Skenderaj
| Skenderaj/Srbica | |
|---|---|
| Municipality and city | |
| Skënderaj, Србица | |
 | |
  Skenderaj/Srbica Location in Kosovo | |
| Coordinates: 42°44′N 20°47′E / 42.733°N 20.783°E | |
| Country | Republic of Kosovo[lower-alpha 1] |
| District | District of Mitrovica |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Sami Lushtaku |
| Area | |
| • Land | 378 km2 (146 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 51,317 |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | 41000 |
| Area code(s) | +381 28 |
| Car plates | 02 |
| Website | Municipality of Skenderaj |
Skenderaj (Albanian: Skënderaj or Srbica Serbian Cyrillic: Србица,Turkish: Skenderay) is a city and municipality in the District of Mitrovica of northern Kosovo.[lower-alpha 1] It is the largest city in the Drenica region of Kosovo.[1]
History
The municipality cadastral area includes several settlements that existed during the Middle Ages, among which some exist still today, such as Leočina, Poljance, Banja, and others. Despot Đurađ Branković (1427 —1456) founded the Devič monastery in the region. The town (varoš) itself was formed as Srbica in 1924 and had 30 houses inhabited by Serbs and Montenegrins.
Traditionally the area around Skenderaj showed a strong resistance to foreign invasions.[2] In the 20th century Albanian resistance began with a kachak movement leaded by Azem Bejta and his wife, Shote Galica, who fought against Bulgarian, Austro-Hungarian and Yugoslavian invaders.[3] At the ending of WW2 in 1944 leader of Brigade of Drenica Shaban Polluzha refused to lead his 12,000 men towards north and join partisan groups in order to pursue the retreating Germans, because Serbian Chetnik groups were attacking the Albanian population in Kosovo.[4]
Features
It is solely populated by Albanians (100%). It is claimed to be the poorest city in Kosovo. It is the place where the Kosovo War began in 1998, and to which the most damage was done.[1]
Demographics
| Ethnic Composition, Including IDPs | |||||||||||||
| Year/Population | Albanians | % | Serbs | % | Ashkali | % | Bosniaks | % | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 54,437 | 98.6% | 713 | - | 37 | - | - | - | 55,187 | ||||
| January 1999 | App. 65,000 | 99% | 690 | 1% | - | - | - | - | App. 65,690 | ||||
| Current figure | App. 78,900 | 98% | 0 | - | 0 | - | 2% | - | App. 78,900 | ||||
| Ref: kosowar Population Censuses for data through 1991, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe estimates for onwards data | |||||||||||||
Economy
Skenderaj has historically been the poorest municipality in Kosovo, with little investment having been made since the time of the former Yugoslavia. It suffers from low economic activity and continuous high unemployment. Agriculture is the major local industry but the municipality has not fully developed existing arable land. Today, the local economy consists of small enterprises such as family-run shops and restaurants while two privatized factories, a brick and a flour mill, employ a few hundred people. The other major sector of employment is the municipality’s civil service.[1]
Sport
Skënderaj is home of the Kosovar Superliga football club KF Drenica.[1] and Kosovar Superliga volleyball club KV Skenderaj women's and KV Drenica mens.
Cultural heritage
- Devič, Serbian Orthodox abbey
Notable People
- Adem Jashari, Founder of KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army)
- Hashim Thaçi, Political Leader of KLA, Prime Minister of Kosovo (2006-2014)
- Hamëz Jashari, Cofounder of KLA and brother of Adem Jashari
- Hasan Prishtina, Political Leader of National Movement
- Sylejman Selimi, Comrade of Adem Jashari, Leader of Drenica Operative Zone and KLA's chief of staff
- Shote Galica, Leader of Kachak Movement in Kosovo and Wife of Azem Galica
- Përparim Hetemaj, footballer
- Mehmet Hetemaj, footballer
Notes and references
Notes:
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Kosovo. The latter declared independence on 17 February 2008, but Serbia continues to claim it as part of its own sovereign territory. Kosovo's independence has been recognised by 108 out of 193 United Nations member states.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 OSCE Municipal Profile, April 2008
- ↑ History from the website of the municipality
- ↑ Elsie, Robert (2004). Historical Dictionary of Kosova. The Scarecrow Press. p. 63. ISBN 0-8108-5309-4.
- ↑ Robert Elsie (1 December 2010). Historical Dictionary of Kosovo. Scarecrow Press. p. 219. ISBN 978-0-8108-7231-8. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
External links
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Name | Districts | Pop. | Rank | Name | Districts | Pop. | ||
 Pristina  Prizren |
1 | Pristina | Pristina | 208,230 | 11 | Glogovac (Drenas) | Pristina | 60,687 |  Ferizaj (Uroševac)  Peć |
| 2 | Prizren | Prizren | 183,810 | 12 | Lipljan | Pristina | 59,773 | ||
| 3 | Ferizaj (Uroševac) | Ferizaj (Uroševac) | 112,657 | 13 | Orahovac | Gjakova | 58,259 | ||
| 4 | Peć | Peć | 98,603 | 14 | Mališevo | Prizren | 57,136 | ||
| 5 | Gjakova | Gjakova | 97,127 | 15 | Skenderaj (Srbica) | Mitrovica | 52,175 | ||
| 6 | Gjilan | Gjilan | 92,369 | 16 | Vitina | Gjilan | 48,288 | ||
| 7 | Podujevo | Pristina | 90,568 | 17 | Deçan | Peć | 40,954 | ||
| 8 | Mitrovica | Mitrovica | 84,949 | 18 | Istok | Peć | 40,388 | ||
| 9 | Vučitrn | Mitrovica | 71,977 | 19 | Klina | Peć | 39,943 | ||
| 10 | Suva Reka | Prizren | 61,976 | 20 | Kamenica | Gjilan | 35,931 | ||
Coordinates: 42°44′48″N 20°47′19″E / 42.74667°N 20.78861°E
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