Leposavić (Serbian Cyrillic: Лепосавић, pronounced[lɛ̌pɔsaʋitɕ]), also known as Leposaviq or Albanik[1] (Albaniandefinite form: Leposaviqi or Albaniku), is a town and the northernmost municipality in the Mitrovica District in Kosovo. As of 2015, it has an estimated population of 18,600 inhabitants.[2] The municipality covers an area of 539 km2 (208 sq mi) which makes it the fifth largest in Kosovo, and consists of the town and 72 villages.
Although historically known as Leposavić in Serbian and Leposaviq in Albanian and being an area of Serbian settlement, the town has been referred to as Albanik on some maps produced by KFOR since Kosovo's declaration of independence.[3] Albanik is preferred over Leposaviq in Kosovar governmental documents translated into English.[4]
History
From 1877 to 1913 Leposavić was part of Kosovo vilayet. Leposavić, then a village, was the scene of fighting during the Serbian–Turkish Wars from 1876-1878.[5]
Yugoslavia (1918–92)
After the First Balkan War (1912), Kosovo was internationally recognised as a part of Serbia and northern Metohija as a part of Montenegro at the Treaty of London in May 1913. In 1918, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, later named Yugoslavia was established by the merging of the Western South Slavic states. Between 1929 and 1941, the region was administratively part of the Zeta Banovina.
Lešak, Belo Brdo, Vračevo, Berberište were incorporated into the Leposavić municipality in 1953.[citation needed]
In the mid–1950s, the Assembly of PR Serbia decided that the Leposavić municipality be ceded to Autonomous Region of Kosovo and Metohija, after requests by the Kosovo leadership.[6] It had up until then been part of the Kraljevo srez, of which the population was wholly Serb.[6] After this, the number of Serbs drastically fell.[6] In 1959, Leposavić was incorporated into the province.[7][8]
Modern
After the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, the political group Pokret za Leposavić ("Movement for Leposavić") was established, which sought to bring together those committed to cooperation and communication with the international community and the Albanians.[9]
Settlements
Aside from the town of Leposavić, the municipality includes the following villages:
According to the 2011 estimations by the Government of Kosovo, Leposavić has 4,193 households and 13,773 inhabitants.[10] In 2015 report by OSCE, the population of Leposavić municipality stands at 18,600 inhabitants.[2] The municipality of Leposavić includes the town and 72 villages.
Ethnic groups
The majority of Leposavić municipality is composed of Kosovo Serbs with around 18,000 inhabitants (96.4%), while 350 Bosniaks and 270 Kosovo Albanians live in the municipality.[2] Kosovo Albanians live in the three southern villages of Bistrica e Shalës, Cerajë, and Koshutova.
The ethnic composition of the municipality of Leposavić, including IDPs:[2]
Almost all industrial facilities are closed or work with reduced capacity. The unemployment rate is also high, and it has been considerably increased due to the closing down of most of the Trepča conglomerate facilities. The municipality is rich in natural, infrastructure and management, but current circumstances blocked all the potentials. The municipality adopted the Development Agenda 2006 – 2009, in cooperation with United Nations Office for Project Services and with the support of UNMIK and the Italian Government, which foresees improvement in the local economy. However, with the current difficult situation, there is not much hope that the agenda will be properly implemented. The municipality, led by a very proactive chief executive officer, pays noteworthy efforts toward identifying and initiating projects ideas.[2]
There are three lead and zinc mines operating on the territory of Leposavić: Belo Brdo, Crepulje and Crnac.
^MINISTRY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. "MINING STRATEGY OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOSOVO 2012 – 2025"(PDF). mzhe-ks.net. p. 21. Archived(PDF) from the original on 31 January 2017. Retrieved 28 April 2018. The most important lead and zinc resources and appearances are located in the so called "Metallogenic Trepça strip", which lies in the northeastern part of Republic of Kosovo, ranging from Albanik (Leposavic) to Gllame (Gjilan). The strip length is over 80km, whereas its average width is around 30km.
^Marc Sommers; Peter Buckland; International Institute for Educational Planning (2004). Parallel worlds: rebuilding the education system in Kosovo. International Institute for Educational Planning. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2018. On the maps produced by KFOR (Kosovo Forces, the collective name for the NATO forces stationed there), diplomacy and compromise are sought: each town in Kosovo has two names: one in Albanian, another in Serbian. Kosovo's capital is listed both as Prishtinë (Albanian) and Priština (Serbian). Not all of the town names match so closely, however. On some maps, for example, the town of Leposavic (Serbian) is listed not as Leposaviq, the Albanian equivalent, but as ' Albanik', which translates as 'Albanian'. Located in the far north of Kosovo and close to Serbian borders on three sides, Leposavic/Leposaviq/Albanik has historically been an area of Serbian settlement. The politics surrounding 'Albanik' is only one example of the multitude of ways that conflict between Albanians and Serbs in Kosovo continues after the war has passed.
^Opačić, Petar; Skoko, Savo (1981). Srpsko-turski ratovi 1876-1878. Jugoslavija: Beogradski izdavačko-grafički zavod. p. 61. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
^Marksistička misao. Marksistički centar Centralnog komiteta Saveza komunista Srbije. 1988. p. 209. опћина Лепосавић (која је припојена САПК 1959. године)
