Municipalities of Kosovo
Encyclopedia
A Municipality is the basic administrative division
in Kosovo
.
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The first name is Serbian and the second one is Albanian:
The municipalities of Leposavić
, Zubin Potok
and Zvečan
in the north of Kosovo
each have a significant Serbian majority, constituting more than 90% of the population. All other municipalities have a very substantial Albanian majority except for Štrpce
in the south, which has a Serbian majority. Before the Kosovo War
the municipality of Novo Brdo
also had Serbian majority. Today, Novo Brdo has an Albanian majority due to ethnic cleansing performed by Albanians over Serbs.
The Government of Kosovo has embraced the need to enhance accountability and ownership at the local level, establishing the Ministry of Local Government Administration (MLGA) tasked with developing a plan to implement decentralization and enhance the coordination between the central and municipal institutions. According to the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government (PISG
)'s Decentralization Plan prior to Kosovo's independence, five municipalities had been selected to pilot the decentralization strategy at the local level, two of which are in predominately Kosovo-Albanian areas (Đeneral Janković / Hani i Elezit and Junik
), two are in predominately Kosovo-Serbian areas (Gračanica / Graçanicë
and Parteš / Partesh) and the fifth is the predominately Kosovo-Turkish
area of Mamuša / Mamushë
. Thus far the process has been initiated in three of the five pilot municipalities (Đeneral Janković, Junik and Mamuša).
The Constitution
of the Republic of Kosovo and the Ahtisaari
Plan foresee the creation of 10 Serb majority municipalities throughout Kosovo. The implementation of decentralization has recently began, creating these "minority being the majority" municipalities. Kosovo, according to the most recent statistics, is 88% Albanian; the new municipalities are being created for the integration of the approximately 7% Serb minority into the institutions of Kosovo.
There is begun to be seen a future status for North Kosovska Mitrovica
as a separate municipality
which would be administratively divided from the South Mitrovica
and which would have its own mayor and local government. This alternative is come to be supported by the International Community and Albanian politicians while Serbs still considering this option.
In 2000 both were merged into the new municipality of Dragaš
. The number of municipalities remains 30, because at the same time was formed the new municipality of Mališevo
by taking territories from the municipalities of Orahovac
(District of Đakovica), Suva Reka (District of Prizren
), Klina
(District of Peć) and Glogovac
(District of Pristina).
Administrative division
An administrative division, subnational entity, or country subdivision is a portion of a country or other political division, established for the purpose of government. Administrative divisions are each granted a certain degree of autonomy, and are required to manage themselves through their own...
in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
.
List of Municipalities
- DečaniDecaniDecani is the side of a church choir occupied by the Dean. In English churches this is typically the choir stalls on the south side of the chancel, although there are some notable exceptions, such as Durham Cathedral and Southwell Minster...
/ Deçan - DragašDragašDragaš is a town and municipality in the Prizren district of southern Kosovo. The population of the town is approximately 33,584, that of the whole municipality is estimated at 33,584...
/ Dragash - Đakovica / Gjakovë
- GlogovacGlogovacGlogovac is a town and municipality in the Pristina district of central Kosovo.-History:Before the Kosovo War of 1999, the Kosovo Liberation Army had a strong level of influence and controlled large areas of the municipality.-More about Glogovac:...
/ Gllogovc (Drenas) - GnjilaneGnjilaneGnjilane or Gjilan is a city and municipality in eastern Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the District of Gjilan. It is famous for having been recorded the lowest temperature in Kosovo with on 25 January 1963.-Name and history:...
/ Gjilan - IstokIstokIstok or Istog is a town and municipality in the Peć district of north-western Kosovo. The town is the administrative capital of the municipality, which includes the town and the surrounding villages.-Name:...
/ Istog - KačanikKacanikKačanik or Kaçanik is a town and municipality in southern Kosovo, in the Uroševac district. The municipality covers an area of , including the town of Kačanik and 31 villages. It has a population of approximately 33,454...
/ Kaçanik - KlinaKlinaKlina or Klinë is a city and municipality in the Peć district of north-western Kosovo. It is located at the confluence of the river Klina into the White Drin.-Demographics:-External links:* *...
/ Klinë - Kosovo PoljeKosovo PoljeKosovo Polje or Fushë Kosova is a town and municipality in the Pristina district of central Kosovo, at 42.63° North, 21.12° East, or approximately eight kilometres south-west of the capital Pristina...
/ Fushë Kosovë - Kosovska KamenicaKosovska KamenicaKosovska Kamenica or Kamenica is a town and municipality in the Gnjilane district of eastern Kosovo.-Geography and population:In 2011, Kosovska Kamenica municipality was estimated to have 35,600 citizens....
/ Kamenicë - Kosovska MitrovicaKosovska MitrovicaKosovska Mitrovica , is a city and municipality in northern Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous district....
/ Mitrovicë - LeposavićLeposavicLeposavić is a town and [Municipalities of Kosovo|municipality]] in the district of Kosovska Mitrovica of northern Kosovo. It is a part of North Kosovo, a region with at least 98%ethnic Serb majority that functions largely autonomously from the remainder of the ethnic-Albanian-majority Kosovo...
/ Leposaviq - Lipljan / Lipjan
- MališevoMališevoMališevo is a town and municipality in the Prizren District of central Kosovo...
/ Malishevë - Novo BrdoNovo BrdoNovo Brdo is a town and municipality in the Pristina district of eastern Kosovo. The population of the municipality is estimated at 6,720 people .-History:...
/ Novobërdë - ObilićObilicObilić is a town and municipality in central Kosovo, belonging to the Pristina district. The municipality includes the town of Obilić and 19 villages, with a total population of approximately 21,548....
/ Obiliq - OrahovacOrahovacOrahovac is a town and municipality in western Kosovo, in the District of Đakovica.-Name:Its Serbian name stems from the Serbian word orah , meaning "walnut"....
/ Rahovec - PećPecPeć or Pejë is a city and municipality in north-western Kosovo and Metohija - Serbia, and the administrative centre of the homonymous district. Governor of city is Ali Berisha....
/ Pejë - PodujevoPodujevoPodujevo or Podujeva is a town and municipality located in the district of Pristina of north-eastern Kosovo.Podujevo is situated in a strategic position due to a regional motorway and railroad passing through it which links surrounding regions. Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, is located some to...
/ Podujevë - PrištinaPristinaPristina, also spelled Prishtina and Priština is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous municipality and district....
/ Prishtinë - PrizrenPrizrenPrizren is a historical city located in southern Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.The city has a population of around 131,247 , mostly Albanians...
/ Prizren - Srbica / Skënderaj
- Štimlje / Shtime
- ŠtrpceŠtrpceŠtrpce is a town and municipality in the District of Uroševac, Kosovo and Metohija.According to the 1991 census, the municipality of Štrpce had a population of around 12,800 people...
/ Shtërpcë - Suva Reka / Suharekë
- UroševacUroševacFerizaj or Uroševac is a city and municipality in southern Kosovo, located some south of the capital Pristina.Uroševac is the third most populous city in Kosovo, after Pristina and Prizren.It is the administrative centre of the homonymous district...
/ Ferizaj - VitinaVitinaVitina is a town and municipality in the Gnjilane district of south-eastern Kosovo.-Geography:Towns in the Vitina municipality include Pozhoran, Kabash, Binqa, Kllokot, Drobesh, Smirë, etc.-History:...
/ Viti - VučitrnVucitrnVučitrn or Vushtrri is a city and municipality in north-eastern Kosovo. It is the seat of the Kosovska Mitrovica District. The name of the city means "wolf's thorn", the name of the spiny restharrow plant in Serbian....
/ Vushtrri - Zubin PotokZubin PotokZubin Potok is a town and municipality in the Kosovska Mitrovica district of northern Kosovo. It is a part of North Kosovo, a region with an ethnic Serb majority that functions largely autonomously from the remainder of the ethnic-Albanian-majority Kosovo...
/ Zubin Potok - ZvečanZvecanZvečan is a town and municipality in the Kosovska Mitrovica district of Kosovo. It is a part of North Kosovo, a region with an ethnic Serb majority that functions largely autonomously from the remainder of the ethnic-Albanian-majority Kosovo and Metohija. The municipality covers an area of , and...
/ Zveçan
The municipalities of Leposavić
Leposavic
Leposavić is a town and [Municipalities of Kosovo|municipality]] in the district of Kosovska Mitrovica of northern Kosovo. It is a part of North Kosovo, a region with at least 98%ethnic Serb majority that functions largely autonomously from the remainder of the ethnic-Albanian-majority Kosovo...
, Zubin Potok
Zubin Potok
Zubin Potok is a town and municipality in the Kosovska Mitrovica district of northern Kosovo. It is a part of North Kosovo, a region with an ethnic Serb majority that functions largely autonomously from the remainder of the ethnic-Albanian-majority Kosovo...
and Zvečan
Zvecan
Zvečan is a town and municipality in the Kosovska Mitrovica district of Kosovo. It is a part of North Kosovo, a region with an ethnic Serb majority that functions largely autonomously from the remainder of the ethnic-Albanian-majority Kosovo and Metohija. The municipality covers an area of , and...
in the north of Kosovo
North Kosovo
North or Northern Kosovo refers to a region in the northern part of Kosovo with an ethnic Serb majority that functions largely autonomously from the remainder of the disputed territory, which has an ethnic Albanian majority. Ibarian Kolashin , a toponym that pre-dates the political partition, is...
each have a significant Serbian majority, constituting more than 90% of the population. All other municipalities have a very substantial Albanian majority except for Štrpce
Štrpce
Štrpce is a town and municipality in the District of Uroševac, Kosovo and Metohija.According to the 1991 census, the municipality of Štrpce had a population of around 12,800 people...
in the south, which has a Serbian majority. Before the Kosovo War
Kosovo War
The term Kosovo War or Kosovo conflict was two sequential, and at times parallel, armed conflicts in Kosovo province, then part of FR Yugoslav Republic of Serbia; from early 1998 to 1999, there was an armed conflict initiated by the ethnic Albanian "Kosovo Liberation Army" , who sought independence...
the municipality of Novo Brdo
Novo Brdo
Novo Brdo is a town and municipality in the Pristina district of eastern Kosovo. The population of the municipality is estimated at 6,720 people .-History:...
also had Serbian majority. Today, Novo Brdo has an Albanian majority due to ethnic cleansing performed by Albanians over Serbs.
New Municipalities
A number of new municipalities have been announced/created.The Government of Kosovo has embraced the need to enhance accountability and ownership at the local level, establishing the Ministry of Local Government Administration (MLGA) tasked with developing a plan to implement decentralization and enhance the coordination between the central and municipal institutions. According to the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government (PISG
Provisional Institutions of Self-Government
The Provisional Institutions of Self-Government or 'PISG' are the local administrative bodies in Kosovo established by the United Nations administration in that province under the terms of UNSCR 1244...
)'s Decentralization Plan prior to Kosovo's independence, five municipalities had been selected to pilot the decentralization strategy at the local level, two of which are in predominately Kosovo-Albanian areas (Đeneral Janković / Hani i Elezit and Junik
Junik
Junik is a municipality and small town in the Đakovica district of western Kosovo. It is located in the west Metohija between Dečani and Đakovica along Kosovo's mountainous border with Albania. It is populated with ethnic Albanians...
), two are in predominately Kosovo-Serbian areas (Gračanica / Graçanicë
Gracanica, Kosovo
Gračanica is a town and municipality in central Kosovo, and a Serb enclave centered around the Gračanica monastery, located ten kilometers away from Pristina...
and Parteš / Partesh) and the fifth is the predominately Kosovo-Turkish
Turks in Kosovo
Turks in Kosovo are the ethnic Turks who constitute a minority group in Kosovo.-History:The Ottomans brought Islamisation with them, particularly in towns, and later also created the Vilayet of Kosovo as one of the Ottoman territorial entities...
area of Mamuša / Mamushë
Mamuša
Mamuša or Mamusha is a town in Kosovo. In 2008 it became a municipality. Prior to that it was part of Prizren municipality. Of all municipal units in Kosovo, this one is by far the smallest in terms of area.-Location:...
. Thus far the process has been initiated in three of the five pilot municipalities (Đeneral Janković, Junik and Mamuša).
- Gračanica / GraçanicëGracanica, KosovoGračanica is a town and municipality in central Kosovo, and a Serb enclave centered around the Gračanica monastery, located ten kilometers away from Pristina...
- Serbian majority (near PristinaPristinaPristina, also spelled Prishtina and Priština is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous municipality and district....
and Novo BrdoNovo BrdoNovo Brdo is a town and municipality in the Pristina district of eastern Kosovo. The population of the municipality is estimated at 6,720 people .-History:...
) - Đeneral Janković / Hani i Elezit -Albanian majority (near KačanikKacanikKačanik or Kaçanik is a town and municipality in southern Kosovo, in the Uroševac district. The municipality covers an area of , including the town of Kačanik and 31 villages. It has a population of approximately 33,454...
) - Junik / JunikJunikJunik is a municipality and small town in the Đakovica district of western Kosovo. It is located in the west Metohija between Dečani and Đakovica along Kosovo's mountainous border with Albania. It is populated with ethnic Albanians...
- Albanian majority (near DečaniDecaniDecani is the side of a church choir occupied by the Dean. In English churches this is typically the choir stalls on the south side of the chancel, although there are some notable exceptions, such as Durham Cathedral and Southwell Minster...
) - Mamuša / MamushëMamušaMamuša or Mamusha is a town in Kosovo. In 2008 it became a municipality. Prior to that it was part of Prizren municipality. Of all municipal units in Kosovo, this one is by far the smallest in terms of area.-Location:...
- TurkishTurks in KosovoTurks in Kosovo are the ethnic Turks who constitute a minority group in Kosovo.-History:The Ottomans brought Islamisation with them, particularly in towns, and later also created the Vilayet of Kosovo as one of the Ottoman territorial entities...
majority (near PrizrenPrizrenPrizren is a historical city located in southern Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.The city has a population of around 131,247 , mostly Albanians...
) - established September 27, 2005. - Parteš / Partesh - Serbian majority
The Constitution
Constitution of Kosovo
The Constitution of Kosovo currently refers either to the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo or to the Constitutional Framework for the Provisional Self-Government of Kosovo....
of the Republic of Kosovo and the Ahtisaari
Martti Ahtisaari
Martti Oiva Kalevi Ahtisaari is a Finnish politician, the tenth President of Finland , Nobel Peace Prize laureate and United Nations diplomat and mediator, noted for his international peace work....
Plan foresee the creation of 10 Serb majority municipalities throughout Kosovo. The implementation of decentralization has recently began, creating these "minority being the majority" municipalities. Kosovo, according to the most recent statistics, is 88% Albanian; the new municipalities are being created for the integration of the approximately 7% Serb minority into the institutions of Kosovo.
There is begun to be seen a future status for North Kosovska Mitrovica
North Kosovska Mitrovica
North Kosovska Mitrovica is the northern part of the city of Kosovska Mitrovica, which the river Ibar divides from the rest of the city. It is a part and de facto capital of North Kosovo, a region with an ethnic Serb majority that functions largely autonomously from the remainder of the...
as a separate municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
which would be administratively divided from the South Mitrovica
Kosovska Mitrovica
Kosovska Mitrovica , is a city and municipality in northern Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous district....
and which would have its own mayor and local government. This alternative is come to be supported by the International Community and Albanian politicians while Serbs still considering this option.
Former municipalities
Between 1990 and 2000 in the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija and Kosovo (UNMIK) there were the following additional municipalities:- GoraGora (region)Gora is a geographical region in southern Serbia and northeastern Albania, inhabited by Albanians and a Gorani minority. The name "Gora" is a Slavic word for "mountain" or "forest"....
- OpoljeOpoljeOpolje or Opoja is northern region of the municipality of Dragaš in the southern most part of Kosovo with Gora being the southern one.Opolje comprises 19 villages with a population of 30.000 . Its population is almost exclusively of Albanian ethnicity, whereas the population of Gora is Gorani...
(1990-1992, later part of PrizrenPrizrenPrizren is a historical city located in southern Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.The city has a population of around 131,247 , mostly Albanians...
)
In 2000 both were merged into the new municipality of Dragaš
Dragaš
Dragaš is a town and municipality in the Prizren district of southern Kosovo. The population of the town is approximately 33,584, that of the whole municipality is estimated at 33,584...
. The number of municipalities remains 30, because at the same time was formed the new municipality of Mališevo
Mališevo
Mališevo is a town and municipality in the Prizren District of central Kosovo...
by taking territories from the municipalities of Orahovac
Orahovac
Orahovac is a town and municipality in western Kosovo, in the District of Đakovica.-Name:Its Serbian name stems from the Serbian word orah , meaning "walnut"....
(District of Đakovica), Suva Reka (District of Prizren
District of Prizren
The Prizren District is one the seven districts of Kosovo, with seat in Prizren.-Municipalities:It include the municipalities of:* Prizren* Dragaš * Suva Reka...
), Klina
Klina
Klina or Klinë is a city and municipality in the Peć district of north-western Kosovo. It is located at the confluence of the river Klina into the White Drin.-Demographics:-External links:* *...
(District of Peć) and Glogovac
Glogovac
Glogovac is a town and municipality in the Pristina district of central Kosovo.-History:Before the Kosovo War of 1999, the Kosovo Liberation Army had a strong level of influence and controlled large areas of the municipality.-More about Glogovac:...
(District of Pristina).