Tag: Kosovo

According to thereligionfaqs, Kosovo is a multi-religious nation with several different religious groups and denominations. According to the 2011 census, Islam is the most widely practiced religion in Kosovo, accounting for 95% of the population. The remaining 5% of the population practice other religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Baha’i Faith. Islam is by far the most popular religion in Kosovo and is divided into two main denominations: Sunni and Shia Muslims. Sunnis are mainly concentrated in urban areas such as Pristina while Shias are more popular on some of the smaller towns located throughout Kosovo. There are numerous mosques located throughout Kosovo where Muslims gather to practice their faith. Christianity is another minority religion in Kosovo with about 4% of the population practicing various denominations such as Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. The majority of Christians living in Kosovo are from countries such as Serbia and Montenegro who were brought to work on Serbian-owned businesses or as traders along the coast. Judaism was introduced to Kosovo during World War II when many Jewish refugees fled Europe and settled in cities such as Pristina where there are several synagogues located throughout the city. However, due to political unrest in recent years, many Jews have left Kosovo leaving only a small community behind. The Baha’i Faith was introduced to Kosovo during the 1970s but remains a minority religion with only a few followers scattered around major cities such as Pristina where there are several Baha’i temples located throughout this city. Kosovo is a small, landlocked country located in the western Balkans region of Europe. In 2011, it had a population of approximately 1.8 million people and was still in the process of recovering from the Kosovo War, which had ended in 1999. The country declared its independence from Serbia in 2008 and was recognized by some states, but not all. In 2011, Kosovo was still a very young nation with a fragile political system. It had recently formed its own government and was working to establish itself as an independent state. The economy of Kosovo relied heavily on foreign aid and remittances from Kosovars living abroad, as well as investments from international organizations such as the European Union (EU) and World Bank. Although there were signs of economic growth, unemployment remained high at over 40%. Kosovo’s educational system faced many challenges due to limited resources, lack of infrastructure and poor teacher training. Primary school enrollment rate was around 90%, but secondary school enrollment lagged far behind at only around 40%. Furthermore most university-level institutions were located outside of Kosovo which made access difficult for many citizens who could not afford to study abroad or travel long distances to attend classes. In terms of healthcare services, access to basic medical care had improved since 1999 with most primary health care services available throughout the country. However due to lack of resources and infrastructure access to more specialized medical care remained limited especially in rural areas where health facilities were few and far between. Kosovo also faced security challenges due to its unresolved status with Serbia which often resulted in sporadic violence between ethnic Serbs living in northern Kosovo and ethnic Albanians living in other parts of the country. This led to increased tensions between Serbian-backed paramilitary groups operating within Kosovo’s borders as well as increased presence by NATO peacekeeping forces which had been deployed since 1999 when the war ended. Overall, Kosovo faced many challenges in 2011 due to its fragile political system, lack of resources and unresolved status with Serbia which threatened its security situation within the region. Despite these difficulties however there were signs that progress was being made towards achieving stability both politically and economically within this young nation that year. Check physicscat for Kosovo in 2013.