Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked 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.
Yugoslavia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 27 times, debuting in 1961 and competing every year until its last appearance in 1992, with the exceptions of 1977–1980, and 1985. The Yugoslavian participant broadcaster in the contest was Jugoslavenska radiotelevizija (JRT) which selected its entrant with the national competition Jugovizija. Yugoslavia won the 1989 contest and hosted the 1990 contest.
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 Kosovo national football team represents Kosovo in men's international football. The team is controlled by the Football Federation of Kosovo, the governing body for football in Kosovo, and is under the jurisdiction of FIFA globally.
Pristina or Prishtina is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.
The Kosovo Security Force (KSF) is the military of Kosovo. The KSF is tasked with defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kosovo, military support for civilian authorities, and participation in international peacekeeping missions and operations. Since 2018, it is in the process of transforming into the Kosovo Armed Forces.
Sekirača is a village in the municipality of Kuršumlija, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 29 people.
The literature of Kosovo is composed of literary texts written in Albanian, Serbian, Bosnian, and Turkish, specifically by authors of Kosovo. Kosovo produced several prominent writers in the Ottoman era. However, Ottoman authorities banned the written use of the Albanian language until 1912. This policy continued during Serb rule until the outbreak of World War II.
Klubi i Basketbollit Peja is a Kosovan professional basketball club based in Pejë. The club competes in the Kosovo Basketball Superleague, Kosovo Cup and Liga Unike.
As the capital city of Kosovo, Pristina is the heart of the cultural and artistic development of all Albanians that live in Kosovo. The department of cultural affairs is just one of the segments that arranges the cultural events, which make Pristina one of the cities with the most emphasized cultural and artistic traditions.
Historical monuments in Pristina are made up of 21 monuments out of a total of 426 protected monuments all over Kosovo. A large number of these monuments date back to the Byzantine and Ottoman periods. Since 1945, the Yugoslav authorities followed the idea of constructing a modern Pristina by relying in the urban development motto “destroy the old, build the new” and this resulted with major changes in the structure of the buildings, their function and their surrounding environment. However, numerous types of monuments have been preserved, including four mosques, a restored orthodox church, an Ottoman bath, a public fountain, a clock tower, several traditional houses as well as European-influenced architecture buildings such as the Museum of Kosovo. These symbolize the historical and cultural character of Pristina as it was developed throughout centuries in the spirit of conquering empires.
The National Library of Kosovo is the highest library institution in Kosovo established by the Assembly and is located in Pristina.
Tourism in Pristina attracted 36,186 foreign visitors in 2012, which represents 74.2% of all visitors that visited Kosovo during that year. Foreign visitors mostly come from countries like Albania, Turkey, Germany, United States, Slovenia and North Macedonia, but also from other countries. Some of the most visited places in Pristina are Lake Batllava and Gadime Marble Cave, which are also among the most visited places in Kosovo.
Ajet Sopi Bllata (1861–1938) was an Albanian rebel from the village of Jabllanica, in present-day Bujanovac municipality, then part of the Ottoman Empire. From the age of 17 to that of 53, he fought as a kachak against Serbian interests in the Kosovo Vilayet. He spend his later life in the Kavajë area where many Kosovo Albanian refugees settled after Serbia annexed Kosovo in 1912.
Gent Cakaj is a Kosovo-born Albanian politician, who served as the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Albania from 2019–2020.
The Battle of Pashtrik was a two-week confrontation between the KLA with NATO's support against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1999, during the Kosovo War. The official goal of the KLA was to seize the border between Albania and Kosovo, and eliminate the Yugoslav units there. The offensive was codenamed Operation Arrow by the KLA.
"Aman" is a song by Kosovo-Albanian singer and songwriter Dafina Zeqiri featuring Kosovo-Albanian rappers Ledri Vula and Lumi B released as a single on 1 July 2020 by Bzzz Entertainment and Moneyz. The song was written and composed by the three latter and mastered, mixed and produced by producer Deard Sylejmani. An official music video was uploaded simultaneously with the single's release onto YouTube. The single experienced commercial success and peaked at number 4 in Albania and 79 in Switzerland.
"Million $" is a song by Kosovo-Albanian singer Dafina Zeqiri released as a single on 20 August 2020 by Bzzz Entertainment and Moneyz. "Million $" was written by Zeqiri and Albanian singer and songwriter Elinel. It was mastered, mixed and produced by Albanian producer Deard Sylejmani. An official music video was uploaded simultaneously with the single's release onto YouTube. The single experienced commercial success and peaked at number 20 in Albania and 82 in Switzerland.
Sylejman Sylejmani was an Albanian academic and politician. He was a professor of Chemistry at the University of Prishtina, as well as the Education Minister of Gjakova, as well as leader of the Albanian League of Education (LASH). He lead the student protests of Gjakova and was one of the founders of the Democratic League of Kosovo and Kosovo Liberation Army and Kosovo War veteran. He developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as a result of torture endured during before and after the Kosovo War.
