Mitrovica, Kosovo

Mitrovica Mitrovica e Jugut South Mitrovica
City and municipality
Ibar Bridge, Sitnica River, Miners Monument, Ibar River, St. Dimitri Orthodox Church, Former Jadran Hotel, Sand's Mosque, Mitrovica at night panoramic view.
Emblem
Mitrovica Show map of Kosovo Mitrovica Show map of Europe
Coordinates: 42°53′N 20°52′E / 42.883°N 20.867°E / 42.883; 20.867
Country	Kosovo
Government
• Mayor	Bedri Hamza (PDK)
Area
• Municipality	331 km2 (128 sq mi)
• Urban	54.983 km2 (21.229 sq mi)
• Rank	17th in Kosovo
Elevation	500 m (1,600 ft)
Population  (2024)[1]
• Municipality	68,000
• Density	210/km2 (530/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Albanian: Mitrovicas (m), Mitrovicase (f) Gheg dialect: Mitrovicali (m) Mitrovicalike (f)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	40000
Area code	+383 28
Vehicle registration	02
Website	Official site

Mitrovica (Albanian indefinite form: Mitrovicë; Serbian Cyrillic: Косовска Митровица), also referred to as South Mitrovica (Albanian: Mitrovicë e Jugut), is a city in northern Kosovo and administrative center of the District of Mitrovica. In 2013, the city was split into two municipalities, South Mitrovica and North Mitrovica. Settled 10 km (6.2 mi) from Ujmani/Gazivoda Lake, on the confluence of the rivers Ibër, Sitnicë, Lushta, and Trepça, the city is surrounded by the mountains of Kopaonik, Rogozna, Mokna, and Çyçavica. According to the 2011 Census, the two municipalities had 97,686 inhabitants of which 85,360 reside in south and 12,326 in north.^[2][3]

The history of Mitrovica is rooted in antiquity, with evidence of early settlements of neolithic and Roman-era artifacts discovered in the region. During the Middle Ages, the area played an important role in the Byzantine and Serbian Empires, while the modern city was founded during the rule of the Ottoman Empire, being first mentioned in the 17th century. Its strategic location along trade routes made it an important center for commerce and cultural exchange during this time. The complex historical context of these foreign influences contributed to the diverse heritage and cultural mosaic of Mitrovica, which continues to be a notable aspect of the city's identity.^[4]

In the modern era, Mitrovica's history has been marked by various events, including the industrial development of Trepça Mines, a major mining and metallurgy complex, during the Yugoslav period; the Kosovo War and the ethnic divisions that emerged in its aftermath in 1999. In 2013, following the North Kosovo crisis, the city was divided by the Ibar River into two separate municipalities, South Mitrovica with an ethnic Albanian majority and North Mitrovica with an ethnic Serb majority.^[5] Following the Kosovo War in 1999 and the city’s ethnic division, Mitrovica suffered economic collapse, turning from the economic center of Kosovo before 1999 to the poorest region in Kosovo after. According to the Kosovo Statistics Agency, of all urban municipalities in Kosovo, Mitrovica has the highest unemployment rate and the highest number of dependents from state transfers.^[6]

Mitrovica is also an important university center with the University of Mitrovica “Isa Boletini” in the south, the faculties of the parallel institution of University of Pristina in the north and several private universities.