The former Serbian province of Kosovo unilaterally declared independence on Sunday (February 17) and became recognized as the world's 195th country on Monday. The United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, and other countries have officially recognized Kosovo as an independent country. With international recognition, Kosovo meets the criteria for independent country status and became one of the world's newest countries. Nonetheless, Serbia continues to claim that Kosovo remains a Serbian province and Russia and China are against the declaration.
Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images
Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images
Kosovo's new flag is blue with with a yellow map of Kosovo in the middle along with stars that symbolize Kosovo's desire to become part of the European Union. Kosovo is home to about two million people, 95% of whom are ethnic Albanians. The largest city and capital of Kosovo are Pristina. Kosovo borders Kosovo borders Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, and the Republic of Macedonia.
Follow this link for maps and geographical information about the world's newest country of Kosovo!
Comments
Whoa! Dont; you think you are ruching a bit? What is recognzied is supervised independence. This “country” is not independent, and not recognized by more than half of the world’s population. Get you facts straight before publishing this junk
Dex, I’m afraid the countries that haven’t recognsied Kosovo (with the exceptions of Russia, Spain, Romania, Slovakia and Cyprus) have not done so due to no interest in the matter, yet. The most important thing to consider when discussing Kosovo’s independence is that three of the five UN security council members officially recognise independence. That’s a majority, and that’s all that should matter. Matt, you’re absolutely right. I guess the question is whether this now sets dangerous precedent for potentially breakaway nations such as Abkhazia, Northern Cyprus, Chechnya, Kurdistan, Somaliland or even Scotland. For me, I’m just really glad that Kosovo can now effectively throw away the past, where ethnic cleansing and NATO bombing campaigns took its toll, and focus on a bright future of peace and prosperity.
Kosovo never will trive. It will be a country of corruption, criminal and drug trafic channel from Asia to Europe. Kosovo have problems with every neighbouring country. Kosovo never will be member of any EU or UN institution. Sad puppet country created out of perversion.
Dex, it’s not ruching but rushing, and its not even rushing, they declared independence, and all that matters is that U.S. recognized… and Bob, how do you know so much???? I take it you must have lived there at one point in your life?
Well yeah for Kosovo. Its good that they are on their own. Now its time for their growing up as a whole. They say, Dynamite comes in small packages.
And Dex,
Put a cork in it. Jealousy and unthought-out actions (in your case – words) portray the hearts of men (and women). My my, I wonder what the Father thinks about it.
First: every informed person knows “Shiptars” (Kosovo Albanians) are running drug and human trafficking. There is http://www.google.com if you need info that major (government controlled) media can’t control.
But this is beside the point;
Do we remember what brought Hitler to power? Wasn’t the humiliation of Germany by annexing some of her territories (Alsace-Lorraine and parts of Silesia, and East Prussia) after the WWI defeat? Now you see the parallel. Serbia’s main allay Russia is getting more powerful by the day and it’s only matter of time before Russia becomes a new World’s number one superpower. Unlimited resources and highly educated workforce, what else do you need.
On the other hand, America and Europe “The Old World(s)” are on a steady decline. Now we have to only guess when a “New Serbian Crusader” will appear with promise to return “The Cradle of Serbian Civilization” – Kosovo, back to Serbia! Unlike Hitler, Serbia will have many of the strongest World powers (Russia, China and India) on their side?
Maybe this will also be an excuse for Russia to finally take Constantinople, as promised in Treaty of Versailles and will overpower and bring down the unholy alliance USA: Western Europe (NATO) to their knees.
i think you are not informed about a lot of things, you have to read more but not the Slavic books to now more for history of Albanian or Kosovars .
And something what was not yours but promised from somebody else how can be yours, never do not dream .
And don,t lose your time do some thing else if you have to do .
so like that you can see a better dream .
Bob- you are so right. Look now.. 3 years later.. russia and china are the most powerful countries in the world. And yes, albanians are nothing but refugees who migrated to kosovo. they are the poorest country in europe.. and kosovo has been serbias since 1389 …
I really do think this article is premature. Poor objective writing skills.
You don’t know Kosove, even 1% so you dont have to talk nothing. Your knowledge is sooooooo pure, READ MUCH MORE PLEASE.
Wowie, a new country, how cool is that Matt? Maybe the American Southawest can pull away from America & become AZTECA a new Hispanic state. So can Palestine from Israel, Chechnya from Russia & the Basques from Spain. Its a great opportunity for CHAOS!!! How about the Sudetenland seceding from Czechoslovakia prior to WW2 Just like Killington Ski Area, VT wanting to become an annex of NH. That all rocks right? DURRRR!
Many of the above comments re drugs, corruption, ‘political’ recognition etc. are demonstrably true.
But a further major error is surely the inclusion of the Serb enclaves? A major part of these are adjacent to Serbia and could have been included within Serbia.
Have we learned nothing about drawing lines on maps irrespective of people?
Just watch Serbia invading sometime to ‘protect’ Serbs – or hasn’t that already happened in fact!
Bob M: How can you possibly say that “Russia is getting more powerful by the day and…(will be)…the world’s number one superpower”??? The last I heard, Russia’s total population figure is steadily declining, and their personal life expectancy has dropped into the (age) 50′s, fed by astronomical rates of alcoholism, liver failure, AIDS, abortions, suicides, etc. If you’re looking for a rising superpower, think China, which has many times the population of Russia.
Hey Mat i just wanna thank you for your Great article god bless you just keep it up All this neg-comment’s r from Serbian Barberien’s that kill child in ther sleep don’t care about what they say f@@k Serbian(Cetnik) and Russian 43% unemployd no where closd to America U.S.A RULES hahahahhahaahhahahahahahahhaahh
Wonderful…surely the EU will solve all these problems. VLS
I’m with Bob… I don’t think it’s right someone to come and claim part of the territory your ancestors have fighted for centuries for independent country. Kosovo has a rich history, but never as independent region – it was Serbian, Turkish, Bulgarian, but never on it’s own.
The fact that there is a great number of Albanians in Kosovo who have families of 10+ children and significant unemployment makes me think that this “country” will have the same future as Albania – poverty and misery… I see no sense in creating another poor country inhabited with agressive ‘tribes’. This will bring a lot of troubles.
For those who don’t know, after the bombing mission of US in Serbia and the end of war between Serbia and Kosovo, Kosovo attack Macedonia. There was an official comment by their ‘tribe leader’ that if they had tanks, they would have attacked Bulgaria also. Why?! Poverty makes people angry and agressive and having nothing to lose – realy dangerous.
For those who think Kosovo will become a EU and NATO member – I bet they will be in after Serbia… may be 10 years later if Kosovo ever become a member of these organizations.
And to all those blind believer in US and westen world – Russia is developing quite well and I’ll be happy to see the moment you realize you’re not the leading power anymore… You consider yourself as unbreakable and almighty, but the truth is that Russia has far greater potential – resources and humanpower. Without Russian’s supply of resources, EU is gone – they are rich, but have no resources… Russia is rich in resources and becoming rich in capital… in 20 to 30 years Russia will have really powerful economy. I don’t hate US or EU… but they think they are unstopable and blessed by God… history proved many times that such countries usually meet their fears and collapse. Just lower your self-confidence and don’t try to ‘rescue’ the world, cause you do only worse…
Best regards!
Resident of an ancient Balkan country
Ok first of all you know absolutely nothing about the sujbect so i suggest you get educated you arrogant prick. Kosovo belongs to the Albanians because it was owned by the Ilirian Empire before it was reduced to almost nothing due to constant attacks on it. Calling Albanians aggressive “tribes” is amusing seeing that the Serbs are the barbarians who slaughtered innocent men, women, and children. The Serbians have aways created problems (they were allies of HITLER). The only reason Kosovo is in poverty is because of years of oppression by the Serbs. Next time, do a little research before you think your smart.
Please read this from an Historian. “Kosovo is Serbia”, “Ask any historian” read the unlikely placards, waved by angry Serb demonstrators in Brussels on Sunday. This is rather flattering for historians: we don’t often get asked to adjudicate. It does not, however, follow that any historian would agree, not least because historians do not use this sort of eternal present tense.
History, for the Serbs, started in the early 7th century, when they settled in the Balkans. Their power base was outside Kosovo, which they fully conquered in the early 13th, so the claim that Kosovo was the “cradle” of the Serbs is untrue.
What is true is that they ruled Kosovo for about 250 years, until the final Ottoman takeover in the mid-15th century. Churches and monasteries remain from that period, but there is no more continuity between the medieval Serbian state and today’s Serbia than there is between the Byzantine Empire and Greece.
Kosovo remained Ottoman territory until it was conquered by Serbian forces in 1912. Serbs would say “liberated”; but even their own estimates put the Orthodox Serb population at less than 25%. The majority population was Albanian, and did not welcome Serb rule, so “conquered” seems the right word.
But legally, Kosovo was not incorporated into the Serbian kingdom in 1912; it remained occupied territory until some time after 1918. Then, finally, it was incorporated, not into a Serbian state, but into a Yugoslav one. And with one big interruption (the second world war) it remained part of some sort of Yugoslav state until June 2006.
Until the destruction of the old federal Yugoslavia by Milosevic, Kosovo had a dual status. It was called a part of Serbia; but it was also called a unit of the federation. In all practical ways, the latter sense prevailed: Kosovo had its own parliament and government, and was directly represented at the federal level, alongside Serbia. It was, in fact, one of the eight units of the federal system.
Almost all the other units have now become independent states. Historically, the independence of Kosovo just completes that process. Therefore, Kosovo has become an ex-Yugoslav state, as any historian could tell you.
· Noel Malcolm is a senior research fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. He is the author of Kosovo: A Short History
I don’t understand Serbian population how come all this hate on USA and on the Republic of Kosova !
It is the Albanians from Kosova Republic who suffered the terror done by Serbs and it is Serbia who broke “Convention of Human Rights of the World” now thinking back words what it was and how it was doesn’t do any good;
The “History” is not as you describe it the History remains different although you all the time claim in “Remix History- home made -Belgrade made” but the truth remains to be there.
Now the politics of “”population protesting”” against Milosevic regime are quit –false !
Due to the fact that you people Attack the American Embassy in Belgrade, burn American Flag all the time even when Russia had misunderstanding with USA in certain political issues! You people have just to understand that being cruel and terrorizing is not something that will open doors for you in the World is something that will close all the doors, meanwhile what kind of culture is that being aggressive and “blood thirsty” all the time that is not Human like !! You have been raised being educated as such as you are showing now, after the certain states recognized the independence of Kosova Republic, even breaking your own stores (recorded) in Belgrade after attacking the USA Embassy , how come you don’t just go and take what is not yours what doesn’t belong to you !! same case with Kosovo never belonged to you occupied it and claim it was your territory you can not do that is funny !…
The USA is the strongest power in the World and is Democratic Place respecting human rights, multiethnic and mutual cultures, defending human rights all over the world, making smart political moves toward each aim and objective now….someday you may even try to get in the USA and make it your territory ….but that of course remains your problem…Russia is not alike place in the World wide due to the fact that same as you people of serbs being violent but they do even better they try to rule the world….well that’s again funny…
Wake up people before is to late for you ….before you block each door in the world for yourself Russia isn’t going to open them for you… wake up feel sorrow for how you presented yourself to the World doing massacres on children, old people and civilians don’t feel proud of it just try to be humans…
However .say what you wana say but KOSOVO is a state in its own and no one can reject the indepedence
i live in pristina you can come here for a visit if you want it has a nice bars and restaurants and good nature i wont enter the politics so people be cool and happy INDEPEDENCE
thanks,bio i am reall thankfull when i hear difrent thing,s about my coutry kosova will be free and everyone will get to now kosova in years i promes bio.
Ok i am doing a research about finland and it’s relations to kosovo’s indepence and i was wondering if anyone could help me
thanx a lot
From all those comments I read I can see that 80% of you have no clue about Kosovo. I suggest you to come and visit Kosovo at least one time and learn about everything that happened here. When you hear about the massacres, genocide, rapes and brutal killings of Kosovo albanians by the Serbians then I am pretty sure that you’ll change your minds. Read and study abit more about Kosovo and yoy’ll find the truth.
Kosovo will be the reason for the next balkan war because Serbia will never let it go. Not in a thousand years because Kosovo is a part of the legend about Serbian country. So, you, I or anyone can think whatever we want but because of independent Kosovo there will be war in Yugoslavia again. Serbia is only waiting hers new opportunity and since there is about 12 million Serbs in Yugoslav region and only a few million of Albaninans, Kosovo as a standalone country doesn’t has a chanse. Especially when USA decides that the millitary base Bondsteal is no longer important to them… Kosovo as a standalone country will become history and Albanians that are living there now probably won’t have a futur anymore. Thay will live to see the same life they are offering to the remaining Serbs in Kosovo today. So, I guess what comes up, comes down.
All this shit that has been happeing in the Balkans is based in the first mistake that has been made when Yugoslavia was distroyed. It is funny to talk abotu multientnicity on the one side and on the other side to talk about Yugoslavia as a bad idea because it is a simple contradiction. Yugoslava for a country for a non-nationalist people. The only reason why it was distroyed and not only reformed from comunismus to political democraty is a wish of the local people to have a right to hate other. Especially Croatians and Albanians. They where the firs bad blod 20 years ago. Today all of Yugo nations live like shit so I guess that justice has allready came because if after 20 years of nationalistc independence none of the ex-Yugo countries hasen’t made much of the progress, I guess it will stay like this for a loong time in the futur.
BTW, most of the latest comments were posted by people from Kosovo claiming their own theories…
My opinion is that they will just keep on being puppets of USA (because obviously US has many many military bases there… also close to Russia..theories and theories) – Point is, they (Kosovo) will keep on being a banana republic for a long time and due to a resolution 1244 of United Nations they can’t be an official country.
Please read the book of Carla del Ponte, Chief Prosecutor of two United Nations international criminal law tribunals.
Del Ponte published a book “The Hunt” in which she collected rather extensive evidence that the Kosovo Albanians were smuggling human organs of kidnapped Serbs after the Kosovo war ended in 1999.
(find more on wikipedia or something)
Look all ya hatters… stop hattin man.. Kosova was always a independent country.. just not known !
and Now that it is known…all ya fuckin serbianss can kiss out ass.. TRY to take our Country now Bitchessss….WOHOOO KOSOVA FOR LIFE <3 <3 <3
bob is a moronic retard…. probably a Serb talking trash…. Russia new super power number one.. where does this guy lives on mars… hahhaahahaqh reeeeeeeeetardddddd….. whatever Kosovo was before.. now is independent, 95% of population doesn’t want to be part of Serbia 95%, that should tell you all…. by by Serbia…. cradle of Serbian society what a bunch of crap mythology, just because Turks annihilated their asses few centuries ago i doesn’t mean its their holy land…
Kosovo is Serbia.
Historically and culturally speaking, Kosovo is Serbia. Most of Metohija was owned by the Serbian Orthodox Church in the middle ages. There are hundreds of Serbian Orthodox monuments and churches in Kosovo. They seperated illegally according to international law, so if Kosovo doesn’t have to abide by international law, why should anyone else?
The only reason they have been able to declare independence is because they have American backing, even though NATO going in and destroying Serbia was a huge mistake. They say attrocities were being committed against Kosovo Albanians. This is true, however the KLA and others were also committing war crimes against Serbians, many Serbians have been forced to leave Kosovo. Additionally NATO committed war crimes by using depleted uranium which is an illegal munition. They also used cluster-bombs which aren’t illegal as far as I know. Search cluster bomb in Google Images and you’ll see what they do to civilians. (Both Kosovo and Serbia were affected by the bombings.) Very two-faced.
So, when you think about it, Kosovo is the soul of Serbia, Serbia essentially formed out of Kosovo. Kosovo’s seperation was illegal, and NATO destroyed a country to give independence to one region.
After reading all the comment I have seen more opinions then I expected…. First, I’m shocked that so many people see Serbs as terrorists and bad people… But the USA and the west tried to show Serbs like that. Thr truth is i live in Serbia, and I(unlike some of you) know the Serbian history and the history of the Balkan war much better then some of you. Yes, the Kosovo region maybe wasn’t always the Serbian territory, but the best part of Serbian history took place there. Raska is the first Serbian city, and it’s just a few miles north of Kosovo. Then, the Serbian independent orthodox church was founded there by st.Sava who’s dead body didin’t rot but it was later burned by the Ottoman’s-the cruel occupators of Serbia. On Kosovo was one of the greatest battles in Europe. Kosovski boj-as we here call it took place there. An estimated one fifth of Serb population died there… Their best men gave lives to save Europe from the Ottoman threat. Saying from historical fact’s we won but later we didin’t have enough men to defend. No one else stud against them exept us. Only a few squads of Bosnians and Montenegrians. There is many more things wich tie us to Kosovo…. We love that region more than any of you can imagine-it’s more than just territory. And the Balkan war? Whell i have a few words about that too… Only people that wanted it were the polititians… No one wanted to kill their ex-brother from the same state, but the times were like that… I remember one interwiev with a solder ion the field: The journalist asked him: Do you know what are you fighting for? And the soldier replied: I am not shure, one side attacked and then we attacked back…. The people were totaly confused… They were fighting against their own brothers bwcause of that Idot Milosevic… Yes, I admit we are quind of guilty because the war has started, but Milosevic speaked for him self and not for the people…. But dispite all that, the bombing of Belgrade and all that agression were not needed… Suddenly, we became victims… There is much more to say but I just don’t have the time or the heart to remember all the terror caused by idiotic politics…. Please support Serbia and leave Kosovo to us because times have changed…. Milosevic is no more and now we solve problems more peacifuly…. And the demonstrations? Whell, people sometimes just don’t have another way to show what they think-specialy in times of non-justice like theese…
Just watch Kosovo-Can you imagine? on the internet and you will see that the Serbs are victimes too…
why usa is always against serbia.usa relly hate serbia.usa is a european shit and usa was founded in 17th century.serbia was founded in 10th century.we are better in football.waterpolo.tennis.volleyball.basketball…i hate usa.i love venecuela,china,greek,russia.north korea.irak.iran,cyprus…
This is for all you that are against Kosovo, Just Imagin You Live in Your Hometown,you go out to buy something and a Serbian police comes and says what did you buy there give it to me or i’ll kill you and your family, my father Worked on a Rehability Center here, all the Albanians were Forced to leave their Jobbs, my father had to leav the country just to feed us, They diden’t lett us to learn in Ouer language, thay have killed and tortured us in the worst ways, just imagin i sow it by my self in the mountains,when we were trying to leave the country during the ware,they killed children from 6 months to 8 or 10 years, Just imagin that, would hapen in your country, we have been living like this for almost 100 years, If you wanted to travel to Prishtina Serbian police and army just stoped the Buss All young Boys were killed,where their mum was watching at them, their husbands also. AND YOU GUYS ARGUY ABOUT, KOSOVO IS A COUNTRY OF CORRUPTION, IT WILL COUSE ANOTHER WAR, IT IS NOT A FULLY INDEPENDENT COUNTRY, KOSOVO IS STILL SERBIA. I just think People like you are sick, Just think first about this, think about if someone would do the same to you and your family, How you would feel about all this. it’s 2010 now, And we are Very happy, the economy of kosovo is better, itæs beeing invested very much here now, Nott like in the past, where they envested evetyrhing only in Beograd..
Kosovo is the First Muslim de facto State in Middel of Europe.
This time US and Eu make mistake.
I just like to say that if Kosovo is albanian or only independent, I hope Serbia will occupy Mongolia and the south of China because once upon a time slavic people lived there hahahaha Serbia will be declared holy land when justice will come, too much suffering, blood and injustice for this country. Nowadays politicians are speaking about the problems in the north of Kosovo, but i’d like to remember to people who will read this text that the WHOLE Kosovo was/is/ and will be serbian. I only hope they won’t kill the albanians living there, but simply send them to their loved Albania. Kosovo is independent for who? For the USA? Who the fuck are the Usa to say what is wrong or right in this world? The states which recognized Kosovo are only USA ASSSUCKERS! It is just a fact of time, 15 years and america will be in a big economical crisis and uck and other clowns won’t have any help. I think that after all this shit Serbia should legalize Marijuana
Jah Live!
Some of you experts should use a Spell-Checker before you post your genius know-it-all comments. Doesn’t anyone “proof-read” any of their comments before they post them here? Some of you people are disgraceful.
Omg most of you people dont know what the f*** you guys are talking about. i am from kosova and live there you guys dont know 1% of the shit we’ve been through so dont talk. me and my family had to suffur during the f*** war! did you guys even see what the f*** the serbs did to us albanians!! huh?!? f****** serbs…
and you guys that our saying kosova will become serbia can kiss my white ass!!!!!!!!!!! and you faggots havnt been to kosova so how the f*** would you know? from reading fake online articles?? yeah thought so… you guys dont know how many inoccent people serbs killed not just albanian but bosnians , croatians , slovenians , montengro , etc..this country needs to get kicked out of europe…
and you guys saying russia will help serbia? thats why when serbia asked for help they simply said “no”. so suck my dick bitch .. and for all the people being on serbias side… how would it feel if some country invaded your country for land???!?! exactly.. and after all the serbs put us through , they want to apologize?? and if you guys havent realized 91 countries have accepted kosova.. so stfu! kosova in a few years will be able to do the same things all other countries can do… were almost there guys.. so bye bye serbia and why does all this drama have to happen to kosovo?? why not bosnia ? or montenegro i mean they were with the serbs? and crotia? trust me they tried to pull this off many times and will never quit but they will never achive it… and even if russia gaines power and china they wont do shit ..
and probably in 5 to 10 years or so kosova , albania and macadonia will join forces and become one big country . and again , kosovo is not poor …. we have all the shit we want beautiful women sick cars nice ass city etc..
Okay so I’ve I have read al these comments. First of all I would like to say as a Australian Serb and I hate racism. I have grown up in one of the most multicultural countries in the world. I do no judge a person by race, religion or gender but rather judge a person on whether they are good or bad. With having a lot of family who have grown up and come from Kosovo and being personally from there my self I have lived amongst both Serbs and Albanians and never did I encounter racism or hate from my fellow Albanian neighbours. I believe that this conflict was all propaganda from Western countries with the intention of declaring Kosovo as “independent” for their own personal gain. Kosovo has a lot of natural resources that the West is able to make money from such as coal. This is the main reason behind all this blood shed. I am not swayed at all by the Western media that it is ethnic tension, I mean have you ever looked into the core reason as to where this “ethnic tension” came from? How about you start thinking outside the box, do your research and you will see that it is much deeper then that. As for Serbia being blamed for this bloodshed, let I remind you Diar that there was bloodshed from both sides. I had Albanians kill family members as well, burn my family’s villages, and even torture them, but at the end of the day it comes down to an individual and you get good and bad in every single nationally. How about stepping out of your comfort zone and educate your self, I pity you for your lack of ignorance. It is a shame that it has all come to this but I do not believe hatred will do anything nor help anyone. Serbia will never declare Kosovo as independent. Have you ever heard of the battle of Kosovo? The 1389 battle of Serbs and Turks during the rein of the Ottoman Empire. Serbs lost but they still regard is as important part of Serbian history, tradition and national identity. This is the reason Serbia will never declare it as independent.
Kosova is and always will be Independent. The Serbian army committed sick crimes and they will be punished for that. The murder and bloodshed caused by the Serbian army will never be forgotten. The whole world knows the truth about how the serbian army are a bunch of murdering psychopaths. If you want a war fight soldier to soldier. Leave the women and children alone. Kosova won its independence. It doesn’t matter if Serbia recognizes this or not. Serbia lost. Thats all there is to it. Maybe one day in the furture Serbia and Kosova can do business with eachother, but as 2 independent nations. I am proud of Kosova for what they have accomplished. May peace, prosperity, and success be upon them. God Bless Kosova.
Simply.. Kosovo will continue to rot. It will never have a sustainable economy.. Basically it will be a black hole in Europe… I don’t honestly think that EU and U.S.A will be able to give large economic injections to Kosovo as they got bigger and bigger economic troubles by the day..
Just stated the facts… EU economy is in a recession.. close to collapse…. I know some of you will disagree but that is the way things are. If you listen to news you’d know.
Kosovo is not independent, it is not 194 country in UN.
UN doesn’t see it as a country at all.
Yes they are recognized by US, Germany, England…and about 80-88 countries, but most of this countries which said that Kosovo is independent were forced to do this by US and Germany.
And just a little message to author of this wrong article,
before publishing something wrong, do some research.