Pristina
According to abbreviationfinder, Pristina is the capital of Kosovo, 516 m above sea level, on the eastern edge of Kosovo Polje, as a municipality 524 km 2 and (2017) 211 800 residents, of which 98% Albanians.
Pristina is the economic and cultural center of the Albanians in Kosovo. In addition to the Academy of Sciences and Arts, there is a public university (founded in 1970), several private universities, the Museum of Kosovo, and the national theater and library.
The city is the country’s leading commercial center. The manufacturing industry mainly includes textile and food companies as well as pharmaceutical and chemical (artificial fertilizer) industries; There are several thermal power plants in the area. The handicrafts (jewelry, etc.) are well developed. The high population growth that began after the end of the Kosovo war (1999) poses major challenges for urban and transport planners. The international airport is located southwest of the city.
Attractions
Numerous architectural monuments date from the Turkish period, including Sultan’s Mosque (15th century), Hammam (Turkish bathhouse; 15th century) and the clock tower (19th century). Southeast of Pristina is the Gračanica Monastery, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, with the Church of the Annunciation (14th century, art-historically significant frescoes in the style of the palaeological Renaissance).
The city is experiencing brisk construction activity. In 2007 the construction of the Roman Catholic Mother Teresa Cathedral began. A new business, trade and congress center has been under construction in the south-west of the city since 2008.
History
Pristina, one of the residences of the Nemanjids, then the Branković, was the staging ground for the Ragusan merchants under Turkish rule (1389–1912) and, thanks to its convenient location between Sarajevo and Constantinople, developed into a trading center in the 19th century. After the end of the Kosovo war in 1999, in which the city was damaged by NATO air strikes, Pristina, like the rest of Kosovo, was placed under UN administration.
Kosovo
Location
Kosovo borders Montenegro to the west, Albania to the southwest, North Macedonia to the southeast, Serbia to the north and east.
The core areas of the settlement are the basin landscapes Amselfeld (Serbian Kosovo polje, Albanian Fushë Kosova) and Metohija, which are separated by low mountain ranges and partly surrounded by rugged high mountain ranges (2,000–2,500 m above sea level).
Climate and vegetation
There is a temperate continental climate with cold winters and dry and hot summers. – About 40% of the country’s area is covered by forest. Oak, beech, elm, birch and pine dominate the tree species. In the Šara National Park there are not only some rare plants but also animal species that are threatened with extinction, such as lynxes, bears and chamois.
Population
Around 90% of the population are Albanians and around 2% are Bosniaks and Gorances (Muslim Slavs). About 94–96% of the residents of Kosovo follow Islam. The predominantly Orthodox Serbs’ share of the population has steadily declined in recent years and is now around 2%. The settlement areas of the Serbs are mainly in the north of the country with the city of Kosovska Mitrovica. Other minorities are Turks, Roma, Montenegrins and others. According to divergent data surveys, between 2.2 and 3.4% of the population (administered by the Apostolic Administration of Prizren) profess Catholicism – regardless of ethnic boundaries.
