FACTS ABOUT KOSOVO

AMAZING FACTS ABOUT KOSOVO

1.                 The official name of Kosovo is the “Republic of Kosovo”.

2.                 Pristina is the capital city of Kosovo.

3.                 The total population of Kosovo is 1,895,250.

4.                 The natives of Kosovo are called Kosovars or Kosovans.

5.                 The Euro (EUR) is official currency of Kosovo.

6.                 Kosovo shares a border with Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.

7.                 Kosovo was ruled by the Ottoman Empire from mid 15^th century to the early 20^th century.

8.                 The name “Kosovo” derives from the name of a place in Serbia meaning “field of blackbirds”.

9.                 More than 110 countries recognize Kosovo as an independent country. However, a bunch of countries including Serbia, Russia, and some EU countries still do not recognize Kosovo as an independent country for that matter.

10.            Due to its geographical location, it serves as an important link between central and southern Europe, Black Sea and the Adriatic Sea.

11.            The majority of the country’s population is Albanian and most of the population lives under the poverty line.

12.            Limestone caves are abundant and are found in several parts of the country.

13.            About 40% of the country is covered by forest.

14.            Serbian and Albanian are the official languages of Kosovo.

15.            Majority of the people of the country are Muslims. More than half of the population lives in the rural areas.

16.            More than half of the country’s land is agricultural.

17.            In 2009, Kosovo joined the IMF and World Bank.

18.            In 1874, the first railway line through Kosovo was opened.

19.            Moreover, by the end of 1999, some 1.5 million ethnic Albanians fled Kosovo in search of better living conditions elsewhere.

20.            Bill Clinton, the former president of the United States visited Kosovo on November 23, 1999. Interestingly, there is a statue of Bill Clinton in Kosovo.

21.            Tony Blair is a national hero in Kosovo. He helped save the suffering people during the war that took place between 1998 and 1999.

22.            More than 70% of the country’s population is under the age of 35, which makes it the youngest country in all of Europe.

23.            The median age of the people of Kosovo is 29 years.

24.            Kosovo does not provide citizenship by birth. The child gets the citizenship of the country when at least one of their parent is a citizen of Kosovo.

25.            After Moldova, the people of Kosovo are the second poorest in Europe. In 2016, their per capita GDP was $10,000.

26.            Kosovo while being a Muslim dominant country is very secular. While some women dress modestly and wear hijab, others wear western clothes.

27.            Kosovo Exports: mining and processed metal products, scrap metals, leather products, machinery, appliances, prepared foodstuffs, beverages and tobacco, vegetable products, textiles and apparels.

28.            Kosovo Imports: foodstuffs, livestock, wood, petroleum, chemicals, machinery, minerals, textiles, stone, ceramic and glass products and electrical equipment.