume=6 |editor-last=Zakharova |editor-first=Anna |editor2-last=Maltseva |editor2-first=Svetlana |editor3-last=Stanyukovich-Denisova |editor3-first=Ekaterina |location=Saint Petersburg |publisher=NP-Print Publ. |year=2016 |pages=111–118 |doi=10.18688/aa166-2-11 |access-date=2023-08-18 |archive-date=10 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240310094626/https://actual-art.org/files/sb/06/Cetinkaya.pdf |url-status=live | issn = 2312-2129 }}</ref><ref name="Hoxhaj1" /> The first known bishop of Ulpiana is Machedonius, who was a member of the council of [[Serdika]]. Other known bishops were Paulus ([[synod]] of [[Constantinople]] in 553 AD), and Gregentius, who was sent by [[Justin I]] to [[Ethiopia]] and [[Yemen]] to ease problems among different Christian groups there.<ref name="CetinkayaExcavate" />

 

In the next centuries, Kosovo was a frontier province of the [[Roman Empire|Roman]], and later of the [[Byzantine Empire]], and as a result it changed hands frequently. The region was exposed to an increasing number of raids from the 4th century CE onward, culminating with the [[Slavic migrations]] of the 6th and 7th centuries. Toponymic evidence suggests that [[Albanian language|Albanian]] was probably spoken in Kosovo prior to the Slavic settlement of the region.<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Curtis |first=Matthew Cowan |title=Slavic-Albanian Language Contact, Convergence, and Coexistence |url=http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1338406907 |publisher=The Ohio State University |year=2012 |page=42 |access-date=15 December 2022 |archive-date=30 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230930143737/https://etd.ohiolink.edu/acprod/odb_etd/etd/r/1501/10?clear=10&p10_accession_num=osu1338406907 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Prendergast2017">{{cite thesis|last1=Prendergast|first1=Eric|year=2017|title=The Origin and Spread of Locative Determiner Omission in the Balkan Linguistic Area|page=80|url=https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7nk454x6|publisher=UC Berkeley|access-date=7 June 2022|archive-date=12 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512011446/https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7nk454x6|url-status=live}}</ref> The overwhelming presence of towns and municipalities in Kosovo with Slavic in their toponymy suggests that the Slavic migrations either assimilated or drove out population groups already living in Kosovo.<ref>{{cite conference |first=Thomas |last=Kingsley |title=Albanian Onomastics Using Toponymic Correspondences to Understand the History of Albanian Settlement |conference=6th Annual Linguistics Conference at the University of Georgia |pages=110–151 |date=2019 |location=United States |url=https://esploro.libs.uga.edu/esploro/outputs/conferencePaper/Albanian-Onomastics-Using-Toponymic-Correspondences-to/9949423226902959?institution=01GALI_UGA |access-date=23 January 2023 |archive-date=27 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127220138/https://esploro.libs.uga.edu/esploro/outputs/conferencePaper/Albanian-Onomastics-Using-Toponymic-Correspondences-to/9949423226902959?institution=01GALI_UGA |url-status=live }}</ref>

 

[[File:Gracanica 1.jpg|thumb|[[Gračanica Monastery]], a [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Site]].]]

[[File:Manastir Visoki Dečani (Манастир Високи Дечани) - by Pudelek..jpg|thumb|[[Visoki Dečani Monastery]], a [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Site]].]]

 

[[Medieval Monuments in Kosovo]] is a combined [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Site]] consisting of four [[Serbian Orthodox]] churches and [[List of Serbian Orthodox monasteries|monasteries]] in [[Deçan]], [[Peja]], [[Prizren]] and [[Gračanica, Kosovo|Gračanica]]. The constructions were founded by members of the [[Nemanjić dynasty]], a prominent dynasty of [[Serbia in the Middle Ages|mediaeval Serbia]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/724 |title=Medieval Monuments in Kosovo |publisher=[[UNESCO]] |access-date=7 September 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150513120313/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/724/ |archive-date=13 May 2015}}</ref>

 

 

[[File:Xhamia_e_Madhe_Prishtine.JPG|upright=0.85|thumb|The [[Imperial Mosque (Pristina)|Imperial Mosque of Pristina]] built by [[Mehmed the Conqueror|Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror]], 1461]]

 

In 1389, as the [[Ottoman Empire]] expanded northwards through the Balkans, Ottoman forces under Sultan [[Murad I]] met with a Christian coalition led by [[Moravian Serbia]] under [[Lazar of Serbia|Prince Lazar]] in the [[Battle of Kosovo]]. Both sides suffered heavy losses and the battle was a stalemate and it was even reported as a Christian victory at first, but Serbian manpower was depleted and ''de facto'' Serbian rulers could not raise another equal force to the Ottoman army.<ref name="Jelavich1983">{{cite book|author=Barbara Jelavich|title=History of the Balkans|url=https://archive.org/details/historyofbalkans0000jela|url-access=registration|year=1983|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-27458-6|pages=[https://archive.org/details/historyofbalkans0000jela/page/31 31]–}}</ref><ref name="prospect-magazine.co.uk">{{cite web|url=http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/thebattleofkosovo/#axzz3eyNaDTl6 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531075927/http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/thebattleofkosovo/ |archive-date=31 May 2012 |title= Essays: 'The battle of Kosovo' by Noel Malcolm, Prospect Magazine May 1998 issue 30 |publisher=Prospect-magazine.co.uk |access-date=20 July 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Humphreys46a2">{{harvnb|Humphreys|2013|p=46|ps=: "Both armies – and this is a fact that is ignored by the hagiographic telling – contained soldiers of various origins; Bosnians, Albanians, Hungarians, Greeks, Bulgars, perhaps even Catalans (on the Ottoman side)."}}</ref><ref name="Somel 2010 p. 36">{{cite book |last=Somel |first=S.A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UU8iCY0OZmcC&pg=PA36 |title=The A to Z of the Ottoman Empire |publisher=Scarecrow Press |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-4617-3176-4 |series=The A to Z Guide Series |page=36 |quote="The coalition consisted of Serbians, Bosnians, Croatians, Hungarians, Wallachians, Bulgarians, and Albanians." |access-date=10 May 2024 |archive-date=28 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231128152103/https://books.google.com/books?id=UU8iCY0OZmcC&pg=PA36 |url-status=live }}</ref>

 

Different parts of Kosovo were ruled directly or indirectly by the Ottomans in this early period. The medieval town of [[Novo Brdo]] was under Lazar's son, [[Stefan Lazarević|Stefan]] who became a loyal Ottoman vassal and instigated the downfall of [[Vuk Branković]] who eventually joined the Hungarian anti-Ottoman coalition and was defeated in 1395–96. A small part of Vuk's land with the villages of Pristina and Vushtrri was given to his sons to hold as Ottoman vassals for a brief period.<ref>{{harvnb|Fine|1994|pp=409–415}}</ref>

 

 

 

[[File:Qendra historike e Prizrenitaa.jpg|thumb|right|The city of [[Prizren]] was the cultural and intellectual centre of Kosovo during the Ottoman period in the Middle Ages and is now the historic capital of Kosovo.]]

 

The modern Albanian-Serbian conflict has its roots in the [[Expulsion of the Albanians 1877–1878|expulsion of the Albanians in 1877–1878]] from areas that became incorporated into the [[Principality of Serbia]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Frantz|first=Eva Anne |title= Violence and its Impact on Loyalty and Identity Formation in Late Ottoman Kosovo: Muslims and Christians in a Period of Reform and Transformation |journal= Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs |volume=29 |issue=4 |year=2009 |pages=460–461 |doi=10.1080/13602000903411366|s2cid=143499467}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Müller|first=Dietmar|title=Orientalism and Nation: Jews and Muslims as Alterity in Southeastern Europe in the Age of Nation-States, 1878–1941|journal=East Central Europe|volume=36|issue=1|year=2009|page=70|doi=10.1163/187633009x411485}}</ref> During and after the [[Serbian–Ottoman War (1876–78)|Serbian–Ottoman War of 1876–78]], between 30,000 and 70,000 Muslims, mostly Albanians, were expelled by the [[Armed forces of the Principality of Serbia|Serb army]] from the [[Sanjak of Niš]] and fled to the [[Kosovo Vilayet]].<ref>Pllana, Emin (1985). "Les raisons de la manière de l'exode des refugies albanais du territoire du sandjak de Nish a Kosove (1878–1878) [The reasons for the manner of the exodus of Albanian refugees from the territory of the Sanjak of Niš to Kosovo (1878–1878)] ". ''Studia Albanica''. '''1''': 189–190.</ref><ref>Rizaj, Skënder (1981). "Nënte Dokumente angleze mbi Lidhjen Shqiptare të Prizrenit (1878–1880) [Nine English documents about the League of Prizren (1878–1880)]". ''Gjurmine Albanologjike (Seria e Shkencave Historike)''. '''10''': 198.</ref><ref>Şimşir, Bilal N, (1968). ''Rumeli'den Türk göçleri. Emigrations turques des Balkans [Turkish emigrations from the Balkans]''. Vol I. Belgeler-Documents. p. 737.</ref><ref name=Batakovic1992>{{cite book|last=Bataković|first=Dušan|title=The Kosovo Chronicles|year=1992|publisher=Plato|url=http://www.rastko.rs/kosovo/istorija/kosovo_chronicles/kc_part2b.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226174611/http://www.rastko.rs/kosovo/istorija/kosovo_chronicles/kc_part2b.html|archive-date=26 December 2016}}</ref><ref name=Elsie2010>{{cite book|last=Elsie|first=Robert|title=Historical Dictionary of Kosovo|year=2010|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=9780333666128|page=xxxii}}</ref><ref>Stefanović, Djordje (2005). "Seeing the Albanians through Serbian eyes: The Inventors of the Tradition of Intolerance and their Critics, 1804–1939." ''European History Quarterly''. '''35'''. (3): 470.</ref> According to Austrian data, by the 1890s Kosovo was 70% Muslim (nearly entirely of Albanian descent) and less than 30% non-Muslim (primarily Serbs).<ref name="Cohen" /> In May 1901, Albanians pillaged and partially burned the cities of [[Novi Pazar]], [[Sjenica]] and Pristina, and [[Violence against Serbs during the late Ottoman era|killed many Serbs]] near Pristina and in Kolašin (now North Kosovo).<ref name=King-Mason-30>{{cite book|author1=Iain King|author2=Whit Mason|title=Peace at Any Price: How the World Failed Kosovo|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9m3Hp2OevdUC&pg=PA30|year=2006|publisher=Cornell University Press|isbn=978-0-8014-4539-2|page=30|access-date=7 October 2018|archive-date=9 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200109150705/https://books.google.com/books?id=9m3Hp2OevdUC&pg=PA30|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Skendi |first1=Stavro |title=The Albanian National Awakening |date=2015 |publisher=Cornell University Press |isbn=978-1-4008-4776-1 |page=201 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8QPWCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA201 |access-date=28 July 2021 |archive-date=28 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728220204/https://books.google.com/books?id=8QPWCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA201 |url-status=live }}</ref>

 

[[File:Serbia1913.png|thumb|left| Division of [[Kosovo vilayet]] between the [[Kingdom of Serbia]] (''yellow'') and the [[Kingdom of Montenegro]] (''green'') following the [[Balkan Wars]] 1913.]]

 

=== Communist Yugoslavia ===

{{Main|Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo}}

[[File:Flag of SFR Yugoslav Albanian Minority.svg|thumb|The flag of the Albanian minority of Kosovo in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.]]

 

 

After the ouster of Ranković in 1966, the agenda of pro-decentralisation reformers in Yugoslavia succeeded in the late 1960s in attaining substantial decentralisation of powers, creating substantial autonomy in Kosovo and Vojvodina, and recognising a Muslim Yugoslav nationality.<ref name="Melissa Katherine Bokovoy 1992. Pp. 296">Melissa Katherine Bokovoy, Jill A. Irvine, Carol S. Lilly. State-society relations in Yugoslavia, 1945–1992. Scranton, Pennsylvania: Palgrave Macmillan, 1997. p. 296.</ref> As a result of these reforms, there was a massive overhaul of Kosovo's nomenklatura and police, that shifted from being Serb-dominated to ethnic Albanian-dominated through firing Serbs in large scale.<ref name="Melissa Katherine Bokovoy 1992. Pp. 296"/> Further concessions were made to the ethnic Albanians of Kosovo in response to unrest, including the creation of the [[Universiteti i Prishtinës|University of Pristina]] as an [[Albanian language]] institution.<ref name="Melissa Katherine Bokovoy 1992. Pp. 296"/> These changes created widespread fear among Serbs that they were being made [[second-class citizen]]s in Yugoslavia.<ref>Melissa Katherine Bokovoy, Jill A. Irvine, Carol S. Lilly. State-society relations in Yugoslavia, 1945–1992. Scranton, Pennsylvania: Palgrave Macmillan, 1997. p. 301.</ref> By the 1974 Constitution of Yugoslavia, Kosovo was granted major autonomy, allowing it to have its own administration, assembly, and judiciary; as well as having a membership in the collective presidency and the Yugoslav parliament, in which it held veto power.<ref>Independent International Commission on Kosovo. ''The Kosovo report: conflict, international response, lessons learned''. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. pp. 35–36.</ref>

 

In the aftermath of the 1974 constitution, concerns over the rise of Albanian nationalism in Kosovo rose with the widespread celebrations in 1978 of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the [[League of Prizren]].<ref name="Kosovo. 2000. Pp. 35"/> Albanians felt that their status as a "minority" in Yugoslavia had made them second-class citizens in comparison with the "nations" of Yugoslavia and demanded that Kosovo be a [[Constituent state|constituent republic]], alongside the other republics of Yugoslavia.<ref name="Kosovo. 2000. Pp. 36">Independent International Commission on Kosovo. ''The Kosovo report: conflict, international response, lessons learned''. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. p. 36.</ref> [[1981 protests in Kosovo|Protests by Albanians in 1981 over the status of Kosovo]] resulted in Yugoslav territorial defence units being brought into Kosovo and a state of emergency being declared resulting in violence and the protests being crushed.<ref name="Kosovo. 2000. Pp. 36"/> In the aftermath of the 1981 protests, purges took place in the Communist Party, and rights that had been recently granted to Albanians were rescinded&nbsp;– including ending the provision of Albanian professors and Albanian language textbooks in the education system.<ref name="Kosovo. 2000. Pp. 36"/>

{{Further|War crimes in the Kosovo War}}

 

 

Inter-ethnic tensions continued to worsen in Kosovo throughout the 1980s. In 1989, Serbian President [[Slobodan Milošević]], employing a mix of intimidation and political maneuvering, drastically reduced Kosovo's special autonomous status within Serbia and started cultural oppression of the ethnic Albanian population.<ref name="rogel">{{Cite journal|url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1025397128633|doi=10.1023/A:1025397128633|year=2003|last1=Rogel|first1=Carole|title=Kosovo: Where It All Began|journal=International Journal of Politics, Culture and Society|volume=17|issue=1|pages=167–182|s2cid=141051220|access-date=20 June 2021|archive-date=24 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624203551/https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1025397128633|url-status=live}}</ref> Kosovar Albanians responded with a [[Non-violent resistance|non-violent]] separatist movement, employing widespread [[civil disobedience]] and creation of parallel structures in [[medical school|education, medical]] care, and taxation, with the ultimate goal of achieving the [[independence of Kosovo]].<ref>Clark, Howard. ''Civil Resistance in Kosovo''. London: [[Pluto Press]], 2000. {{ISBN|0-7453-1569-0}}.</ref>

 

[[File:Missing Men of Krusha e Madhe (Burrat e Krushes se Madhe).jpg|thumb|[[Kosovo Albanians|Kosovar Albanian]] soldiers holding pictures in memory of the men who were killed or went missing in the [[Krusha massacres]]]]

 

 

In some villages under Albanian control in 1998, militants drove ethnic Serbs from their homes.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}} Some of those who remained are unaccounted for and are presumed to have been abducted by the KLA and killed. The KLA detained an estimated 85 Serbs during its 19 July 1998 [[attack on Rahovec]]. 35 of these were subsequently released but the others remained. On 22 July 1998, the KLA briefly took control of the Belaćevac mine near the town of Obiliq. Nine Serb mineworkers were captured that day and they remain on the [[International Committee of the Red Cross]]'s list of the missing and are presumed to have been killed.<ref name="hrw.org">{{cite web|title=Abuses against Serbs and Roma in the new Kosovo|url=https://www.hrw.org/reports/1999/kosov2/|publisher=[[Human Rights Watch]]|date=August 1999|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015122541/http://www.hrw.org/reports/1999/kosov2/|archive-date=15 October 2012}}</ref> In August 1998, 22 Serbian civilians were reportedly killed in the village of Klečka, where the police claimed to have discovered human remains and a kiln used to cremate the bodies.<ref name="hrw.org" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cpa.org.au/garchive/949kla.htm |title=Kosovo, drugs and the West |access-date=27 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911190307/http://www.cpa.org.au/garchive/949kla.htm |website=The Guardian |date=14 April 1999 |archive-date=11 September 2007}}</ref> In September 1998, Serbian police collected 34 bodies of people believed to have been seized and murdered by the KLA, among them some ethnic Albanians, at Lake Radonjić near Glođane (Gllogjan) in what became known as the [[Lake Radonjić massacre]].<ref name="hrw.org" /> Human Rights Watch have raised questions about the validity of at least some of these allegations made by Serbian authorities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/legacy/reports/2001/kosovo/undword-01.htm|title=UNDER ORDERS: War Crimes in Kosovo – 2. Background|website=www.hrw.org|access-date=28 May 2019|archive-date=7 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407112036/https://www.hrw.org/legacy/reports/2001/kosovo/undword-01.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

 

In February 2007, Ahtisaari delivered a draft status settlement proposal to leaders in Belgrade and Pristina, the basis for a draft [[United Nations Security Council Resolution|UN Security Council Resolution]] which proposed 'supervised independence' for the province. A draft resolution, backed by the [[United States]], the [[United Kingdom]] and other European members of the [[Security Council]], was presented and rewritten four times to try to accommodate Russian concerns that such a resolution would undermine the principle of state sovereignty.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2007/06/29/nb-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070702211016/http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2007/06/29/nb-07|archive-date=2 July 2007 |title=Russia reportedly rejects fourth draft resolution on Kosovo status |author=Southeast European Times |date=29 June 2007 |access-date=24 July 2009}}</ref>

 

Russia, which holds a veto in the Security Council as one of five permanent members, had stated that it would not support any resolution which was not acceptable to both Belgrade and Kosovo Albanians.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2007/07/10/nb-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012154347/http://setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2007/07/10/nb-02|archive-date=12 October 2007 |title=UN Security Council remains divided on Kosovo |author=Southeast European Times |date= 10 July 2007 |access-date=24 July 2009}}</ref> Whilst most observers had, at the beginning of the talks, anticipated independence as the most likely outcome, others have suggested that a rapid resolution might not be preferable.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/985caa90-de5a-11db-afa7-000b5df10621.html?nclick_check=1 |title=A long reconciliation process is required |author=James Dancer |date=30 March 2007 |website=Financial Times |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080208151642/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/985caa90-de5a-11db-afa7-000b5df10621.html?nclick_check=1 |archive-date=8 February 2008}}</ref>

 

[[File:Gebäude der UNMIK NEW BORN SIGN PRISTINA KOSOVO Giv Owned Image 23 August 2008.jpg|thumb|The [[Newborn monument]] unveiled at the celebration of the 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence proclaimed earlier that day, 17 February 2008, [[Pristina]].]]

Kosovo declared independence from [[Serbia]] on 17 February 2008.<ref name="bbc_proclaim">"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7249034.stm Kosovo MPs proclaim independence] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215131649/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7249034.stm |date=15 February 2009}}", [[BBC News Online]], 17 February 2008.</ref> {{Numrec|Kos|asof=S||UN states}} recognised its independence, including all of its immediate neighbours, with the exception of Serbia;<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7662149.stm BBC News] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203110112/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7662149.stm |date=3 February 2016}}. Retrieved 10 October 2008.</ref> 10 states have subsequently withdrawn that recognition.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://rs.n1info.com/English/NEWS/a546106/Dacic-says-95-countries-do-not-recognise-Kosovo-as-state-after-Nauru-s-withdrawal.html | title=Nauru withdraws recognition of Kosovo's independence, Pristina denies | publisher=N1 | date=22 November 2019 | access-date=18 April 2020 | archive-date=13 May 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513073923/http://rs.n1info.com/English/NEWS/a546106/Dacic-says-95-countries-do-not-recognise-Kosovo-as-state-after-Nauru-s-withdrawal.html | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://prishtinainsight.com/serbia-claims-sierra-leone-has-withdrawn-kosovo-recognition/ | title=Serbia claims Sierra Leone has withdrawn Kosovo recognition | publisher=Prishtina Insight | date=3 March 2020 | access-date=18 April 2020 | archive-date=22 April 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422142329/https://prishtinainsight.com/serbia-claims-sierra-leone-has-withdrawn-kosovo-recognition/ | url-status=live}}</ref> Of the UN Security Council members, while the US, UK and France do recognise Kosovo's independence, Russia and China do not.<ref name="voa_serbia_kosovo_agreement">{{cite web |title=US-Brokered Serbia-Kosovo Deal a 'Step Forward' But Challenges Remain |url=https://www.voanews.com/europe/us-brokered-serbia-kosovo-deal-step-forward-challenges-remain |date=September 5, 2020 |last=Kostreci |first=Keida |website=Voice of America |access-date=September 7, 2020 |archive-date=7 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200907223628/https://www.voanews.com/europe/us-brokered-serbia-kosovo-deal-step-forward-challenges-remain |url-status=live}}</ref> Since declaring independence, it has become a member of international institutions such as the [[International Monetary Fund]] and [[World Bank]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.imf.org/external/np/ms/2009/062409.htm |title=Republic of Kosovo&nbsp;– IMF Staff Visit, Concluding Statement |publisher=Imf.org |date=24 June 2009 |access-date=20 July 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090629132600/http://www.imf.org/external/np/ms/2009/062409.htm |archive-date=29 June 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/0,,pagePK:180619~theSitePK:136917,00.html#k |title=World Bank Cauntries |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060716000650/http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/0,,pagePK:180619~theSitePK:136917,00.html#k |archive-date=16 July 2006}}</ref> though not of the United Nations.

 

== Governance ==

{{Main|Politics of Kosovo}}

 

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left; float:right; margin-right:9px; margin-left:2px;"

 

The legal status of the ICO depended upon the de facto situation and Kosovo legislation, with oversight provided by the [[International Steering Group]] (ISG) comprising states that recognied Kosovo. Serbia and non-recognising states did not acknowledge the ICO. Despite initial opposition, EULEX gained acceptance from Serbia and the UN Security Council in 2008. It operated under the UNMIK mandate with operational independence. The ICO concluded operations in 2012 after fulfilling obligations, while EULEX continues to operate within Kosovo and international law. Its role has been extended, primarily focusing on monitoring with reduced responsibilities.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2018/06/08/eulex-kosovo-new-role-for-the-eu-rule-of-law-mission/ |title=EULEX Kosovo: new role for the EU rule of law mission |publisher=European Council |date=2018-06-08 |access-date=2021-02-12 |archive-date=3 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203161823/https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2018/06/08/eulex-kosovo-new-role-for-the-eu-rule-of-law-mission/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

{{Clear}}

 

The [[Kosovo Security Force]] (KSF) is the national security force of Kosovo commissioned with the task of preserving and safeguarding the country's territorial integrity, national sovereignty and the security interests of its population.<ref name="KSF">{{cite web |publisher=[[Prime Minister of Kosovo]] |title=Constitution of Kosovo |url=http://www.kryeministri-ks.net/repository/docs/Constitution1Kosovo.pdf |access-date=8 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090616221845/http://www.kryeministri-ks.net/repository/docs/Constitution1Kosovo.pdf |archive-date=16 June 2009 |page=47 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Functioning under the president of Kosovo as the [[commander-in-chief]], the security force adheres to the principle of non-discrimination, guaranteeing equal protection for its personnel regardless of gender or ethnicity.<ref name="KSF"/><ref>{{cite act |title=Law on Service in the Kosovo Security Force |number=Law No. 03/L-082 |date=13 June 2008 |article=Article 3, Section 3(a) |url=http://www.mksf-ks.org/repository/docs/Law%20on%20Service%20in%20the%20KSF.pdf |access-date=7 July 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504213923/http://mksf-ks.org/repository/docs/Law%20on%20Service%20in%20the%20KSF.pdf |archive-date=4 May 2016 }}</ref> Kosovo's notable challenges are identified in the realms of persistent conflicts and societal safety and security, both of which are intertwined with the country's diplomatic ties to neighboring countries and its domestic social and political stability.<ref>{{cite book |publisher=[[Institute for Economics and Peace]] (IEP) |title=Global Peace Index 2020: Measuring Peace in a Complex World |url=http://visionofhumanity.org/reports |access-date=8 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170319170234/http://visionofhumanity.org/reports/ |archive-date=19 March 2017 |format=PDF |place=Sydney |year=2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

 

 

In 2008, under the leadership of NATO, the Kosovo Force (KFOR) and the [[Kosovo Protection Corps]] (KPC) undertook preparations for the formation of the Kosovo Security Force. A significant milestone occurred in 2014 when the government officially announced its decision to establish a Ministry of Defence by 2019, with the aim of transforming the existing Kosovo Security Force into the Kosovo Armed Forces. This transformation would entail aligning the armed forces with the high standards expected of NATO members, reflecting Kosovo's aspiration to join the alliance in the future.<ref>{{cite news|title=Kosovo to create national army of 5,000 soldiers|url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-kosovo-army-idUKBREA231E620140304|access-date=28 May 2014|work=Reuters|date=4 March 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309202553/http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/03/04/uk-kosovo-army-idUKBREA231E620140304|archive-date=9 March 2014}}</ref> Subsequently, in December 2018, the government enacted legislation to redefine the mandate of the Kosovo Security Force, effecting its transformation into an army. Concurrently, the establishment of a Ministry of Defence was set in motion, further solidifying these developments and ensuring the necessary infrastructure and oversight for the newly formed armed forces.<ref>{{cite news |last=Shehu |first=Bekim |url=https://p.dw.com/p/3A6U7 |title=Kosova bëhet me ushtri |language=sq |work=Deutsche Welle |date=2018-12-14 |access-date=2020-09-13 |archive-date=7 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307171432/https://www.dw.com/sq/kosova-b%C3%ABhet-me-ushtri/a-46737219 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Kosovo is divided into seven [[Districts of Kosovo|districts]] ({{lang-sq|rajon}}; {{lang-sr-Latn|okrug}}), according to the Law of Kosovo and the Brussels Agreement of 2013, which stipulated the formation of new municipalities with Serb majority populations. The districts are further subdivided into 38 [[Municipalities of Kosovo|municipalities]] ({{lang|sq|komunë}}; {{lang|sr-Latn|opština}}). The largest and most populous district of Kosovo is the [[District of Pristina]] with the capital in [[Pristina]], having a surface area of {{convert|2470|km2|sqmi|lk=off|abbr=on|sigfig=5}} and a population of 477,312.

 

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! <!--style="width:120/75/75/85px"--> [[Districts of Kosovo|Districts]] !! Seat !! Area (km²)!! Population

 

Defined in a total area of {{convert|10887|km2|0|abbr=off}}, Kosovo is [[landlocked country|landlocked]] and located in the center of the [[Balkan Peninsula]] in [[Southeastern Europe]]. It lies between latitudes [[42nd parallel north|42°]] and [[43rd parallel north|43° N]], and longitudes [[20th meridian east|20°]] and [[22nd meridian east|22° E]].<ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[The World Factbook]] |title=Europe: Kosovo–The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/kosovo/ |access-date=24 September 2020 |archive-date=4 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204144331/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/kosovo/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The northernmost point is Bellobërda at 43° 14' 06" northern latitude; the southernmost is [[Restelicë]] at 41° 56' 40" northern latitude; the westernmost point is [[Bogë, Kosovo|Bogë]] at 20° 3' 23" eastern longitude; and the easternmost point is [[Desivojca]] at 21° 44' 21" eastern longitude. The highest point of Kosovo is [[Gjeravica]] at {{convert|2656|m|ft}} [[Metres above sea level|above sea level]],<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Warrander |first1=Gail |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GCRjKdrmqqEC |title=Kosovo |last2=Knaus |first2=Verena |date=2007 |publisher=Bradt Travel Guides |isbn=978-1-84162-199-9 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Elsie |first=Robert |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pg-aeA-nUeAC |title=Historical Dictionary of Kosovo |date=2010-11-15 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-7483-1 |language=en |access-date=16 December 2023 |archive-date=17 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117101441/https://books.google.com/books?id=Pg-aeA-nUeAC |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Highest peaks of 4 countries |url=https://bnadventure.com/products/highest-peaks-of-4-countries/ |access-date=2023-12-16 |website=Balkans Hiking {{!}} Peaks of the balkans and more |language=en |archive-date=16 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216203010/https://bnadventure.com/products/highest-peaks-of-4-countries/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and the lowest is the [[White Drin]] at {{convert|297|m|ft}}.

 

Most of the borders of Kosovo are dominated by mountainous and high terrain. The most noticeable [[Topography|topographical]] features are the [[Accursed Mountains]] and the [[Šar Mountains]]. The Accursed Mountains are a geological continuation of the [[Dinaric Alps]]. The mountains run laterally through the west along the border with [[Albania]] and [[Montenegro]]. The southeast is predominantly the Šar Mountains, which constitute the border with [[North Macedonia]]. Besides the mountain ranges, Kosovo's territory consists mostly of two major plains, the [[Kosovo Plain]] in the east and the [[Metohija|Metohija Plain]] in the west.

 

Located in [[Southeastern Europe]], Kosovo receives floral and faunal species from Europe and [[Eurasia]]. Forests are widespread in Kosovo and cover at least 39% of the region. [[Phytogeographically]], it straddles the [[Illyria]]n province of the [[Circumboreal Region]] within the [[Boreal Kingdom]]. In addition, it falls within three terrestrial ecoregions: [[Balkan mixed forests]], [[Dinaric Mountains mixed forests]], and [[Pindus Mountains mixed forests]].<ref name="DinersteinOlson2017">{{cite journal|last1=Dinerstein|first1=Eric|last2=Olson|first2=David|last3=Joshi|first3=Anup|last4=Vynne|first4=Carly|last5=Burgess|first5=Neil D.|last6=Wikramanayake|first6=Eric|last7=Hahn|first7=Nathan|last8=Palminteri|first8=Suzanne|last9=Hedao|first9=Prashant|last10=Noss|first10=Reed|last11=Hansen|first11=Matt|last12=Locke|first12=Harvey|last13=Ellis|first13=Erle C|last14=Jones|first14=Benjamin|last15=Barber|first15=Charles Victor|last16=Hayes|first16=Randy|last17=Kormos|first17=Cyril|last18=Martin|first18=Vance|last19=Crist|first19=Eileen|last20=Sechrest|first20=Wes|last21=Price|first21=Lori|last22=Baillie|first22=Jonathan E. M.|last23=Weeden|first23=Don|last24=Suckling|first24=Kierán|last25=Davis|first25=Crystal|last26=Sizer|first26=Nigel|last27=Moore|first27=Rebecca|last28=Thau|first28=David|last29=Birch|first29=Tanya|last30=Potapov|first30=Peter|last31=Turubanova|first31=Svetlana|last32=Tyukavina|first32=Alexandra|last33=de Souza|first33=Nadia|last34=Pintea|first34=Lilian|last35=Brito|first35=José C.|last36=Llewellyn|first36=Othman A.|last37=Miller|first37=Anthony G.|last38=Patzelt|first38=Annette|last39=Ghazanfar|first39=Shahina A.|last40=Timberlake|first40=Jonathan|last41=Klöser|first41=Heinz|last42=Shennan-Farpón|first42=Yara|last43=Kindt|first43=Roeland|last44=Lillesø|first44=Jens-Peter Barnekow|last45=van Breugel|first45=Paulo|last46=Graudal|first46=Lars|last47=Voge|first47=Maianna|last48=Al-Shammari|first48=Khalaf F.|last49=Saleem|first49=Muhammad|display-authors=1|title=An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm|journal=BioScience|volume=67|issue=6|year=2017|pages=534–545|issn=0006-3568|doi=10.1093/biosci/bix014|pmid=28608869|pmc=5451287}}</ref> Kosovo's biodiversity is conserved in two [[national park]]s, eleven [[nature reserve]]s and one hundred three other protected areas.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Veselaj |first1=Zeqir |last2=Mustafa |first2=Behxhet |title=Overview of Nature Protection Progress in Kosovo |url=https://www.landscapeonline.de/wp-content/uploads/DOI103097-LO201545.pdf |access-date=27 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180721165525/https://www.landscapeonline.de/wp-content/uploads/DOI103097-LO201545.pdf |archive-date=21 July 2018 |date=28 December 2015 |page=6 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park]] and [[Sharr Mountains National Park (Kosovo)|Sharr Mountains National Park]] are the most important regions of vegetation and biodiversity in Kosovo.<ref name="Maxhuni">{{cite web |last1=Maxhuni |first1=Qenan |title=Biodiversiteti i Kosovës |url=https://www.ammk-rks.net/repository/docs/Biodiversiteti_i_Kosoves.pdf |access-date=27 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802214537/https://www.ammk-rks.net/repository/docs/Biodiversiteti_i_Kosoves.pdf |archive-date=2 August 2020 |language=sq |url-status=live}}</ref> Kosovo had a 2019 [[Forest Landscape Integrity Index]] mean score of 5.19/10, ranking it 107th globally out of 172 countries.<ref name="FLII-Supplementary">{{cite journal|last1=Grantham|first1=H. S.|last2=Duncan|first2=A.|last3=Evans|first3=T. D.|last4=Jones|first4=K. R.|last5=Beyer|first5=H. L.|last6=Schuster|first6=R.|last7=Walston|first7=J.|last8=Ray|first8=J. C.|last9=Robinson|first9=J. G.|last10=Callow|first10=M.|last11=Clements|first11=T.|last12=Costa|first12=H. M.|last13=DeGemmis|first13=A.|last14=Elsen|first14=P. R.|last15=Ervin|first15=J.|last16=Franco|first16=P.|last17=Goldman|first17=E.|last18=Goetz|first18=S.|last19=Hansen|first19=A.|last20=Hofsvang|first20=E.|last21=Jantz|first21=P.|last22=Jupiter|first22=S.|last23=Kang|first23=A.|last24=Langhammer|first24=P.|last25=Laurance|first25=W. F.|last26=Lieberman|first26=S.|last27=Linkie|first27=M.|last28=Malhi|first28=Y.|last29=Maxwell|first29=S.|last30=Mendez|first30=M.|last31=Mittermeier|first31=R.|last32=Murray|first32=N. J.|last33=Possingham|first33=H.|last34=Radachowsky|first34=J.|last35=Saatchi|first35=S.|last36=Samper|first36=C.|last37=Silverman|first37=J.|last38=Shapiro|first38=A.|last39=Strassburg|first39=B.|last40=Stevens|first40=T.|last41=Stokes|first41=E.|last42=Taylor|first42=R.|last43=Tear|first43=T.|last44=Tizard|first44=R.|last45=Venter|first45=O.|last46=Visconti|first46=P.|last47=Wang|first47=S.|last48=Watson|first48=J. E. M.|display-authors=1|title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity – Supplementary Material|journal=Nature Communications|volume=11|issue=1|year=2020|page=5978|issn=2041-1723|doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3|pmid=33293507|pmc=7723057|bibcode=2020NatCo..11.5978G |s2cid=228082162|doi-access=free}}</ref>

[[Flora]] encompasses more than 1,800 species of [[vascular plant]] species, but the actual number is estimated to be higher than 2,500 species.<ref name="KOSOVObio">{{cite web|title=Kosovo Biodiversity Assessment|url=http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/Pnact349.pdf|website=pdf.usaid.gov|pages=15–16|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303232722/http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNACT349.pdf|archive-date=3 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Biodiversity conservation status in the Republic of Kosovo with focus on biodiversity centres|url=http://www.jeb.co.in/journal_issues/201204_apr12_supp/paper_04.pdf|website=jeb.co.in|page=1|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171020033206/http://www.jeb.co.in/journal_issues/201204_apr12_supp/paper_04.pdf|archive-date=20 October 2017}}</ref> The diversity is the result of the complex interaction of geology and hydrology creating a wide variety of habitat conditions for flora growth. Although, Kosovo represents only 2.3% of the entire surface area of the [[Balkans]], in terms of vegetation it has 25% of the Balkan flora and about 18% of the European flora.<ref name="KOSOVObio"/> The fauna is composed of a wide range of species.<ref name=Maxhuni/>{{rp|14}} The mountainous west and southeast provide a great habitat for several [[Rare species|rare]] or [[endangered species]] including [[brown bear]]s, [[lynx]]es, [[wild cat]]s, [[wolve]]s, [[fox]]es, [[wild goat]]s, [[roe deer|roebucks]] and [[deer]]s.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kosovo Biodiversity Assessment|url=http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/Pnact349.pdf|website=pdf.usaid.gov|page=17|language=sq|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303232722/http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNACT349.pdf|archive-date=3 March 2017}}</ref> A total of 255 species of [[bird]]s have been recorded, with raptors such as the [[golden eagle]], [[eastern imperial eagle]] and [[lesser kestrel]] living principally in the mountains of Kosovo.

 

According to the [[World Happiness Report]] 2024, which evaluates the happiness levels of citizens in various countries, Kosovo is currently ranked 29th among a total of 143 nations assessed.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[World Happiness Report]] (WHR) |title=World Happiness Report 2024: Happiness of the younger, the older, and those in between |url=https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2024/happiness-of-the-younger-the-older-and-those-in-between/#ranking-of-happiness-2021-2023 |access-date=11 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240911095847/https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2024/happiness-of-the-younger-the-older-and-those-in-between/#ranking-of-happiness-2021-2023 |archive-date=11 September 2024 |date=20 March 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>

 

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{|class="wikitable floatright" style="text-align:left; width:97%; margin-right:10px; font-size:90%"

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!rowspan=23 width:150|<br />

|style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"| 8 ||align=left|'''[[Mitrovica, Kosovo|Mitrovica]]''' || 64,680 || style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" | 18 ||align=left|'''[[Istog]]''' || 33,066

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|style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"| 10 ||align=left|'''[[Vushtrri]]''' || 61,493 || style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" | 20 ||align=left|'''[[Dragash]]''' || 28,908

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|}

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The primary and secondary education is subdivided into four stages: preschool education, primary and low secondary education, high secondary education and special education. Preschool education is for children from the ages of one to five. Primary and secondary education is obligatory for everyone. It is provided by gymnasiums and vocational schools and also available in languages of recognised minorities in Kosovo, where classes are held in [[Albanian language|Albanian]], Serbian, [[Bosnian language|Bosnian]], [[Turkish language|Turkish]] and [[Croatian language|Croatian]]. The first phase (primary education) includes grades one to five, and the second phase (low secondary education) grades six to nine. The third phase (high secondary education) consists of general education but also professional education, which is focused on different fields. It lasts four years. However, pupils are offered possibilities of applying for higher or university studies. According to the [[Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (Kosovo)|Ministry of Education]], children who are not able to get a general education are able to get a special education (fifth phase).<ref>{{cite web|title=Elementary and secondary education|url=https://www.rks-gov.net/en-US/Qytetaret/Edukimi/Pages/ArsimiFillorDheMesem.aspx|website=rks-gov.net|language=en|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818111807/https://www.rks-gov.net/en-US/Qytetaret/Edukimi/Pages/ArsimiFillorDheMesem.aspx|archive-date=18 August 2016|access-date=14 April 2017}}</ref>

Higher education can be received in universities and other higher-education institutes. These educational institutions offer studies for [[Bachelor's degree|Bachelor]], [[Master's degree|Master]] and [[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]] degrees. The students may choose full-time or part-time studies.

 

== Culture ==

[[File:Fli e pjekur me saç.jpg|thumb|right|[[Flia|Fli]] is one of the most favored dishes of the traditional [[Albanian cuisine]] in Kosovo.]]

 

 

[[Baklava|Bakllavë]] is a traditional dessert in Southern Europe, comprising layers of phyllo pastry filled with nuts and drizzled with honey that is often served for festive occasions.<ref name="Jones"/> Another notable dessert is [[Tres leches cake|Trileçe]], a sponge cake soaked in a blend of three types of milk and covered with caramel.<ref name="Jones"/> The coffee culture of Kosovo represents a vibrant and essential aspect of daily life, functioning as a cornerstone for social interactions and communal gatherings.<ref name="Jones"/> In Kosovo, coffee symbolises hospitality and community, inviting both locals and visitors to connect.<ref name="Jones"/> Often accompanied by traditional sweets and pastries, the preparation of coffee typically involves a cezve, a traditional pot for brewing finely ground coffee. This method emphasises the ceremonial nature of coffee preparation. Hosts take pride in serving their guests the finest brew, highlighting the importance of hospitality. The act of sharing coffee fosters meaningful conversations among individuals, with people recounting stories and engaging in discussions about life.<ref name="Jones"/>

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{{See also|Destruction of Albanian heritage in Kosovo|Destruction of Serbian heritage in Kosovo|l1=Destruction of Albanian|l2=Serbian heritage in Kosovo}}

 

[[File:Prishtina and the great Hamam.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Great Hamam of Pristina]] was built in the 15th century and was part of the [[Imperial Mosque (Pristina)|Imperial Mosque]] in [[Pristina]].]]

 

 

In February 1979, the [[National Gallery of Kosovo|Kosova National Art Gallery]] was founded. It became the highest institution of visual arts in Kosovo. It was named after one of the most prominent artists of Kosovo [[Muslim Mulliqi]]. [[Engjëll Berisha]], [[Masar Caka]], [[Tahir Emra]], [[Abdullah Gërguri]], [[Hysni Krasniqi]], [[Nimon Lokaj]], Aziz Nimani, [[Ramadan Ramadani]], [[Esat Valla]] and Lendita Zeqiraj are some of few [[List of Albanian painters|Albanian painters]] born in Kosovo.

 

=== Music ===

{{main|Music of Kosovo}}

 

 

A baked-clay [[ocarina]] was found in the village of [[Runik]] which is considered to be the oldest musical instrument found in Kosovo and one of the oldest ocarinas ever found in Europe.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Cacciafoco |first=Francesco Perono |date=2019-12-01 |title=A Prehistoric 'Little Goose': A New Etymology for the Word 'Ocarina' |url=https://www.academia.edu/41376720 |journal=Annals of the University of Craiova: Series Philology, Linguistics}}</ref> [[Runik ocarina]] is thought to be at least 8,000 years old.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Kayode |date=2022-09-24 |title=History Of The Ocarina |url=https://phamoxmusic.com/history-of-the-ocarina/ |access-date=2023-12-10 |website=Phamox Music |language=en-US |archive-date=10 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231210104329/https://phamoxmusic.com/history-of-the-ocarina/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

 

In the past, epic poetry in Kosovo and [[Northern Albania]] was sung on a lahuta and then a more tuneful çiftelia was used which has two strings-one for the melody and one for drone. Kosovar music is influenced by Turkish music due to the almost 500-year span of Ottoman rule in Kosovo though Kosovar folklore has preserved its originality and exemplary.<ref name=Bradt>{{cite book|last1=Warrander |first1=Gail |last2=Knaus |first2=Verena |title=Kosovo|year=2011|publisher=Bradt Guides|isbn=9781841623313|page=41|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uSaH1bKAb8QC&q=serbian%20music%20kosovo&pg=PA41|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817203252/https://books.google.rs/books?id=uSaH1bKAb8QC&pg=PA41#v=onepage&q=serbian%20music%20kosovo|archive-date=17 August 2017}}</ref> Archaeological research tells how old this tradition is and how it was developed in parallel with other traditional music in the Balkans. Roots dating to the 5th century BC have been found in paintings on stones of singers with instruments. (There is a famous portrait of "Pani" holding an instrument similar to a flute).<ref name="Kruta">{{cite book|last=Kruta|first=Beniamin|title=Vendi i polifonise shqiptare ne polifonike ballkanike|year=1990|publisher=Kultura Popullore|pages=13–14}}</ref>

 

The contemporary music artists [[Rita Ora]], [[Dua Lipa]] and [[Era Istrefi]], are all of [[Albanians|Albanian origin]] and have achieved international recognition for their music.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rita Ora|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=24 February 2012 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/earshot/rita-ora-single-party-and-bullshit-jay-z-roc-nation-294871|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120501101740/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/earshot/rita-ora-single-party-and-bullshit-jay-z-roc-nation-294871|archive-date=1 May 2012}}</ref> One widely recognised musician from [[Prizren]] is guitarist [[Petrit Çeku]], winner of several international prizes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Petrit Ceku |url=https://www.naxos.com/Bio/Person/Petrit_Ceku/70948 |website=naxos.com |access-date=14 February 2024 |archive-date=14 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240214225145/https://www.naxos.com/Bio/Person/Petrit_Ceku/70948 |url-status=live }}</ref>

 

[[Viktorija (singer)|Viktorija]] is the only artist from [[Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo|Kosovo]] who represented [[Yugoslavia in the Eurovision Song Contest]] as part of [[Aska (group)|Aska]] in [[Eurovision Song Contest 1982|1982]]. Singer [[Rona Nishliu]] finished 5th in the [[Eurovision Song Contest 2012|2012]] Eurovision Song Contest, while [[Lindita (singer)|Lindita]] represented Albania in [[Eurovision Song Contest 2017|2017]]. Several Serbian singers from Kosovo have also participated in the Serbian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. [[Nevena Božović]] represented [[Serbia in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest]] and twice in the Eurovision Song Contest, firstly as a member of [[Moje 3]] in [[Eurovision Song Contest 2013|2013]] and as a solo act in [[Eurovision Song Contest 2019|2019]].

 

=== Cinema ===