Kosovo

Kosovo

Kosovo / is a partially recognized country in southeastern Europe, bordered by the Republic of Northern Macedonia to the southeast, Serbia to the northeast, Montenegro to the northwest, and Albania to the south. Its capital is Pristina. With a population of two million, three hundred thousand people

The Republic of Kosovo is located in the Balkans in Europe. It covers 10,887 km2 (4,203 sq mi) and has a population of about 2 million people. It lies between latitudes 41 ° and 44 ° N, and longitudes 20 ° and 22 ° E. It has borders with Albania in the west, Macedonia in the south, Serbia in the north, and Montenegro in the northwest. The main rivers in the region are the Bally Durem River, which flows towards the Adriatic Sea, and the Abyar River is one of the tributaries of the Morava River. Forests account for 39.1% of Kosovo with a continental climate, hot summers and snowy winters in winter

Kosovo is located between the Mediterranean and mountain ranges in the South-Eastern Europe region, on the Balkan Peninsula. This gives the country a climate with a large and varied temperature, as in summer it reaches 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), and in winter it reaches -10 degrees Celsius. The climate of the country is characterized by hot summers and cold snowy winters

The mountains overwhelm the Kosovo terrain. The Sar Mountains are located in the south and southeast, on the border with the Republic of Macedonia. In the region there are ski resorts, which are the most important tourist destinations in Kosovo. The Dervaka summit is the highest in the country 2,656 meters (8,714 feet) above sea level, located in the southwest of the border with Albania. Kopaonik Mountains are located to the north. The central region of Drinka, while Kornuljeva and the eastern part of Kosovo, known as Goljak, are the most important mountainous areas in the country

Kosovo was the poorest region of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the economy of Kosovo suffered greatly in the nineties of the last century due to political turmoil, Yugoslav wars, the expulsion of Serbs to Kosovar employees and international sanctions on Serbia, where Kosovo was part of it at the time before it gained independence on February 17, 2008

Although Kosovo was supported by other Yugoslav republics, the investments in Kosovo in the 1960s and 1970s did not exceed half the value of investments in the rest of the other Yugoslav regions. The per capita gross national product decreased 44% from the Yugoslavian average (not exceeding half of the Yugoslavian Average) to 27% in 1988

In 1989, the average monthly income in Kosovo was 454 Serbian dinars (while it was 1180 in Slovenia, 823 in Croatia while the average income in Serbia was 784 Serbian dinars). In the early 1990s, the productive capacity of the Kosovar economy was halved due to the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia, civil wars and international sanctions, and its isolation from foreign markets. Because of the conflict with Serbia in 1998-1999, production fell again to 20%

After 1999, the Kosovar economy boomed as a result of post-war reconstruction and also thanks to foreign aid. In 2003-2011, despite the decline in foreign aid, the global global crisis in 2009 and the eurozone crisis, average GDP growth increased more than 5% annually. Low inflation

In 2004, the deficit of the balance of goods and services amounted to about 70% of GDP, but it decreased to 39% in 2011. Bank transfers from the diaspora to Kosovo accounted for approximately 14% of GDP, and the percentage remained little changed over the decade the previous. Economic development included the trade, retail and construction sectors. The private sector emerged in 1999, but on a small scale, the industrial sector remains weak in the country. Consequently, Kosovo relies heavily on remittances from the diaspora (mostly from Germany and Switzerland), foreign direct investment

Because of the weak production of the Kosovar economy, government revenues depend on demand, as 14% of revenue comes from direct taxes, customs fees, and consumer taxes. This leads to lower levels of production. In 2009, the government reduced the corporate tax from 20% to 10%, and the highest average income tax per capita was 10%

The plains surrounded by green mountains and hills dominate the land, and there are four rivers running in it, and there are 17 lakes. However, the economic situation is dire. One of the reasons is that, in the 1990s, Kosovo was marginalized by the Yugoslav government, as the unemployment rate among them was about 50%, while the unemployment rate in the rest of Serbia was 18.8% before the 1999 war

Half of the number of Kosovars under the age of 35. Before independence, the territory of Kosovo was and is still known as land locked up because it does not have any seaport. Kosovo is the poorest country in the former Yugoslavia and the European Union is its most important donor. Kosovo is a region rich in minerals such as lead, zinc, silver, chrome, iron, nickel and coal

Kosovo has an area of ​​1.1 million hectares, about half of which is used for the agricultural sector, that is approximately 538,838 hectares, about 52% are crops, 21% are meadows and pastures, 18% are forests and less than 1% are used for grape vines. The most important crops are corn, wheat, potatoes, and melons, followed by peppers and tomatoes, according to the 2001 Agricultural Survey data