Kosovo

Region: Europe

Official language: Albanian, Serbian

Population: 1,977,093 (2024 est.)

Nationality: Kosovan (noun), Kosovan (adjective)

Land area: 10,887 sq km (4,203 sq miles)

Capital: Pristina (Prishtine, Prishtina)

National anthem: "Europe", by None/Mendi Mengjiqi

National holiday: Independence Day, February 17 (2008)

Population growth: 0.68% (2024 est.)

Time zone: UTC +1

Flag: The flag of Kosovo consists of a golden map of the country itself, centered in a dark blue field (background). A slight arc of six five-pointed white stars sits above the geographical map, each representing one of the country’s six major ethnicities: Albanians, Serbs, Turks, Gorani, Roma, and Bosniaks.

Independence: February 17, 2008 (from Serbia)

Government type: parliamentary republic

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legal system: civil law system

The Republic of Kosovo was founded on February 17, 2008, when it declared its independence from Serbia. Kosovo is a landlocked territory located to the east of the Adriatic Sea. It is bordered on the south by North Macedonia and Albania. To the north lies Serbia, and to the west is Montenegro. Although Kosovo declared independence once before in 1990, the declaration was not widely recognized. Kosovo's later declaration was seen as legitimate by Western powers, including the United States. By the early 2020s, more than half the member states of the United Nations—though not Serbia—had recognized Kosovo as an independent state.

Note: unless otherwise indicated, statistical data in this article is sourced from the CIA World Factbook, as cited in the bibliography.

People and Culture

Population: Kosovo, which is divided into thirty-eight municipalities, is home to a variety of ethnic groups. Estimates about ethnic makeup are flawed, because the 2011 national census was boycotted by groups like ethnic Serbs who are a significant minority in Kosovo. However, according to the 2011 numbers, Albanians make up the dominant ethnic group, accounting for 92.9 percent of the total population. Bosniaks make up about 1.6 percent of the population; Serbs, 1.5 percent; and Turks, 1.1 percent. Other minority groups in Kosovo include Roma, Egyptian, and Gorani. The majority of the population lives in rural regions outside of the capital of Pristina.

Islam is the major religion of Kosovo, while the Serb population is Serbian Orthodox and Roman Catholic. A portion of Serbs in Kosovo are also Protestant. Albanian is the prominent language and one of two official languages, though the Serbian and Bosnian languages are commonly used. Serbian is the other official language. English also became more widely spoken after the UN Interim Administration was established in 1999.

Education: Beginning in the early twenty-first century, Kosovo implemented a reformed educational system. This consisted of preschool, elementary, lower secondary, higher secondary, secondary professional, and university levels. Higher secondary is classified by a general, or "gymnasium," curriculum, and is pursued by students with collegiate aspirations. The secondary professional level emphasizes a vocational education. This type of education is pursued by those interested in industries such as textile manufacturing and tourism.

The educational system in Kosovo faces problems ranging from a lack of funding and textbooks to inconsistent training of teachers. Traineeships, or internships, are an underdeveloped aspect of the school curriculum. Other educational issues include a lack of access for students with special needs and inadequate preschool facilities. Functional illiteracy remains a widespread concern.

Indigenous People: The Balkan Peninsula was first populated by the Illyrians. As early as the fifth century, the Slavs made the Balkan Peninsula their home and, led by the "Unknown Archon," established the Serbian Empire. "Unknown Archon" is a term given by historians to the Serbian leader that helped establish this early regime. The Slavs were followed by Albanian speakers from the Adriatic region in the eighth century. Beginning in 9 CE, the Romans inhabited the area.

Health Care: Kosovo's transition from a former socialist nation, coupled with violent ethnic conflict during the 1990s, have adversely affected the nation's health care system; insufficient investment in medical staff training and the maintenance or destruction of infrastructure and equipment have created public health challenges. In addition, ethnic segregation became a concern as Roma and Serbian minorities were often prevented from accessing health care following the war of 1998–9.

Kosovo has attempted to reform its health care system in the early twenty-first century. The reformed system is based on a "family practice" approach, in which doctors, nurses and other health care professionals work in teams. Prenatal and early childhood care is also an area of focus; Kosovo had one of the highest infant mortality rates in all of Europe in the early twenty-first century (30.2 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2020, then 22.9 in 2024). Tuberculosis and mental health issues are also major health concerns.

Food: Traditional cuisine in Kosovo is often characterized by meat, pastry and cheese; staples include yogurt, pickled vegetables, and pies made of spinach or meat (typically lamb). Traditional deserts such as tulumbe and baklava are also characteristic of Kosovar cuisine, as is burek, which is a pastry filled with cheese, spinach or meat, and is considered a popular snack throughout the Balkan Peninsula. Albanian influences are often prevalent in traditional Kosovar dishes.

Western food is commonly sold in grocery stores, and major cities such as Pristina, Prizren and Gjakovë feature a variety of international restaurants, including fast food outlets and sandwich bars with an American influence. In addition, while the dominant religion of Kosovo is Islam, Kosovo is quite secular, and the consumption of alcohol is a social norm, particularly among youth. Local beer and wine is readily available throughout the country.

Arts & Entertainment: Due to a lack of cultural spaces, such as cinemas, resulting from Kosovo's socialist history and recent conflicts, social contact between people is an important part of youth culture. Going to the theater has become a more common activity, and young people often socialize in bars or cybercafés, and congregate to watch television or movies.

Kosovo also has a rather undeveloped music industry as compared to the rest of Europe. The music scene is often more democratic and dynamic for youth in Kosovo, who have more opportunities to record and promote their music. Popular music among young people includes folk, modern rock, and hip-hop music, and notable performers include Troja, Gjurmët, and Diadema. Ilir Bajri is a well-known jazz and electronic performer on the Kosovan music scene.

Traditional handicrafts, such as wood carvings and engravings, have a lengthy history in Kosovo; copper, brass, silver and magnesium are typical materials used in such crafts.

Football (soccer), basketball, and handball are all popular sports in Kosovo. Beginning in 2003, several formal sports federations were established, including the Basketball Federation of Kosovo, the Handball Federation of Kosovo, and the Table Tennis Federation of Kosovo (TTFK).

Annual festivals include the Dokufest, an international documentary and short film festival held in the city of Prizren, and the Prishtina Jazz Festival, held in the capital since 2005.

Holidays: The Muslim holidays of Ramadan (the ninth month of the Muslim calendar), Eid al-Fitr (the festival of fast-breaking), and Eid al-Adha (the festival of sacrifice) are widely observed in Kosovo; and in the Orthodox faith, Orthodox Christmas and Orthodox Assumption are celebrated. In addition to religious holidays, national observances include Independence Day (February 17), Constitution Day (April), May Day and Europe Day (May), and Flag Day, observed in November in honor of Albanian unity.

Environment and Geography

Topography: Kosovo is located in the center of the Balkan Peninsula and features a mostly mountainous and rugged terrain, with various hillocks and river valleys. It occupies an area of 10,887 square kilometers (4,211 square miles). A landlocked nation, Kosovo's major rivers are the White Drim, or Beli Drim, located in southern Kosovo, and which ultimately empties into the Adriatic Sea; the Ibar, located in the northwestern region of Kosovo, and which ultimately flows into the Danube and Morava Rivers; the Lepenac, which runs in the southeast, and ultimately flows into the Aegean Sea via the Vardar River; and the Sitnica, which is a major tributary of the Ibar.

Kosovo's highest peak is Gjeravica, which reaches an elevation of 2,656 meters (8,714 feet) above sea level. The Šars Mountain range, bordering North Macedonia, is a popular region for skiing and tourism. The country's main lakes lie in the northern region.

Natural Resources: Kosovo is one of the richest countries in Eastern Europe in terms of natural resources, including substantial quantities of nickel, lead, zinc, magnesium, lignite, kaolin, chrome, and bauxite. Kosovo also has extensive coal reserves, in addition to oil reserves. Due to the country's strategic position in the center of the Balkan Peninsula, its rivers are important for trade, transportation, and irrigation.

Systems to monitor the quality of drinking water are not universally in place, and there is little to no monitoring of wastewater from municipal sewage systems. Unchecked industrial pollution has also been a major concern, and there is no system to monitor air pollution in the country.

Plants & Animals: Kosovo's variable climate has a significant influence on the diversity of the country's plants and animals. Fruit, mulberry, black oak and Canadian poplar trees are prevalent in lower lands, while deciduous trees such as the beech are popular in more mountainous areas. Fir, chestnut and pine trees are found in higher altitudes.

In addition to widespread populations of rabbit, deer and boar, Kosovo is also home to wild hens, wolves, and chamois, and bears are common in the mountainous regions. Marine animals include salmon trout, catfish, and carp, while the region's many bird species include the raven, magpie, field sparrow, and pheasants and quails. Rare and endangered animal species in Kosovo include the Saker falcon (Falco cherrug) and the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus).

Climate: Kosovo has a continental climate, influenced by prevalent Mediterranean and alpine conditions. Autumn and spring seasons are relatively cool with seasonal rainfall, while the average summer temperature is 22 degrees Celsius (72 degrees Fahrenheit). Winters are snowy, with average temperatures of –2 degrees Celsius (28.4 degrees Fahrenheit). Kosovo's average high temperatures vary between 25 and 38 degrees Celsius (77–100 degrees Fahrenheit). The heaviest rainfall occurs between the months of October and December, with little rainfall during the summer months. At the same time, experts noted that Kosovo, like other Balkan nations, had experienced more frequent and severe heat waves related to climate change.

Economy

Kosovo's economy has made significant strides in the early twenty-first century as the country shifts to a market-based system. However, Kosovo is still dependent on foreign aid and assistance, and remittances from dispersed citizens account for a percentage of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP). Privatization has been the most significant driver of economic growth in recent years, though the country has had difficulty privatizing businesses that had been state-owned, or socially owned, during communist rule.

Kosovo’s GDP (purchasing power parity) was estimated in 2023 at US$23.962 billion, or US$13,600 per capita, among the lowest in Europe. Unemployment was estimated at 30.5 percent in 2017. In addition, 17.6 percent of the population lives below the poverty line (2015 est.). The euro is the official currency of Kosovo, though the Serbian dinar is commonly accepted in areas heavily populated by Serbs.

Industry: The country's industries are still recovering from the breakup of Yugoslavia, which had a widespread negative effect on the population. Kosovo's unresolved international status also contributed to corruption related to the dispersal of financial relief, and to the growth of a thriving informal sector. In addition, Kosovo's mining and metal industries have stalled since the latter half of the twentieth century due to outdated equipment and a lack of investment, while technical issues and insufficient investments have also slowed down industrial development in the nation as a whole.

Refined petroleum, electricity, and cars are key imports, while base metals, machinery, and leather continue to be produced domestically.

Agriculture: Despite a mostly rugged terrain rich in mineral resources, agriculture is an important economic activity in Kosovo, mainly due to the fertile plains in the center of the country. Cereal crops such as maize and wheat are important agricultural products, as are peppers, fruit, and potatoes. Grape production has also declined due to a saturated international wine industry. Livestock, particularly dairy farming, remains a mainstay of the Kosovar economy. Overall, Kosovo is not self-sufficient in terms of food production, and most food is imported.

Tourism: Kosovo has yet to firmly establish itself as a tourist destination; interest in visiting the area particularly waned in the latter twentieth and early twenty-first centuries due to violence, a tumultuous political climate, and poor preservation of the environment and historic sites. The tourism industry has seen a resurgence, however.

Popular tourist attractions include the Old Town district in the historical city of Prizren, known for its Islamic architecture, the scenic Rugova Gorge, the Pec Patriachy monastery, and the Gjakova Old Bazaar, which dates back to the seventeenth century. Skiing, hunting, and trout fishing are popular activities among visitors.

Government

Throughout the nineteenth century and by the beginning of the twentieth century, Kosovo was occupied by the Ottoman and Serbian Empires. Following World War I, Kosovo became a part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, until its occupation by Nazi and Italian forces from 1941 to 1944.

After World War II, Kosovo was as an autonomous region in Serbia under the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), which existed from 1945 until 1992, and was ruled by Josip Broz Tito for the majority of that time. This republic was a communist state that included modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia. Under Tito's leadership, Yugoslavia remained a neutral actor in the Cold War and helped to form the Non-Aligned States. During this time, the Albanian population in Kosovo grew, and Albanian nationalism intensified.

Following Tito's death in 1980, the SFRY held together but was not recognized by the international community. Communist leaderships were established in each republic, and ethnic conflict and civil war would eventually lead to the dismantling of Yugoslavia.

Slobodan Milošević, president of the state of Serbia from 1989 to 1997, and president of the SFRY from 1997 to 2000, is one of the more widely known figures of this period in the history of the Balkans. Milošević, a Serb, believed that Serbian majorities had the right to remain a part of Yugoslavia. However, critics accused him of being corrupt and interested only in shoring up more power for himself. In 1989, Milošević stripped Kosovo of its autonomy, allowing the government of Serbia to have direct control over the region.

The Kosovo War, which occurred between 1996 and 1999, was fought between Serbian and Yugoslav forces and the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). The KLA, an Albanian guerilla organization, supported an independent Kosovo. A fourth player in the conflict was the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which became involved in late March 1999. NATO forces aimed to end the violence in the region, which had resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.

By the end of 1999, major military conflict had ended. Milošević and several of his colleagues were tried at the Hague for human rights abuses and crimes against humanity for the persecution of and military action against ethnic Albanians.

When the war concluded, governance of Kosovo was transferred to the United Nations (UN). The UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) was established on June 10, 1999. In February 2008, the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, an institution within the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government (PISG) established by UNMIK, adopted a declaration of independence for Kosovo. The UN-led interim government was set to depart Kosovo in June 2008 following the establishment of a national constitution.

As of late 2023, it was believed that over half of the member nations of the UN had formally recognized Kosovo's independence. The Republic of Serbia is one of many countries that had yet to recognize Kosovo's independence, asserting that Kosovo remains an autonomous province of Serbia. By late 2023, Serbia had claimed that several countries had withdrawn their recognition. A few other states have extended diplomatic recognition but then withdrawn it. Kosovo began the process of qualifying for European Union (EU) membership in 2015. Then, in 2020, Kosovo and Serbia signed an economic normalization agreement intended to foster both economic and diplomatic growth between the two nations. As tensions remained, however, in 2023 an agreement toward normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo was reached.

Interesting Facts

• In March 2008, the government of the newly independent Republic of Kosovo launched a competition to decide the nation's new flag, emblem, and national anthem. The anthem of the European Union (EU), "Ode to Joy," was played during the nation's declaration of independence ceremonies.
• Brandt Travel Guides, Ltd., released the first travel guide dedicated to Kosovo in November 2007.
• Bill Clinton Boulevard, located in Pristina, Kosovo's capital, is named after former United States president Bill Clinton.
• Pristina means "field of blackbirds."
• Kosovo had its first participant in the Winter Olympics in 2018.

Bibliography

"Kosovo." The World Bank, 2024, data.worldbank.org/country/kosovo. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.

"Kosovo." The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 16 Jan. 2025, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/kosovo/. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.

Perritt, Henry H. The Road to Independence for Kosovo: A Chronicle of the Ahtisaari Plan. Cambridge UP, 2010.

Skendaj, Elton. Creating Kosovo: International Oversight and the Making of Ethical Institutions. Cornell UP, 2014.