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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 Serbs as the dominant ethnic group in Kosovo. Serbia reacquired control over the region from the Ottoman Empire during the First Balkan War of 1912. After World War II, Kosovo's present-day boundaries were established when Kosovo became an autonomous province of Serbia in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (S.F.R.Y.). Despite legislative concessions, Albanian nationalism increased in the 1980s, which led to riots and calls for Kosovo's independence. The Serbs - many of whom viewed Kosovo as their cultural heartland - instituted a new constitution in 1989 revoking Kosovo's autonomous status. Kosovo's Albanian leaders responded in 1991 by organizing a referendum declaring Kosovo independent. Serbia undertook repressive measures against the Kosovar Albanians in the 1990s, provoking a Kosovar Albanian insurgency.

Location

Southeast Europe, between Serbia and Macedonia

Natural Resources

nickel, lead, zinc, magnesium, lignite, kaolin, chrome, bauxite

Population - distribution

population clusters exist throughout the country, the largest being in the east in and around the capital of Pristina

1800000
Albanian (official) 94.5%, Bosnian 1.7%, Serbian (official) 1.6%, Turkish 1.1%, other 0.9% (includes Romani), unspecified 0.1%
PRISTINA (capital) 207,062 (2014)
Conventional long form
Republic of Kosovo
Conventional short form
Kosovo
Local long form
Republika e Kosoves (Republika Kosovo)
Local short form
Kosova (Kosovo)
parliamentary republic
Name
Pristina
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
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Kosovo's economy has shown 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 17% of GDP and international donor assistance accounts for approximately 10% of GDP. With international assistance, Kosovo has been able to privatize a majority of its state-owned enterprises.
Inflation
1.763%
External debt stocks
US$ 2,158,196,000
Total tax rate (% of commercial profits)
15.2%
Real Interest Rate
7.572%
Manufacturing, value added (% of GDP)
12.845%
Current Account Balance
US$ -546,946,907
Labor Force, Total
Employment in Agriculture
2.25%
Employment in Industry
28.25%
Employment in Services
69.50%
Unemployment Rate
30.90%
Imports of goods and services
US$ 3,398,444,444
Exports of goods and services
US$ 1,495,888,889
Total Merchandise Trade
%
FDI, net inflows
US$ 239,338,811
Commercial Service Exports
US$ 1,018,035,555
wheat, corn, berries, potatoes, peppers, fruit; dairy, livestock; fish
mineral mining, construction materials, base metals, leather, machinery, appliances, foodstuffs and beverages, textiles
Commodities
mining and processed metal products, scrap metals, leather products, machinery, appliances, prepared foodstuffs, beverages and tobacco, vegetable products, textiles and apparel
Partners
Italy 25.8%, Albania 14.6%, Macedonia 9.6%, China 5.5%, Germany 5.4%, Switzerland 5.4%, Turkey 4.1% (2012 est.)
Commodities
foodstuffs, livestock, wood, petroleum, chemicals, machinery, minerals, textiles, stone, ceramic and glass products, electrical equipment
Partners
Germany 11.9%, Macedonia 11.5%, Serbia 11.1%, Italy 8.5%, Turkey 9%, China 6.4%, Albania 4.4% (2012 est.)
Country Risk Rating
Business Climate Rating

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