In 2002, Kosovo was a disputed territory located in the Balkan region of Southeastern Europe. It had an area of 10,887 square kilometers and a population of 2 million people. According to computerannals, the capital of Kosovo was Pristina, and its official language was Albanian. Comprising mostly mountains and hills, the terrain in Kosovo was highly mountainous with some highland plain areas. The climate was continental with hot summers and cold winters. Natural resources included lignite coal, lead, zinc, chrome ore and silver deposits. The economy in Kosovo relied heavily on agriculture as well as mining and manufacturing. Furthermore Kosovo also had a small tourism industry due to its unique cultural heritage and breathtaking mountain scenery. In 2002 there were still many challenges facing Kosovo; poverty levels remained high due to a lack of economic diversification away from subsistence farming and low wages for workers in other industries such as manufacturing or services. Furthermore corruption remained a problem which hindered economic development. However despite these issues in 2002 Kosovo had made significant progress since gaining autonomy from Yugoslavia in 1999; it had established a multi-ethnic democracy with free elections and had joined international organizations such as the United Nations (UN) and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

Yearbook 2002

Kosovo. It was a relatively quiet year in Kosovo, in practice a UN protectorate where residents gradually took over responsibility. At the same time, the Albanian majority continued to seek independence, while the Western powers wanted to retain Kosovo as an autonomous province of Serbia.

According to Countryaah website, only in March was the parliament elected in November 2001 to appoint Ibrahim Rugova as president after several unsuccessful attempts. Rugova is the leader of the largest party of the Kosovo Democratic Alliance (LDK), which received 45% of the vote, and he has long been regarded as a relatively moderate force.

As a compromise, Parliament at the same time elected the head of the Kosovo Democratic Party (PDK), Bajram Rexhepi, as prime minister. He was previously active in the UCK guerrilla and was accused by Serbia of torturing Yugoslav soldiers during the war. The compromise proposal had been prepared by the UN’s new top name in Kosovo, the German Michael Steiner, who took over after the Danish Hans Hekkerup at the beginning of the year.

Rugova’s party LDK performed strongly even in the municipal elections held in October. The party gained its own majority in 11 of 30 municipalities and formed a coalition in several others. The elections were part of the process that would lead to the transfer of power from the UN.

In November, the UN authority in Kosovo, UNMIK, for the first time brought charges against Kosovo Albanian former guerrillas. There were four people who were prosecuted for e.g. illegal arrests, torture and murder. The victims were also Kosovo Albanians. Among the arrested were one of the highest-ranking UCK leaders, Rustem Mustafa.

In a resolution, the Kosovo parliament condemned the agreement that replaced Yugoslavia with a loose union, called Serbia and Montenegro. In the settlement, Kosovo would remain part of Serbia, which was completely rejected by the majority Albanian population.

Kosovo Country Overview

Visa
Finnish citizens do not need a visa when traveling to Kosovo.

Climate
Kosovo has a continental climate. Summer and fall are warm as well as dry weather, while in winter temperatures drop quite low and heavy snowfall is common.

• According to ABBREVIATIONFINDER.ORG, RKS stands for Kosovo.

Insurance
Everyone participating in the trip must have a valid travel insurance that covers medical expenses in the event of illness or other similar need. Please check the validity of your own insurance and the terms and conditions of the insurance cancellation cover.

Please pay attention to the special nature of your trip and check the coverage of the insurance in that respect as well. In many locations, the insurance must also be valid when moving at an altitude of more than 3,000 meters, in which case it also covers mountain sickness.

Many hiking or diving trips require more extensive insurance, which covers, for example, diving or moving on a glacier. Please check the contents of your insurance with your insurance company.

Vaccinations
No special vaccinations are required in Kosovo, but please always check the vaccination requirements at your health center or the vaccination advice of the tourist clinic

Currency: Kosovo’s currency is the Euro.

Time difference to Finland
-1 hour time difference to Finland.

Electricity
in Kosovo electricity is generally 230 V.

Mobile phones
In general, mobile phones work well, please check the coverage of your subscription with your operator. The area code for Kosovo is +383