Kosovo: The world's newest country?

by Aaron Hotfelder   Feb 17th 2008 @ 4:00PM

Those of us who like to show off at parties with our knowledge of world capitals apparently have another city to commit to memory: Pristina, Kosovo.

Today, the speaker of Kosovo's Parliament declared that "Kosovo is a republic-- an independent, democratic, and sovereign state," in a statement to a Parliament chamber that erupted in applause. According to an AP story, the sovereignty declaration provoked celebration throughout the capital: "[R]evelers danced in the streets, fired guns into the air and waved red and black Albanian flags in jubilation at the birth of the world's newest country."

The move is supported by the US and other Western powers, but vehemently opposed by Russia and Serbia, who lost control of Kosovo to the UN in 1999 after a civil war that killed more than 10,000 people.

About 90% of the 2 million people living in Kosovo are ethnic Albanians, and most are secular Muslims who are pro-Western, according to the LA Times. "Pristina has a main boulevard named for former President Clinton, who is revered here because he ordered the NATO airstrikes that drove out Serbian forces," the story says.

So, congrats to Kosovo on its newly-declared independence. Now what was its capital again?

More here and here.



Filed under: Activism, Europe, Serbia/Montenegro, United States, News

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