Kosovo ELEVATED 59

The Ottoman Empire took control of Kosovo in 1389 after defeating Serbian forces. Large numbers of Turks and Albanians moved to the region, and by the end of the 19th century, Albanians had replaced Serbs as the majority ethnic group in Kosovo. Serbia reacquired control of Kosovo during the First Balkan War of 1912, and after World War II, Kosovo became an autonomous province of Serbia in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). Increasing Albanian nationalism in the 1980s led to riots and calls for Kosovo's independence, but in 1989, Belgrade -- which has in turn served as the capital of Serbia and Yugoslavia -- revoked Kosovo's autonomous status. When the SFRY broke up in 1991, Kosovo Albanian leaders organized an independence referendum, and Belgrade's repressive response led to an insurgency. Kosovo remained part of Serbia, which joined with Montenegro to declare a new Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) in 1992. In 1998, Belgrade launched a brutal counterinsurgency campaign, with some 800,000 ethnic Albanians expelled from their homes in Kosovo. After international mediation failed, a NATO military operation began in March 1999 and forced Belgrade to withdraw its forces from Kosovo. UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) placed Kosovo under the temporary control of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). Negotiations in 2006-07 ended without agreement between Serbia and Kosovo, though the UN issued a comprehensive report that endorsed independence. On 17 February 2008, the Kosovo Assembly declared Kosovo independent. Serbia continues t…

Southeastern Europe, between Serbia and Macedonia

total : 10,887 sq km land: 10,887 sq km water: 0 sq km

nickel, lead, zinc, magnesium, lignite, kaolin, chrome, bauxite

total: 1,977,093 (2024 est.) male: 1,017,992 female: 959,101

Albanians 92.9%, Bosniaks 1.6%, Serbs 1.5%, Turk 1.1%, Ashkali 0.9%, Egyptian 0.7%, Gorani 0.6%, Romani 0.5%, other/unspecified 0.2% (2011 est.) note: these estimates may under-represent Serb, Romani, and some other ethnic minorities because they are based on the 2011 Kosovo national census, which excluded northern Kosovo (a largely Serb-inhabited region) and was partially boycotted by Serb and Romani communities in southern Kosovo

Albanian (official) 94.5%, Bosnian 1.7%, Serbian (official) 1.6%, Turkish 1.1%, other 0.9% (includes Romani), unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.) major-language sample(s): Libri i fakteve boterore, burimi i pazevendesueshem per informacione elementare (Albanian) Knjiga svetskih činjenica, neophodan izvor osnovnih informacija. (Serbian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. note: these estimates may under-represent Serb, Romani, and other ethnic minority languages because they are based on the 2011 Kosovo national census, which excluded northern Kosovo (a largely Serb-inhabited region) and was partially boycotted by Serb and Romani communities in southern Kosovo

Muslim 95.6%, Roman Catholic 2.2%, Orthodox 1.5%, other 0.1%, none 0.1%, unspecified 0.6% (2011 est.) note: these estimates may under-represent Serb, Romani, and some other ethnic minorities because they are based on the 2011 Kosovo national census, which excluded northern Kosovo (a largely Serb-inhabited region) and was partially boycotted by Serb and Romani communities in southern Kosovo

air pollution from power plants and lignite mines; water scarcity and pollution; land degradation

parliamentary republic

name: Pristina (Prishtine, Prishtina) geographic coordinates: 42 40 N, 21 10 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October etymology: the town takes its name from the river; the origin of the river's name is unclear but could come from a pre-Slavic language

chief of state: President Vjosa OSMANI-Sadriu (since 4 April 2021) head of government: Acting Prime Minister Albin KURTI (since 15 April 2025) cabinet: Cabinet elected by the Assembly election/appointment process: president indirectly elected for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term) by at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly; if a candidate does not reach this threshold in the first two ballots, the candidate winning a simple majority vote in the third ballot is elected; prime minister indirectly elected by the Assembly most recent election date: 3-4 April 2021 election results: 2021: Vjosa OSMANI-Sadriu elected president in third ballot; Assembly vote - Vjosa OSMANI-Sadriu (Guxo!) 71 votes; Albin KURTI (LVV) elected prime minister; Assembly vote - 67 for, 30 against 2017: Ramush HARADINAJ (AAK) elected prime minister; Assembly vote - 61 for, 1 abstention, 0 against (opposition boycott) 2016: Hashim THACI elected president in third ballot; Assembly vote - Hashim THACI (PDK) 71 votes expected date of next election: 2026 note: Prime Minister Albin KURTI resigned on 15 April 2025; a replacement has not yet been selected

legislature name: Assembly (Kuvendi i Kosoves/Skupstina Kosova) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 120 (all directly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 2/14/2021 parties elected and seats per party: Self-Determination Movement (LVV) (58), Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) (19), Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) (15), Serb List (10), Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) (8), other (10) percentage of women in chamber: 34% expected date of next election: 2025 note: 20 seats reserved for ethnic minorities -- 10 for Serbs and 10 for other minorities

$25.019 billion (2024 est.) $23.962 billion (2023 est.) $23.025 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$16,400 (2024 est.) $14,200 (2023 est.) $13,000 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

1.6% (2024 est.) 4.9% (2023 est.) 11.6% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

United States 16%, Albania 15%, North Macedonia 12%, Germany 8%, Italy 8% (2021)

Germany 13%, Turkey 13%, China 10%, Serbia 7%, Italy 6% (2021)

Kosovo Security Force (KSF; Forca e Siguris s Kosov s or FSK): Land Force, National Guard (2025) note: the Kosovo Police are under the Ministry of Internal Affairs

1.5% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.3% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.1% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.1% of GDP (2021 est.) 1% of GDP (2020 est.)