Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija

Kosovo and Metohija
Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija
Аутономна Покрајина Косово и Метохиja (Serbian)
Krahina Autonome e Kosovës dhe Metohisë (Albanian)
Location of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia
Coordinates: 42°40′N 21°10′E / 42.667°N 21.167°E / 42.667; 21.167
Country Serbia
Treaty of London30 May 1913
Autonomous Province31 January 1946
Autonomy increased21 February 1974
Autonomy decreased28 March 1989
Kosovo War28 February 1998 to
11 June 1999
UN Administration10 June 1999
Brussels Agreement19 April 2013
Administrative centerPristina
Government
  TypeAutonomous province
(disputed)
  BodyOffice for Kosovo and Metohija (Government of Serbia)
  DirectorPetar Petković
Area
  Total
10,887 km2 (4,203 sq mi)
Population
  Total
1,586,659
  Density150/km2 (380/sq mi)
Languages
  Official languages
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeRS-KM

The Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija (APKM) (Serbian: Косово и Метохиja, romanized: Kosovo i Metohija; Albanian: Kosova dhe Metohia), commonly known as Kosovo (Serbian: Косово; Albanian: Kosova) and abbreviated to Kosmet (from Kosovo and Metohija; Serbian: Космет) or KiM (Serbian: КиМ), is an autonomous province that occupies the southernmost corner of Serbia, as defined by the country's constitution. The territory is the subject of an ongoing political and territorial dispute between the Republic of Serbia and the partially recognised Republic of Kosovo, with the APKM being viewed as the de jure interpretation of the territory under Serbian law; however, the Serbian government currently does not control the territories because they are administered by the Republic of Kosovo. Its claimed administrative capital and largest city is Pristina.

The territory of the province, as defined by Serbian laws, lies in the southern part of Serbia and covers the regions of Kosovo and Metohija. The capital of the province is Pristina. The territory was previously an autonomous province of Serbia during Socialist Yugoslavia (1946–1990), and acquired its current status in 1990. The province was governed as part of Serbia until the Kosovo War (1998–99), when it came under United Nations (UN) administration in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, but still remained internationally recognized as part of the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. On 17 February 2008, representatives of the people of Kosovo (Albanian: Udhëheqësit e popullit tonë, të zgjedhur në mënyrë demokratike) unilaterally and extra-institutionally declared Kosovo's independence, which is internationally recognized by 108 UN members. While it is de facto independent from Serbia, Serbia still regards it as its province.