Kosovo
Location: Kosovo is a landlocked country in the Balkans. It is a partially recognised sovereign state. Its neighbouring countries are Serbia to the north and east, North Macedonia and Albania to the south, and Montenegro to the west.
Area: Kosovo has an area of 10,908 square km. Most of Kosovo’s terrain is mountainous, the highest peak is Deravica (2,656 m/8,714 ft). There are two main plain regions, the Metohija basin spreads on the western part of the Kosovo, and the Plain of Kosovo on the eastern part.
Capital: Pristina (210,000 inhabitants)
Local time: GMT +2
Population: 1,740,000
Major ethnic groups: Albanians (92%), Serbs (4%); Bosniaks (2%), Romani (1%), Turks (1%)
Religions: Muslim (97.4%), Christian (1.6%)
Languages: Official languages in Kosovo are standard literary Albanian and Serbian. Other minority languages include Turkish, Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, Gorani and Romani.
Climate: Its climate is continental, with warm summers and cold and snowy winters.
Currency: Euro
Government: Unitary parliamentary republic
Country code: +383
Official holidays:
January 1st – New Year’s day
January 2nd – New Year’s day
January 7th – Christmas day
February 17th – Independence day
March 31st – Easter
April 9th – Constitution day
May 1st – International Labor day
May 5th – Easter
May 9th – Europe day
August 8th – Eid ul-Fitr
October 15th – Eid ul-Adha
December 25th – Christmas
Transportation: Kosovo has 1926 km roads, 4 airports and 430 km rail way. Pristina serves as most important transportation link in the country. It houses an international airport, railway station and all the major motorways pass through Pristina. Transport links to the north are fractured (especially rail transport).
Taxation: 18% VAT. 8% reduced VAT for water supplies, except bottled water.
Electricity: The standard voltage is 230V and 50 Hz frequency. Sockets and plugs are standard European.
Important phone numbers:
192 – Police
193 – Fire brigade
194 – Ambulance
Working hours: Typical working hours of shops are from 8:00 to 19:00 Monday to Saturday, with the exception of supermarkets which are open from 8:00 till 21:00.