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Compare Kosovo (2008) - Aruba (2008)

Compare Kosovo (2008) z Aruba (2008)

 Kosovo (2008)Aruba (2008)
 KosovoAruba
Administrative divisions 30 municipalities (komunat, singular - komuna in Albanian; opstine, singular - opstina in Serbian); Decan (Decani), Dragash (Dragas), Ferizaj (Urosevac), Fushe Kosove (Kosovo Polje), Gjakove (Dakovica), Gllogoc/Drenas (Glogovac), Gjilan (Gnjilane), Istog (Istok), Kacanik, Kline (Klina), Kamenice/Dardana (Kamenica), Leposaviq (Leposavic), Lipjan (Lipljan), Malisheve (Malisevo), Mitrovice (Mitrovica), Novoberde (Novo Brdo), Obiliq (Obilic), Peje (Pec), Podujeve (Podujevo), Prishtine (Pristina), Prizren, Rahovec (Orahovac), Shtime (Stimlje), Shterpce (Strpce), Skenderaj (Srbica), Suhareke (Suva Reka), Viti (Vitina), Vushtrri (Vucitrn), Zubin Potok, Zvecan none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Age structure - 0-14 years: 19.7% (male 9,943/female 9,761)


15-64 years: 70.2% (male 33,553/female 36,661)


65 years and over: 10.1% (male 4,046/female 6,054) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products NA aloes; livestock; fish
Airports 10 (2008) 1 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 6


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


under 914 m: 4 (2008)
total: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 4


under 914 m: 4 (2008)
-
Area total: 10,887 sq km


land: 10,887 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 193 sq km


land: 193 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than Delaware slightly larger than Washington, DC
Background Serbs migrated to the territories of modern Kosovo in the 7th century, but did not fully incorporate them into the Serbian realm until the early 13th century. The Serbian defeat at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 led to five centuries of Ottoman rule, during which large numbers of Turks and Albanians moved to Kosovo. By the end of the 19th century, Albanians replaced the Serbs as the dominant ethnic group in Kosovo. Serbia reacquired control over Kosovo from the Ottoman Empire during the First Balkan War (1912), and after World War II (1945) the government of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia led by Josip Broz TITO reorganized Kosovo as an autonomous province within the constituent republic of Serbia. Over the next four decades, Kosovo Albanians lobbied for greater autonomy and Kosovo was granted the status almost equal to that of a republic in the 1974 Yugoslav Constitution. Despite the legislative concessions, Albanian nationalism increased in the 1980s leading to nationalist riots and calls for Kosovo's independence. Serbs in Kosovo complained of mistreatment and Serb nationalist leaders, such as Slobodan MILOSEVIC, exploited those charges to win support among Serbian voters, many of whom viewed Kosovo as their cultural heartland. Under MILOSEVIC's leadership, Serbia instituted a new constitution in 1989 that drastically curtailed Kosovo's autonomy and Kosovo Albanian leaders responded in 1991 by organizing a referendum that declared Kosovo independent from Serbia. The MILOSEVIC regime carried out repressive measures against the Albanians in the early 1990s as the unofficial government of Kosovo, led by Ibrahim RUGOVA, tried to use passive resistance to gain international assistance and recognition of its demands for independence. In 1995, Albanians dissatisfied with RUGOVA's nonviolent strategy created the Kosovo Liberation Army and launched an insurgency. In 1998, MILOSEVIC authorized a counterinsurgency campaign that resulted in massacres and massive expulsions of ethnic Albanians by Serbian military, police, and paramilitary forces. The international community tried to resolve the conflict peacefully, but MILOSEVIC rejected the proposed international settlement - the Rambouillet Accords - leading to a three-month NATO bombing of Serbia beginning in March 1999, which forced Serbia to withdraw its military and police forces from Kosovo in June 1999. UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) placed Kosovo under a transitional administration, the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), pending a determination of Kosovo's future status. Under the resolution, Serbia's territorial integrity was protected, but it was UNMIK who assumed responsibility for governing Kosovo. In 2001, UNMIK promulgated a Constitutional Framework, which established Kosovo's Provisional Institutions of Self-Government (PISG), and in succeeding years UNMIK increasingly devolved responsibilities to the PISG. A UN-led process began in late 2005 to determine Kosovo's future status. Negotiations held intermittently between 2006 and 2007 on issues related to decentralization, religious heritage, and minority rights failed to yield a resolution between Serbia's willingness to grant a high degree of autonomy and the Albanians' call for full independence for Kosovo. On 17 February 2008, the Kosovo Assembly declared its independence from Serbia. Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by three main industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry. Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in 1990.
Birth rate - 12.83 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $893.2 million


expenditures: $796.6 million (2006 est.)
revenues: $507.9 million


expenditures: $577.9 million (2005 est.)
Capital name: Pristina (Prishtine)


geographic coordinates: 42 40 N, 21 10 E


time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
name: Oranjestad


geographic coordinates: 12 31 N, 70 02 W


time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate influenced by continental air masses resulting in relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall and hot, dry summers and autumns; Mediterranean and alpine influences create regional variation; maximum rainfall between October and December tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 68.5 km
Constitution Constitutional Framework of 2001; note - the Kosovo Government is charged with putting forward an AHTISAARI (UN Special Envoy) Plan-compliant draft of a new constitution soon after independence 1 January 1986
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Kosovo


conventional short form: Kosovo


local long form: Republika e Kosoves (Republika Kosova)


local short form: Kosova (Kosovo)


former: Kosovo i Metohija, Autonomna Pokrajina
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Aruba
Death rate - 7.61 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external Serbia continued to pay Kosovo's external debt, which it claimed was around $1.2 billion; Kosovo was willing to accept around $900 million, according to the national bank of Serbia (2007) $478.6 million (2005 est.)
Dependency status - member country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs
Diplomatic representation from the US - the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Netherlands Antilles is accredited to Aruba
Diplomatic representation in the US - none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - Mr. Henry BAARH, Minister Plenipotentiary for Aruba at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Disputes - international Serbia with several other states protest the US and other states' recognition of Kosovo's declaring itself as a sovereign and independent state in February 2008; ethnic Serbian municipalities along Kosovo's northern border challenge final status of Kosovo-Serbia boundary; several thousand NATO-led KFOR peacekeepers under UNMIK authority continue to keep the peace within Kosovo between the ethnic Albanian majority and the Serb minority in Kosovo; Kosovo authorities object to alignment of the Kosovo boundary with Macedonia in accordance with the 2000 Macedonia-Serbia and Montenegro delimitation agreement none
Economic aid - recipient $252 million (2006) $11.3 million (2004)
Economy - overview Kosovo's economy has largely transitioned to a market-based system but is highly dependent on the international community and the diaspora for financial and technical assistance. Remittances from the diaspora - located mainly in Germany and Switzerland - account for about 30% of GDP. Kosovo's citizens are the poorest in Europe with an average per capita income of only $1900 - about one-third the level of neighboring Albania. Unemployment - at 50% of the population - is a severe problem that encourages outward migration. Most of Kosovo's population lives in rural towns outside of the largest city, Pristina. Inefficient, near-subsistence farming is common - the result of small plots, limited mechanization, and lack of technical expertise. The complexity of Serbia and Kosovo's political and legal relationships created uncertainty over property rights and hindered the privatization of state-owned assets. Minerals and metals - including lignite, lead, zinc, nickel, chrome, aluminum, magnesium, and a wide variety of construction materials - once formed the backbone of industry, but output has declined because investment is insufficient to replace ageing Eastern Bloc equipment. Technical and financial problems in the power sector also impede industrial development, and deter foreign investment. Economic growth is largely driven by the private sector - mostly small-scale retail businesses. Both the euro and the Serbian dinar circulate. Kosovo's tie to the euro has helped keep inflation low. Kosovo has maintained a budget surplus as a result of efficient tax collection and inefficient spending. While maintaining ultimate oversight, UNMIK continues to work with the EU and Kosovo's provisional government to accelerate economic growth, lower unemployment, and attract foreign investment. In order to help integrate Kosovo into regional economic structures, UNMIK signed (on behalf of Kosovo) its accession to the Central Europe Free Trade Area (CEFTA) in 2006. Tourism is the mainstay of the small, open Aruban economy, with offshore banking and oil refining and storage also important. The rapid growth of the tourism sector over the last decade has resulted in a substantial expansion of other activities. Over 1.5 million tourists per year visit Aruba, with 75% of those from the US. Construction continues to boom, with hotel capacity five times the 1985 level. In addition, the country's oil refinery reopened in 1993, providing a major source of employment, foreign exchange earnings, and growth. Tourist arrivals have rebounded strongly following a dip after the 11 September 2001 attacks. The island experiences only a brief low season, and hotel occupancy in 2004 averaged 80%, compared to 68% throughout the rest of the Caribbean. The government has made cutting the budget and trade deficits a high priority.
Electricity - consumption 4.281 billion kWh (2006) 716.1 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports - 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 3.996 billion kWh (2006) 770 million kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Drini i Bardhe/Beli Drim 297 m (located on the border with Albania)


highest point: Gjeravica/Deravica 2,565 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m
Environment - current issues - NA
Ethnic groups Albanians 88%, Serbs 7%, other 5% (Bosniak, Gorani, Roma, Turk) mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%, other 20%
Exchange rates Serbian dinars per US dollar - 54.5 (2008 est.) Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - NA (2007), 1.79 (2006), 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003)
Executive branch chief of state: President Fatmir SEJDIU (since 10 February 2006)


head of government: Prime Minister Hashim THACI (since 9 January 2008)


cabinet: ministers; elected by the Kosovo Assembly


elections: the president is elected for a 5-year term by the Kosovo Assembly; the prime minister is elected by the Kosovo Assembly


election results: Fatmir SEJDIU and Hashim THACI elected to be president and prime minister respectively by the Assembly
chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980); represented by Governor General Fredis REFUNJOL (since 11 May 2004)


head of government: Prime Minister Nelson O. ODUBER (since 30 October 2001)


cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten


elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed for a six-year term by the monarch; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by the Staten for four-year terms; election last held in 2005 (next to be held by 2009)


election results: Nelson O. ODUBER elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA
Exports $13.08 million (2006) 230,600 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities scrap metals, mining and processed metal products, plastics, wood live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment
Exports - partners Central Europe Free Trade Area (CFTA) 56% (2006) Netherlands 27.7%, Panama 25.5%, Colombia 12.8%, Venezuela 11.1%, US 9.4%, Netherlands Antilles 7.1% (2006)
Fiscal year - calendar year
Flag description centered on a dark blue field is the shape of Kosovo in a gold color surmounted by six white, five-pointed stars - each representing one of the major ethnic groups of Kosovo - arrayed in a slight arc blue, with two narrow, horizontal, yellow stripes across the lower portion and a red, four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper hoist-side corner
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: NA


industry: NA


services: NA
agriculture: 0.4%


industry: 33.3%


services: 66.3% (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 2.6% (2007) 2.4% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 42 35 N, 21 00 E 12 30 N, 69 58 W
Geography - note - a flat, riverless island renowned for its white sand beaches; its tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean; the temperature is almost constant at about 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit)
Heliports 2 (2008) -
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs - transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity; relatively high percentage of population consumes cocaine
Imports $84.99 million (2006) 235,000 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery and electrical equipment machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs
Imports - partners Central Europe Free Trade Area (CFTA) 48% (2006) US 53.6%, Netherlands 12.9%, UK 3.6% (2006)
Independence - none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Industrial production growth rate - NA%
Industries NA tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining
Infant mortality rate - total: 14.75 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 19.59 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 9.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2% (2007 est.) 3.4% (2005)
International organization participation - Caricom (observer), ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITUC, UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCL, WMO
Irrigated land - 0.01 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court judges are appointed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG); district courts judges are appointed by the SRSG; municipal courts judges are appointed by the SRSG Common Court of Justice of Aruba (judges are appointed by the monarch)
Labor force 832,000 (June 2007 est.) 41,500 (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 21.4%


industry: NA


services: NA (2006)
agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%


note: most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants; oil refining
Land boundaries total: 700.7 km


border countries: Albania 111.8 km, Macedonia 158.7 km, Montenegro 78.6 km, Serbia 351.6 km
0 km
Land use - arable land: 10.53%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 89.47% (2005)
Languages Albanian, Serbian, Bosniak, Turkish Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) 66.3%, Spanish 12.6%, English (widely spoken) 7.7%, Dutch (official) 5.8%, other 2.2%, unspecified or unknown 5.3% (2000 census)
Legal system evolving legal system based on terms of UN Special Envoy Martii AHTISAARI's Plan for Kosovo's supervised independence based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence
Legislative branch unicameral Kosovo Assembly of the Provisional Government (120 seats; 100 seats directly elected, 10 seats for Serbs, 10 seats for other minorities; to serve three-year terms)


elections: last held 17 November 2007 (next to be held NA)


election results: percent of vote by party - Democratic Party of Kosovo 34.3%, Democratic League of Kosovo 22.6%, New Kosovo Alliance 12.3%, Democratic League of Dardania-Albanian Christian Democratic Party of Kosovo 10.0%, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo 9.6%; seats by party - Democratic Party of Kosovo 37, Democratic League of Kosovo 25, New Kosovo Alliance 13, Democratic League of Dardania-Albanian Christian Democratic Party of Kosovo 11, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo 10
unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 23 September 2005 (next to be held in 2009)


election results: percent of vote by party - MEP 43%, AVP 32%, MPA 7%, RED 7%, PDR 6%, OLA 4%, PPA 2%; seats by party - MEP 11, AVP 8, MPA 1, RED 1
Life expectancy at birth - total population: 74.83 years


male: 71.8 years


female: 77.91 years (2007 est.)
Literacy - definition: NA


total population: 97.3%


male: 97.5%


female: 97.1% (2000 census)
Location Southeast Europe, between Serbia and Macedonia Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela
Map references Europe Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims none (landlocked) territorial sea: 12 nm
Military - note - defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Military branches - no regular indigenous military forces; the Netherlands maintains a detachment of marines, a frigate, and an amphibious combat detachment in the neighboring Netherlands Antilles (2005)
National holiday - Flag Day, 18 March (1976)
Nationality noun: Kosovoan


adjective: Kosovoan
noun: Aruban(s)


adjective: Aruban; Dutch
Natural hazards - lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt
Natural resources nickel, lead, zinc, magnesium, lignite, kaolin, chrome, bauxite NEGL; white sandy beaches
Net migration rate - 10 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Political parties and leaders Albanian Christian Democratic Party of Kosovo or PSHDK [Mark KRASNIQI]; Alliance for the Future of Kosovo or AAK [Ramush HARADINAJ]; Alliance of Independent Social Democrats of Kososvo and Metohija or SDSKiM [Slavisa PETKOVIC]; Autonomous Liberal Party of SLS [Slobodan PETROVIC]; Bosniak Vakat Coalition [ Dzezair MURATI]; Citizens' Initiative of Gora or GIG [Murselj HALILI]; Council of Independent Social Democrats of Kosovo or SNSDKIM [Ljubisa ZIVIC]; Democratic League of Dardania or LDD [Nexhat DACI]; Democratic League of Kosovo or LDK [Fatmir SEJDIU]; Democratic Party of Ashkali of Kosovo or PDAK [Sabit RRAHMANI]; Democratic Party of Kosovo or PDK [Hashim THACI]; Kosovo Democratic Turkish Party of KDTP [Mahir YAGCILAR]; New Democratic Initiative of Kosovo or IRDK [Xhevdet Neziraj]; New Democratic Party or ND [Branislav GRBIC]; New Kosovo Alliance [Behgjet PACOLLI]; Popular Movement of Kosovo or LPK [Emrush XHEMAJLI]; Reform Party Ora; Serb National Party or SNS [Mihailo SCEPANOVIC]; Serbian Kosovo and Metohija Party or SKMS [Dragisa MIRIC]; United Roma Party of Kosovo or PREBK [Haxhi Zylfi MERXHA]; Democratic Action Party or SDA [Numan BALIC] Aliansa/Aruban Social Movement or MSA [Robert WEVER]; Aruban Liberal Organization or OLA [Glenbert CROES]; Aruban Patriotic Movement or MPA [Monica ARENDS-KOCK]; Aruban Patriotic Party or PPA [Benny NISBET]; Aruban People's Party or AVP [Mike EMAN]; People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP [Nelson O. ODUBER]; Real Democracy or PDR [Andin BIKKER]; RED [Rudy LAMPE]; Workers Political Platform or PTT [Gregorio WOLFF]
Political pressure groups and leaders - NA
Population 2,126,708 (2007 est.) 100,018


note: estimate based on a revision of the base population, fertility, and mortality numbers, as well as a revision of 1985-1999 migration estimates from outmigration to inmigration, which is assumed to continue into the future; the new results are consistent with the 2000 census (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 30% (2006 est.) NA%
Population growth rate - 1.522% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations - AM 2, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2004)
Railways total: 430 km (2005) -
Religions Muslim, Serbian Orthodox, Roman Catholic Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, other (includes Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish) 10%
Sex ratio - at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.019 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.915 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.668 male(s)/female


total population: 0.906 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system - general assessment: modern fully automatic telecommunications system


domestic: increased competition through privatization; 3 wireless service providers are now licensed


international: country code - 297; landing site for the PAN-AM submarine telecommunications cable system that extends from the US Virgin Islands through Aruba to Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, and the west coast of South America; extensive interisland microwave radio relay links (2007)
Telephones - main lines in use 106,300 (2006) 38,300 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular 562,000 (2006) 108,200 (2005)
Television broadcast stations - 1 (1997)
Terrain flat fluvial basin with an elevation of 400-700 m above sea level surrounded by several high mountain ranges with elevations of 2,000 to 2,500 m flat with a few hills; scant vegetation
Total fertility rate - 1.85 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 50% (2007 est.) 6.9% (2005 est.)
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