Kosovo

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The flag of Kosovo.

Kosovo is a partially recognized state situated in the Balkans, and it happens to be among the few majority-Muslim countries in Europe. It proclaimed independence from Serbia in 2008. Its capitol city is Pristina.

Serbia not only claims it as its autonomous province, but considers it the cradle of the Serbian nation as it features prominently in Serbian folklore, usually as the site of the heroic battle against the Ottoman Turks which Serbia lost in 1389 (its significance there is similar to the Alamo for Americans).[citation needed]

Supporters of independence, however, have a strong argument that an estimated 88% of its population are ethnic Albanians, and claim that there are significant cultural differences between Kosovo and Serbia.. [1] This population has had independence as a goal since the breakup of Yugoslavia.

[edit] History

After prolonged ethnic struggle throughout the course of Yugoslav Wars, Serbia yielded control of the territory after NATO intervention against rump Yugoslavia (by that point only consisting of Serbia and Montenegro) to United Nations in 1999.

[edit] International recognition

It is recognized by most Western countries, since 2008, notably excluding those who have significant separatist movements themselves (e.g. Spain with Basque and Catalan populations, Slovakia and Romania with Hungarians). It is not recognized by Russia or most other states of the former Soviet Union. Russia has also claimed that Kosovo's self-determination represents a dangerous precedent which they later used[citation needed] to annex Crimea and recognize both Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

[edit] Footnotes

  1. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kv.html#People
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