History of the conflict in Kosovo. Reference

Kosovo- partially recognized state located in South-Eastern Europe. Kosovo is located on the territory of the Balkan Peninsula, therefore it is one of the Balkan countries. According to the Constitution of Serbia, Kosovo is part of this country and is called the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija. Most of Kosovo is not subject to Serbia. The population of Kosovo is 1,733,000 people. The capital is the city of Pristina. Other major cities of the country are Pecs, Prizren. The largest city in Kosovo is Pristina. There are no cities with more than 1 million inhabitants in Kosovo. Kosovo is located in the same time zone. The difference with universal time is one hour.

Kosovo is landlocked. The partially recognized country borders Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Croatia.

Kosovo is a country with mixed relief. There are mountains and there are plains.

Forests cover half of the country's territory. Most of the forests are located on mountain slopes.

The Shar Planina mountain range and the Kopaonik mountains pass through Kosovo. The highest point in Kosovo is Mount Deravica. The height of this peak is 2556 meters.

The largest river in Kosovo is the White Drin. Other famous rivers in the country are Sitnica, South Morava, Ibar. There are many lakes in Kosovo. The largest lakes are man-made. The largest lake in Kosovo is Gazivoda. Other large lakes are Radonich, Batlava, Badovac.

Kosovo has its own administrative-territorial division, divided into seven districts: Dzhakovitsky, Gnjilansky. Kosovsko-Mitrovitsky, Pech, Pristinsky, Prizren, Uroshevatsky.

Map

Roads

Kosovo's railway network is functioning, although all roads are in poor condition, trains are slow and often late. Main route in Kosovo —from Pristina to another large Kosovo city - Pec. Kosovo has no direct passenger communication with other countries, although the country is connected by railways with Croatia and Serbia.

The roads in the country are in poor condition. There are no autobahns in the country.

Story

Kosovo has its own interesting history, divided into historical eras:

a) Prehistoric Kosovo - the conquest of the territory of the country by the Romans and joining the Holy Roman Empire (5th century BC), the invasion of the Celts and barbarians, the collapse of Ri ms Koi Empire (5th century AD), becoming part of the Byzantine Empire;

b) The period of the migration of the Slavs to the territory of modern Kosovo (the end of the 6th century) - the Christianization of the lands of Kosovo with the assistance of Byzantium;

c) Kosovo as part of the Bulgarian kingdom (X century) - the war of the Bulgarian kingdom and the Serbian kingdom for Kosovo, the defeat of the Serbs, the annexation of the region to the Bulgarian kingdom;

d) Secondary return to the Byzantine Empire (1018);

e) Kosovo within Serbia (since 1218);

f) Kosovo as part of the Ottoman Empire - since 1389, the forced Islamization of the population, the Austro-Turkish war (1593-1606), the resettlement of Albanians to Kosovo lands, the Albanian colonization of the region;

g) return to Serbia (since 1912);

h) Kosovo during the First World War (1914 - 1918) - military operations on the side of Serbia, defeat in the war;

i) Kosovo as part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (since 1929);

j) Kosovo during the Second World War (1939 - 1045) - entry into Greater Albania (1941), Italian occupation of the region (since 1941), occupation by the troops of the German Wehrmacht (1943), liberation from the Nazi invaders (1944) year);

k) Kosovo as part of socialist Yugoslavia - since 1946;

l) Kosovo after the collapse of Yugoslavia (since 1991) - declaration of independence (1991), the beginning of the war with the army of Yugoslavia (1998), NATO countries joining the war (1999), the end of hostilities, elections to the parliament of Kosovo (2004 ), the secondary declaration of independence of Kosovo (2008), the recognition by the International Court of Justice of the legality of the declaration of independence from Serbia by the authorities of Kosovo (2010).

Minerals

Kosovo is rich in minerals. Of the strategic types of minerals in the country, there is only a lot of hard coal, but its mass production is not organized. There is no oil and natural gas in Kosovo, the country is forced to import them from other countries. The country has many deposits of other minerals: lead, zinc, nickel, cobalt, magnesite, bauxite. There are reserves of rare metals: indium, cadmium, germanium, thallium. There are many brown coal deposits in Kosovo. Chromium, copper, silver and a small amount of gold are also mined in the country.

Climate

The climate of Kosovo is continental. The winter here is cold and snowy. Summer, on the other hand, is very hot and dry.

Kosovo is a republic of Southeastern Europe, partially recognized by other states. It is located in Europe, in the geographical region of the same name. Constitutionally, this region belongs to Serbia, but the population of Kosovo is not subject to their laws. The capital of the republic is Pristina.

The population, according to the 2011 census, is more than 1.7 million people. Mostly Serbs and Albanians live here, and only about 3-5% are other nationalities.

Name and history

The very name of the republic is translated as "the land of blackbirds."

The history of the local population living on these lands began 2 thousand years ago. The Illyrians were the first to live here. In the VI century, the Slavic peoples settled. Christianity was adopted in the 9th century. Gradually, this region became the cultural and religious center of the Serbian state. It was here that the largest majestic cathedrals and temples were built. However, in the 15th century, after prolonged military skirmishes, this territory was ceded to the Ottoman Empire.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the Serbian Principality was formed on European lands, which strengthened its political positions and conquered Kosovo from the Turks.

In 1945, the federal state of Yugoslavia was formed in the south of Eastern Europe. Kosovo (republic) stood out as an autonomous region within Serbia. In the 1990s, this territory survived the Civil War. In 1989, a referendum was held, which marked the withdrawal of autonomy from Serbia. However, it was only Albania. Military skirmishes and conflicts began in the country. As a result, many local residents died, and even more were left homeless. The unrest continued for several years, until in 1999 NATO bombed military bases. Since this year, the republic has been under special control and guardianship of the UN. In 2008, it declared independence from Serbia, but only unilaterally. The latter did not adopt this resolution.

Geography of the region

The state of Kosovo is located on a flat area, in its shape resembling a rectangle. The area of ​​the region is just over 10 thousand km2. The average height is 500 m above sea level, the highest peak is Dzhyaravitsa, located in the Prokletiye mountain system, on the border with Albania. Its height is 2,656 m. The climate of the republic has a pronounced continental type: with cold winters and hot summers. Average winter temperatures - -10 ... -12 ° С, summer - + 28 ° ... + 30 ° С. Large rivers in Kosovo: Sitnica, Ibar, South Moravia, White Drin.

Administrative-territorial structure of the republic

Administratively, Kosovo is a republic divided into 7 districts: Kosovsko-Mitrovitsky, Pristinsky, Gnilansky, Dzhakovitsky, Pechsky, Uroshevatsky, Prizrensky. They, in turn, are divided into municipalities. There are 30 of them in total. The municipalities of Zvechan, Leposavich and Zubin Potok, located in the northern region of the republic and inhabited by Serbs, do not submit to the authorities of Kosovo and do not recognize independence. In fact, this territory has its own government, which is concentrated in the city of Kosovsk-Mitrovica. The Kosovo authorities have submitted a bill to establish a separate autonomous municipality on these lands. In addition to the northern region, Serbs live in smaller numbers in other municipalities of Kosovo. So-called enclaves, independent autonomous districts, have been created there.

Development

At present, according to the Constitution adopted in 2008, Kosovo is a republic of a unitary and parliamentary type. The head of state is the president, whose election falls on the shoulders of parliament. The prime minister holds the executive power in the republic.

Transport in Kosovo - road and rail. Medicine in the republic is free, but without policies. Medical education can only be obtained in the capital - the University Clinical Center.

The city of Pristina (Kosovo) has a population of 200 thousand people and is the largest city in the republic. Another major center is Prizren, with just over 100,000 people living in it.

Primary level education is developed, there are 1,200 educational institutions of junior and middle level in the territory of the republic. However, there is a big problem with the distribution and certification of teachers.

In terms of the cultural development of the state, only memories remained of the former religious center. During the hostilities, most of the country's Orthodox monuments were desecrated and destroyed.

Economy of Kosovo

Kosovo is a country that is currently considered one of the poorest in Europe. The state has occupied this position since the time it was part of Serbia, and after leaving it, it became even more aggravated. Massive unemployment, low living standards, minimum wages - all this has haunted Kosovo for many years, despite the country's great economic potential.

Domestic and foreign policy

The population of Kosovo is characterized by the following feature: the majority of the able-bodied population, not being able to earn money in their own country, work abroad unofficially, sending their children and parents the means of subsistence. According to statistics, out of 1,700 thousand people, 800 thousand are currently outside the country.

Large mineral deposits are concentrated on the territory of Kosovo, such as magnesite, lead, nickel, cobalt, bauxite, and zinc. The republic ranks 5th in the world in terms of brown coal reserves. Kosovo has a huge international external debt, some of which was paid by Serbia until 2008.

As a result of secession from Serbia, Kosovo allowed the German currency, the German mark, into the state, and then, together with European countries, switched to the euro. Serbian money remained in the northern region - dinars.

Problems

The status of Kosovo is unclear and causes some concern, therefore investors are not attracted to the country. This reason leads to the appearance of shadow business in the republic. Tobacco, cement and gasoline are mainly exported from the country. There is also a thriving drug trade in Kosovo. According to UN estimates, more than 80% of illicit drugs from Kosovo cross the border into Europe.

Population

The population of Kosovo is 1 million 700 thousand people. According to the ethnic composition, it is located in the following percentage: 90% - Albanians, 6% - Serbs, 3% - Gypsies and 1% are other nationalities: Turks, Bosnians, Ashkali, Gorani. Albanians are the vast majority of Kosovo's population. The state language of the republic is Albanian and Serbian. Albanian is based on the Latin alphabet, while Serbian is based on the Cyrillic alphabet.

Tourism

A fairly large number of people from neighboring countries come to see the local sights. And not in vain. This area is rich in stunning places and will not leave anyone indifferent. You should fully plan your time and set a clear schedule in order to maximize attendance at interesting places. The population here is hospitable and will always help - you just need to ask for help. Be sure to learn English well so as not to get into an awkward situation with not knowing the local language.

Currently, peace has been established on the territory of the republic, there are no more military conflicts, so the country is slowly starting to restore cities and, of course, the economy. The most difficult thing is that Kosovo as a separate state has not yet been recognized by everyone, which greatly aggravates its development.

After Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence, it was widely believed that a new "Islamic state" had emerged in Europe. But how legitimate is it to talk about the religious factor in this inter-ethnic conflict? Georgy Engelgardt, an employee of the Institute of Slavic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told about this to NGR.

- Georgy Nikolaevich, what role does the religion of the opposing sides play in the Kosovo conflict?

The religious factor is not the main one in this confrontation, which is more intercommunal in nature, but due to differences in the religion of Serbs and Kosovo Albanians, the confessional aspect could not but affect the conflict itself and its specific manifestations. One such manifestation was the campaign to destroy Orthodox churches in Kosovo. In an effort to destroy the traces of the presence of the Serbs in the region, the Albanians tried in the first place to wipe out religious shrines and monuments from the face of the earth.

Now the leaders of the self-proclaimed state demonstrate their loyalty to the US and the EU, gratitude to them for their support, and therefore publicly assure the international community of their commitment to democratic values. However, 10 years ago, al-Qaeda instructors took a significant part in the creation of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) - the fighting detachments of Kosovo Albanians. True, at that time the Americans collaborated with Al-Qaeda in the Balkans.

After the 1999 war, charitable organizations from the Persian Gulf countries (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates) actively worked in Kosovo with the approval of the UN interim administration. During this time, dozens of mosques were built in the region at the expense of foreign philanthropists, which is indicated on the signs at the entrance. Some of the region's Islamic clergy were also trained in the Persian Gulf countries.

In late 2001 and early 2002, representatives of Islamic charitable organizations banned after the September 11 attacks, such as BIF (Benevolence International Foundation), were arrested and exposed. Many of them were also active in Kosovo, at least at the initial stage of the de facto independent existence of the enclave.

Is there a difference in the degree of religiosity between Albanians in Kosovo and in Albania itself? After all, the regime of Enver Hoxha was distinguished by much greater pressure on religions than the regime of Josip Broz Tito. Perhaps it was the adherents of the old traditions who fled to Yugoslavia (Kosovo and Macedonia), who were expected to be repressed in their homeland?

The Kosovo community is religiously more homogeneous than Albania, where Albanians are approximately 60-70% Muslim, 20% Orthodox and 10% Catholic. The Albanians of the former Yugoslavia (Kosovo and Macedonian) are overwhelmingly Muslim. According to the latest available research, more than 90% of Kosovo Albanians identified themselves as Muslims, and about 7% as Catholics. You are right that in Albania the communist regime was extremely peculiar, and the most severe anti-religious policy of all European socialist countries was carried out in the country. Suffice it to recall the official ban on religions in 1967. There both the clergy and the religious tradition suffered the most severe damage. And in Yugoslav Kosovo and Macedonia, there was still an unparalleled more liberal atmosphere, largely due to the policy of flirting with the Arab world, carried out by Titov's Belgrade as part of the "non-aligned movement." For example, specialists in Balkan Sufism have been conducting field research in these regions for decades, while the traditional Sufi centers in Albania have been destroyed by the authorities.

- Is it possible to create an Islamist enclave in Kosovo like "Hamasstan" in the Gaza Strip?

This is probably not to be expected in the near future. It took Hamas twenty years to grow from a conglomerate of underground groups and charitable organizations into a proto-state structure. On the other hand, while radical religious views are now alien to the majority of Albanians, the network of Islamist organizations that emerged in the 1990s persists. UN police sources point to the existence of such groups in the region and that they have sufficient combat capability.

In 2007, the activation of Wahhabi groups was observed in Novy Pazar, in Serbia. This is the discovery of the training camp of Ismal Prentich's group, and conflicts in the Muslim structures of Sandzhak (a region on the border of Serbia and Montenegro, inhabited mainly by Muslim Slavs, Sandzhak was the last territory that the Serbs conquered from the Turks in the 20th century. Its inhabitants are traditionally considered the most committed to Islam from the Muslims of the former Yugoslavia), as well as the aggravation of the situation in the Muslim community of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the summer of 2007. In all these cases, it was about cross-border coordinated groups that worked in Sandjak, and in Kosovo, and in Bosnia, with a control center, in particular, in Vienna. Kosovo, under the authority of the UN administration, has become a "grey zone" that is convenient for Wahhabis to use as a rear base for both training people and transporting goods.

An alarming symptom of the radicalization of the Albanian diaspora was the disclosure of an impending attack on the US Army base Fort Dix near New York - of the six detained conspirators, four were from Kosovo.

- How are relations between Muslim Slavs and Albanians developing in the region?

For the Wahhabi milieu, the ethnic factor takes second place, and within the framework of these organizations, Muslims of various origins cooperate. More traditional groups have a different attitude towards non-Albanian Muslims. Ever since the 1960s, Albanian nationalists have consistently sought to assimilate all the Muslim ethnic communities of Kosovo in order to strengthen their position in the province. For example, Gorani - Muslim Slavs living in the Shar-Planina region in southern Kosovo - even after the 1999 war, were constantly subjected to pressure from the Albanians. In the intra-Kosovo political situation, they, as a rule, supported the position of the Serbs and Belgrade. The same applies to some of the Gypsies, Turks and Circassians (the latter in 1999, due to persecution by the Albanians, were forced to move to their historical homeland, to Adygea).

The Serbian Orthodox Church refused to cooperate with the authorities of the self-proclaimed Kosovo. What might this demarche mean for the Serbian minority?

After the occupation of Kosovo by NATO forces, the Kosovo diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church became one of the main political institutions of the Serbian community of the region. The ruling Bishop of Rashko-Prizren Artemy (Radosavlievich) on March 3 forbade the clergy of the diocese to cooperate with both the Kosovo authorities and the EU mission.

Now Western countries are seeking to abolish the UN administration in Kosovo and transfer its powers to an International Steering Group under the auspices of the EU. Completion of this transfer of control is scheduled for early summer. Bishop Artemy consistently supports the position of Belgrade: the Serbian authorities do not recognize the Pristina administration and called the sending of an EU mission to Kosovo illegal, while recognizing the mandate of the UN mission. The actions of the head of the Rasko-Prizren diocese are aimed at maintaining the UN presence in the region in any form, he considers the UN civil administration and the KFOR peacekeeping contingent to be the only channel of interaction with international structures. As for the reaction to the Bishop's statement from opponents, at the moment neither the EU nor the authorities of Pristina are politically interested in a sharp surge of violence, primarily against the Serbs and Orthodox shrines in Kosovo. They need a point of contact in relations with the Serbian community and with the diocese as a very important political representative of this community in the region.

KOSOVO (REPUBLIC OF KOSOVO)
KOSOVA (REPUBLIKA E KOSOVЁ)

D.V.ZAYATS, A.O. KOSHELEV

(The article is given in abbreviation)

The self-proclaimed state of Kosovo occupies the territory of the autonomous province of Kosovo and Metohija, which is part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY). Kosovo lies inland, 85 km from the Adriatic coast. In shape, the edge resembles a rhombus, each of the diagonals of which stretches along the Balkans for about 145 km. The main part of the territory of Kosovo is an elevated plain, which is divided into two approximately equal intermountain basins: the eastern one - Kosovo, or Kosovo Field, - part of the gigantic range of the Danube basin * and the western - Metohija, along which flow the tributaries of the Drin - a river that carries its waters to Adriatic. Mid-mountain massifs rise along the perimeter of the region: Mokra Gora, Rogozna and Kopaonik - in the north, Golyak and Crna Gora - in the east, Shar-Planina - in the south and Prokletie - in the west.

Map of Kosovo

Kosovo's neighbors** are Albania and Montenegro (in the west), Macedonia (in the south), Serbian lands (in the north and east). The length of Kosovo's border with Albania is 114 km. parts of Kosovo's borders are disputed by Kosovo's leaders. In socialist Yugoslavia, the autonomous region occupied an area of ​​10.9 thousand km2, but nationalist Kosovo Albanians believe that at least three more Serbian communities outside of Kosovo proper should be part of their state: Presevo, Buyanovac and Medvedzha. These lands, located in the South Morava basin, east of Pristina, as well as in Kosovo, are predominantly Albanian. After the "liberation" of Kosovo from the Serbs, the leaders of the radical Albanians are hatching plans to seize these border areas from Serbia. The number of militants of the so-called Presevo Liberation Army, who participated here throughout 2000 in clashes with the regular forces of the Yugoslav army, according to various estimates, ranges from several hundred to five thousand people, most of whom went through combat training in the ranks of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA ).

Population

Number. The last official population census was carried out in Kosovo back in 1981, and it is now difficult to establish the real demographic and ethnic picture of the region. According to estimates by the Center for Demographic Research, in 1997 about 2.3 million people lived in the region. Kosovo has the highest population density in the region: 210/km2. In neighboring Montenegro, comparable in size, only 680 thousand people live.

Folk dance of the Kosovo Albanians

Demographics. Kosovo is one of two territories of the former Yugoslavia (the other being Macedonia) where the gender balance is skewed towards the male population. This feature, typical for Islamic countries, is quite unusual for Europe, but it is quite understandable: the region, in cultural and historical terms, is more of a fragment of the East than an integral part of the West. The natural increase in Kosovo in 1997 was 2.1% - a very high figure for Europe, which has long been in the zone of a demographic crisis. Due to the high birth rate (27‰*** in 1997), the proportion of younger ages is large: children under 15 account for more than a third of the population. The expanded reproduction of the population is characteristic mainly of Kosovo Albanians, who call themselves Kosovars. Rapid demographic growth has become one of the elements of the Albanian strategy for the gradual dissolution of the Serbian community of the region. Another way to increase the demographic pressure on the Serbs, tried in the post-war decades, was the illegal migration of Albanians across the Yugoslav border. New migrants were in no hurry to register at their place of residence, and therefore the real size of the Albanian population in the region was hidden from the Serbian authorities.

Ethnic composition. The forced increase in the proportion of Albanians in the population of Kosovo led to the intensification of interethnic conflicts in the region. Previously, the Serbs and Albanians, although they were not friendly peoples (too many accounts accumulated between them over the centuries of living together), still did not deny each other the right to live on Kosovo soil. Over a relatively short period of time (60 years), the proportion of Albanians in the region's population increased from 60 to 90% (Table 1). The campaign against Albanian extremists carried out by the regime of S. Milosevic and, to a much greater extent, the bombing of Kosovo by NATO aircraft led to the fact that the Albanian population began to leave the region en masse. The total number of Albanian refugees from Kosovo in 1999 reached, according to some estimates, 700-900 thousand people.

Immediately after the actual surrender of Belgrade and the cessation of hostilities, the pendulum swung in the opposite direction. The Albanians gradually began to return to their homes (some of them, using the status of refugees, managed to settle in the prosperous countries of Western Europe), the Serbs, feeling their insecurity in front of the KLA militants celebrating their victory, pulled out of the region to the north. UN observers note that in June-July 1999 alone, about 130,000 Serbs left Kosovo, more than half of the region's Orthodox community. In October 2000, according to the new president of the FRY, V. Kostunica, only 75,000 citizens of Serbian nationality remained in Kosovo. But they are not free in their movements either, since the few places where Serbs gather, taken under the protection of the military contingents of NATO and Russia, have in fact turned into a kind of ghetto, separated from the outside world by barbed wire and concrete barriers. In an effort to create an ethnically pure state, the Kosovars are trying to "cleanse" the region from other national minorities: gypsies, Montenegrins, Macedonians. At the same time, they deny the right to exist even to their co-religious Muslim Slavs, believing that they should recognize themselves as pure-blooded Albanians.

Table 1

Ethnic composition of Kosovo in 1931-1991

Population of Kosovo, thousand people
Albanians, %
Montenegrins, %
Muslim Slavs, %
Total	100,0	100,0	100,0	100,0	100,0

* Estimates given due to the boycott of the 1991 census by Kosovo Albanians.
** In 1931 and 1991 this number includes Montenegrins, Turks and Muslim Slavs.

Religious composition. The conflict in Kosovo is undeniably aggravated by the fact that, in addition to ethnicity, there is also a religious divide between the opposing sides. Albanians, as well as Turks and a small part of the Slavs living in the region, profess Sunni Islam. Mosques with high minarets are a characteristic feature of the panorama of any major Kosovo city.

Sinan Pasha Mosque in Prizren

Gracanitsa Monastery (XIV century) near Pristina

But Kosovo is also the cradle of Serbian Orthodoxy. Dozens of monasteries are located here, during the difficult time of Ottoman rule (in 1557) here, in the city of Pec, the Serbian Patriarchate was established. The influence of Orthodoxy was also reflected in the name of the western part of the autonomous region - Metohija (in translation - church lands). There are dozens of Orthodox monasteries in Kosovo, the largest - Gracanitsa near Pristina and Decane near the city of Pec - have existed since the 14th century, hundreds of churches. The religiosity of both confessional communities in Kosovo is very high, therefore both Serbs and Albanians are determined to defend the religious shrines on the land of their ancestors to the end. The presence on the territory of modern Kosovo of national relics of Serbian Orthodoxy makes the Albanians' demands for independence completely unacceptable to the Serbian side.

Map showing the location of Orthodox churches and monasteries in Kosovo

The quality of life of the population is low. A quarter of the population of the autonomous region does not have a complete primary education. The illiteracy rate, unique for Europe, is 18% in 1981 (the latest data that deserves to be trusted). Moreover, among women, illiteracy exceeded 26%! Infant mortality is 55 people. per thousand born. Such a difficult social situation is primarily due to the difficult economic situation of the region as part of Yugoslavia, which has been living under economic sanctions from the world community for almost ten years now. The situation is aggravated by uneradicated feudal vestiges in public life, many of which, for example, elements of Islamic law, are peculiar atavisms that have been preserved since the existence of the Ottoman Empire. Even the high natural population growth is perhaps more evidence of the low level of economic and social development of Kosovo: low economic activity, especially for women, the lowered status of women, and the decisive role of religion in family relations.

The main social problem of the region, which cannot be solved by any ethnic cleansing, is the problem of unemployment. Already in 1990, unemployment covered up to half of the able-bodied population, which was primarily a consequence of the rapid demographic growth of the Albanian community of the region and the inability, and possibly fear, of the Serbian authorities to create new jobs for the Kosovars. In 1997, even before the outbreak of full-scale hostilities, the number of unemployed was estimated at 860 thousand people, or 65% of the working population. A high population growth annually supplies about 30 thousand pairs of working hands, but with a steady decline in production, it is almost impossible to find a use for them. Young people join the ranks of the unemployed or (which has been happening more often lately) the ranks of illegal armed groups.

Central street of Pristina - the main city of Kosovo

Urbanization and cities. Kosovo is predominantly a rural area. About 35% of the population lives in cities. The largest city is the capital of the Pristina region (with suburbs of more than 300 thousand inhabitants). Other large cities (population given according to Albanian sources): Pec (85 thousand inhabitants), Prizren (70 thousand), Kosovska Mitrovica (68 thousand), Gjakovica (60 thousand) Some cities of Kosovo have a zone of attraction ** ** goes beyond the borders of the region, spreading to the adjacent territories of Montenegro, Serbia and Macedonia. Many cities of the region, along with Serbian ones, also have Albanian names, for example, Pec - Peya, Djakovitsa - Djakova, Gnilane - Djilane, Srbica - Skenderai. It is the Albanian transcription of Kosovo toponyms that has recently been preferred by the Western media.

Modern status and administrative structure

De facto, a dual power has now developed in Kosovo: the region is simultaneously controlled by an international administration representing the participating countries of KFOR (peacekeeping forces in Kosovo), and the organizational structures of the Kosovo Albanians, formed "from below" on the basis of local branches of the KLA. The province has a parliament and government of the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo, a constitution has been developed (it is considered adopted in September 1990), local authorities are being formed that represent the interests of the exclusively Albanian community. On October 28, 2000, parliamentary elections were held in which the moderately nationalist Democratic League of Kosovo, led by Professor Ibrahim Rugova, won a landslide victory over the party of prominent KLA field commander Hashim Thaçi. Belgrade does not recognize the legality of the institutions of power created by the Kosovo Albanians, but does not exclude the possibility of raising the status of Kosovo within the framework of the Yugoslav federation.

De jure Kosovo, the territory of Serbia, one of the two republics that make up the new Yugoslavia. The detailed international status of Kosovo has not yet been determined, since neither the Republic of Kosovo nor the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia - the new union of Serbia and Montenegro - are officially recognized by most countries of the world. True, the situation has changed significantly with the recent coming to power in Belgrade of a new president, V. Kostunica. Yugoslavia gradually began to emerge from international isolation, it began to be restored in European and world integration structures, which causes poorly concealed dissatisfaction with the current Pristina regime.

The development of the political situation in the region is monitored, practically without interfering in the ongoing events, by the peacekeeping forces to maintain peace in Kosovo. The territory of Kosovo in June 1999 was divided into five sectors of responsibility of the largest NATO countries. The northern part of Kosovo, where the proportion of the Serb population is higher, became part of the French responsibility zone (the headquarters of the contingent is located in Kosovska Mitrovica), the central part of Kosovo Polya and the Poduevskaya Valley entered the British sector (headquarters in Pristina), the east and southeast of the region are controlled by American peacekeepers (headquarters in Gnjilane), the sector of Italy is limited to the northern part of Metohija (headquarters in Pec),

Russian peacekeepers do not have their own sector. Their areas of responsibility are located in different parts of Kosovo: Kosovska Kamenica in the American sector of KFOR, Malishevo in the German sector, Devicha in the French sector, Slatina airport (the only one in the region) in the British one. In terms of the number of personnel, Russian troops make up 7-8% of the entire KFOR contingent. Their share in the controlled territory is approximately the same.

The official language is Albanian, the Serbian minority uses Serbian, the working language of the international peacekeeping forces is English.

State symbols. The flag of the Kosovo Albanians, which has now practically become the official flag of Kosovo, copies the national flag of the Republic of Albania: a black double-headed eagle on a dark red cloth (apparently, another reminder of the former symbols of powerful Byzantium). Albanian banners, which were previously banned, can now be seen everywhere in Kosovo: on administrative buildings, at roadblocks, on the facades of houses. Not one of the numerous demonstrations of the Kosovars can do without the appearance of a banner with a black eagle. The KLA has its own flag, also based on the Albanian banner.

* A small area in the south of Kosova Pol belongs to the Aegean Sea basin.

** Decline or not incline the name of Kosovo - this question does not have an unambiguous solution. Russian names - Ivanovo, Borodino, Izmailovo - are usually declined (Ivanova, Ivanova, in Ivanovo). There is no question of non-Slavic names (Bordeaux, Glasgow) - they are not inclined. Non-Russian, but Slavic names (Rivne, Grodno, Brno) are sometimes inclined in the languages ​​of their peoples, but not in Russian. Therefore, we decided to accept the non-declining option here. - Approx. ed.

*** Estimates are given due to the boycott of the 1991 census by Kosovo Albanians.

**** During the existence of the SFRY - Titova-Mitrovica. This toponym can still be found in the latest atlases, but it is no longer used in modern Yugoslavia.

******** It is curious that the areas of responsibility that were defined for the military contingents of NATO countries coincide with the areas of their economic interests. It can hardly be called an accident that the French occupied the northern sector of Kosovo, because French businessmen have been eyeing the Trepca mining and smelting plant five years ago. The UK chose the sector in the center of the province, apparently because British firms during the ongoing privatization in Serbia showed interest in the energy companies located there. The Italians control the city of Pec, where the Yugoslav-Italian Zastava Iveco joint venture was located.

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- (Srbia - Crna Gora; Srbija - Crna Gora), state in SE. Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula, pl. 102.2 km²; consists of 2 republics: Serbia (includes the regions of Kosovo and Vojvodina) and Montenegro. The capital is Be… Geographic Encyclopedia

For the term "Kosovo", see other uses. This article is about the modern state; for the state that existed from 1991 to 2000, see Republic of Kosovo (1991-2000). Republic of Kosovo alb. Republika e Kosovës Serb. Republic of Kosovo ... Wikipedia

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Not to be confused with Kosovo. Republic of Kosovo Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija alb. Republika e Kosovës Serbian Republic of Kosovo Serbian. Autonomous border of Kosovo and Metohija Alb. Krahina Autonome e Kosovës dhe Metohisë ... Wikipedia