Country Summary: Kosovo (Republic of Kosovo)
Country Name: Kosovo (Republic of Kosovo)
Capital: Pristina (Prishtine, Prishtina)
Government Type: parliamentary republic
Background: The Ottoman Empire took control of Kosovo in 1389 after defeating Serbian forces. Large numbers of Turks and Albanians moved to the region, and by the end of the 19th century, Albanians had replaced Serbs as the majority ethnic group in Kosovo. Serbia reacquired control of Kosovo during the First Balkan War of 1912, and after World War II, Kosovo became an autonomous province of Serbia in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). Increasing Albanian nationalism in the 1980s led to riots and calls for Kosovo's independence, but in 1989, Belgrade -- which has in turn served as the capital of Serbia and Yugoslavia -- revoked Kosovo's autonomous status. When the SFRY broke up in 1991, Kosovo Albanian leaders organized an independence referendum, and Belgrade's repressive response led to an insurgency. Kosovo remained part of Serbia, which joined with Montenegro to declare a new Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) in 1992.
In 1998, Belgrade launched a brutal counterinsurgency campaign, with some 800,000 ethnic Albanians expelled from their homes in Kosovo. After international mediation failed, a NATO military operation began in March 1999 and forced Belgrade to withdraw its forces from Kosovo. UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) placed Kosovo under the temporary control of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). Negotiations in 2006-07 ended without agreement between Serbia and Kosovo, though the UN issued a comprehensive report that endorsed independence. On 17 February 2008, the Kosovo Assembly declared Kosovo independent.
Serbia continues to reject Kosovo's independence, but the two countries began EU-facilitated discussions in 2013 to normalize relations, which resulted in several agreements. Additional agreements were reached in 2015 and 2023, but implementation remains incomplete. In 2022, Kosovo formally applied for membership in the EU, which is contingent on fulfillment of accession criteria, and the Council of Europe. Kosovo is also seeking UN and NATO memberships.
Continent: Europe
Population: 1,964,327 (2023 est.)
Ethnic Groups: Albanians 92.9%, Bosniaks 1.6%, Serbs 1.5%, Turk 1.1%, Ashkali 0.9%, Egyptian 0.7%, Gorani 0.6%, Romani 0.5%, other/unspecified 0.2% (2011 est.)
note: these estimates may under-represent Serb, Romani, and some other ethnic minorities because they are based on the 2011 Kosovo national census, which excluded northern Kosovo (a largely Serb-inhabited region) and was partially boycotted by Serb and Romani communities in southern Kosovo
Languages: Albanian (official) 94.5%, Bosnian 1.7%, Serbian (official) 1.6%, Turkish 1.1%, other 0.9% (includes Romani), unspecified 0.1%; note - in municipalities where a community's mother tongue is not one of Kosovo's official languages, the language of that community may be given official status according to the 2006 Law on the Use of Languages
note: these estimates may under-represent Serb, Romani, and some other ethnic minority languages because they are based on the 2011 Kosovo national census, which excluded northern Kosovo (a largely Serb-inhabited region) and was partially boycotted by Serb and Romani communities in southern Kosovo (2011 est.)
Religions: Muslim 95.6%, Roman Catholic 2.2%, Orthodox 1.5%, other 0.1%, none 0.1%, unspecified 0.6% (2011 est.)
note: these estimates may under-represent Serb, Romani, and some other ethnic minorities because they are based on the 2011 Kosovo national census, which excluded northern Kosovo (a largely Serb-inhabited region) and was partially boycotted by Serb and Romani communities in southern Kosovo
Economic Overview: 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
Currency: European Euro (EUR)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange & Gold: $1.248 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $22.333 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2017 dollars
Real GDP Growth Rate: 5.22% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP per Capita: $12,700 (2022 est.) note: data in 2017 dollars
Exports:
$3.579 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Comparison Ranking: 146
Export Commodities: mattress materials, iron alloys, metal piping, scrap iron, building plastics, mineral water, seating (2021)
Export Partners: United States 16%, Albania 15%, North Macedonia 12%, Germany 8%, Italy 8% (2021)
Imports:
$6.661 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Comparison Ranking: 135
Import Commodities: refined petroleum, cars, iron rods, electricity, cigars, packaged medicines (2021)
Import Partners: Germany 13%, Turkey 13%, China 10%, Serbia 7%, Italy 6% (2021)
Natural Resources: nickel, lead, zinc, magnesium, lignite, kaolin, chrome, bauxite
Agricultural Products: wheat, corn, berries, potatoes, peppers, fruit; dairy, livestock; fish
Industries: mineral mining, construction materials, base metals, leather, machinery, appliances, foodstuffs and beverages, textiles
Industrial Production Growth Rate:
2.09% (2022 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Comparison Ranking: 127
Labor Force: 500,300 (2017 est.) note: includes those estimated to be employed in the gray economy
Unemployment Rate: 30.5% (2017 est.) note: Kosovo has a large informal sector that may not be reflected in these data
Geography:
Total: 10,887 sq km
Land: 10,887 sq km
Water: 0 sq km
(Country Summary, The World Factbook, CIA.gov)
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