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'{{Redirect|Prishtina|the Albanian politician|Hasan Prishtina}} <!-- Please be very careful in editing this article. The Arbitration Committee has placed all articles related to Kosovo under editing restrictions. If any editor makes disruptive edits, they may be banned by an administrator. See Talk:Kosovo for more information. Thank you. --> {{Refimprove|date=February 2008}} {{Infobox settlement <!--See the Table at Infobox settlement for all fields and descriptions of usage--> <!-- Basic info ----------------> |name =Pristina |official_name= Pristina<br />Prishtina / Prishtinë<br />Приштина / Priština |settlement_type =Municipality and city |other_name = <!-- images and maps -----------> |image_skyline = A view of the city center.JPG |imagesize = 250px |image_caption = |image_flag = |flag_size = |image_seal = Prishtina-Kosovo.jpg |seal_size = |image_shield = |shield_size = |image_blank_emblem = |blank_emblem_type = |blank_emblem_size = |image_map = |mapsize = |map_caption = |pushpin_map = Kosovo |pushpin_label_position = above |pushpin_mapsize = |pushpin_map_caption = Location in Kosovo <!-- Location ------------------> |coordinates_region = RS-KM |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = [[Kosovo]]<ref name="Kosovo-note">{{Kosovo-note}}</ref> |subdivision_type1 = [[Districts of Kosovo|District]] |subdivision_name1 = [[District of Pristina]] |subdivision_type2 = |subdivision_name2 = <!-- Politics -----------------> |government_footnotes = |government_type = |leader_title = |leader_name = |established_title = |established_date = <!-- Area ---------------------> |area_magnitude = |unit_pref = |area_footnotes = |area_total_km2=854 <!-- ALL fields dealing with a measurements are subject to automatic unit conversion--> |area_land_km2 = <!--See table @ Template:Infobox settlement for details on automatic unit conversion--> |area_water_km2 = |area_total_sq_mi = |area_land_sq_mi = |area_water_sq_mi = |area_water_percent = |area_metro_km2 = |area_metro_sq_mi = <!-- Population -----------------------> |population_as_of = 2006 |population_footnotes = |population_note = |population_total = 550000 |population_density_km2 = 661 |population_density_sq_mi = |population_metro = |population_density_metro_km2 = |population_density_metro_sq_mi = |population_urban = |population_density_urban_km2 = |population_density_urban_sq_mi = <!-- General information ---------------> |timezone = [[Central European Time|CET]] |utc_offset = +1 |timezone_DST =[[Central European Summer Time|CEST]] |utc_offset_DST = +2 |latd =42 |latm =40|lats =| latNS = N |longd =21 |longm =10 |longs =| longEW = E |elevation_footnotes = <!--for references: use tags--> |elevation_m =652 |elevation_ft = <!-- Area/postal codes & others --------> |postal_code_type = <!-- enter ZIP code, Postcode, Post code, Postal code... --> |postal_code =10000 |area_code = +381 38 |blank_name = |blank_info = |blank1_name = |blank1_info = |website = [http://www.prishtina-komuna.org/ Municipality of Pristina] {{sq icon}} |footnotes = }} '''Pristina''', also spelled '''Prishtina'''{{Audio|Prishtina.ogg|listen}} ({{lang-sq|Prishtinë}} or ''Prishtina'', [[Serbian language|Serbian]]: Приштина, ''Priština''; {{lang-tr|Priştine}}) is the capital and largest city of [[Kosovo]].<ref name="Kosovo-note"/> It is the administrative centre of the homonymous municipality and [[District of Priština|district]]. It is estimated that the current population of the city stands between 500,000<ref name="OSCE profile">[[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe|OSCE]] {{PDF|[http://www.osce.org/item/1199.html municipal profile of Pristina]}}, April 2008. Retrieved on 20 June 2008.</ref> and 600,000.<ref name="UK profile">[http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029394365&a=KCountryProfile&aid=1019233722672 UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office Country Profiles: Kosovo]. Retrieved on 21 February 2008.</ref> The city has a majority [[Albanians|Albanian]] population, alongside other smaller communities including [[Serbs]], [[Bosniaks]], [[Roma (Romani subgroup)|Roma]] and others. It is the administrative, educational, and cultural centre of Kosovo. The city is home to the [[University of Pristina]] and is served by the [[Pristina International Airport]]. == Name == The name of the city is derived from a [[Slavic languages|Slavic]] form *''Prišьčь'', a possessive adjective from the personal name *''Prišьkъ'', (preserved in the [[Kajkavian dialect|Kajkavian]] surname ''Prišek'', in the Old [[Polish language|Polish]] personal name ''Przyszek'', and in the Polish surname ''Przyszek'') and the derivational suffix ''-ina'' 'belonging to X and his kin'. The name is most likely a patronymic of the personal name *''Prišь'', preserved as a surname in Polish ''Przysz'' and [[Sorbian languages|Sorbian]] ''Priš'', a hypochoristic of the Slavic personal name ''Pribyslavъ''.<ref>SNOJ, Marko. 2007. Origjina e emrit të vendit Prishtinë. In: BOKSHI, Besim (ed.). ''Studime filologjike shqiptare: konferencë shkencore'', 21-22 nëntor 2007. Prishtinë: Akademia e Shkencave dhe e Arteve e Kosovës, 2008, pp. 277-281.</ref> A [[false etymology]] connects the name Priština with [[Serbo-Croatian language|Serbo-Croatian]] ''prišt'' (пришт), meaning 'ulcer' or 'tumour', referring to its 'boiling'.<ref>This etymology is mentioned in ROOM, Adrian: ''Placenames of the World'', Second Edition, McFarland, 2006, page 304. ISBN 0-7864-2248-3</ref> However, this explanation cannot be correct, as Slavic place names ending in ''-ina'' corresponding to an adjective and/or name of an inhabitant lacking this suffix are built from personal names or denote a person and never derive, under these conditions, from common nouns ([[Marko Snoj|S<small>NOJ</small>]] 2007: ''loc. cit.''). The inhabitants of this city call themselves ''Prishtinali'' in local [[Gheg Albanian]] or ''Prištevci'' (Приштевци) in the local Serbian dialect. ==Geography== Pristina is located at the geographical coordinates 42° 40' 0" North and 21° 10' 0" East and covers {{convert|572|km2|sqmi}}. It lies in the north-eastern part of Kosovo close to the [[Goljak]] mountains. From Pristina there is a good view of the [[Šar Mountains]] which lie several kilometres away in the south of Kosovo. Pristina is located beside two large towns, [[Obilić]] and [[Kosovo Polje]]. In fact Pristina has grown so much these past years that it has connected with Kosovo Polje. Lake [[Badovac]] is just a few kilometres to the south of the city. There is no river passing through the city of Pristina now but there was one that passed through the centre. The river flows through underground tunnels and is let out into the surface when it passes the city. The reason for covering the river was because the river passed by the local market and everyone dumped their waste there. This caused an awful smell and the river had to be covered.{{Citation needed|date=January 2011}} The river now only flows through Pristina's suburbs in the north and in the south. ==History== ===Early history=== [[File:Old Pristina.jpg|thumb|left|Pristina, end of the 19th Century]] [[File:Illyrian Stone head Prishtina.jpg|left|thumb|125px|Illyrian stone head, found near [[Pristina]]]] In [[Roman Empire|Roman]] times, a large town called ''[[Ulpiana]]'' existed 15 kilometers (9 miles) to the south of modern-day Pristina. This city was destroyed but was restored by the [[List of Byzantine Emperors|Emperor]] [[Justinian I]]. Today the town of [[Lipljan]] stands on the site of the Roman city, and remains of the old city can still be seen. After the fall of Rome, Pristina grew from the ruins of the former Roman city. The city was located at a junction of roads leading in all directions throughout the [[Balkans]]. For this reason Pristina rose to become an important trading centre on the main trade routes across south-eastern Europe. Pristina came to be of great importance to the medieval Serbian state, and served as the capital of King [[Stefan Uroš II Milutin of Serbia|Milutin]] (1282–1321) and other Serbian rulers from the [[House of Nemanjić|Nemanjić]] and [[House of Branković|Branković]] dynasties until the [[Battle of Kosovo]] in 1389, when an invading [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] army decisively defeated the Balkans coalition army. In the following decades the area gradually came under Ottoman control, there was an Ottoman law-court in Pristina in 1423. The whole of Serbia was subsequently conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1459. [[File:Kosova Government Building.jpg|thumb|right|Kosovar Government Central Building (Formerly a bank, damaged in the [[Kosovo War|1999 war]], now fully renovated)]] <!-- Commented out because image was deleted: [[File:prishtinalogo.jpg|thumb|right|City's emblem]] --> Pjeter Bogdani, who is the most original writer of early literature in Albanian, lived and worked in Kosovo. After his return to the Balkans in March 1686 and spent the next years promoting resistance to the armies of the Ottoman Empire, in particular in Kosovo. In 1686 Pristina was briefly liberated by Pjeter Bogdani with aid of Austrians. He published his book ''Cuneus Profetarum'' (Alb: ''Ceta e Profeteve'' roughly ''Vanguard of the Prophets'') in 1685.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pjet%C3%ABr_Bogdani |title=Pjetër Bogdani - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |publisher=En.wikipedia.org |date= |accessdate=2009-07-08}}</ref> At the same time, simultaneously with the Ottoman conquest, the [[Great Serb Migrations|Great Serb exodus]] has started; tens of thousands of [[Kosovo Serbs|Kosovo Serb]] families have withdrawn from Kosovo towards [[Vojvodina|Habsburg Empire]], led by their patriarch [[Arsenije III Carnojevic]], along with the Habsburg army.<ref name="books.google.com">http://books.google.com/books?id=0_3Wt46vBv8C&pg=PA20&lpg=PA20&dq=serb+migrations+emperor+leopold&source=bl&ots=9pUqtVbDhw&sig=ROm-TTMNu9bLWuN_8y9dSVFNwwE&hl=en&ei=zXxIS8TbFpyOnQPH8bWFCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CBEQ6AEwBDgK#v=onepage&q&f=false</ref><ref name="books.google.com"/> Demographic balanced slowly started to shift in favour of Albanians.<ref>http://www.amazon.com/dp/0060977752</ref> During the Ottoman Empire, Pristina became increasingly Ottoman in character following the conversion to [[Islam]] of many of its inhabitants, both Albanians and Slavs. From the 1870s onwards Albanians in the region formed the [[League of Prizren]] to resist Ottoman rule, and a provisional government was formed in 1881. In 1912 Pristina along with the rest of Kosovo was briefly included in the newly independent state of [[Albania]]. But the following year the [[Great Powers]] forced Albania to cede the region to the [[Kingdom of Serbia]]. In 1918 Kosovo became a part of the newly formed [[Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes|Yugoslavia]], though without any of the autonomy that the region later enjoyed. Before [[World War II]], Pristina was an ethnically mixed town with large communities of Albanians and Serbs. Many Albanians and Turks were deported to Turkey as a consequence of the ethnic cleaning program applied by the Serbs. Muslim Albanians were identified as Turkish and thus forcibly evicted from their ancestors' homes. The Albanians were sent to Turkey and settle the Turkish provinces formerly inhabited by [[Greeks]] and [[Armenians]]. === Balkan Wars === After the [[Serbian army]] took the city of Pristina in October 1912, the retaliation against the civilian population was fierce.<ref name="Archbishop">{{cite web|url=http://www.albanianhistory.net/texts20_1/AH1913_6.html |title=Archbishop Lazër Mjeda: Report on the Serb Invasion of Kosova and Macedonia |publisher=Albanianhistory.net |date= |accessdate=2010-07-04}}</ref> Reports say that immediately upon entering the city, the Serbian army began "hunting" the Albanians, making bloodshed and "literally decimated" Pristina population.<ref name="Golgotha">{{cite web|url=http://www.albanianhistory.net/texts20_1/AH1913_1.html |title=Leo Freundlich: Albania's Golgotha |publisher=Albanianhistory.net |date= |accessdate=2010-07-04}}</ref> Number of Albanians of Pristina killed in the early days of the Serbian rule is estimated at 5,000.<ref name="Archbishop"/><ref name="NY Times">{{cite news|url=http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=2&res=9D0CEEDA1E3AE633A25752C3A9649D946396D6CF&oref=slogin |title=The New York Times, 31. December 1912 |publisher=New York Times |date= 1912-12-31|accessdate=2010-07-04}}</ref> === World War II === The Second World War saw the decline of Pristina's Serbian community as well as a large-scale settling of Albanians in the town. Between 1941 and 1945 Pristina was incorporated into the Italian-occupied [[Greater Albania]]. === Pristina after World War II === [[File:Bibloteka Kombëtare e Kosovës.jpg|left|thumb|National Public Library]][[File:BoroRamizi.jpg|thumb|right|Palace of Youth]] In 1946, Pristina became the capital of the Socialist Autonomous Region of Kosovo. Between 1953 and 1999, the population increased from around 24,000 to over 300,000. All of the national communities of the city increased over this period, but the greatest increase was among the Albanian population, a large number of whom had moved from mountain areas to settle in the city. The Albanian population increased from around 9,000 in 1953 to nearly 76,000 in 1981. The Serbian and Montenegrin population increased too but by a far more modest number, from just under 8,000 in 1953 to around 21,000 by 1981. By the start of the 1980s, Albanians constituted over 70% of the city's population. Although Kosovo was under the rule of local Albanian members of the Communist Party, economic decline and political instability in the late 1960s and at the start of the 1980s led to outbreaks of nationalist unrest. In November 1968, student demonstrations and riots in [[Belgrade]] spread to Pristina, but were put down by the Yugoslav security forces. Some of the demands of the students were nonetheless met by the [[Josip Broz Tito|Tito]] government, including the establishment in 1970 of the [[University of Pristina]] as an independent institution. This ended a long period when the institution had been run as an outpost of [[Belgrade University]] and gave a major boost to Albanian-language education and culture in Kosovo. The Albanians were also allowed to use the Albanian flag. In March 1981, students at Pristina University rioted over poor food in their university canteen. This seemingly trivial dispute rapidly spread throughout Kosovo and took on the character of a national revolt, with massive popular demonstrations in Pristina and other Kosovo towns. The Communist Yugoslav presidency quelled the disturbances by sending in riot police and the army and proclaiming a state of emergency, with several people being killed in clashes and thousands subsequently being imprisoned or disciplined. ===Pristina in the Kosovo War and afterwards=== [[File:Grand Hotel.jpg|thumb|left|Grand Hotel]] Following the reduction of Kosovo's autonomy by [[President of Serbia|Serbian President]] [[Slobodan Milošević]] in 1989, a harshly repressive regime was imposed throughout Kosovo by the Serbian government with Albanians largely being purged from state industries and institutions. The University of Pristina was seen as a hotbed of Albanian nationalism and was duly purged: 800 lecturers were sacked and 22,500 of the 23,000 students expelled. In response, the Kosovo Albanians set up a "shadow government" under the authority of the [[Democratic League of Kosovo]] (LDK), led by the writer [[Ibrahim Rugova]]. Although the city was formally controlled by Serbs appointed by the Milošević government, the LDK established parallel structures, funded by private contributions, to provide free services such as health care and education that were largely denied to the Albanian population. [[File:Prishtina snapshot.png|thumb|right|View of the city]] The LDK's role meant, that when the [[Kosovo Liberation Army]] began to attack Serbian and Yugoslav forces from 1996 onwards, Pristina remained largely calm until the outbreak of the [[Kosovo War]] in March 1999. The city was placed under a state of emergency at the end of March and large areas were sealed off. After [[North Atlantic Treaty Organisation|NATO]] began air strikes against Yugoslavia on March 24, 1999, widespread violence broke out in Pristina. Serbian and Yugoslav forces shelled several districts and, in conjunction with paramilitaries, conducted large-scale expulsions of ethnic Albanians accompanied by widespread looting and destruction of Albanian properties. Many of those expelled were directed onto trains apparently brought to Pristina's main station for the express purpose of deporting them to the border of the [[Republic of Macedonia]], where they were forced into exile. The [[United States Department of State]] estimated in May 1999 that between 100,000-120,000 people had been driven out of Pristina by government forces and [[paramilitary|paramilitaries]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}} {{quotation|On or about 1 April 1999, [[Serbian police]] went to the homes of Kosovo Albanians in the city of Pristina/Prishtinë and forced the residents to leave in a matter of minutes. During the course of [[Operation Horseshoe|these forced expulsions]], a number of people were killed. Many of those forced from their homes went directly to the train station, while others sought shelter in nearby neighbourhoods. Hundreds of ethnic Albanians, guided by Serb police at all the intersections, gathered at the train station and then were loaded onto overcrowded trains or buses after a long wait where no food or water was provided. Those on the trains went as far as [[Đeneral Janković|General Jankovic]], a village near the Macedonian border. During the train ride many people had their [[Identity cleansing|identification papers taken]] from them.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/kosovo/more2.htm |title=Indictment against Milosevic and others |publisher=Americanradioworks.publicradio.org |date= |accessdate=2010-07-04}}</ref>|War Crimes Indictment against Milosevic and others}} Several strategic targets in Pristina were attacked by NATO during the war, but physical damage appears to have largely been restricted to a few specific neighbourhoods shelled by Yugoslav security forces. At the end of the war, most of the city's 40,000<ref name="euronews.net">{{cite web|url=http://www.euronews.net/index.php?article=468126&lng=1&option=1 |title=EuroNews Serbs in Kosovo vote in Gracanica and Mitrovica published February 3, 2008 accessed February 3, 2008 |publisher=Euronews.net |date= |accessdate=2010-07-04}}</ref> Serbs fled. The few who remained were subjected to harassment and violence in revenge by Albanian gangs, which reduced Pristina's Serb population still further. Other national groups accused by Albanians of collaboration with the Serbian war effort; notably the [[Roma (Romani subgroup)|Roma]]– were also driven out. According to the [[United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees]], by August 1999 fewer than 2,000 Serbs were left in the city. The number reportedly fell even further after the March [[2004 unrest in Kosovo]]. In early 2008 only a few dozen Serbs remained in Pristina, most of whom were elderly people<ref name="euronews.net"/> As of 2009 there are no remaining Serbs in Pristina.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rts.rs/page/stories/sr/story/9/Srbija/61585/Pri%C5%A1tina+bez+Srba.html |title=Priština bez Srba |language={{sr icon}} |publisher=Rts.rs |date=2009-05-14 |accessdate=2010-07-04}}</ref> == Economy == The number of registered businesses in Pristina is currently at 8,725, with a total of 75,089 employees{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}}. The exact number of businesses is unknown due to the fact that not all are registered. Since independence the Mayor of Pristina, Isa Mustafa has built many new roads in Pristina. Also he has plans to construct a ring road around the city.<ref>[http://kk.rks-gov.net/prishtina/Projects/Buxheti/Infrastrukture.aspx Komuna e Prishtinës: Investime të mëdha në infrastrukturë]</ref> The national government is taking part in modernising the roadways as well, building motorways to [[Uroševac]] and other cities{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}}. An Albanian millionaire in Croatia is building the largest building in the Balkans with a projected height of up to {{convert|262|m|ft}} and capacity to hold 20,000 people. The cost for this is 400 million Euro.<ref>[http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/969/61/ Macedonia participates in large Kosovo investment]</ref> The Lakriste area is designated by Municipality as high-rise area with many complex building. The buildings such as ENK, World Trade Centre, Hysi and AXIS towers are being constructed in an area which previously served as an industrial zone.<ref>[http://www.newkosovareport.com/20080424901/Business-and-Economy/Record-setting-skyscraper-to-go-up-in-Prishtina.html New Kosova Report: Record setting skyscraper to go up in Pristina]</ref> Limak Holding and French firm Aéroport de Lyon won the concession tender for [[Pristina International Airport]]. Two companies pledged investment of 140 million euros by 2012.<ref>[http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-218982-105-kosovo-to-open-to-world-with-turkish-built-airport.html Todays Zaman: Kosovo to open to world with Turkish-built airport], by Ali Aslan Kiliç, 14 August 2010, Saturday</ref> <!-- Comment statistics as it is poorly arranged and not cited. Please rearrange the statistics, cite it, and re-insert it back into the main article. Thanks. * Hunting and Agriculture- 27 businesses with 29 employees * Fishing - 2 businesses with 31 employees * Utilities - 5 businesses with 12,836 employees * General Industry - 616 businesses with 4,635 employees * Accommodation - 781 businesses with 6,584 employees * Transportation - 1,672 businesses with 18,351 employees * Total number - 8,412 businesses with 73,429 employees According to the list of the MTI for businesses and their classification in Kosovo: * Trading - 48% * Transport - 12% * Hotels, Restaurants etc. - 9% * Food and Drinks - 3% * others - 28% --> ==Places around Pristina== {| style="width:100%;" class="wikitable" |- ! style="width:8%;"| Name ! style="width:24%;"| Description ! style="width:8%;"| Picture |- | style="text-align:center;"|New Born ||align="left"|The Newborn Obelisk inaugurated for Kosovo's Independence on the 17/02/2008.|| style="text-align:center;"|[[File:Newborn.jpg‎|250px]] |- | style="text-align:center;"|Rilindja Tower||align="left"|The building of the former "Rilindja" newspaper, also the tallest in Pristina.|| style="text-align:center;"|[[File:Rilindja Tower.jpg|250px]] |- | style="text-align:center;"|UNMIK Headquarters||align="left"|United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo Headquarters|| style="text-align:center;"|[[File:Prishtina maj 2005.jpg|250px]] |- | style="text-align:center;"|[[Mother Teresa]] Boulevard||align="left"|The Mother Teresa Boulevard.|| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:nenatereze1.jpg|250px]] |- | style="text-align:center;"|The Ministry of Culture||align="left"|The Ministry of Culture|| style="text-align:center;"|[[File:kult.JPG|250px]] |- | style="text-align:center;"|OSCE Building||align="left"|OSCE Building|| style="text-align:center;"|[[File:PrishtinaKosovoBuilding9343.JPG|250px]] |- | style="text-align:center;"|The museum of Kosovo||align="left"|The Kosovo Museum has an extensive collection of archaeological and ethnological artifacts, including the Neolithic ''Goddess on the Throne'' terracotta, unearthed near Pristina in 1960<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6718105.stm Kosovo contest for state symbols], by Nick Thorpe, ''BBC'', Priština, 4 June 2007. Retrieved on 21 February 2008.</ref>|| style="text-align:center;"|[[File:Kosovo museum.jpg|250px]] |- | style="text-align:center;"|[[City Stadium (Pristina)|City Stadium]]||align="left"|Home to football club, [[KF Prishtina]]|| style="text-align:center;"|[[File:Prishtinë SQ.JPG|250px]] |- |} ==Culture== The '''Museum of Kosovo''' is located in an Austro-Hungarian inspired building originally built for the regional administration of the Ottoman [[Vilayet of Kosovo]]. From 1945 until 1975 it served as headquarters for the [[Yugoslav National Army]]. In 1963 it was sold to the Kosovo Museum. From 1999 until 2002, the [[European Agency for Reconstruction]] had its main office in the museum building. The Kosovo Museum has an extensive collection of archaeological and ethnological artifacts, including the Neolithic ''Goddess on the Throne'' terracotta, unearthed near Pristina in 1960<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6718105.stm Kosovo contest for state symbols], by Nick Thorpe, ''BBC'', Priština, 4 June 2007. Retrieved on 21 February 2008.</ref> and depicted in the city's emblem. Although a large number of artifacts from antiquity is still in Belgrade, even though the museum was looted in 1999. The '''Clock Tower''' (''Sahat Kulla'') dates back to the 19th century. Following a fire, the tower has been reconstructed using bricks. The original bell was brought to Kosovo from [[Moldavia]]. It bore an inscription reading "this bell was made in 1764 for ''Jon Moldova Rumen''." In 2001, the original bell was stolen. The same year, French [[Kosovo Force|KFOR]] troops replaced the old clock mechanism with an electric one. Given Kosovo's electricity problems the tower is struggling to keep time. ===Environment=== [[File:A view of the city center.JPG|left|thumb|View from city center]][[File:Prishtina City Park.JPG|thumb|right|Pristina City Park]] During the city's rule by Serbia, Pristina had very few green places. Parku i Qytetit (English: City Park), was a badly managed park and was the only real green place in Pristina. Three markets (one of them very large) used to be a hotspot for dumping waste and other materials on the roads. This made the city look unattractive and unfriendly. After the war of 1999, Pristina has changed dramatically. City Park has been fully changed. It now has stone pathways, tall trees, flowers have been planted and a public area has been built for children. The much larger Gërmia Park, located to the east of the city is the best place for a family to go and relax. Restaurants, small paths for people to have a run and a large outdoor swimming pool, basketball and volleyball court have been built for the pleasure of the citizens. Lately a new green place called Tauk Bashqe has been made half way between Gërmia and City Park. After the construction of the new Mother Teresa Square, many trees and flowers have been planted. This had a big impact on the city because of the trees releasing oxygen in the air. Many old buildings in front of the government building have been cleared to provide open space. == Sport == Basketball has been, since 2000, one of the most popular sports in Pristina. In this sport Pristina is represented in the Basketball National League by two teams. [[Streetball Kosova]] is a traditionally organized sport and cultural event in Germia Lake in Pristina, since Year 2000, too. Football is also very popular. Pristina's representatives [[KF Prishtina]] play their home games in the city's stadium. [[Team handball|Handball]] is also very popular. Pristina's representatives are recognised internationally and play international matches. == Demographics == === Ottoman Empire === The [[Ottoman Empire|Ottomans]] started conducting census surveys in [[Rumelia]] in 1486. Approximate populations reported were: * 1486: 392 families * 1487: 412 Christian households and 94 Muslim households * 1569: 692 families * 1669: 2,060 families * 1685: 3,000 families * 1689: 4,000 families From 1850, surveys were conducted in the [[Vilayet of Kosovo]]. Populations reported were: * 1850: 12,000 citizens, in 3,000 families * 1902: 18,000 citizens, in 3,760 families === Serbia and Kingdom of Yugoslavia === * The 1921 official population census conducted by the [[Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes]] listed 14,338 citizens. * The 1931 official population census organised by the [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia]] listed 18,358 inhabitants by mother languages: :* [[Turkish language|Turkish]] - 7,573 (''41%'') :* [[Serbian language|Serbian]] - 5,738 (''31%'') :* [[Albanian language|Albanian]] - 2,351 (''13%'') :* ''other languages'' ([[Romany language|Romani]], [[Northwest Caucasian languages|Circassian]] etc.) - 2,651 (''14%'') === Socialist Yugoslavia === The 1948 official population census of the [[History of Kosovo|Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija]] organised by the government of the [[History of Serbia|People's Republic of Serbia]] under the [[Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia]] government recorded 19,631 citizens in 4,667 families. The 1953 official population census of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija organised by the government of [[Serbia]] under the [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslav]] government recorded 24,229 citizens: :* 9,034 [[Albanians]] (''37%'') :* 7,951 [[Serbs]] and [[Montenegrins]] (''33%'') :* 4,726 [[Turkish people|Turks]] (''20%'') :* 2,518 [[Roma (Romani subgroup)|Roma]] and ''others'' (''10%'') The 1961 official population census of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija organised by the government of the Socialist Republic of Serbia under the [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]] government recorded 38,593 citizens in 9,095 families: :* 19,060 [[Albanians]] (''49%'') :* 14,695 [[Serbs]] and [[Montenegrins]] (''38%'') :* 404 [[Croats]] (''1%'') :* 195 [[Roma (Romani subgroup)|Roma]] The 1971 official population census of the Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo organised by the government of the Socialist Republic of Serbia under the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia government 69,514 citizens in 14,813 families: :* 40,873 [[Albanians]] (''59%'') :* 19,767 [[Serbs]] and [[Montenegrins]] (''28%'') :* 4,119 [[Roma (Romani subgroup)|Roma]] (''6%'') The 1981 official population census of the Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo organised by the government of the Socialist Republic of Serbia under the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia government 108,083 citizens in 21,017 families: :* 75,803 [[Albanians]] (''70%'') :* 21,067 [[Serbs]] and [[Montenegrins]] (''19%'') :* 5,101 [[Roma (Romani subgroup)|Roma]] (''5%'') :* 2,504 [[Muslims by nationality|Muslims]] (''2%'') According to the last census in 1991 (boycotted by the Albanian majority), the population of the Pristina municipality was 199,654, including 77.63% Albanians, 15.43% Serbs and Montenegrins, 1.72% Muslims by nationality, and others.<ref>[http://www.anem.org.rs/mape/ops/dg90263-en.htm Statistic data for the municipality of Priština - grad]{{Dead link|date=July 2010}}</ref> This census cannot be considered accurate as it is based on previous records and estimates. In 2004 it was estimated that the population exceeded half a million, and that [[Albanians]] form around ''98%'' of it. The Serbian population in the city has fallen significantly since 1999, many of the city's Serbs having fled or been expelled following the end of the war. In early 1999 Pristina had about 230,000 inhabitants. There were more than 40,000 Serbs and about 6,500 Romas with the remainder being Albanians. {|border="2" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" rules="all" style="width:75%%; clear:all; margin:5px 0 1em 1em; border-style:solid; border-width:1px; border-collapse:collapse; font-size:95%; empty-cells:show;" |- |colspan="10" align=centre style="background:#778899; color:white;"|'''Ethnic Composition, Including IDPs'''¹ |- style="background:#ffebcd;" !Year !Albanians !&nbsp;% !Serbs !&nbsp;% !Roma !&nbsp;% !Others² !&nbsp;% !Total |- style="background:#f5f5f5;" |'''1991 census'''³ | 161,314 | 78.7 | 27,293 | 13.3 | 6,625 | 3.2 | 9,861 | 4.8 | 205,093 |- style="background:#fffaf0;" |'''1998'''⁴ | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 225,388 |- style="background:#f5f5f5;" |'''February 2000 estimate'''⁵ | 550,000 | 97.4 | 12,000 | 2.2 | 1,000 | 0.1 | 1,800 | 0.3 | 564,800 |- | colspan="10" style="text-align:left; background:#ffebcd;"|<small>Source: {{PDFlink|[http://www.osce.org/documents/mik/2005/12/1199_en.pdf OSCE Priština municipal profile]|511&nbsp;KB}}, June 2006, page 2 (Table 1.1).<br /> 1. IDP: [[Internally displaced person]].<br /> 2. Others include Montenegrins, Muslim Slavs, Turks, etc.<br /> 3. 1991 figures from Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) Institute for Statistics. It is noted that the 1991 census was highly politicised and is thus unreliable.<br /> 4. 1999 figures from UNHCR, "Kosovo Village List", 9 March 1999 (1998 population estimate excluding forced displacement).<br /> 5. 2001 figures from KFOR – MNB (c) and for minority figures OSCE/UNHCR ‘Situation of Ethnic Minorities in Kosovo’, February 2001.</small> |} ==International relations== {{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Kosovo}} ===Twin towns — Sister cities=== Pristina is [[town twinning|twinned]] with: *{{flagicon|Turkey}} [[Ankara]], [[Turkey]]. *{{flagicon|Turkey}} [[Bursa]], [[Turkey]].<ref>[http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=63373 "Turkey's Bursa, Kosovo's Pristina become sister cities"] ''worldbulletin.net'' 2 September 2010 Link accessed 2 September 2010</ref> *{{flagicon|Albania}} [[Durrës]], [[Albania]]. *{{flagicon|Albania}} [[Tirana]], [[Albania]].<ref name="International relations">{{cite web |url=http://www.tirana.gov.al/common/images/International%20Relations.pdf |title=Twinning Cities: International Relations |accessdate=2009-06-23 |work=Municipality of Tirana |publisher=www.tirana.gov.al|format=PDF}}</ref><ref>Twinning Cities: International Relations. Municipality of Tirana. www.tirana.gov.al. Retrieved on 2008-01-25.</ref> *{{flagicon|Pakistan}} [[Karachi]], [[Pakistan]]. ==See also== * [[District of Pristina]] * [[Kosovo War]] * [[University of Pristina]] * [[Bregu i Diellit]] * [[Pristina City Stadium]] * [[Pristina International Airport]] == References == {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}} == External links == * [http://www.inyourpocket.com/kosovo/pristina/en/ Pristina In Your Pocket city guide] * {{Wikitravel|Pristina}} * [http://www.uni-pr.edu/ University of Pristina] * [http://www.airportpristina.com/ Pristina Airport] * [http://www.rrethi.com Interactive map of Pristina] {{Coord|42|40|N|21|10|E|type:city(500,000)_region:RS-KM|display=title}}. {{Kosovo municipalities}} {{Hero Cities of SFRJ}} {{Historical capitals of Serbia}} {{List of European capitals by region}} [[Category:Pristina| ]] [[Category:Capitals in Europe]] [[Category:Populated places in Kosovo|Pristina]] [[Category:Gegëri]] [[Category:Municipalities of Kosovo]] [[af:Pristina]] [[ar:برشتينا]] [[zh-min-nan:Priština]] [[be:Горад Прышціна]] [[bo:པི་རི་སི་ཊི་ན།]] [[bs:Priština]] [[br:Prishtina]] [[bg:Прищина]] [[ca:Pristina]] [[cs:Priština]] [[da:Pristina]] [[de:Priština]] [[et:Priština]] [[el:Πρίστινα]] [[es:Pristina]] [[eo:Priŝtino]] [[eu:Pristina]] [[fa:پریشتینا]] [[fr:Pristina]] [[gv:Prishtina]] [[gl:Pristina]] [[ko:프리슈티나]] [[hy:Պրիշտինա]] [[hsb:Priština]] [[hr:Priština]] [[id:Pristina]] [[os:Приштинæ]] [[it:Pristina]] [[he:פרישטינה]] [[jv:Priština]] [[ka:პრიშტინა]] [[kk:Приштина]] [[kw:Prishtina]] [[lv:Priština]] [[lt:Priština]] [[hu:Prishtina]] [[mk:Приштина]] [[mt:Prixtina]] [[mr:प्रिस्टिना]] [[ms:Priština]] [[nl:Pristina]] [[ja:プリシュティナ]] [[no:Priština]] [[nn:Priština]] [[nov:Pristina]] [[oc:Prishtina]] [[pap:Pristina]] [[pms:Prìstina]] [[nds:Priština]] [[pl:Prisztina]] [[pt:Pristina]] [[ro:Priștina]] [[ru:Приштина]] [[sah:Приштина]] [[sm:Pristina]] [[sco:Pristina]] [[sq:Prishtina]] [[scn:Pristina]] [[simple:Prishtina]] [[sk:Priština]] [[sl:Priština]] [[sr:Приштина]] [[sh:Priština]] [[fi:Priština]] [[sv:Pristina]] [[th:พริชตีนา]] [[tr:Priştine]] [[udm:Приштина]] [[uk:Приштина]] [[ur:پریسٹینہ]] [[vi:Priština]] [[vo:Priština]] [[war:Pristina]] [[yo:Pristina]] [[bat-smg:Prėštėna]] [[zh:普里什蒂纳]]'