SAT Test Centers and Dates in Kosovo

More about Kosovo

Business

As a result of the Kosovo conflict, the already underdeveloped economy of Kosovo, including the infrastructure, was almost completely destroyed. The ongoing clashes between Serbs and Albanians prevent the situation from stabilizing. International investments stand in the way of widespread corruption and, in some cases, poorly functioning administrative structures. The transfer payments from Kosovars living abroad and international aid are of great importance. The dominant economic sectors are mining and the agricultural sector. The gross national income (GNI) per resident is (2017) US $ 3,890. Annual economic growth has been almost 4% since the turn of the millennium. However, the share of the shadow economy in economic value added is still extremely high. Unemployment is around 30% and around a third of the population lives below the poverty line.

Foreign trade: The foreign trade balance is in sharp deficit (import value 2015: € 2.6 billion; export value: € 0.325 billion). Most of the raw materials (especially ores) are exported; The main imports are crude oil, machinery and electrical appliances, food and chemical products. The main trading partners are North Macedonia, Germany, Serbia, Turkey, China, Italy and Albania.

Agriculture

The climate and soil create favorable conditions for the cultivation of wheat, maize, vegetables, wine and fruit, especially in the blackbird field and in the valley lowlands. Pasture farming (sheep breeding) is widespread in the high areas. Due to the low productivity of the mostly small farms, the country is dependent on food imports.

Natural resources

Kosovo has rich natural resources. Lignite mining is of great importance (estimated deposits: around 12.5 billion t). There are also rich deposits of lead, zinc and copper ores as well as bauxite and rare earth metals.

Industry

Industrial production (mainly concentrated in the cities of Pristina, Kosovska Mitrovica and Uroševac) is essentially limited to the processing of agricultural products and the manufacture of metal goods and building materials.

Tourism

Despite the varied landscape and important cultural sites, tourism only plays a subordinate role economically. The medieval Serbian Orthodox monasteries are now included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Check baglib to see Types of Travel in Europe.

Transportation

Traffic development is hampered by the mountainous terrain and the aftermath of the 1999 war. The railway network covers 330 km, the paved road network around 2,000 km. The international airport in the capital Pristina, which was affected during the war in 1999, was reopened in 2000.

History

In July / August 2011 the latent conflict between Serbia and Kosovo over control over the predominantly Serbian north of the country escalated. In response to Belgrade’s refusal to recognize Kosovar customs stamps, Kosovo banned the import of Serbian goods in mid-July. In order to enforce this decision in the north of the country, which is dominated by the Serb minority, Pristina dispatched special units to the Jarinje and Brnjak border crossings on July 26, 2011. As a result, Kosovar Serbs set up blockades on important transit roads. Security forces and civilians protesting clashed, with injuries and one fatality. On July 27, 2011, Kosovar Serbs burned down the Jarinje border crossing. Then KFOR took control there (as in Brnjak). Serbia insisted on sole control of the border, while Pristina insisted on being respected as a government in northern Kosovo. After difficult negotiations, Serbia and Kosovo accepted the KFOR proposal to first declare the controversial border crossings a military security zone. The Kosovar Serbs, who in the meantime had erected further roadblocks, were not ready to give in. Against their protest, forces of the EU Police and Justice Mission in Kosovo and the Kosovar government took control in Jarinje and Brnjak in mid-September 2011. After negotiations, Kosovo and Serbia agreed, through mediation by the EU, on a joint manning of the border crossings under EULEX surveillance. The Kosovar Serbs held an internationally unrecognized referendum in February 2012, in which 99.7% of the voters expressed their rejection of the Kosovar state institutions. The international steering committee for monitoring independence based on the Ahtisaari plan ended its activities on September 10, 2012. In the local elections on November 3rd, 2013, unrest caused by Serbian nationalists broke out in the north of the country. the polls had to be repeated on November 17, 2013 in the affected areas. In 2013, unrest caused by Serbian nationalists broke out in the north of the country. the polls had to be repeated on November 17, 2013 in the affected areas. In 2013, unrest caused by Serbian nationalists broke out in the north of the country. the polls had to be repeated on November 17, 2013 in the affected areas.