Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in the south of Serbia. The area has been under United Nations administration since 1999 because of conflict stemming from the desire for independence. Kosovo's population is mostly ethnic-Albanian, a stark contrast to the rest of the population of Serbia.
Kosovo was once an almost totally Serbian land. Under the long Ottoman rule, the land became more and more inhabited by Albanians migrants. The Turkish dominators favored the arrival of Albanians which ended up turning a Christian region into a Muslim-majority one.
Like Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia, Kosovo tried to break off from the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Serbian resistance led to the Kosovo War, with both the United Nations and NATO intervening to stop violence.
Kosovo's future is still uncertain. There is not set date for United Nations administration to end, but until recently it was thought that it would soon become an independent state. The agreement which ended the Kosovo War essentially severed all of Kosovo's ties with the state of Serbia, which no longer has governing authority in the territory. In addition, Kosovo has had territory-wide elections for a legislature, President, and Prime Minister. Recent negotiations have been stalled due to Russia's support of Serbian sovereignty over Kosovo.
Further reading
- Clinton Wag the Dog -- No Kosovo Genocide, German Foreign Office Report, January 6, 1999.
