Kosovo's First Year
Newborn
This monument was inaugurated on Feb. 17, 2008, the day Kosovo officially declared its independence from Serbia. Since then, the young Balkan state has been recognized by 55 nations.
Albanian Icon
Over 90 percent of Kosovo's nearly 2 million residents are Albanian. The 15th-century Albanian national hero Prince Gjergj Kastrioti Skenderbeu watches over Kosovo's government buildings in the capital Pristina.
First President
Kosovo's modern-day hero is its first elected president Ibrahim Rugova. For over a decade, he had fought in vain for Kosovo's independence. Rugova, who passed away two years ago, didn't live to witness his country's recognition as a state.
Political Paint
Following the NATO campaign in 1999, the United Nations peacekeeping mission UNMIK was established to maintain order in Kosovo. Over the years, the people grew more and more frustrated with the international bureaucracy. "UNMIKolonialization," wrote the politically dissatisfied graffiti sprayers.
Divided City
A bridge over the Ibar River splits the divided city of Mitrovica, 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the capital Pristina. Some 100,000 Albanians live in the southern part of the city, while the northern half is home to around 25,000 Serbs. The bridge, which is under police supervision, has been the site of many ethnically motivated riots between Albanians and Serbs.
Altered Identity
In Mitrovica, the southern bridge is used more often than the main one. In the Serbian parts of the city, it's advisable to remove any references to the Albanian state -- including car license plates.
Plentiful Coal
The predominantly Serbian North of Kosovo is rich in coal resources. The Trepca mines in Zvecan since the end of the war a decade ago. Efforts to reactivate the industry were hindered by disagreements between Pristina and Belgrade.
Point of Passage
The Kosovar-Serb border at Jarinje was burned down a year ago during protests against Kosovo's declaration of independence. The EU mission EULEX has been conducting border checks there for only a few weeks. At nearly 11,000 square meters (4,200 square miles), Kosovo is about seven times smaller than its neighbor Serbia, which is now asserting its right to the region at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
Pretty Prizren
The picturesque city of Prizren developed during the Ottoman Empire period and was the birthplace of the Albanian national movement toward the end of th 19th century. Today around 20 percent of its 180,000 residents are ethnically Turkish or Bosniak.
Expanding Capital
The capital Pristina now has an estimated 500,000 residents and is bursting at the seams. Some 2,000 members of the EU mission and 15,000 troops in NATO's KFOR mission add to the hustle and bustle.