Kosovo

• 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

• the 41-km long Nerodimka River divides into two branches, each of which flows into a different sea: the northern branch flows into the Sitnica River, which via the Ibar, Morava, and Danube Rivers ultimately flows into the Black Sea;
• the southern branch flows via the Lepenac and Vardar Rivers into the Aegean Sea

noun:

Kosovan

adjective:

Kosovan

note: Kosovo, a neutral term, is sometimes also used as a noun or adjective as in Kosovo Albanian, Kosovo Serb, Kosovo minority, or Kosovo citizen

total:

32 years (2024 est.)

male:

31.7 years

female:

32.4 years

at birth:

1.08 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.08 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.1 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.78 male(s)/female

total population:

1.06 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

22.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male:

24.2 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

21.5 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

73.1 years (2024 est.)

male:

71 years

female:

75.5 years

improved:

urban: NA

rural:

NA

total:

NA

unimproved:

urban: NA

rural:

NA

total:

NA

improved:

urban: NA

rural:

NA

total:

NA

unimproved:

urban: NA

rural:

NA

total:

NA

• air pollution (pollution from power plants and nearby lignite mines take a toll on people's health);
• water scarcity and pollution;
• land degradation

• 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

carbon dioxide emissions:

8.94 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

0.54 megatons (2020 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Kosovo

conventional short form:

Kosovo

local long form:

Republika e Kosoves (Albanian)/ Republika Kosovo (Serbian)

local short form:

Kosove (Albanian)/ Kosovo (Serbian)

etymology:

name derives from the Serbian "kos" meaning "blackbird," an ellipsis (linguistic omission) for "kosove polje" or "field of the blackbirds"

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 name may derive from a Proto-Slavic word reconstructed as "pryshchina," meaning "spring (of water)"

38 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 (Kamenica), Kline (Klina), Kllokot (Klokot), Leposaviq (Leposavic), Lipjan (Lipljan), Malisheve (Malisevo), Mamushe (Mamusa), Mitrovice e Jugut (Juzna Mitrovica) [South Mitrovica], Mitrovice e Veriut (Severna Mitrovica) [North 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

history:

• previous 1974, 1990;
• latest (postindependence) draft finalized 2 April 2008, signed 7 April 2008, ratified 9 April 2008, entered into force 15 June 2008;
• note - amendment 24, passed by the Assembly in August 2015, established the Kosovo Relocated Specialist Institution, referred to as the Kosovo Specialist Chamber or "Specialist Court," to try war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other crimes under Kosovo law committed during and immediately after the Kosovo War (1998-2000)

amendments:

• proposed by the government, by the president of the republic, or by one fourth of Assembly deputies;
• passage requires two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly, including two-thirds majority vote of deputies representing non-majority communities, followed by a favorable Constitutional Court assessment;
• amended several times, last in 2020

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Kosovo

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

chief of state:

President Vjosa OSMANI-Sadriu (since 4 April 2021)

head of government:

Prime Minister Albin KURTI (since 22 March 2021)

cabinet:

Cabinet elected by the Assembly

elections/appointments:

• president indirectly elected by at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly for a 5-year term;
• if a candidate does not attain a two-thirds threshold in the first two ballots, the candidate winning a simple majority vote in the third ballot is elected (eligible for a second term);
• election last held on 3 to 4 April 2021 (next to be held in 2026);
• prime minister indirectly elected by the Assembly

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

description:

unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi i Kosoves/Skupstina Kosova (120 seats; 100 members directly elected by open-list proportional representation vote with 20 seats reserved for ethnic minorities; members serve 4-year terms)

elections:

last held on 14 February 2021 (next to be held in 2025)

election results:

• percent of vote by party - LVV 50%, PDK 16.9%, LDK 12.7%, AAK 7.1%, Serb List 5.1%, other 8.2%;
• seats by party - LVV 58, PDK 19, LDK 15, Serb List 10, AAK 8, other 10;
• composition - men 79, women 41, percentage women 34.2%

note: 20 seats reserved for ethnic minorities -- 10 for Serbs and 10 for other minorities

• Alliance for the Future of Kosovo or AAK
• Ashkali Party for Integration or PAI
• Civic Initiative for Freedom, Justice, and Survival
• Democratic League of Kosovo or LDK
• Democratic Party of Kosovo or PDK
• New Democratic Initiative of Kosovo or IRDK
• New Democratic Party or NDS
• Progressive Movement of Kosovar Roma or LPRK
• Romani Initiative
• Self-Determination Movement (Lëvizja Vetevendosje or Vetevendosie) or LVV or VV
• Serb List or SL
• Social Democratic Union or SDU
• Turkish Democratic Party of Kosovo or KDTP
• Unique Gorani Party or JGP
• Vakat Coalition or VAKAT

chief of mission:

Ambassador Ilir DUGOLLI (since 13 January 2022)

chancery:

3612 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20007

telephone:

[1] (202) 450-2130

FAX:

[1] (202) 735-0609

email address and website:

[email protected]; U.S. Embassies of the Republic of Kosovo (ambasadat.net)

consulate(s) general:

New York

consulate(s):

Des Moines (IA)

chief of mission:

Ambassador Jeffrey M. HOVENIER (since 10 January 2022)

embassy:

Arberia/Dragodan, Rr. 4 KORRIKU Nr. 25, Pristina

mailing address:

9520 Pristina Place, Washington DC 20521-9520

telephone:

[383] 38-59-59-3000

FAX:

[383] 38-604-890

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://xk.usembassy.gov/

• centered on a dark blue field is a gold-colored silhouette of Kosovo 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

note: one of only two national flags that uses a map as a design element; the flag of Cyprus is the other

name:

Europe

lyrics/music:

no lyrics/Mendi MENGJIQI

note: adopted 2008; Kosovo chose to exclude lyrics in its anthem so as not to offend the country's minority ethnic groups

total World Heritage Sites:

1 (cultural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

Medieval Monuments in Kosovo

• small-but-growing European economy;
• non-EU member but unilateral euro user;
• very high unemployment, especially youth;
• vulnerable reliance on diaspora tourism services, curtailed by COVID-19 disruptions;
• unclear public loan portfolio health

agriculture:

7.8% (2023 est.)

industry:

26.3% (2023 est.)

services:

46% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

• wheat, corn, berries, potatoes, peppers, fruit;
• dairy, livestock;
• fish

total:

48.8% (2020 est.)

male:

44.9%

female:

57.3%

lowest 10%:

3.8% (2017 est.)

highest 10%:

24.6% (2017 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

production:

9.074 million metric tons (2022 est.)

consumption:

8.927 million metric tons (2022 est.)

exports:

127,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports:

12,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

proven reserves:

1.564 billion metric tons (2022 est.)

general assessment:

• Kosovo has benefited from financial and regulatory assistance as part of the EU pre-accession process;
• the telecom sector has been liberalized, and legislation has aligned the sector with the EU’s revised regulatory framework;
• infrastructure development includes WiMax and other municipal wireless internet services;
• digitalization of TV broadcasting;
• network upgrades include a 5G roll-out in the coming years (2022 )

domestic:

fixed-line roughly 25 per 100 and mobile-cellular 98 per 100 persons (2022)

international:

country code - 383

• any citizen of Kosovo over the age of 18 is eligible to serve in the Kosovo Security Force;
• upper age for enlisting is 30 for officers, 25 for other ranks, although these may be waived for recruits with key skills considered essential for the KSF

(2024)