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'''Kosovo''' (]: ''Kosovë''/''Kosova'', ]: Косово и Метохија/''Kosovo i Metohija'') is a ]-administered territory of ], ]. By the UN resolution 1244 (adopted in 1999), Kosovo is defined as autonomous territory within former ] under UN administration. Whether this will remain the case is still unclear, as the final status of Kosovo is the subject of an ongoing dispute between government of Serbia and Kosovo's government. Talks on this issue started in Vienna, on February 20, ] . '''Kosovo''' (]: ''Kosovë'' / ''Kosova'', ]: Косово и Метохија / ''Kosovo i Metohija'') is a territory in South Eastern Europe. By the UN resolution 1244 (adopted in 1999), Kosovo is defined as autonomous territory within former ] under UN administration. Whether this will remain the case is still unclear, as the final status of Kosovo is the subject of an ongoing dispute between government of Serbia and Kosovo's government. Talks on this issue started in Vienna, on February 20, ] .


== Geography == == Geography ==
] ]

With an area of ] ]s (4,213 ]) and a population of over two million of the eve of the 1999 crisis, Kosovo borders ] to the northwest, ] to the North and East; ] to the south, and ] to the southwest. The largest cities are ]/] the capital, with an estimated 500,000 citizens, and ] in the southwest with 120,000 citizens; five other towns have populations in excess of 50,000. The name ] is used by mostly ] for the western part of the land. ] refer to the area as ''Rrafshi i Dukagjinit''. With an area of ] ]s (4,213 ]) and a population of over two million on the eve of the 1999 crisis, Kosovo borders ] to the northwest, ] to the North and East; ] to the south, and ] to the southwest. The largest cities are ]/] the capital, with an estimated 500,000 inhabitants, and ] in the southwest with 120,000: five other towns have populations in excess of 50,000. The name ] is used by mostly ] for the western part of the land. ] refer the area as ''Rrafshi i Dukagjinit''.


== History == == History ==
{{main|History of Kosovo}} {{main|History of Kosovo}}
⚫ It is likely that the region of Kosovo has been inhabited by ] since the ]. In ancient times the area has been known as ] and was settled by a tribe with the same name. The ] were of Illyrian and Thracian stock and some (notably Albanians) claim that Albanians are direct descendants of Illyrians. Illyrians organised resistance against ] and ] for hundreds of years but after the long wars of Illyrian tribes against intruders, the region was later occupied by the ] under Emperor ]. When the Roman Empire split in ]&nbsp;], the Kosovo region came under the ], later known as the Byzantine Empire.
=== Ancient ===
⚫ There is a theory that the region of Kosovo has been inhabited by ] since the ]. In ancient times the area has been known as ] and was settled by a tribe with the same name. The south of Kosovo was ruled by ] since Alexander the Great's reign in the 4th century BC. The ] were of Illyrian or Thracian stock. Illyrians organised resistance against ] and ] for hundreds of years but after the long wars of Illyrian tribes against intruders, the region was later occupied by the ] under Emperor ]. When the Roman Empire split in ]&nbsp;], the area of Kosovo came under the ], the ].


⚫ According to '']'' the ], who later would form the ethnic group of ], came to the territories of roughly modern-day Kosovo in the ] and ]. They were invited to settle in the area south of ] as farmers by Byzantine emperor ] to protect the area from invading ]. The slavs were ] in several waves between the ] and ] with the last wave taking place between ] and ]. But by then Kosovo was ruled by the ] from the 850s until ].
=== Medieval - The arrival of Serbs, the unified Serbian Lands and the Serb Kingdom ===
⚫ ], or ] in precise, came to the territories of roughly modern-day Kosovo in the ]-]. They were invited to settle in the area south of ] as farmers by Byzantine emperor ] to protect the area from invading ]. The slavs were ] in several waves between the ] and ] with the last wave taking place between ] and ]. But by then Kosovo proper was ruled by the ] and ] from the 850s until ], while ] became a part of the ].


⚫ In ] - ], a ] nobleman from ], ], who called himself the King of Serbs, Albanians and Vallahians, asserted to the Grand Princely throne and conquered most of Kosovo in an uprising against the ]. Nemanja was eventually defeated and had to return some of his conquests, and vouched to the ] that he would not raise his hand against him. In ], Nemanja embarked on a new offensive with the Hungarians after the Byzantine Emperor's death. Nemanja's son, ], recorded Nemanja's conquests, as Nemanja restored Kosovo from the ], the border of the ] reaching the river of ]. ''King of ]'' Stephen II finished the inclusion of the Kosovo territories in ], by which time he had conquered ] and ], and moved the border of his realm to the ].
The ] begin the takeover of Kosovo in the ] under a branch of the ] as the ] of ]. In ], Prince Vukan advanced all the way to ], burned it down and raided the neighbouring areas. The ] himself came to ] for negotiations. A peace was concluded, but Vukan broke it and defeated the army of John Comnenus, the Emperor's nephew. His armies stormed Kosovo. Byzantine Emperor Alexius had to come to Lipljan in ] and negotiate again. Peace was concluded and Vukan gave hostages to the Emperor, including his nephews Uroš and Stefan Vukan. Prince Vukan renewed the warring in ], once again defeating John Comnenus' army, but Vukan's following death put a halt to a total conquest of Kosovo.


⚫ After the ] of ] ] fell into disarray prior to his death in ], feudal anarchy caught up with the country during the reign of Tsar ]. The area of Kosovo became a part of ] of ]'s domain. The Ottomans invaded the realm and met the coalition of South East European nobility on ] ], near ]/]. The coalition consisted of ], ], ], ], ], ] and even a contingent of ] mercenaries. The epic ] followed, in which Prince Lazar himself lost his life and the coalition was broken. Through the cunning of ] ] ] was murdered and the new Sultan ] had, despite winning the battle, to retreat to consolidate his power. Both Prince ] and ] were canonised by the ] for their efforts in the battle. The local House of ] came to prominence as the local lords of Kosovo, under ], with the temporary fall of the ] in ]. Another great battle occurred between the Hungarian troops supported by (self-proclaimed King) Gjergj Kastrioti ], and ] troops supported by the Brankovićs in ]. Skanderbeg's troops which were going to help John Hunyadi were stopped by the Brankovic's troops, who was more or less a Turkish ]. Hungarian King ] lost the battle after a 2-day fight, but essentially stopped the Ottoman advance northwards. Kosovo then became vassalaged to the ], until its direct incorporation after the final fall of Serbia in ].
In ] - ], a ] nobleman from ], ], the founder of the ] asserted to the ]n Grand Princely throne and conquered most of Kosovo in an uprising against the ]. He defeated the previous ], his brother, Tihomir's army at ]. Tihomir was drowned in the ] river. Nemanja was eventually defeated and had to return some of his conquests, and vouched to the ] that he would not raise his hand against him. In ], Nemanja embarked on a new offensive with the Hungarians after the Byzantine Emperor ] death.


⚫ The ] brought ] with them, particularly in towns, and later also created the ] as one of the ] territorial entities. This brought a great shift, as the Orthodox population (Serbian, Bulgarian, and Greek) began to lose its majority when masses of Turks and Albanians (Muslims or Catholics) moved to Kosovo. During the Islamisation many churches and holy orthodox places were raised to the ground or turned in to ], leaving a hard . Kosovo was taken by the Austrian forces during the Great War of ] - ] with great help of 5000 Albanians and their leader, a ] ]. The archbishop died of plague during the war, and his grave was later reopened, with his body scattered and given to the dogs by the Ottomans because of his role as a leader of the rebellion. In ], the ] ], who previously escaped a certain death, led 30,000 families from Kosovo, to evade Ottoman wrath since Kosovo had just been retaken by the ]. The people that followed him were probably mostly ], but it's possible also people of other different ethnic origins followed him. Due to the terror from the ], other migrations of Orthodox people from the Kosovo and Metohija area continued throughout the ]. It is also noted that some ] adopted ] and some even gradually fused with the predominantly Albanian Moslems and adopted their culture and even language.
⚫ Nemanja's son, ], recorded Nemanja's conquests, as Nemanja restored Kosovo from the ], the border of the ] reaching the river of ]. Grand Prince Stephen II finished the inclusion of the Kosovo territories in ], by which time he had conquered ] and ], and moved the border of his realm to the ].


In 1878, with the Berlin Conference, Serbia gained what is today known as Southern Serbia, a region as large as Kosovo. In less than two months, the region was ] and its population was located in today's Kosovo, Macedonia, and largely Turkey. They inhabited almost every Kosovo and Macedonian town escaping from the Serbian army and population were committing against unarmed civilians. This is best described by ], who was the reporter for the 'Pravda' newspaper at the time. These populations are now known as 'muhaxher' (which means 'refugee') and are the ancestors of many who are still known by their same surnames, Muhaxheri.
In ], the ] achieved recognition. In ], an autocephalous ] was created, with the ], ] and ] ] on Kosovo. By the end of the ], the centre of the ] was moved to ] from ].


⚫ As a response to Serbian, Bulgarian and Greek ], Albanians formed the ] in ]. Hundreds of Albanian leaders from all over Albania gathered and discussed the urgent issues concerning them. They successfully opposed any Serbian invasion attemps. Serbia complained to the Western Powers that the promised territories were not being held because Ottomans were hesitating to do that. Western Powers put pressure to the Ottomans and in 1881, the Ottoman Army started the fighting against Albanians. The Prizren League created a Provisional Government with a President, Prime Minister (Ymer Prizreni)and Ministries of War (Sylejman Vokshi) and Foreign Ministry (Abdyl Frashëri). After three years of war, the Albanians were defeated. Many of the leaders were executed and imprisoned. In ], an ] uprising spread from ] and lasted until the Ottoman Sultan's visit to Kosovo in ] ]. The Aim of the League of Prizren as to unite the four Albanian Vilayets by merging the majority of Albanian inhabitants within the Ottoman Empire into one Albanian State. However at that time Serbs have consisted about 40% of Kosovo's overall population and were opposing the Albanian nationalism along with other Slavs and Turks in Kosovo.
In the ], Kosovo becomes the heart of the Serbian political and religious life with the Šar mountain becoming the political center of the Serbian rulers. The main chatteu was that in ]. On an island was ] and on the coast ], and in the mountains was the Castle of ]. The Complexes were used for counciling, crowning of rulers, negotiating and as the rulers' living quarters. After ], the ] broke all the way to ]. ] ] managed to defeat them and then chase them further. He raised the Temple of the ] of Ljeviška in ] around ], which became the seat of the Prizren Episcopric and the magnificent ] in ], the seat of the ] Episcopric. In 1331, Juvenille King Dušan attacked his father, Serbian King Stefan of Dechani at his castle in ]. King Stefan closed in his neighbouring fortress of ], but Dušan captures him and closed him with his second wife Maria Palailogos and their children in ], where the dethroned King died on ] ].


In ] during the ], Kosovo and ] were conquered by ] while eastern part of Kosovo was captured by ]. Serbia aimed at ethnically cleansing Kosovo of its Albanian population, but it was negotiated with Turkey for the Albanians to be transferred into ], with relative success. Serbian Academy of Sciences and Art leading member Dr. Vaso Cubrilovic carefully compiled a document describing in detail how the expulsion and colonization of Kosovo with Serbian population should take place. .
In ] and ], ] ] started forming the vast ] domain, although, Serbian King ] would finish it in ]. Stefan of Dechani issued that ''Dechani Charter'' in ]. Listing every single citizen in every household under the Church Land's demesne.


In 1912, ] declared independence and a year later, in 1913 (]), Albania was recognized as an independent state without Kosovo, as it already belonged to Serbia. In winter of 1915-16 Kosovo saw a large exodus of its ]n population and army; hundreds of thousands soldiers have died of starvation, extreme weather and Albanian reprisals as they were approaching the ] in ] and ]. (See ]).
==== Serbian Empire and Despotate ====
] and ] ] founded the vast Monastery of Saint Archaengel near ] in ]-]. King Dušan declared himself as ''Emperor of Serbs and Greeks'' in ], thereby starting the ]. Stefan Dušan received John Cantakuzines in ] in his Castle in ] to discuss a joint War against the Byzantine Emperor. In ], the Serbian ] at Peć was upgraded into a Patriarchate, but not recognized before ].


⚫ After the ]-] period of the ] and the ]-] ], Yugoslavia was invaded by the ]. The greatest part of Kosovo became a part of ]-controlled ], and smaller bits by the ]-] ] and ] ]-occupied ]. Since the Albanians had decided in the ] that Kosovo would remain Albanian, they have started immediately an ethnic cleansing of the non-Albanians in the occupied Kosovo. The infamous ] is known to committed horrible crimes. Tens of thousands of Serbs lost their lives and around 75,000 Serbs fled Kosovo during the war. Hundreds of thousands more would leave in the following decades, following the shift of power in Kosovo.
After the ] fell into disarray prior to his death in ], feudal anarchy caught up with the country during the reign of Tsar ]. Kosovo became a domain of the ], but Prince Voislav Voinović expanded his demesne further onto Kosovo. The armies of King ] from ] and his allies defeated Voislav's forces in ], putting a halt to his advances. After the Battle of Marica on ] ] in which the Mrnjavčević brothers lost their lives, ] of ] took ] and ] in ]. A part of Kosovo became the demesne of the ].


After the war Kosovo gained the status of a province within ]. In the ] constitution, Kosovo gained more powers and was advanced to a status of which was almost that of a republic, but not in name. It was part of a Yugoslav Federation to some extent and part of Serbia to some extent. It is disputed but there was some intention that Kosovo should become the seventh republic. For a better picture of the position of Kosovo within YU-Federation, it is best to give the example that no decision could be taken at the Federative level without the vote and consent of Kosovo.
⚫ The ] invaded the Serbian Realm and met the coalition of South East European nobility on ] ], near ], at Gazi Mestan. The ] Army was assisted by various allies. The epic ] followed, in which Prince Lazar himself lost his life. Prince Lazar amassed 70,000 men on the battlefield and the ] had 140,000. Through the cunning of ] ] ] was murdered and the new Sultan ] had, despite winning the battle, to retreat to consolidate his power. The Ottoman Sultan was buried with one of his sons at Gazi Mestan. Both ] and ] were canonised by the ] for their efforts in the battle. The local House of ] came to prominence as the local lords of Kosovo, under ], with the temporary fall of the ] in ]. Another great battle occurred between the Hungarian troops supported by (self-proclaimed King) Gjergj Kastrioti ], and ] troops supported by the Brankovićs in ]. Skanderbeg's troops which were going to help John Hunyadi were stopped by the Brankovic's troops, who was more or less a Turkish ]. Hungarian King ] lost the battle after a 2-day fight, but essentially stopped the Ottoman advance northwards. Kosovo then became vassalaged to the ], until its direct incorporation after the final fall of Serbia in ].


⚫ In 1981 Kosovar Albanian students organized protests seeking that Kosovo become a republic within Yugoslavia. Those protests were harshly attacked by the Serbian government. In 1986, the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts published a document ] which contained heavily Serbian nationalist rhetoric. With Serbian nationalism on the increase, ] came to power.
In ], new castles arise in ] and ], centres of the Ottoman vassalaged ].


⚫ In 1989, following Milošević's rise of power (especially the Gazimestan gathering, marking 600 years from the ]) the autonomy of Kosovo was revoked. Most Albanians organized a peaceful resistance movement. Most Albanians were expelled from their jobs, Albanian schools and the medical care system were shut down, and Kosovo was put under an effective ]. On July 2, 1990 Kosovo parliament declared Kosovo an independent country. In September of that year, the parliament, meeting in secrecy in the town of ], adopted the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo. Two years later, Kosovo organized a referendum which was observed by international organisations but was not recognized internationally. With an 80% turnout, 98% voted for Kosovo to be independent. In the early nineties, Albanians organized a parallel state system which managed the non-violent resistance movement and organized a parallel system of education and healthcare, among other things.
=== Ottomans and Albanian national movements ===
⚫ The ] brought ] with them, particularly in towns, and later also created the ] as one of the ] territorial entities. This brought a great shift, as the ] population began to lose its majority when masses of ] and ] (]) moved to Kosovo. During the Islamisation many Churches and Holy ] places were raised to the ground or turned in to ]. The big Monastery of Saint Archangel near ] was teared down at the end of the 16th ] and the material used to build the ] of ], an Islamized ], in Prizren. Kosovo was taken by the Austrian forces during the Great War of ] - ] with help of 5,000 Albanians and their leader, a ] ]. The archbishop died of plague during the war, and his grave was later reopened, with his body scattered and given to the dogs by the Ottomans because of his role in the rebellion. In ], the ] ], who previously escaped a certain death, led 37,000 families from Kosovo, to evade ] wrath since Kosovo had just been retaken by the ]. The people that followed him were probably mostly ], but some Orthodox Albanians and others too. 20,000 Serbs abandoned ] alone. Due to the terror from the ], other migrations of Orthodox people from the Kosovo and Metohija area continued throughout the ]. It is also noted that some ] adopted ] and some even gradually fused with the predominantly Albanian Moslems and adopted their culture and even language. By the ], ] replaced the ] as the dominating nation of Kosovo.


With the events in Bosnia and Croatia coming to an end, the Serb government started moving Serb refugees from Croatia and Bosnia to Kosovo. In a number of cases, Albanian families were expelled from their apartments to make space for the refugees.
Refugees from territories conquered in the ]-] Serbo-Turkish war and ]-] Russo-Turkish war inhabited almost every Kosovo and Macedonian town escaping from the Serbian army and population were committing against unarmed civilians. These populations are now known as 'muhaxher' (which means 'refugee') and are the ancestors of many who are still known by their same surnames, ''Muhaxheri''. It is also estimated that 200,000 to 400,000 ''Serbs'' were cleansed out of the ] between ] and ], especially during the ] in ]. (see ])


⚫ After the ] Agreement and numerous atrocities committed by Serb security forces inside Kosovo, the Albanians organized into the ]. This triggered a 78-day ] campaign in ]. During the conflict, some 12,000 Kosovar Albanians were killed and 500,000 to 800,000 expelled. Some 3,000 Albanians are still missing. The number of Serbian soldier, policemen, and civilian deaths is considered to be around 3,000, but it's also disputed to be much more, as 2,800 people of Serb origin are still missing, believed dead. According to OSCE numbers and Kosovar Albanian sources on population size and distribution, an estimated 45.7 percent of the Albanian population and 59.5 percent of the Serb population had fled Kosovo during the bombings (i.e. from 23 March to 9 June 1999).
⚫ Albanians formed the ] in ] in the ]. Hundreds of Albanian leaders from all over Albania gathered and discussed the urgent issues concerning them. They successfully opposed any Serbian invasion attempts. Serbia complained to the Western Powers that the promised territories were not being held because Ottomans were hesitating to do that. Western Powers put pressure to the Ottomans and in 1881, the Ottoman Army started the fighting against Albanians. The Prizren League created a Provisional Government with a President, Prime Minister (Ymer Prizreni) and Ministries of War (Sylejman Vokshi) and Foreign Ministry (Abdyl Frashëri). After three years of war, the Albanians were defeated. Many of the leaders were executed and imprisoned. In ], an ] uprising spread from ] and lasted until the Ottoman Sultan's visit to Kosovo in ] ]. The Aim of the League of Prizren as to unite the four Albanian Vilayets by merging the majority of Albanian inhabitants within the Ottoman Empire into one Albanian State. However at that time Serbs have consisted about ''40%'' of Kosovo's overall population and were opposing the Albanian nationalism along with other Slavs and Turks in Kosovo.


⚫ With the arrival of NATO, a large number of Serbs fled the region, estimated at 100,000 by the UNHCR. Around 120,000 remain in Kosovo and oppose any rule by Albanians. The Serbian government usually claims that some 250,000 Serbs have fled Kosovo. This instills fear within the Albanians and makes them oppose return projects. There are now, according to the European Stability Initiative, some 65,000 Kosovo Serbs living in Serbia. Some 20,000 may go back, mainly rural Serbs, while urban Serbs have largely integrated into Serbia and will not go back to Kosovo regardless of what their status will be. Many Serbs fear to return to their homes since it's proven not to be safe for them, even with ] protection, notably the ].
=== Restoration of Serbian rule ===
:''See also:]''
In ] during the ], most of Kosovo was conquered by ] while ] was captured by ]. And exodus of the local Moslem, especially Albanian population occured. This is best described by ], who was the reporter for the 'Pravda' newspaper at the time. The Serbian authorities planned a recolonization of Kosovo. In the winter of ]-] Kosovo saw a large exodus of its ]n population and army; hundreds of thousands soldiers have died of starvation, extreme weather and Albanian reprisals as they were approaching the ] in ] and ].


⚫ The Status talks started in February 2006, it is set to end in the course of the year. The security of the minorities, must be provided by Kosovo Albanian governments, but it is disputed if the Kosovo Albanian Institutions can grant these guarantees. The ] still is said that they will not raise any demands for an independent Kosovo.
==== Yugoslavia and fascist Albania ====
⚫ The ]-] period of the ] witnessed a raise of the Serbian population in the region and decline in the non-Serbian. After the ]-] ] which introduced the '']'' nationality unifying all Kosovan ], the Kingdom was invaded by the ]. The greatest part of Kosovo became a part of ]-controlled ], and smaller bits by the ]-] ] and ] ]-occupied ]. Since the Albanians had decided in the ] that Kosovo would remain Albanian, they have started immediately an ethnic cleansing of the non-Albanians in the occupied Kosovo. The infamous ] is known to committed horrible crimes. Tens of thousands of Serbs lost their lives and around 75,000 Serbs fled Kosovo during the war. Hundreds of thousands more would leave in the following decades, following the shift of power in Kosovo. Around 10,000 Serbs died in Albanian extirmination camps by the hand of militarist squadrons like the ]. Prior to the surrender of ] in ], the German forces took over direct control of their region. After numerious uprisings of the ] ] and ] ], Kosovo was liberated after ] with the help of the ] of the Comintern, and became a province of ''Kosovo and Metohija'' of one of the Republics of the ], ].


==Disputes over language, culture and citizenship==
The Province of Kosovo and Metohija was formed autonomous to protect its regional ] majority withing the ] as a member of the ] in ] under the strong dictatorship of the former Partisan leader, ], but with a strictly limited status. Prior to Yugoslavia's name change to the ] and Serbia's to the ] in ], the Autonomous Region of Kosovo and Metohija gained more inner autonomy. In the ] constitution, the Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija's government received higher powers, including the highest governmental titles - President and Premier and a seat in the Federal Presidency which made it a ''de facto'' Socialist Republic within the SFRJ, but remaining as a Socialist Autonomous Region within the Socialist Republic of Serbia. ] and ] were defined official on the Provincial level marking the two largest linguistic Kosovan groups: ] and ]. In the 1970s, an Albanian nationalist movement for more freedom desired full recognition of the Province of Kosovo and Metohija as another Republic within the Federation, while the most extreme aimed for full-scale independence. Tito's arbitrary regime dealt with the situation swiftly, but only giving it a temporary solution. The enthic composure of Kosovo and Metohija witnessed unproportional increase as the number of ] trippled gradually rising from almost ''65%'' to over ''80%'' and the number ] barelly increasing and dropping in the full share of the total population from some ''25%'' down to ''10%''.
The territory is most widely known as 'Kosovo' and this has become the standard in international and United Nations usage. In ] this name becomes 'Kosova', which is more often found within Kosovo and in official use by the Provisional Institutions, though both Albanian and ] are official languages. Wherever political and cultural sensitivity are particularly important, the international community will use 'Kosovo/Kosova' to describe the province and adopt a similar standard for many place names. While the formal title 'Republic of Kosova' has fallen out of use with the integration of Kosovo Albanian politics into the UNMIK system, the formal Serbian title 'Kosovo i Metohija' remains in colloquial and official use in parts of Kosovo and in Serbia proper, where parallel institutions for Kosovo remain until final status is resolved.


The question of what to call the inhabitants of Kosovo collectively has also aroused debate. The two words accepted by the ] are "Kosovar" (borrowed from Albanian), the most widely used variant in English, by far, and "Kosovan" (using the English rules for ]s) much less used. As Kosovo has no formal ]hood, current international usage is to refer to Kosovo ] and Kosovo ]. Most of the Albanian-descended community in Kosovo would prefer the use of Kosovar or Kosovan because of the attendant political overtones, while the Serb minority continue to think of themselves as Serb or Serbian (from Kosovo).
⚫ In ] the Kosovar Albanian students organized protests seeking that Kosovo become a republic within Yugoslavia. Those protests were harshly attacked by the Serbian government. In ], the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts published a document ] which contained heavily Serbian nationalist propaganda, based on both true and unendingly exaggerated individual events and historical suffers of the Serbian people. With Serbian nationalism in the Province on the increase, ] came to power.


As for language and citizenship, so for cultural and political symbols. Kosovo had its own flag, when it used to have a province status within former Yugoslavia. The former province of Kosovo was identified with a flag similar to the one of Albania, but had a large star on the right-handside. The ] is used unofficially by the Kosovo Albanian-dominated administration and the vast majority of Kosovo Albanians; although recently the ] is being used as an unofficial flag of Kosovo, as could be seen during ]'s funeral .
==== Unrests in Kosovo ====
''see also: ]''<br>
In ], following Milošević's rise of power (especially the Gazimestan gathering, marking 600 years from the ]) the autonomy of Kosovo was revoked. Milosevic, however, did not remove Kosovo's seat from the Federal Presidency, installing in it his own supporters to seize more power in the Federal government. Most Albanians organized a peaceful resistance movement. Most Albanians were expelled from their jobs, Albanian schools and the medical care system were shut down, and Kosovo was put under an effective ].


The Serb-inhabited area of north Kosovo uses only the ], which is formally the flag of Serbia, although this usage is rejected by virtually all Kosovo Albanians and other smaller minorities apart from Serbs and some Roma.
⚫ On July 2, ] Kosovo parliament declared Kosovo an independent country. In September of that year, the parliament, meeting in secrecy in the town of ], adopted the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo. Two years later, Kosovo organized a referendum which was observed by international organisations but was not recognized internationally. With an 80% turnout, 98% voted for Kosovo to be independent. In January, ] Albanians in ] also voted for autonomy and independence in parts of western Macedonia. In the early nineties, Albanians organized a parallel state system which managed the non-violent resistance movement and organized a parallel system of education and healthcare, among other things.With the events in ] and ] coming to an end, the Serb government started moving some of the Serbian refugees from Croatia and Bosnia to Kosovo. <!-- started moving all of the refugees?? leave the word "some of the refugees" -->In a number of cases, Albanian families were expelled from their apartments to make space for the refugees.


== Politics and international status ==
⚫ After the ] Agreement in ], Albanians organized into the ]. Yugoslav forces allegedly committed war crimes in Kosovo, although the Serbian government claims that the army was only going after suspected Albanian "terrorists". This triggered a 78-day ] campaign in ]. During the conflict, some 12,000 Kosovars were killed, of whome 9,000-10,000 were ] and 1,000-2,000 others (] and ]) and up to 700,000 Albanians and over 100,000 Serbs expelled. Some 3,000 Albanians are still missing. The number of Serbian soldier, policemen, and civilian deaths is considered to be around 3,000, but it's also disputed to be much more, as 2,800 people of Serb origin are still missing, believed dead. According to OSCE numbers and Kosovar Albanian sources on population size and distribution, an estimated 45.7 percent of the Albanian population and 59.5 percent of the Serb population had fled Kosovo during the bombings (i.e. from 23 March to 9 June 1999).
Kosovo's international status is anomalous. The administration is presently conducted by the ] with little or no involvement on the part of the Serbian government (under Security Council resolution 1244 of ] ]; see ). The supervision of the government of Kosovo is the responsibility of the ] (UNMIK). Under the terms of the ] and subsequent UN ] ], which ended the ], security is provided by the Kosovo Force (KFOR), which is led by ] and is answerable to UNMIK.


{{Politics of Kosovo}}
⚫ With the arrival of NATO, a large number of Serbs fled the region, estimated at 100,000 by the UNHCR. Around 120,000 remain in Kosovo and oppose any rule by Albanians. Up to 300,000 non-Albanians (mostly ]) fled Kosovo. This instills fear within the Albanians and makes them oppose return projects. Some 20,000 came back, mainly rural Serbs, while urban Serbs have largely integrated into Serbia and will not go back to Kosovo regardless of what their status will be. Many Serbs fear to return to their homes since it's proven not to be safe for them, even with ] protection, notably the ], when 900 Serbian houses were burned and other property destroyed while the Serbian populace was
UNMIK has so far established a provisional assembly, provisional government and the office of provisional president, which are legislative and executive bodies under UNMIK's control. Control of security, justice and external affairs are still under full UNMIK control. Elections for the ] were held in November ] and again in ] and were qualified as the most democratic elections in the Balkans. ] was elected as president in March ]. The seat of the assembly, government and president is in ]/]. So far, the parliament has enacted and UNMIK approved a constitutional framework, customs code, two criminal codes and some 200 laws.
closed into enclaves and had to concentrate to the north of Kosovo until today, causing a wave of 3,500 Serbian refugees. Among the numerious ] World Heritage sites destroyed by the Albanian para-military forces is King ]'s grave, ] ] ] from the ] in ].


The Constitutional Framework enacted by the Kosovo Assembly (with UN Security Council approval) has adopted a policy of ] in the assembly to ensure that Kosovo's minorities are properly represented. Out of 120 seats, 10 are reserved for Serbs and another 10 for non-Albanian minorities, while the remaining 100 seats are elected through direct voting. UNMIK does not take account, though, the Serbs and other non-Albanians who have left Kosovo as a result of interethnic tension, many of whom are unable to reclaim lost property or safely to attend elections. The process of 'returns' of these displaced persons has yet to begin in earnest, as a result of insufficient funding and a perceived inability of the UN to control violence against minority groups, as well as a concern on the part of Kosovo Albanians that an increased number of Serbs will undermine the chances for an independent Kosovo.
⚫ The Status talks started in February 2006, it is set to end in the course of the year. The security of the minorities, must be provided by Kosovo Albanian governments, but it is disputed if the Kosovo Albanian Institutions can grant these guarantees. The ] still is said that they will not raise any demands for an independent Kosovo.

Kosovo is still recognised internationally as a part of former Yugoslavia. Its final status has not yet been resolved, (talks on the subject started on 20 February 2006), and considerable difficulties lie ahead in balancing the irreconcilable Kosovo Albanian, Kosovo Serb and Belgrade positions. The Kosovo Albanians reject Serbian sovereignty and demand secession from the country. On the other side, Serbia is opposed to yielding any of its territory, and domestic opinion, supported by the existence of a centuries-old written, material and architectural history, continues to see the province as the heartland of Serbian culture.

The international community is becoming less and less reluctant to see Kosovo become independent, as the last Contact Group and UN Security Council meetings showed. The ] countries insisted on the republican borders as the only acceptable solution during the wars in ] and ] in the 1990s, but this does not rule out that they might revisit this in the case of Kosovo vis-à-vis Serbia and Montenegro. Questions have also been raised about whether an independent Kosovo would be politically or economically viable, given its small populationa and the state of its economy. However the population of Kosovo is larger than several European countries including Estonia, Iceland, Luxembourg and Malta. But once its status is resolved and Kosovo has access to international monetary institutions the economic development will be possible. In early 2006, Western diplomats have come out clearly in support of an independent Kosovo, with guarantees for the minorities.

UNMIK is issuing travel documents which serve instead of ]s in countries which recognise them, and issues identity cards and car plates, which again are valid only in certain countries. UNMIK has created a police force (the ]) with employees from all ethnic communities (Albanian, Serbian, Roma, Bosniac, etc) and manages the province's railways and airline (]). The airspace and borders of Kosovo are controlled by KFOR.

The European Union runs the Kosovo economy in cooperation with the Kosovo institutions. The EU has initiated the ], a special and separate track of EU integration for Kosovo.

On ], ], the President of Kosovo, Dr.], died at age 61. On ], 2006, ] was elected to be the second President by an 80-12 vote in parliament. On ], 2006, ] was appointed as the Prime Minister of Kosovo, during a voting by the Assembly of Kosovo.


== Economy == == Economy ==
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According to the 2000 Living Standard Measurement Survey of the Statistical Office of Kosovo, Kosovo's total population is estimated between 1,8 and 2,0 million in the following ethnic proportions: According to the 2000 Living Standard Measurement Survey of the Statistical Office of Kosovo, Kosovo's total population is estimated between 1,8 and 2,0 million in the following ethnic proportions:
* ''88%'' ] (between 1,584,000 and 1,733,600) * 88% ] (between 1,584,000 and 1,733,600)
* ''7%'' ] (between 126,000 and 140,000) * 7% ] (between 126,000 and 140,000)
* ''3%'' ] and ] (54 to 60 thousand) * 3% ] and ] (54 to 60 thousand)
* ''2%'' ] (36 to 40 thousand) (see also ]) * 2% ] (36 to 40 thousand) ]
* ''1%'' ] (18 to 20 thousand) * 1% ] (18 to 20 thousand)
However, the figures are highly disputable. Some estimates are that there is an Albanian majority well above 90 percent. However, the figures are highly disputable and may presently include an Albanian majority well above 90 percent.


== List of Presidents == ==Presidents==
* ], ]-] (deceased) *], ]-] (deceased)
* ], ]-present *], ]-present


== List of Prime Ministers == ==Prime Ministers==
* ], ]-] *], ]-]
* ], ]-] *], ]-]
* ], ]-] *], ]-]
* ], ]-present *], ]-present


== Gallery == ==Gallery==
<gallery> <gallery>
Image:Gjakova.jpg|]/] Image:Gjakova.jpg|]/]
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</gallery> </gallery>


== See also == ==See also==
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
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* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ]
* ]
⚫ * ] (the unrests of March 2004)
* ]
* ] * ]
⚫ * ] (about the March 2004 unrest)
<!--It appears that this is an actual article, but it was removed * ] -->


== External links == ==External links==
{{sisterlinks|Kosovo}} {{sisterlinks|Kosovo}}
* - Discussion Forum * - Discussion Forum
* *
* {{wikitravel}} * {{wikitravel}}
* *
* *
* . *.
* *
* *
* *
* *


=== Pro-Albanian === ===Pro-Albanian===
* - A blog with news, analysis and the lates updates from Balkans * - A blog with news, analysis and the lates updates from Balkans
* - "...latest news, analysis and publications from the Kosovar economy" * - "...latest news, analysis and publications from the Kosovar economy"
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* (in German) * (in German)
* (in Albanian) * (in Albanian)
* A summary of the case for an independent Kosovo by two Prishtina intellectuals * A summary of the case for an independent Kosova by two Prishtina intellectuals


=== Pro-Serbian === ===Pro-Serb===
* : a historian's comprehensive overview *: a historian's comprehensive overview
* Serbian Orthodox Church's official website on Kosovo * Serbian Orthodox Church's official website on Kosovo
* *
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* *
* *
*


] ]
] ]
] ]
]


] ]

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Kosovo

LocationKosova
Official languages Serbian, Albanian
Capital Priština/Prishtinë
Transitional President Fatmir Sejdiu
Transitional Prime Minister Agim Çeku
Area
 – Total

 – % water
 10,912 km²
 4,213 sq. mi
 n/a
Population
 – Total (2003)
 – Density
 2.1 million (est.)
 220/km² (approx)
 570/sq. mi
Ethnic groups
(2003) 		Albanians: 88%
Serbs: 7%
Others: 5%
Time zone UTC +1
Currency Euro and Serbian dinar

Kosovo (Albanian: Kosovë / Kosova, Serbian: Косово и Метохија / Kosovo i Metohija) is a territory in South Eastern Europe. By the UN resolution 1244 (adopted in 1999), Kosovo is defined as autonomous territory within former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia under UN administration. Whether this will remain the case is still unclear, as the final status of Kosovo is the subject of an ongoing dispute between government of Serbia and Kosovo's government. Talks on this issue started in Vienna, on February 20, 2006 .

Geography

Physical map of Kosovo

With an area of 10,912 square kilometres (4,213 sq. mi) and a population of over two million on the eve of the 1999 crisis, Kosovo borders Montenegro to the northwest, Serbia to the North and East; Macedonia to the south, and Albania to the southwest. The largest cities are Prishtinë/Pristina the capital, with an estimated 500,000 inhabitants, and Prizren in the southwest with 120,000: five other towns have populations in excess of 50,000. The name Metohija is used by mostly Serbs for the western part of the land. Albanians refer the area as Rrafshi i Dukagjinit.

History

Main article: History of Kosovo

It is likely that the region of Kosovo has been inhabited by Illyrian tribes since the Bronze Age. In ancient times the area has been known as Dardania and was settled by a tribe with the same name. The Dardani were of Illyrian and Thracian stock and some (notably Albanians) claim that Albanians are direct descendants of Illyrians. Illyrians organised resistance against Greeks and Romans for hundreds of years but after the long wars of Illyrian tribes against intruders, the region was later occupied by the Roman Empire under Emperor Augustus. When the Roman Empire split in A.D. 395, the Kosovo region came under the Eastern Roman Empire, later known as the Byzantine Empire.

According to De administrando imperio the Slavs, who later would form the ethnic group of Serbs, came to the territories of roughly modern-day Kosovo in the 6th and 7th centuries. They were invited to settle in the area south of Danube as farmers by Byzantine emperor Heraclius to protect the area from invading Avars. The slavs were Christianized in several waves between the 7th and 9th century with the last wave taking place between 867 and 874. But by then Kosovo was ruled by the Bulgarians from the 850s until 1014.

In 1166 - 1168, a Serbian nobleman from Zeta, Stefan Nemanja, who called himself the King of Serbs, Albanians and Vallahians, asserted to the Grand Princely throne and conquered most of Kosovo in an uprising against the Byzantines. Nemanja was eventually defeated and had to return some of his conquests, and vouched to the Byzantine Emperor that he would not raise his hand against him. In 1183, Nemanja embarked on a new offensive with the Hungarians after the Byzantine Emperor's death. Nemanja's son, Stephen II the First-crowned of Nemanja, recorded Nemanja's conquests, as Nemanja restored Kosovo from the Greeks, the border of the Serbian realm reaching the river of Lab. King of Serbs Stephen II finished the inclusion of the Kosovo territories in 1208, by which time he had conquered Prizren and Lipljan, and moved the border of his realm to the Šar mountain.

After the Empire of Tsar Stefan Dušan fell into disarray prior to his death in 1355, feudal anarchy caught up with the country during the reign of Tsar Stefan Uroš V. The area of Kosovo became a part of Prince Lazar of Moravian Serbia's domain. The Ottomans invaded the realm and met the coalition of South East European nobility on 28 June 1389, near Prishtina/Priština. The coalition consisted of Serbs, Bosnians, Albanians, Croats, Hungarians, Poles and even a contingent of Saxon mercenaries. The epic Battle of Kosovo followed, in which Prince Lazar himself lost his life and the coalition was broken. Through the cunning of Miloš Obilić Sultan Murad was murdered and the new Sultan Beyazid had, despite winning the battle, to retreat to consolidate his power. Both Prince Lazar and Miloš Obilić were canonised by the Serbian Ortodox Church for their efforts in the battle. The local House of Branković came to prominence as the local lords of Kosovo, under Vuk Branković, with the temporary fall of the Serbian Despotate in 1439. Another great battle occurred between the Hungarian troops supported by (self-proclaimed King) Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg, and Ottoman troops supported by the Brankovićs in 1448. Skanderbeg's troops which were going to help John Hunyadi were stopped by the Brankovic's troops, who was more or less a Turkish Vassal. Hungarian King John Hunyadi lost the battle after a 2-day fight, but essentially stopped the Ottoman advance northwards. Kosovo then became vassalaged to the Ottoman Empire, until its direct incorporation after the final fall of Serbia in 1459.

The Ottomans brought Islamisation with them, particularly in towns, and later also created the Viyalet of Kosovo as one of the Ottoman territorial entities. This brought a great shift, as the Orthodox population (Serbian, Bulgarian, and Greek) began to lose its majority when masses of Turks and Albanians (Muslims or Catholics) moved to Kosovo. During the Islamisation many churches and holy orthodox places were raised to the ground or turned in to Mosques, leaving a hard . Kosovo was taken by the Austrian forces during the Great War of 1683 - 1699 with great help of 5000 Albanians and their leader, a Catholic Archibishop Pjetër Bogdani. The archbishop died of plague during the war, and his grave was later reopened, with his body scattered and given to the dogs by the Ottomans because of his role as a leader of the rebellion. In 1690, the Serbian Patriarch of Peć Arsenije III, who previously escaped a certain death, led 30,000 families from Kosovo, to evade Ottoman wrath since Kosovo had just been retaken by the Ottomans. The people that followed him were probably mostly Serbs, but it's possible also people of other different ethnic origins followed him. Due to the terror from the Ottomans, other migrations of Orthodox people from the Kosovo and Metohija area continued throughout the 18th century. It is also noted that some Serbs adopted Islam and some even gradually fused with the predominantly Albanian Moslems and adopted their culture and even language.

In 1878, with the Berlin Conference, Serbia gained what is today known as Southern Serbia, a region as large as Kosovo. In less than two months, the region was ethnically cleansed and its population was located in today's Kosovo, Macedonia, and largely Turkey. They inhabited almost every Kosovo and Macedonian town escaping from the Serbian army and population were committing against unarmed civilians. This is best described by Leon Trotsky, who was the reporter for the 'Pravda' newspaper at the time. These populations are now known as 'muhaxher' (which means 'refugee') and are the ancestors of many who are still known by their same surnames, Muhaxheri.

As a response to Serbian, Bulgarian and Greek nationalism, Albanians formed the League of Prizren in Prizren. Hundreds of Albanian leaders from all over Albania gathered and discussed the urgent issues concerning them. They successfully opposed any Serbian invasion attemps. Serbia complained to the Western Powers that the promised territories were not being held because Ottomans were hesitating to do that. Western Powers put pressure to the Ottomans and in 1881, the Ottoman Army started the fighting against Albanians. The Prizren League created a Provisional Government with a President, Prime Minister (Ymer Prizreni)and Ministries of War (Sylejman Vokshi) and Foreign Ministry (Abdyl Frashëri). After three years of war, the Albanians were defeated. Many of the leaders were executed and imprisoned. In 1910, an Albanian uprising spread from Prishtina and lasted until the Ottoman Sultan's visit to Kosovo in June 1911. The Aim of the League of Prizren as to unite the four Albanian Vilayets by merging the majority of Albanian inhabitants within the Ottoman Empire into one Albanian State. However at that time Serbs have consisted about 40% of Kosovo's overall population and were opposing the Albanian nationalism along with other Slavs and Turks in Kosovo.

In 1912 during the Balkan Wars, Kosovo and Albania were conquered by Serbia while eastern part of Kosovo was captured by Montenegro. Serbia aimed at ethnically cleansing Kosovo of its Albanian population, but it was negotiated with Turkey for the Albanians to be transferred into Turkey, with relative success. Serbian Academy of Sciences and Art leading member Dr. Vaso Cubrilovic carefully compiled a document describing in detail how the expulsion and colonization of Kosovo with Serbian population should take place. .

In 1912, Albania declared independence and a year later, in 1913 (Conference of London), Albania was recognized as an independent state without Kosovo, as it already belonged to Serbia. In winter of 1915-16 Kosovo saw a large exodus of its Serbian population and army; hundreds of thousands soldiers have died of starvation, extreme weather and Albanian reprisals as they were approaching the Allies in Corfu and Thessaloniki. (See Serbia in WWI).

After the 1918-1929 period of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and the 1929-1941 Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Yugoslavia was invaded by the Axis forces. The greatest part of Kosovo became a part of Italian-controlled Fascist Albania, and smaller bits by the Nazi-Fascist Tsardom of Bulgaria and Nazi German-occupied Kingdom of Serbia. Since the Albanians had decided in the Conference of Bujan that Kosovo would remain Albanian, they have started immediately an ethnic cleansing of the non-Albanians in the occupied Kosovo. The infamous SS Division Skanderbeg is known to committed horrible crimes. Tens of thousands of Serbs lost their lives and around 75,000 Serbs fled Kosovo during the war. Hundreds of thousands more would leave in the following decades, following the shift of power in Kosovo.

After the war Kosovo gained the status of a province within Yugoslavia. In the 1974 constitution, Kosovo gained more powers and was advanced to a status of which was almost that of a republic, but not in name. It was part of a Yugoslav Federation to some extent and part of Serbia to some extent. It is disputed but there was some intention that Kosovo should become the seventh republic. For a better picture of the position of Kosovo within YU-Federation, it is best to give the example that no decision could be taken at the Federative level without the vote and consent of Kosovo.

In 1981 Kosovar Albanian students organized protests seeking that Kosovo become a republic within Yugoslavia. Those protests were harshly attacked by the Serbian government. In 1986, the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts published a document Memorandum which contained heavily Serbian nationalist rhetoric. With Serbian nationalism on the increase, Slobodan Milošević came to power.

In 1989, following Milošević's rise of power (especially the Gazimestan gathering, marking 600 years from the Battle of Kosovo) the autonomy of Kosovo was revoked. Most Albanians organized a peaceful resistance movement. Most Albanians were expelled from their jobs, Albanian schools and the medical care system were shut down, and Kosovo was put under an effective apartheid. On July 2, 1990 Kosovo parliament declared Kosovo an independent country. In September of that year, the parliament, meeting in secrecy in the town of Kaçanik, adopted the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo. Two years later, Kosovo organized a referendum which was observed by international organisations but was not recognized internationally. With an 80% turnout, 98% voted for Kosovo to be independent. In the early nineties, Albanians organized a parallel state system which managed the non-violent resistance movement and organized a parallel system of education and healthcare, among other things.

With the events in Bosnia and Croatia coming to an end, the Serb government started moving Serb refugees from Croatia and Bosnia to Kosovo. In a number of cases, Albanian families were expelled from their apartments to make space for the refugees.

After the Dayton Agreement and numerous atrocities committed by Serb security forces inside Kosovo, the Albanians organized into the Kosovo Liberation Army. This triggered a 78-day NATO campaign in 1999. During the conflict, some 12,000 Kosovar Albanians were killed and 500,000 to 800,000 expelled. Some 3,000 Albanians are still missing. The number of Serbian soldier, policemen, and civilian deaths is considered to be around 3,000, but it's also disputed to be much more, as 2,800 people of Serb origin are still missing, believed dead. According to OSCE numbers and Kosovar Albanian sources on population size and distribution, an estimated 45.7 percent of the Albanian population and 59.5 percent of the Serb population had fled Kosovo during the bombings (i.e. from 23 March to 9 June 1999).

With the arrival of NATO, a large number of Serbs fled the region, estimated at 100,000 by the UNHCR. Around 120,000 remain in Kosovo and oppose any rule by Albanians. The Serbian government usually claims that some 250,000 Serbs have fled Kosovo. This instills fear within the Albanians and makes them oppose return projects. There are now, according to the European Stability Initiative, some 65,000 Kosovo Serbs living in Serbia. Some 20,000 may go back, mainly rural Serbs, while urban Serbs have largely integrated into Serbia and will not go back to Kosovo regardless of what their status will be. Many Serbs fear to return to their homes since it's proven not to be safe for them, even with UNMIK protection, notably the unrest in 2004.

The Status talks started in February 2006, it is set to end in the course of the year. The security of the minorities, must be provided by Kosovo Albanian governments, but it is disputed if the Kosovo Albanian Institutions can grant these guarantees. The EU still is said that they will not raise any demands for an independent Kosovo.

Disputes over language, culture and citizenship

The territory is most widely known as 'Kosovo' and this has become the standard in international and United Nations usage. In Albanian this name becomes 'Kosova', which is more often found within Kosovo and in official use by the Provisional Institutions, though both Albanian and Serbian are official languages. Wherever political and cultural sensitivity are particularly important, the international community will use 'Kosovo/Kosova' to describe the province and adopt a similar standard for many place names. While the formal title 'Republic of Kosova' has fallen out of use with the integration of Kosovo Albanian politics into the UNMIK system, the formal Serbian title 'Kosovo i Metohija' remains in colloquial and official use in parts of Kosovo and in Serbia proper, where parallel institutions for Kosovo remain until final status is resolved.

The question of what to call the inhabitants of Kosovo collectively has also aroused debate. The two words accepted by the Oxford English Dictionary are "Kosovar" (borrowed from Albanian), the most widely used variant in English, by far, and "Kosovan" (using the English rules for demonyms) much less used. As Kosovo has no formal statehood, current international usage is to refer to Kosovo Serbs and Kosovo Albanians. Most of the Albanian-descended community in Kosovo would prefer the use of Kosovar or Kosovan because of the attendant political overtones, while the Serb minority continue to think of themselves as Serb or Serbian (from Kosovo).

As for language and citizenship, so for cultural and political symbols. Kosovo had its own flag, when it used to have a province status within former Yugoslavia. The former province of Kosovo was identified with a flag similar to the one of Albania, but had a large star on the right-handside. The Albanian flag is used unofficially by the Kosovo Albanian-dominated administration and the vast majority of Kosovo Albanians; although recently the flag of the presidency is being used as an unofficial flag of Kosovo, as could be seen during Ibrahim Rugova's funeral .

The Serb-inhabited area of north Kosovo uses only the flag of Serbia, which is formally the flag of Serbia, although this usage is rejected by virtually all Kosovo Albanians and other smaller minorities apart from Serbs and some Roma.

Politics and international status

Kosovo's international status is anomalous. The administration is presently conducted by the United Nations with little or no involvement on the part of the Serbian government (under Security Council resolution 1244 of 10 June 1999; see Security Council Resolutions 1999). The supervision of the government of Kosovo is the responsibility of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). Under the terms of the Kumanovo agreement and subsequent UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which ended the Kosovo War, security is provided by the Kosovo Force (KFOR), which is led by NATO and is answerable to UNMIK.

Politics of Kosovo
Constitution and law
Executive
Legislature
Judiciary
Administrative divisions
Recent elections
Foreign policy

UNMIK has so far established a provisional assembly, provisional government and the office of provisional president, which are legislative and executive bodies under UNMIK's control. Control of security, justice and external affairs are still under full UNMIK control. Elections for the Assembly of Kosovo were held in November 2001 and again in 2004 and were qualified as the most democratic elections in the Balkans. Ibrahim Rugova was elected as president in March 2002. The seat of the assembly, government and president is in Prishtina/Pristina. So far, the parliament has enacted and UNMIK approved a constitutional framework, customs code, two criminal codes and some 200 laws.

The Constitutional Framework enacted by the Kosovo Assembly (with UN Security Council approval) has adopted a policy of affirmative action in the assembly to ensure that Kosovo's minorities are properly represented. Out of 120 seats, 10 are reserved for Serbs and another 10 for non-Albanian minorities, while the remaining 100 seats are elected through direct voting. UNMIK does not take account, though, the Serbs and other non-Albanians who have left Kosovo as a result of interethnic tension, many of whom are unable to reclaim lost property or safely to attend elections. The process of 'returns' of these displaced persons has yet to begin in earnest, as a result of insufficient funding and a perceived inability of the UN to control violence against minority groups, as well as a concern on the part of Kosovo Albanians that an increased number of Serbs will undermine the chances for an independent Kosovo.

Kosovo is still recognised internationally as a part of former Yugoslavia. Its final status has not yet been resolved, (talks on the subject started on 20 February 2006), and considerable difficulties lie ahead in balancing the irreconcilable Kosovo Albanian, Kosovo Serb and Belgrade positions. The Kosovo Albanians reject Serbian sovereignty and demand secession from the country. On the other side, Serbia is opposed to yielding any of its territory, and domestic opinion, supported by the existence of a centuries-old written, material and architectural history, continues to see the province as the heartland of Serbian culture.

The international community is becoming less and less reluctant to see Kosovo become independent, as the last Contact Group and UN Security Council meetings showed. The NATO countries insisted on the republican borders as the only acceptable solution during the wars in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina in the 1990s, but this does not rule out that they might revisit this in the case of Kosovo vis-à-vis Serbia and Montenegro. Questions have also been raised about whether an independent Kosovo would be politically or economically viable, given its small populationa and the state of its economy. However the population of Kosovo is larger than several European countries including Estonia, Iceland, Luxembourg and Malta. But once its status is resolved and Kosovo has access to international monetary institutions the economic development will be possible. In early 2006, Western diplomats have come out clearly in support of an independent Kosovo, with guarantees for the minorities.

UNMIK is issuing travel documents which serve instead of passports in countries which recognise them, and issues identity cards and car plates, which again are valid only in certain countries. UNMIK has created a police force (the Kosovo Police Service) with employees from all ethnic communities (Albanian, Serbian, Roma, Bosniac, etc) and manages the province's railways and airline (Kosova Airlines). The airspace and borders of Kosovo are controlled by KFOR.

The European Union runs the Kosovo economy in cooperation with the Kosovo institutions. The EU has initiated the Stabilisation Tracking Mechanism, a special and separate track of EU integration for Kosovo.

On January 21, 2006, the President of Kosovo, Dr.Ibrahim Rugova, died at age 61. On February 10, 2006, Fatmir Sejdiu was elected to be the second President by an 80-12 vote in parliament. On March 10, 2006, Agim Çeku was appointed as the Prime Minister of Kosovo, during a voting by the Assembly of Kosovo.

Economy

UNMIK declared the euro to be the official currency of the province in 2001 in the course of implementing a currency reform. This was undertaken to replace the previous widespread use of the Deutschmark, which had become the de facto currency even before the 1999 war. However, the Serbian dinar remains an official currency, used principally in the Kosovo Serb enclaves; it is only used sporadically outside of them. Most trade is conducted using the euro; Kosovo's administration uses the euro exclusively, and all commercial banks use the euro as the primary currency. Of other international currencies, the United States dollar and Swiss franc are the most widespread.

Demographics

Ethnic Albanians comprise almost 90% of the population of the province. In the aftermath of the conflict some one thousand non-Albanians, particularly Serbs and Roma either followed Serb soldiers as they withdrew, were forcibly expelled by the Albanian majority or fled the province to escape perceived threats of revenge by Albanians. The non-Albanian population of Kosovo has continued to fall since the arrival of NATO and the UN as a result of violence, perceived intimidation, and economic hardship. Many still live in communal camps in Serbia or Macedonia cared for by international relief agencies. However, there have been many attempts by Kosovo's government to resettle non-Albanians in the region which have largely been successful, including the resettlement of well over one thousand Serbians and Roma from 2004 - 2005. The Kosovo government has been widely praised for paying for the rebuilding of Serb houses in the aftermath of the 2004 riots. This has been marked as the first case of reparations in the history of the Balkans.

According to the 2000 Living Standard Measurement Survey of the Statistical Office of Kosovo, Kosovo's total population is estimated between 1,8 and 2,0 million in the following ethnic proportions:

However, the figures are highly disputable and may presently include an Albanian majority well above 90 percent.

Presidents

Prime Ministers

Gallery

See also

External links

Pro-Albanian

Pro-Serb

Categories: