Geography of Kosovo
Encyclopedia
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| Continent Continent A continent is one of several very large landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, with seven regions commonly regarded as continents—they are : Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.Plate tectonics is... |
Europe Europe Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... |
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| Subregion Subregion A subregion is a conceptual unit which derives from a larger region or continent and is usually based on location. Cardinal directions, such as south or southern, are commonly used to define a subregion.- United Nations subregions :... |
Balkan | |
| Area Area Area is a quantity that expresses the extent of a two-dimensional surface or shape in the plane. Area can be understood as the amount of material with a given thickness that would be necessary to fashion a model of the shape, or the amount of paint necessary to cover the surface with a single coat... |
10,908 km² | |
| Largest city by population and area | Pristina Pristina Pristina, also spelled Prishtina and Priština is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous municipality and district.... |
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| Land boundaries | 700.7 km | |
| Countries bordered | Albania Albania Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea... 111.8 km, Macedonia 158.7 km, Montenegro Montenegro Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the... 78.6 km, Central Serbia Central Serbia Central Serbia , also referred to as Serbia proper , was the region of Serbia from 1945 to 2009. It included central parts of Serbia outside of the autonomous provinces of Kosovo and Vojvodina. The region of Central Serbia was not an administrative division of Serbia as such; it was under the... 351.6 km |
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| Highest point | Đeravica, 2,656 m | |
| Longest river | White Drin, 122 km | |
| Largest inland body of water | Lake Gazivoda 9.1 km² | |
| Terrain Terrain Terrain, or land relief, is the vertical and horizontal dimension of land surface. When relief is described underwater, the term bathymetry is used... : |
Mountains, hills, 2 large plain Plain In geography, a plain is land with relatively low relief, that is flat or gently rolling. Prairies and steppes are types of plains, and the archetype for a plain is often thought of as a grassland, but plains in their natural state may also be covered in shrublands, woodland and forest, or... s |
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Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
is situated in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. At an area of 10908 km² (4,212 sq mi), it accommodates a population of roughly 2 million.
Climate
Kosovo is located between the Mediterranean SeaMediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
and mountainous regions of Southeast Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, on the Balkan Peninsula. This geographic location gives the country its large annual temperature range. Summer temperature highs can reach +30 °C (86 °F), winter's temperatures as low as -10 °C. According to the Strahler classification map The climate in Kosovo is considered moist continental. The country experiences warm summers and cold and snowy winters.
Mountains and mountain ranges
See: List of mountains in KosovoMuch of Kosovo's terrain is mountainous. The Šar Mountains are located in the south and south-east, bordering the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
. This is one of the region's most popular tourist and skiing resorts, with Brezovica
Brezovica, Kosovo
Brezovica; or is a village in Štrpce municipality in Kosovo, that is famous for its ski resort.The Brezovica ski resort is a famous tourist attraction in the northwest part of Šar Mountain...
and Prevalac as the main tourist centres. The region of Kosovo's mountainous area, including the highest peak Đeravica, at 2656 m (8,714 ft) above sea level, is located in the south-west, bordering Albania.
The Kopaonik
Kopaonik
Kopaonik ; is one of the larger mountain ranges of Serbia. It is located in the central part of Serbia, while a small portion extendeds to North Kosovo. Its highest point, Pančić's Peak, is above sea level....
mountains are located in the north. The central region of Drenica
Drenica
Drenica also known as the Drenica Valley, is a hilly region in central Kosovo, covering . Located west of the capital Prishtina, its population of 110,000 is largely ethnic-Albanian....
, Crnoljeva
Crnoljeva
Crnoljeva is a mountain in central Kosovo, dividing its two main geographical regions, the Kosovo Plain and Metohija. Crnoljeva is also a point where all three drainage basins of Serbia meet, making the mountain a major hydrographic knot...
and the eastern part of Kosovo, known as Goljak
Goljak
Goljak are mountains in the eastern part of Kosovo, bordering the Lab region to the west and Central Serbia to the east. The cities of Pristina and Gnjilane in Kosovo, and Sijarinska Banja in Central Serbia are located by the mountains...
, are mainly hilly areas.
Bodies of water
Although Kosovo is landlocked, there are several notable rivers and lakes within its borders. The main rivers are the White Drin, running towards the Adriatic SeaAdriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
, with the Erenik
Erenik
The Erenik is a river in Kosovo. Located in the western Kosovo, it's a -long right tributary to the White Drin river.The Erenik originates near the Albanian border, in the northern slopes of the Junik mountain, a part of the Prokletije massif, under the Đeravica peak , the highest in Kosovo. Its...
among its tributaries
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
, the Sitnica
Sitnica
The Sitnica , is a long river in Kosovo. It flows into the Ibar River at Kosovska Mitrovica, and it's the longest river that flows completely within Kosovo's borders.- History :...
, the South Morava in the Goljak area, and Ibar
Ibar River
The Ibar is a river that flows through eastern Montenegro and Serbia, with a total length of . The river begins in the Hajla mountain, eastern Montenegro, passes through Kosovo and flows into the West Morava river, Central Serbia, near Kraljevo....
in the north. The main lakes are Gazivoda Lake
Gazivoda Lake
Gazivoda Lake is an artificial lake in North Kosovo, Serbia. It is the largest lake in Kosovo. Gazivoda Lake has an area of , of which belong to Kosovo and belong to Central Serbia. The lake is formed by the damming of the Ibar River, which flows into the lake.-Notes and...
(380 million m³) in the north-western part, Radonjićko Lake (113 million m³) in the south-west part, Batlava Lake (40 million m³) and Badovac Lake
Badovac Lake
Badovac Lake or Badovc Lake is a lake in Kosovo. It is located south-east of the capital city of Pristina in the Goljak mountains and in the Kosovo Plain. It provides Pristina and the surrounding towns with water. In the summer, the lake is used for water activities. Badovac Lake is fed by the...
(26 million m³) in the north-east part. Other smaller scenic lakes include Heart's Lake
Heart's Lake
Zemra Lake is a mountain lake in Kosovo, located from the Albanian border. The lake is found in the Prokletije near the high peak of Gusan. Zemra Lake resembles Đeravica Lake in shape. It has a maximum length of and a maximum width of . Many smaller lakes are found around this lake.-Notes and...
, Đeravica Lake and Liqenat Lake
Liqenat Lake
Lake Lićenat or Lake Kuqishtë is a mountain lake found on the Mount Lićenat in the Prokletije range in western Kosovo. The word "Liqenat" comes from Albanian that means "Lakes". This lake is well known throughout Kosovo and is visited by people going to the Rugova Canyon or by people climbing...
.
Kosovo is also home to the following waterfalls:
- The 25 metres (82 ft) Drin WaterfallDrin WaterfallThe White Drin Waterfall is a waterfall in the western part of Kosovo. It is located in the Žljeb mountain in the Prokletije in the village of Radovac. The waterfall is located at the mouth of the White Drin and is high. Mountainous scenery surrounds the waterfall and makes it a popular tourist...
is located at the mouth of the White Drin River. - The Miruša WaterfallsMiruša WaterfallsThe Miruša Waterfalls are a series of waterfalls found in the Miruša River, a tributary of the White Drin, in Kosovo. The waterfalls created canyons and caves, and are famous throughout Kosovo. The river carved a long canyon and created 13 river lakes with waterfalls between them, earning the...
are a series of falls on the Miruša River (a tributary of the Drin) in the municipality of MališevoMališevoMališevo is a town and municipality in the Prizren District of central Kosovo...
in western Kosovo, on the MetohijaMetohijaMetohija , is a large basin and the name of the region covering the southwestern part of Kosovo.It encompasses three of the seven districts of Kosovo, namely the historical :* District of Peć * District of Đakovica * District of Prizren...
region.
Rugova Valley and Canyon
One of Kosovo's most prominent geological features is the Rugova CanyonRugova Canyon
The Rugova Canyon is a long canyon in Kosovo. It is located in the Prokletije close to the border with Montenegro. The city of Peć is located at the entrance of the canyon. Rugova Canyon is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Kosovo.-Notes:...
in the Prokletije
Prokletije
Prokletije or Albanian Alps is a mountain range in the Balkans that extends from northern Albania, to southwestern Serbia and eastern Montenegro. Its highest point, Jezercë in Albania at , is the tallest peak in the entire Dinaric Alps...
. The 25 km (16 mi) long canyon near the border with Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
was formed by the flow of the Pećka Bistrica
Pecka Bistrica
The Pećka Bistrica is a river in Kosovo . This 62 km-long right tributary to the White Drin river flows entirely within the south-western part of Kosovo ....
. The canyon was declared a Protected National Monument in 1988, and will be included in a proposed Bjeshket e Nemuna/Prokletije National Park, approved by the Kosovo Parliament in 2003.
Plains
There are two main plains in Kosovo. The MetohijaMetohija
Metohija , is a large basin and the name of the region covering the southwestern part of Kosovo.It encompasses three of the seven districts of Kosovo, namely the historical :* District of Peć * District of Đakovica * District of Prizren...
basin is located in the western part of the Kosovo, and the Plain of Kosovo occupies the eastern part. Between the two basins there is low hills area of Drenica
Drenica
Drenica also known as the Drenica Valley, is a hilly region in central Kosovo, covering . Located west of the capital Prishtina, its population of 110,000 is largely ethnic-Albanian....
.
The plain of Kosovo is on average higher that the plain of Metohija for about 100 metres (328 ft).
Average height of the plain of Kosovo is 550 m (1,804 ft) and the average height of the plain of Metohija is 450 m (1,476 ft).
Gadime Cave
Gadime Cave is a caveCave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
composed of Paleozoic
Paleozoic
The Paleozoic era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon, spanning from roughly...
marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
, located in the village of Donje Gadimje on the eastern side of the Kosovo Valley. The northern passage contains displays of aragonite
Aragonite
Aragonite is a carbonate mineral, one of the two common, naturally occurring, crystal forms of calcium carbonate, CaCO3...
speleothem
Speleothem
A speleothem , commonly known as a cave formation, is a secondary mineral deposit formed in a cave. Speleothems are typically formed in limestone or dolostone solutional caves.-Origin and composition:...
s in a variety of rare formations.