FLAG OF KOSOVO

The flag of Kosovo consists of a blue leaf and a yellow map of the country in the middle of the flag. The use of a map as a central motif is truly unique, only Cyprus had a similar. Above the map, six white stars are placed where each represents one of the ethnic groups living in the territory of Kosovo - Albanians, Serbs, Turks, Gorani, Roma, and Bosnians. The flag of the Republic of Kosovo was adopted by the Assembly of Kosovo immediately following the declaration of independence of the Republic of Kosovo from Serbia on 17 February 2008. The flag is the result of an international design competition, organised by the United Nations-backed Kosovo Unity Team, which attracted almost one thousand entries. The now-used design is a variant of one proposal designed by Muhamer Ibrahimi. It shows six white stars in an arc above a golden map of Kosovo on a blue field. The stars symbolise Kosovo's six major ethnic groups.

Before the declaration of independence, Kosovo was under the administration of the United Nations and used the UN flag for official purposes. The Serbian and Albanian populations had used their own national flags since the Socialist Yugoslavia period. The Serbs use a red, blue and white tricolor, which forms the basis of the current flag of Serbia. The Albanian population have used the flag of Albania since the 1960s as their nationality flag. Both flags can still be seen and used within Kosovo.

Until 2008, Kosovo did not have a flag of its own. However, during different periods of history, different flags were flown in Kosovo. Before 1969, the only flags that could legally fly over Kosovo (then an autonomous province) were those of Yugoslavia and Serbia. If a nationalist flag were flown, such as Albanian, Serbian or Croatian, a person could go to prison for doing it. In 1969, the Kosovar Albanian population was able to use the Albanian flag as its national flag. However, the flag had to be charged with a red star, since this was a common symbol of the Yugoslav nation.

When Kosovo was under the administration of the United Nations, the UN flag was flown in Kosovo. However, the flag used by the Kosovar Albanian population was the Albanian flag. The Albanian flag was also used on public buildings, even though it was against UN regulations. Regulations stated only the UN flag and other authorised flags, like those of cities, could fly on public buildings. If the Albanian flag did have to go up, then the Serbian flag must go up too, according to UN regulations. However, this was never done in practice and the flag of Albania was ever-present in Kosovo during that period.

A competition for a new flag, held in June 2007, received 993 entries. Under the terms of UN talks, all such symbols would have to reflect the multi-ethnic nature of Kosovo, avoiding the use of the Albanian or Serbian double-headed eagles or the use of solely red and black or red, blue and white colour schemes. Red and black are the colours used on the Albanian flag; red, blue and white are the main colours used on the Serbian flag. Additionally, all entries had to be rectangular and have a 2:3 proportion. The Kosovo Symbols Commission eventually selected three designs, which were then voted on by the Assembly of Kosovo (with a two-thirds majority required for approval), when independence was declared after the status talks. The three proposals selected were forwarded to the Assembly on 4 February 2008.

Blue field with a white map of Kosovo surrounded by five stars. The stars vary in size and represent the different ethnic groups that reside in Kosovo. The largest star would represent ethnic Albanians.

A vertical tricolour of black, white and red.

A vertical tricolour of black, white and red with a spiral (Dardanian symbol of the rotating sun) in the centre of the white stripe.

The assembly voted on 17 February 2008 to use a variant of the first proposal. The modified version has an additional star, makes the stars equal in size, switches the colours of the stars and map, makes the map bigger, and arranges the stars in a curve above the map.

Other proposals included the "Flag of Dardania". Ibrahim Rugova, the first president of Kosovo, introduced the "flag of Dardania" on October 29, 2000. The flag was blue, inscribed with a red disc with a golden ring. Inside the red disc is the Albanian eagle. The eagle is holding a ribbon with the legend "Dardania" inscribed. Dardania is the name of an ancient region in the same general area as Kosovo, but is not officially recognised by any international power. This flag did not gain much popularity, but was occasionally used at cultural and sports events during the UN administration period and was also used at Rugova's funeral to cover his coffin. It is still used as an unofficial presidential standard and by the two Rugovan political parties, the Democratic League of Kosovo and the Democratic League of Dardania. The Flag of Dardania is shown as the Presidential Flag on the Kosovo presidency website, making it official.

Prior to the declaration of independence, Kosovars displayed a flag featuring a map of Kosovo against a blue and yellow background, similar to the flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Before Kosovo declared independence on Feb. 17, 2008, it had never had the political status that allowed it a flag of its own. Following World War II, Kosovo was incorporated into socialist Yugoslavia as an autonomous region (later autonomous province) of the republic of Serbia. The federal government authorized flags only for the several Yugoslav constituent republics. However, ethnic Albanians living in Kosovo were eventually allowed to fly the Albanian flag. Kosovo remained part of Serbia following the dissolution of socialist Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, but a separatist movement in the province gained strength throughout the decade. In 1998 Serbia undertook punitive action against separatists in Kosovo, which in 1999 was countered by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Kosovo was put under United Nations administration, which remained there after Kosovo’s 2008 proclamation of independence until largely replaced in 2009 by officials of the European Union (EU). Serbia and a large number of other countries remained opposed to that independence declaration.

---

---

ABOUT KOSOVO:

Kosovo is a disputed territory and partially recognised state in Southeast Europe that declared independence from Serbia in February 2008 as the Republic of Kosovo. While Serbia recognises administration of the territory by Kosovo's elected government, it still continues to claim it as its own Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija.

Kosovo is landlocked in the central Balkan Peninsula. It is bordered by the Republic of Macedonia and Albania to the south, Montenegro to the west, and the uncontested territory of Serbia to the north and east.

CAPITAL OF KOSOVO:

Pristina