Skip to content. | Skip to navigation

 
Central Intelligence Agency
The Work of a Nation. The Center of Intelligence
World Factbook Title
navigation arrows
View Text Low Bandwidth Version Download Publication
Europe :: Kosovo
page last updated on January 28, 2013
Flag of Kosovo
(CONTAINS DESCRIPTION)
Location of Kosovo
Click flag or map to enlarge Opens in New Window
 
Map of Kosovo
Click map to enlarge Opens in New Window
No Photos available for Kosovo
 
no photos available of Kosovo
Expand All | collapse All
Introduction ::Kosovo
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
The central Balkans were part of the Roman and Byzantine Empires before ethnic Serbs migrated to the territories of modern Kosovo in the 7th century. During the medieval period, Kosovo became the center of a Serbian Empire and saw the construction of many important Serb religious sites, including many architecturally significant Serbian Orthodox monasteries. The defeat of Serbian forces at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 led to five centuries of Ottoman rule during which large numbers of Turks and Albanians moved to Kosovo. By the end of the 19th century, Albanians replaced the Serbs as the dominant ethnic group in Kosovo. Serbia reacquired control over Kosovo from the Ottoman Empire during the First Balkan War of 1912. After World War II, Kosovo became an autonomous province of Serbia in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (S.F.R.Y.) with status almost equivalent to that of a republic under the 1974 S.F.R.Y. constitution. Despite legislative concessions, Albanian nationalism increased in the 1980s, which led to riots and calls for Kosovo's independence. At the same time, Serb nationalist leaders, such as Slobodan MILOSEVIC, exploited Kosovo Serb claims of maltreatment to secure votes from supporters, many of whom viewed Kosovo as their cultural heartland. Under MILOSEVIC's leadership, Serbia instituted a new constitution in 1989 that revoked Kosovo's status as an autonomous province of Serbia. Kosovo Albanian leaders responded in 1991 by organizing a referendum that declared Kosovo independent. Under MILOSEVIC, Serbia carried out repressive measures against the Albanians in the early 1990s as the unofficial Kosovo government, led by Ibrahim RUGOVA, used passive resistance in an attempt to try to gain international assistance and recognition of an independent Kosovo. Albanians dissatisfied with RUGOVA's passive strategy in the 1990s created the Kosovo Liberation Army and launched an insurgency. Starting in 1998, Serbian military, police, and paramilitary forces under MILOSEVIC conducted a brutal counterinsurgency campaign that resulted in massacres and massive expulsions of ethnic Albanians. Approximately 800,000 Albanians were forced from their homes in Kosovo during this time. International attempts to mediate the conflict failed, and MILOSEVIC's rejection of a proposed settlement led to a three-month NATO military operation against Serbia beginning in March 1999 that forced Serbia to agree to withdraw its military and police forces from Kosovo. UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) placed Kosovo under a transitional administration, the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), pending a determination of Kosovo's future status. A UN-led process began in late 2005 to determine Kosovo's final status. The negotiations ran in stages between 2006 and 2007, but ended without agreement between Belgrade and Pristina. On 17 February 2008, the Kosovo Assembly declared Kosovo independent. Since then, over 85 countries have recognized Kosovo, and it has joined the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Serbia continues to reject Kosovo's independence and in October 2008, it sought an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the legality under international law of Kosovo's declaration of independence. The ICJ released the advisory opinion in July 2010 affirming that Kosovo's declaration of independence did not violate general principles of international law, UN Security Council Resolution 1244, or the Constitutive Framework. The opinion was closely tailored to Kosovo's unique history and circumstances.
Back to Top
Geography ::Kosovo
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Southeast Europe, between Serbia and Macedonia
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
42 35 N, 21 00 E
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
total: 10,887 sq km
country comparison to the world: 169
land: 10,887 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
slightly larger than Delaware
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
total: 702 km
border countries: Albania 112 km, Macedonia 159 km, Montenegro 79 km, Serbia 352 km
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
0 km (landlocked)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
none (landlocked)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
influenced by continental air masses resulting in relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall and hot, dry summers and autumns; Mediterranean and alpine influences create regional variation; maximum rainfall between October and December
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
flat fluvial basin with an elevation of 400-700 m above sea level surrounded by several high mountain ranges with elevations of 2,000 to 2,500 m
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
lowest point: Drini i Bardhe/Beli Drim 297 m (located on the border with Albania)
highest point: Gjeravica/Deravica 2,656 m
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
nickel, lead, zinc, magnesium, lignite, kaolin, chrome, bauxite
Back to Top
People and Society ::Kosovo
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
noun: Kosovar (Albanian), Kosovac (Serbian)
adjective: Kosovar (Albanian), Kosovski (Serbian)
note: Kosovan, a neutral term, is sometimes also used as a noun or adjective
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Albanians 92%, other (Serb, Bosniak, Gorani, Roma, Turk, Ashkali, Egyptian) 8% (2008)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Albanian (official), Serbian (official), Bosnian, Turkish, Roma
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Muslim, Serbian Orthodox, Roman Catholic
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
1,836,529 (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 150
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
0-14 years: 26.9% (male 256,700/ female 236,975)
15-64 years: 66.3% (male 636,804/ female 581,729)
65 years and over: 6.8% (male 52,357/ female 71,964) (2012 est.)
population pyramid:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
total: 27.1 years
male: 26.7 years
female: 27.5 years (2012 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
4.3% of GDP (2008)
country comparison to the world: 91
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.9%
male: 96.6%
female: 87.5% (2007 Census)
Back to Top
Government ::Kosovo
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
conventional long form: Republic of Kosovo
conventional short form: Kosovo
local long form: Republika e Kosoves (Republika Kosovo)
local short form: Kosova (Kosovo)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
republic
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
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
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
37 municipalities (komunat, singular - komuna (Albanian); opstine, singular - opstina (Serbian)); Decan (Decani), Dragash (Dragas), Ferizaj (Urosevac), Fushe Kosove (Kosovo Polje), Gjakove (Dakovica), Gjilan (Gnjilane), Gllogovc (Glogovac), Gracanice (Gracanica), Hani i Elezit (Deneral Jankovic), Istog (Istok), Junik, Kacanik, Kamenice/Dardana (Kamenica), Kline (Klina), Kllokot (Klokot), Leposaviq (Leposavic), Lipjan (Lipljan), Malisheve (Malisevo), Mamushe (Mamusa), Mitrovice (Mitrovica), Novoberde (Novo Brdo), Obiliq (Obilic), Partesh (Partes), Peje (Pec), Podujeve (Podujevo), Prishtine (Pristina), Prizren, Rahovec (Orahovac), Ranillug (Ranilug), Shterpce (Strpce), Shtime (Stimlje), Skenderaj (Srbica), Suhareke (Suva Reka), Viti (Vitina), Vushtrri (Vucitrn), Zubin Potok, Zvecan
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
17 February 2008 (from Serbia)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Independence Day, 17 February (2008)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
adopted by the Kosovo Assembly 9 April 2008; effective 15 June 2008
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
evolving legal system; mixture of applicable Kosovo law, UNMIK laws and regulations, and applicable laws of the Former Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia that were in effect in Kosovo as of 22 March 1989
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
18 years of age; universal
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
chief of state: President Atifete JAHJAGA (since 7 April 2011);
head of government: Prime Minister Hashim THACI (since 9 January 2008)
cabinet: ministers; elected by the Kosovo Assembly
(For more information visit the World Leaders website Opens in New Window)
elections: the president is elected for a five-year term by the Kosovo Assembly; election last held on 7 April 2011; note - the prime minister elected by the Kosovo Assembly
election results: Atifete JAHJAGA elected in one round (JAHJAGA 80, Suzana NOVOBERDALIU 10); Hashim THACI reelected prime minister by the Assembly
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
unicameral national Assembly (120 seats; 100 seats directly elected, 10 seats guaranteed for ethnic Serbs, 10 seats guaranteed for other ethnic minorities; members to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 12 December 2010 with runoff elections in a few municipalities in January 2011 (next expected to be held in 2015)
election results: percent of vote by party - PDK 30.1%, LDK 23.9%, VV 12.4%, AAK 10.6%, KKR 7.1%, SLS 7.1%, JSL 3.5%, KDTP 2.7%, VAKAT 1.8%, and BSDAK 0.9%; seats by party - PDK 34, LDK 27, VV 12, AAK 11, KKR 8, SLS 8, JSL 4, KDTP 3, VAKAT 2, LB 2, BSDAK 1, NDS 1, PAI 1, SDSKIM 1, PREBK 1, IRDK 1, AKR 1, PDAK 1, GIG 1
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Supreme Court; Appellate Court; basic courts; Constitutional Court
note: the Law on Courts, which went into effect on 1 January 2011, provided for a reorganization of the court system; the Kosovo Constitution dictates that the Supreme Court of Kosovo is the highest judicial authority, and provides for a Kosovo Judicial Council (KJC) that proposes to the president candidates for appointment or reappointment as judges and prosecutors; the KJC is also responsible for decisions on the promotion and transfer of judges and disciplinary proceedings against judges; at least 15 percent of Supreme Court and district court judges shall be from non-majority communities
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Albanian Christian Democratic Party of Kosovo or PShDK [Uke BERISHA]; Alliance for a New Kosovo or AKR [Behgjet PACOLLI]; Alliance for the Future of Kosovo or AAK [Ramush HARADINAJ]; Alliance of Independent Social Democrats of Kosovo and Metohija or SDSKIM [Ljubisa ZIVIC]; Ashkali Party for Integration or PAI; Bosniak Party of Democratic Action of Kosovo or BSDAK; Bosniak Vakat Coalition or DSV [Sadik IDRIZI]; Citizens' Initiative of Gora or GIG [Murselj HALJILJI]; Coalition for New Kosovo or KKR; Democratic Action Party or SDA [Numan BALIC]; Democratic League of Dardania or LDD [Nexhat DACI]; Democratic League of Kosovo or LDK [Isa MUSTAFA]; Democratic Party of Ashkali of Kosovo or PDAK [Berat QERIMI]; Democratic Party of Bosniaks [Dzezair MURATI]; Democratic Party of Kosovo or PDK [Hashim THACI]; Independent Liberal Party or SLS [Slobadan PETROVIC]; Kosovo Democratic Turkish Party or KDTP [Mahir YAGCILAR]; Movement for Self-Determination (Vetevendosje) or VV [Albin KURTI]; Movement for Unification or LB; New Democratic Initiative of Kosovo or IRDK [Xhevdet NEZIRAJ]; New Democratic Party or NDS [Predrag JOVIC]; Serb National Party or SNS [Mihailo SCEPANOVIC]; Serbian Democratic Party of Kosovo and Metohija or SDS KiM [Slavisa PETKOVIC]; Serbian Kosovo and Metohija Party or SKMS [Dragisa MIRIC]; Serbian National Council of Northern Kosovo and Metohija or SNV [Milan IVANOVIC]; Social Democratic Party of Kosovo or PSDK [Agim CEKU]; Socialist Party of Kosovo or PSK [Ilaz KADOLLI]; United Roma Party of Kosovo or PREBK [Haxhi Zylfi MERXHA]; United Serb List or JSL
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedom (human rights); Organization for Democracy, Anti-Corruption and Dignity Rise! [Avni ZOGIANI]; Serb National Council (SNV); The Speak Up Movement [Ramadan ILAZI]
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
IBRD, IDA, IFC, IMF, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
chief of mission: Ambassador Akan ISMAILI
chancery: 1101 30th Street NW, Suites 330/340, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: 202-380-3581
FAX: 202-380-3628
consulate(s) general: New York
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
chief of mission: Ambassador Tracey Ann JACOBSON
embassy: Arberia/Dragodan, Nazim Hikmet 30, Pristina, Kosovo
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [381] 38 59 59 3000
FAX: [381] 38 549 890
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
centered on a dark blue field is the geographical shape of Kosovo in a gold color surmounted by six white, five-pointed stars arrayed in a slight arc; each star represents one of the major ethnic groups of Kosovo: Albanians, Serbs, Turks, Gorani, Roma, and Bosniaks
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
name: "Europe"
lyrics/music: none/Mendi MENGJIQI
note: adopted 2008; Kosovo chose to not include lyrics in its anthem so as not to offend minority ethnic groups in the country
Back to Top
Economy ::Kosovo
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Over the past few years Kosovo's economy has shown significant progress in transitioning to a market-based system and maintaining macroeconomic stability, but it is still highly dependent on the international community and the diaspora for financial and technical assistance. Remittances from the diaspora - located mainly in Germany, Switzerland, and the Nordic countries - are estimated to account for about 18% of GDP, and donor-financed activities and aid for approximately 10%. Kosovo's citizens are the poorest in Europe with an average annual per capita income (PPP) of $7,400. Unemployment, around 45%, is a significant problem that encourages outward migration and a significant informal, unreported economy. Most of Kosovo's population lives in rural towns outside of the capital, Pristina. Inefficient, near-subsistence farming is common - the result of small plots, limited mechanization, and lack of technical expertise. With international assistance, Kosovo has been able to privatize a majority of its state-owned-enterprises. Minerals and metals - including lignite, lead, zinc, nickel, chrome, aluminum, magnesium, and a wide variety of construction materials - once formed the backbone of industry, but output has declined because of ageing equipment and insufficient investment. A limited and unreliable electricity supply due to technical and financial problems is a major impediment to economic development, but Kosovo has received technical assistance to help improve accounting and controls and, in 2012, privatized its distribution network. The US Government is cooperating with the Ministry for Energy and Mines and the World Bank to prepare commercial tenders for the construction of a new power plant, rehabilitation of an old plant, and the development of a coal mine that could supply both. In July 2008, Kosovo received pledges of $1.9 billion from 37 countries in support of its reform priorities, but the global financial crisis has limited this assistance and also negatively affected remittance inflows. In June 2009, Kosovo joined the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, and Kosovo began servicing its share of the former Yugoslavia's debt. In order to help integrate Kosovo into regional economic structures, UNMIK signed (on behalf of Kosovo) its accession to the Central Europe Free Trade Area (CEFTA) in 2006. Serbia and Bosnia previously had refused to recognize Kosovo's customs stamp or extend reduced tariff privileges for Kosovo products under CEFTA, but both countries resumed trade with Kosovo in 2011. The official currency of Kosovo is the euro, but the Serbian dinar is also used illegally in Serb enclaves. Kosovo's tie to the euro has helped keep core inflation low. Kosovo maintained a budget surplus until 2011, when government expenditures climbed sharply.
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$13.56 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 143
$13.07 billion (2011 est.)
$12.45 billion (2010 est.)
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$6.3 billion (2012 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
3.8% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87
5% (2011 est.)
3.9% (2010 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$7,400 (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
$6,700 (2011 est.)
$6,400 (2010 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
agriculture: 12.9%
industry: 22.6%
services: 64.5% (2009 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
800,000
country comparison to the world: 148
note: includes those estimated to be employed in the grey economy (2011 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
agriculture: 23.6%
industry: NA%
services: NA% (2010)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
45.3% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191
45.4% (2010 est.)
note: Kosovo has a large informal sector that may not be reflected in these data
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
30% (2010 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
30 (FY05/06) (FY05/06)
country comparison to the world: 116
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
35% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
revenues: $1.74 billion
expenditures: $2.06 billion (2011 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
27.6% of GDP (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
-5.1% of GDP (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
5.5% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 147
6.2% of GDP (2010)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
8.3% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
3.5% (2010 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
13.86% (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55
14.31% (31 December 2010 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
wheat, corn, berries, potatoes, peppers, fruit; dairy, livestock; fish
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
-$2.88 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148
-$900 million (2011 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$419 million (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175
$400 million (2010 est.) (2010 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
mining and processed metal products, scrap metals, leather products, machinery, appliances, prepared foodstuffs, beverages and tobacco, vegetable products, textile and textile articles
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$3.3 billion (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
$2.7 billion (2010 est.) (2010 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
foodstuffs, livestock, wood, petroleum, chemicals, machinery, minerals, textiles, stone, ceramic and glass products and electrical equipment
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$NA
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$326 million (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
$900 million (2010 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$21.2 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
$24.4 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
euros (EUR) per US dollar -
0.7838 (2012 est.)
0.7185 (2011 est.)
755 (2010 est.)
0.7198 (2009 est.)
0.6827 (2008 est.)
Back to Top
Energy ::Kosovo
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
5.16 billion kWh (2011)
country comparison to the world: 118
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
5.674 billion kWh (2011)
country comparison to the world: 110
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
NA bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
0 bbl/day (2007)
country comparison to the world: 162
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
NA bbl/day (2011 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
0 cu m (2007)
country comparison to the world: 150
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
0 cu m (2007)
country comparison to the world: 162
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
NA cu m (2011 est.)
Back to Top
Communications ::Kosovo
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
106,300 (2006)
country comparison to the world: 144
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
562,000 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 163
Back to Top
Transportation ::Kosovo
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
8 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 162
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
total: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2012)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
total: 4
under 914 m: 4 (2012)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
2 (2012)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
total: 430 km
country comparison to the world: 114
standard gauge: 430 km 1.435-m gauge (2007)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
total: 1,964 km
country comparison to the world: 175
paved: 1,706 km
unpaved: 258 km (2009)
Back to Top
Military ::Kosovo
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Kosovo Security Force (FSK) (2010)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
males age 16-49: 430,926
females age 16-49: 389,614 (2010 est.)
Back to Top
Transnational Issues ::Kosovo
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Serbia with several other states protest the US and other states' recognition of Kosovo's declaration of its status as a sovereign and independent state in February 2008; ethnic Serbian municipalities along Kosovo's northern border challenge final status of Kosovo-Serbia boundary; several thousand NATO-led Kosovo Force peacekeepers under United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo authority continue to keep the peace within Kosovo between the ethnic Albanian majority and the Serb minority in Kosovo; Kosovo and Macedonia completed demarcation of their boundary in September 2008
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
IDPs: 17,853 (main wave of displacement was in 1999 when ethnic Serbs fled; IDPs consist of an estimated 54% Serbs, 40% Albanians, and 5% Roma, Ashkalis, and Egyptians) (2012)
Back to Top
Expand All | collapse All
  The online Factbook is updated weekly. ISSN 1553-8133
For additional information on government leaders in selected foreign countries, go to World Leaders.