Kosovo
Kosovo is a state with limited recognition, located in the Western Balkans, bordering Albania, Serbia, North Macedonia and Montenegro. It has a population of 1.8 million and its capital is Pristina.
A historically important territory for the events that have affected the region since the Middle Ages and during the Ottoman occupation, since the dissolution of the Yugoslav Republic, during the wars that shook the Balkan peninsula it has been at the centre of a fierce dispute with the Serbian federal government, of which Kosovo was a part at the time, over the independence aspirations of the majority of the population and ethnic tensions between the Serbian minority and the Albanian majority. These tensions led to the outbreak of a severe humanitarian crisis, which was the origin of a NATO military intervention in the late 1990s. The intervention facilitated the establishment of a provisional government, while the country was placed under an international UNMIK and NATO protectorate. NATO still maintains a military force in the country to stabilise the region. Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence in 2008, but only 101 UN member states and 22 EU member states have recognised it.
Kosovo is still one of the poorest countries in Europe, with an economy that is largely backward, where one of the main sectors is the primary sector, although in recent years the other sectors are registering significant growth rates.
Causes and possible developments of the recent Kosovo-Serbia tensions. The importance of Western Balkan political stability for European security. An analysis by Antonio Stango.
| Head of state | Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu |
| Head of Government | Albin Kurti |
| Institutional Form | Parliamentary republic |
| Capital | Pristina |
| Legislative Power | Unicameral assembly or Kuvendi i Kosoves/Skupstina Kosova (120 seats) |
| Judicial Power | Constitutional court (composed of the President of the Court, Vice President and 7 Judges); Supreme court (composed of the President of the Court and 18 Judges) |
| Ambassador to Italy | Lendita Haxhitasim |
| Total Area kmq | 10887 km2 |
| Land | 10887 km2 |
| Weather | Relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall, dry summers; Mediterranean and Alpine influences give rise to regional variability; maximum rainfall between October and December |
| Natural resources | Nickel, lead, zinc, magnesium, lignite, kaolin, chromium, bauxite |
| Economic summary | The Kosovan economy is growing, despite a very high unemployment rate, particularly among young people; the country is very dependent on tourism services from the diaspora and the sustainability of the credit portfolio is still uncertain | |
| GDP | $9.43 billions (Dec. 2022) | |
| Pro-capite GDP (Purchasing power parity) | $12469 (Dec. 2022) | |
| Exports |
|
|
| Export partner | United States 16%, Albania 15%, North Macedonia 12%, Germany 8%, Italy 8% (2021) | |
| Imports |
|
|
| Import partner | Germany 13%, Turkiye 13%, China 10%, Serbia 7%, Italy 6% (2021) | |
| Trade With Italy | €206 millions (2022) |
| Population | 1.77 millions (Dec. 2022) |
| Population Growth | +0.62% (2023 est.) |
| Ethnicities | Albanians 92.9 %, Bosnians 1.6 %, Serbs 1.5 %, Turks 1.1 %, Ashkali 0.9 %, Egyptians 0.7 %, Gorani 0.6 %, Romani 0.5 %, other 0.2 % |
| Languages | Albanian (official) 94.5%, Bosnian 1.7%, Serbian (official) 1.6%, Turkish 1.1%, other 0.9%, unspecified 0.1% |
| Religions | Muslims 95.6%, Catholics 2.2%, Orthodox 1.5%, other 0.1%, none 0.1%, unspecified 0.6% |
| Literacy | 91.9% (Est.) |
Kosovo is a state with limited recognition, located in the Western Balkans, bordering Albania, Serbia, North Macedonia and Montenegro. It has a population of 1.8 million and its capital is Pristina.
A historically important territory for the events that have affected the region since the Middle Ages and during the Ottoman occupation, since the dissolution of the Yugoslav Republic, during the wars that shook the Balkan peninsula it has been at the centre of a fierce dispute with the Serbian federal government, of which Kosovo was a part at the time, over the independence aspirations of the majority of the population and ethnic tensions between the Serbian minority and the Albanian majority. These tensions led to the outbreak of a severe humanitarian crisis, which was the origin of a NATO military intervention in the late 1990s. The intervention facilitated the establishment of a provisional government, while the country was placed under an international UNMIK and NATO protectorate. NATO still maintains a military force in the country to stabilise the region. Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence in 2008, but only 101 UN member states and 22 EU member states have recognised it.
Kosovo is still one of the poorest countries in Europe, with an economy that is largely backward, where one of the main sectors is the primary sector, although in recent years the other sectors are registering significant growth rates.
