Kosovo

Republic of Kosovo Republika e Kosovës (Albanian) Република Косово / Republika Kosovo (Serbian)
Flag Emblem
Anthem: Himni i Republikës së Kosovës "Anthem of the Republic of Kosovo"
Location of Kosovo (green)
Status	Recognised as independent by 104 out of 193 member states of the United Nations.[1] Claimed by Serbia as the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija
Capital and largest city	Pristinaa 42°40′N 21°10′E / 42.667°N 21.167°E / 42.667; 21.167
Official languages	Albanian Serbian[2]
Regional languages	Bosnian Turkish[3] Romani
Ethnic groups (2019)[4]	92% Albanians 4% Serbs 2% Bosniaks 1% Turks 1% Romani
Religion (2020)[5]	93% Islam 6% Christianity <1% no religion <1% others
Demonym(s)	Kosovar, Kosovan
Government	Unitary parliamentary republic
• President	Vjosa Osmani
• Prime Minister	Albin Kurti
• Speaker of the Assembly	Glauk Konjufca
Legislature	Assembly
Establishment
• Sanjak of Prizren	1455
• Kosovo Vilayet	1877
• Treaty of London	1913
• Autonomous Province within Yugoslavia	31 January 1946
• Republic of Kosova	2 July 1990
• Kumanovo Agreement	9 June 1999
• UN Administration	10 June 1999
• Declaration of independence	17 February 2008
• End of Steering Group supervision	10 September 2012
• Brussels Agreement	19 April 2013
Area
• Total	10,887[6] km2 (4,203 sq mi)
• Water (%)	1.0[7]
Population
• 2024 census	1,586,659[8]
• Density	146/km2 (378.1/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2024 estimate
• Total	$29.719 billion[9] (148th)
• Per capita	$16,775[9] (100th)
GDP (nominal)	2024 estimate
• Total	$11.318 billion[9] (155th)
• Per capita	$6,389[9] (104th)
Gini (2017)	29.0[10] low inequality
HDI (2021)	0.762[11] high
Currency	Euro (€)b (EUR)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Date format	dd.mm.yyyy
Drives on	right
Calling code	+383
ISO 3166 code	XK
Internet TLD	.xkc (proposed)
Pristina is the capital of Kosovo and its seat of government.[12][13] A separate law recognises Prizren as the historic capital of Kosovo.[13] The Euro is the official currency in Kosovo even though Kosovo is not a formal member of the eurozone.[14][15][16] XK is a "user assigned" ISO 3166 code not designated by the standard, but used by the European Commission, Switzerland, the Deutsche Bundesbank and other organisations. However, ISO 3166-2:RS-KM remains in use.

Kosovo,^[a] officially the Republic of Kosovo,^[b] is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the north and east and North Macedonia to the southeast. It covers an area of 10,887 km² (4,203 sq mi) and it has a population of approximately 1.6 million. Kosovo has a varied terrain, with high plains along with rolling hills and mountains, some of which reach an altitude of over 2,500 m (8,200 ft). Its climate is mainly continental with some Mediterranean and alpine influences.^[17] Kosovo's capital and the most populous city is Pristina; other major cities and urban areas include Prizren, Ferizaj, Gjilan and Peja.^[18]

The Dardani tribe emerged in Kosovo and established the Kingdom of Dardania in the 4th century BC. It was later annexed by the Roman Empire in the 1st century BC. The territory remained in the Byzantine Empire, facing Slavic migrations from the 6th-7th century AD. Control shifted between the Byzantines and the First Bulgarian Empire. In the 13th century, Kosovo became integral to the Serbian medieval state and the seat of the Serbian Orthodox Church was moved to Kosovo. Ottoman expansion in the Balkans in the late 14th and 15th century led to the decline and fall of the Serbian Empire; the Battle of Kosovo of 1389 is considered to be one of the defining moments, where a Serbian-led coalition consisting of various ethnicities fought against the Ottoman Empire.

Various dynasties, mainly the Branković, would govern Kosovo for a significant portion of the period following the battle. The Ottoman Empire fully conquered Kosovo after the Second Battle of Kosovo, ruling for nearly five centuries until 1912. Kosovo was the center of the Albanian Renaissance and experienced the Albanian revolts of 1910 and 1912. After the Balkan Wars (1912–1913), it was ceded to the Kingdom of Serbia and following World War II, it became an Autonomous Province within Yugoslavia. Tensions between Kosovo's Albanian and Serb communities simmered through the 20th century and occasionally erupted into major violence, culminating in the Kosovo War of 1998 and 1999, which resulted in the withdrawal of the Yugoslav army and the establishment of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo.

Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008,^[19] and has since gained diplomatic recognition as a sovereign state by 104 member states of the United Nations. Although Serbia does not officially recognise Kosovo as a sovereign state and continues to claim it as its constituent Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija, it accepts the governing authority of the Kosovo institutions as a part of the 2013 Brussels Agreement.^[20]

Kosovo is a developing country, with an upper-middle-income economy. It has experienced solid economic growth over the last decade as measured by international financial institutions since the onset of the financial crisis of 2007–2008. Kosovo is a member of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, EBRD, Venice Commission, the International Olympic Committee, and has applied for membership in the Council of Europe, UNESCO, Interpol, and for observer status in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. In December 2022, Kosovo filed a formal application to become a member of the European Union.^[21]

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