GeographyKosovo is a country of 1.8 million people on the Balkan Peninsula bordered by Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia. Although the country declared independence in 2008, Serbia still lays claim to the region.
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Background HistoryKosovo was the center of the Serbian Empire from the 7th century to 1389, when the Ottoman Empire seized the territory from the Serbs. During Ottoman rule, Albanians became the dominant ethnic group in the region, and they remain dominant today. After World War I, the territory became a part of Yugoslavia. A communist government took power over Yugoslavia soon after World War II under the leadership of Josip Tito. Tito refused to submit to the U.S.S.R., so the country remained an independent communist state. In the early 1990's, Yugoslavia broke apart, and Kosovo came once again under Serbian rule. The Kosovo Liberation Army began attacking Serbian authorities throughout the 90's and, with the help of NATO forces, expelled many Serbian paramilitary soldiers. In 2008, Kosovo declared independence. It is recognized by 111 members of the United Nations, but is still not recognized as a sovereign state by Serbia. Despite being ethnically outnumbered by the Kosovar Albanians, many Serbs still consider the area a center of Serbian culture.
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A Serbian Church in Kosovo i.e. an example of a piece of Serbian culture to which the Serbians feel entitled.
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Religions and EthnicitiesThe population of Kosovo is nearly 96% Muslim, compared with around 3% Christians (2% Roman Catholic, 1% Orthodox). Despite a predominantly Muslim population, there are many Serbian Orthodox churches in the era, many of which were built during Serbian rule. During the fall of Yugoslavia,
The main ethnic groups are the Albanians (who compose 93% of the population), Bosniaks (who compose 1.6% of the population), Serbs (who compose 1.5% of the population), and Turks (who compose 1.1% of the population). Note: There is a distinction between the nouns "Kosovar," which refers to ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, and "Kosovac," which refers to ethnic Serbians in Kosovo. |
A mosque in Pristina.
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Economy |
Political System |
Kosovo is the second poorest country in Europe, with an unemployment rate of 30% and a GDP per capita of $10,500 USD. The unemployment rate is even higher among Kosovo's youth, measured at 52.4% in 2016. Part of the reason for such harsh economic struggles its transition from communism to a more capitalistic market. Another factor is that minerals and metals production, its primary industry, is on the decline due to aging equipment. The United States government is working with Kosovo to help restore equipment and to help improve its energy production.
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Kosovo's government is a parliamentary government with a president as head of state and a prime minister as head of government, both of whom are elected by the National Assembly every five years. The previous prime minister, Isa Mustafa, had to step down in 2017 after he lost a no-confidence vote. He was widely unpopular among the people, as demonstrated by his opponents throwing eggs at him after he spoke at a conference in 2014. He represented a major problem in Kosovo, which is that the people do not trust the government. This lack of trust is partially due to frequent corruption, particularly in the judiciary branch. While anti-corruption laws are strong, the judiciary branch is weak. The Business Anti-Corruption Portal identifies Kosovo as a high risk country for companies, citing frequent bribery, extortion, and money laundering (Kosovo Corruption Report, 2017).
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This video demonstrates how the Serbian military targeted ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.
This video demonstrates the NATO response to the Serbians. The devastation caused by the conflict contributes to the country's economic hardship.
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Kosovo WarDuring the breakup of Yugoslavia, Kosovo came under control of the Serbs, despite a majority of Albanians in the population. In the early 90s, Albanian Kosovars began peaceful protests to attempt to gain independence, but in 1996, these protests became violent with the foundation of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). The KLA received training and munitions support from western countries and it began targeting Serbian authorities. In 1998, the Serbian government struck back by sending Serbian paramilitaries into the region. The paramilitaries began to take retribution on the KLA by persecuting political opponents and KLA sympathizers, resulting in the deaths of around 2,000 civilians and KLA combatants. Later, the UN courts found the Serb treatment of Kosovars to constitute ethnic cleansing, in violation of International Law. NATO forces responded to the persecution with aerial bombardment in 1999. Eventually, the conflict was settled with the Kumanovo treaty, which established UN peacekeeping troops in the region.
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Kosovo and AmericaA recent NPR article reported that Kosovo is one of the most pro-America countries in the world, with 75% of Kosovo's population approving the current United State administration. Many Kosovo nationals feel that without the help from the United States in the 1999 Kosovo War, the country would not exist. During the conflict, Bill Clinton visited the region; now, there is a Bill Clinton Boulevard with a statue of him in his honor. Although the citizens in Kosovo were more in favor of Hilary Clinton in the 2016 election, they are hesitant to criticize the Trump administration because of their dependence on the U.S. for aid (Zivanovic, 2018). The video to the right demonstrates how positively Kosovars feel towards America.
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Above is a video by Kosovar folk singer, Shkurte Fejza. The lyrics celebrate America. The chorus repeats "USA, USA, for Albanians light of day".
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