Use | National flag |
---|---|
Proportion | 5:7 (1:1.4 by law) [1] |
Adopted | 17 February 2008 [2] |
Design | A blue field charged with a map of Kosovo in gold, surmounted by an arc of six white five-pointed stars |
Designed by | Muhamer Ibrahimi |
The flag of the Republic of Kosovo [a] was adopted by the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo immediately following the unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo [2] on 17 February 2008. [2] [3] The flag design emerged from an international competition, organized by an informal group from the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government known as the Kosovo Unity Team, which attracted almost one thousand entries. [4] The winning design was proposed by Muhamer Ibrahimi. [5] It shows six white stars in an arc above a golden map of Kosovo, all on a blue field. [6] The stars symbolize Kosovo's six major ethnic groups: Albanians, Serbs, Bosniaks, Turks, Romani, and Gorani. [7]
Before the declaration of independence, Kosovo had come under the administration of the United Nations and used the UN flag for official purposes. The Serb and Albanian populations had used their own national flags since the 1945–1992 Socialist Yugoslavia period. Ethnic Serbs used a red, blue and white tricolor, which also forms the basis of the flag of Serbia. The ethnic Albanian population have used the flag of Albania since the 1960s as their ethnic flag. Both these flags can still be seen in use within Kosovo.
Serbia has not recognized the independence of Kosovo and continues to claim the area as the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija. Unlike the case of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, the Serbian authorities have not adopted a unique flag to represent this claimed province, using the flag of Serbia instead.
The flag of Kosovo has a blue background, charged with a map of Kosovo and six stars. The stars are officially meant to symbolize Kosovo's six major ethnic groups: [7] Albanians, Serbs, Bosniaks, Turks, Romani (often grouped with the Ashkali and Egyptians) [8] and Gorani. Unofficially, the stars are sometimes said to represent the six regions, which according to Albanian ultra-nationalist ideology, make up Greater Albania: Albania, Kosovo, western parts of North Macedonia, parts of northern Greece, parts of Montenegro and Preševo Valley in southern Serbia. [9] The flag bears a similarity to the emblem adopted in 2003 for use by government institutions in Kosovo, which also depicted a golden map of Kosovo on a blue field surmounted by stars. The flag of Kosovo resembles that of Bosnia and Herzegovina in terms of colors and shapes used (white stars and yellow shape of the country on a blue field). [10] The flag is unusual among national flags in using a map as a design element; the flag of Cyprus is the only other to do so. [11] [12] The ratio of the flag was announced during the contest as 2:3; [13] with the passage of a diplomatic protocol law in Kosovo in April 2009, the ratio was set as 1:1.4 (5:7 when put in whole numbers). [1] The colors and construction of the Kosovo flag have not yet been defined; however, an official government document does give the colors of the flag using CMYK. [14] The unofficial RGB values of the flag have been manually extracted since 2009. [15] The use of the Kosovo flag is regulated by the law: "Law on the Use of Kosovo State Symbols". [16] The Serbian government initially objected to the use of the Kosovo flag at international meetings and gatherings, [17] but agreed to recognised Kosovo's national symbols in 2023 under the terms of the Ohrid Agreement. [18]
System | Blue | Gold | White |
---|---|---|---|
CMYK (Government) [14] | 100-80-0-0 | 0-20-60-20 | 0-0-0-0 |
Hexadecimal (Government) [14] [19] | #244AA5 | #D0A650 | #FFFFFF |
Hexadecimal (Unofficial) [15] | #183884 | #DBBB5B | #FFFFFF |
Use [1] | Length and width in centimeters [1] |
---|---|
When used outdoors (pole is 10 meters tall and in the ground) | not exceeding 350 × 498 |
When used outdoors (pole is 10 meters tall and on a balcony) | 200 × 280 |
When used indoors (pole is 2.5 meters tall) | 107 × 150 or 150 × 210 |
Table flag | 16 × 23 |
The Albanian flag remains popular with Kosovo Albanians. [20]
Serbia does not recognize the 2008 secession of Kosovo and considers it a United Nations-governed entity within its sovereign territory, the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija, as defined by the 2006 Constitution of Serbia. [21]
Even months after Kosovo's declaration of independence, the Serbian flag was still seen at official government buildings until officially replaced by the Kosovo government. [22] Flags of Serbia, and Serbian Orthodox Church were used in protests against Kosovo independence and still can be seen in Serb-majority areas in the north. [23]
However, a person was sentenced by a panel of EULEX judges on 19 November 2009, for inciting hatred by raising a Serbian flag on a mosque in the southern part of Mitrovica (among other charges of discord/intolerance and attempted aggravated murder of a police officer). [24]
Until 1991, Kosovo did not have a flag of its own. However, during different periods of history, different flags were flown in Kosovo. Before 1969, the only flags that could legally fly over Kosovo (then an autonomous province) were those of SFR Yugoslavia and SR Serbia. If a nationalist flag were flown, such as Albanian, Serbian or Croatian, a person could go to prison for doing so. [25]
In 1969, the Kosovar Albanian population was able to use a variant of the Albanian flag as its ethnic flag. [26] However, the flag had to be charged with a red star, a symbol of socialism that was present on all Yugoslav flags. [27] Even without this requirement, the flag of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania at the time had a red star, outlined in gold, above the double headed eagle. [28] Later on, different nationalities in Kosovo could use their own national flags in accordance with legislation. [29]
Before the death of Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito and the breakup of SFR Yugoslavia, there were calls for the Albanian flag to be banned because Kosovo Serbs did not want to live under a foreign flag. [30] This sentiment culminated in the September 1985's "Petition of the 2016" (the number of Kosovo Serbs who organised it), which called for, among other items, a greater statehood status for Serbia and the removal of all Albanian symbols. [31] The Serbian side also began to remove the red star from the Yugoslav flag, using it for protests to counterbalance the Albanian population and to promote a Greater Serbia. [32]
The flag of the former Republic of Kosova (1991–2000) [33] consists of a red flag with a black double-headed eagle centered in the hoist half, similar to the flag of Albania. [34] After the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and the creation of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) in June 1999, [35] the flag and the Republic of Kosova were both abolished.
The flag was adopted by the Republic of Kosova in 1991 as a variation of the Albanian flag and used throughout the country. In June 1999, [35] with the passing of Resolution 1244 and the establishment of UNMIK, the Republic of Kosova ceased to exist along with the flag. The flag had little to no recognition when it was used, only being seen in referendums, general elections and TV reports. [34]
When UNMIK was established, the flag was seen up until 2000, when it was replaced with the Albanian flag. In the Preševo Valley, the flag was used during the insurgency until 2001, [34] when the Yugoslav Army took back the Ground Safety Zone and occupied areas by the Liberation Army of Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac (UÇPMB). [36]
When Kosovo was under the administration of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), the UN flag was flown in Kosovo for official purposes. The Constitutional Framework for Self Government in Kosovo, promulgated in May 2001, allowed institutions to use approved symbols if authorized by UNMIK. [37] Specific flags and emblems were authorized for used by the Kosovo Police Service, Kosovo Protection Corps and the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government. Some municipalities in Kosovo also adopted official symbols during the period of administration by UNMIK. The NATO-led international peacekeeping force in Kosovo, KFOR, also used a distinctive flag during this period.
However, many Kosovo Albanians usually used the Albanian flag. [20] The Albanian flag was also used on public buildings, even though it was against UN regulations. Regulations stated only the UN flag and other authorized flags, like those of institutions and cities, could fly on public buildings. If the Albanian flag was flown, then the Serbian flag was to have been flown too, according to these regulations. However, this was rarely done in practice and the flag of Albania was ever-present in Kosovo during the UNMIK period. [20] [38]
Prior to the declaration of independence, Kosovo used a flag featuring a map of Kosovo against a blue background, similar to the flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the flag of Cyprus. [39]
A competition for a new flag, held in June 2007, received 993 entries. [40] Under the terms of UN talks, all such symbols would have to reflect the multi-ethnic nature of Kosovo, [13] avoiding the use of the Albanian or Serbian double-headed eagles or the use of solely red and black or red, blue and white color schemes. Red and black are the colors used on the Albanian flag; red, blue and white are the main colors used on the Serbian flag. Additionally, all entries had to be rectangular and have a 2:3 proportion. The Kosovo Symbols Commission eventually selected three designs, [4] which were then voted on by the Assembly of Kosovo (with a two-thirds majority required for approval), when independence was declared after the status talks. [41] The three proposals selected were forwarded to the Assembly on 4 February 2008. [42]
Representatives of the people of Kosovo [44] voted on 17 February 2008 to use a variant of the first proposal. The modified version has an additional star, makes the stars equal in size, switches the colors of the stars and map, makes the map bigger, and arranges the stars in a curve above the map. [6]
Ibrahim Rugova, the first president of Kosovo, introduced the "flag of Dardania" on October 29, 2000. The flag was blue, inscribed with a red disc with a golden ring. Inside the red disc is the Albanian eagle. The eagle is holding a ribbon with the legend "Dardania" inscribed. [45] This flag did not gain much popularity, [46] Dardania is the name of an ancient region in the same general area as Kosovo. It was occasionally used at cultural and sports events during the UNMIK period and was also used at Rugova's funeral to cover his coffin. [45] It was used as a presidential standard and by the two Rugovan political parties, the Democratic League of Kosovo and the Democratic League of Dardania. [47] The flag of Dardania is shown as the Presidential Flag on the Kosovo presidency website, making it official. [48] Since the election of Vjosa Osmani as the President of Kosovo, the Dardania Flag has again featured heavily in the institution of the presidency.
Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a country in Southeast Europe with partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the north and east and North Macedonia to the southeast. It covers an area of 10,887 km2 (4,203 sq mi) and it has a population of approximately 1.6 million. Kosovo has a varied terrain, with high plains along with rolling hills and mountains, some of which reach an altitude of over 2,500 m (8,200 ft). Its climate is mainly continental with some Mediterranean and alpine influences. Kosovo's capital and the most populous city is Pristina; other major cities and urban areas include Prizren, Ferizaj, Gjilan and Peja.
Ibrahim Rugova was a Kosovo-Albanian politician, scholar, and writer, who served as the President of the partially recognised Republic of Kosova, serving from 1992 to 2000 and as President of Kosovo from 2002 until his death in 2006. He oversaw a popular struggle for independence, advocating a peaceful resistance to Yugoslav rule and lobbying for U.S. and European support, especially during the Kosovo War.
The politics of Kosovo takes place in a framework of a multi-party parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the President (Presidenti) is the head of state and the Prime Minister (Kryeministri) the head of government. Parliamentary elections are held every four years, the most recent in 2021.
The Kosovo Protection Corps was a civilian emergency services organization in Kosovo active from 1999 until 2009.
Lëvizja Vetëvendosje (LVV) is a left-leaning social democratic political party in Kosovo. It is a member of the Progressive Alliance, and an observer in the Party of European Socialists, and the Socialist International.
The Republic of Kosova, also known as the First Republic of Kosovo, was a self-declared proto-state in Southeast Europe established in 1991. During its peak, it tried to establish its own parallel political institutions in opposition to the institutions of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija held by Yugoslavia's Republic of Serbia.
Hashim Thaçi is a Kosovar Albanian politician who was the president of Kosovo from April 2016 until his resignation on 5 November 2020 to face a war crimes tribunal on charges of crimes against humanity. He was the first prime minister of Kosovo and the Foreign minister and deputy prime minister in the new cabinet led by Isa Mustafa, which assumed office on 12 December 2014.
The Provisional Institutions of Self-Government in Kosovo or PISG are local administrative bodies in Kosovo that were established by the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) during the period that the United Nations was directly responsible for the governance of Kosovo.
Fudbalski klub Trepča, commonly known as Trepča, is a Serbian football club based in North Mitrovica, in Kosovo. Despite being located in Kosovo, the club plays in the Serbian football league system, currently in the fourth tier Šumadija-Raška Zone League.
The Seal of the Republic of Kosovo was introduced following the declaration of independence on 17 February 2008. It shows six white stars in an arc above a solid golden shape of Kosovo as seen on a standard projection map, placed on a rounded triangular shield with a blue field and a golden border. Its central figures, the stars and the shape, are also the content of the new blue flag of Kosovo, adopted at the same time. A golden map of Kosovo on a blue field surmounted by stars were also featured on the emblem used when Kosovo was administered by the United Nations.
Foreign relations of Kosovo are accomplished by efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo. Kosovo operates 33 embassies abroad and is host to 22 embassies in Pristina. Kosovo has membership in several international organisations.
The 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence, which proclaimed the Republic of Kosovo to be an independent and sovereign state, was adopted at a meeting held on 17 February 2008 by 109 out of the 120 members of the Assembly of Kosovo, including the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, and by the President of Kosovo, Fatmir Sejdiu. It was the second declaration of independence by Kosovo's Albanian-majority political institutions; the first was proclaimed on 7 September 1990.
The Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija, commonly known as Kosovo and abbreviated to Kosmet or KiM, is an autonomous province that occupies the southernmost corner of Serbia, as defined by the country's constitution. The territory is the subject of an ongoing political and territorial dispute between the Republic of Serbia and the partially recognised Republic of Kosovo, with the APKM being viewed as the de jure interpretation of the territory under Serbian law; however, the Serbian government currently does not control the territories because they are de facto administered by the Republic of Kosovo. Its claimed administrative capital and largest city is Pristina.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Kosovo, a country in the Southeastern Europe.
The Anthem of the Republic of Kosovo was composed by Mendi Mengjiqi. As with the national anthems of Bosnia and Herzegovina, San Marino, and Spain, it has no official lyrics, but de facto lyrics are in use. It was adopted on 11 June 2008. It was chosen because it contained no references to any specific ethnic group. It was selected by the Assembly of Kosovo, with 72 MPs voting in favor, while 15 voted against, and five abstained.
The Constitutional Court of Kosovo is the final authority for the interpretation of the Constitution of Kosovo and judicial review of laws for compliance with the constitution. The Constitutional Court is located in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo. The Constitutional Court was established shortly after Kosovo's independence and heard its first cases in 2009.
Ismet Hazir Asllani was a businessman, humanitarian and logistic commander. Asllani had during the Kosovo War the responsibility for the brigade 153 of the Kosovo Liberation Army, which was an ethnic-Albanian paramilitary organisation that fought for the secession of Kosovo from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) during the 1990s and the eventual creation of a Greater Albania.
United Nations Administered Kosovo refers to the period between 1999 and 2008 when the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo was directly responsible for the governance of Kosovo. This period began on 10 June 1999 with the passing of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and effectively ended on 17 February 2008 with the unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo.
Ramë Manaj is a former politician in Kosovo. He was the mayor of Klina from 2001 to 2006 and was one of two deputy prime ministers of the Republic of Kosovo between 2008 and 2010. He was a member of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) during his time in public life and was the party's secretary-general from 2006 to 2010.
Bosnia flag triangle.
Albanian flag Yugoslavia.
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