Vitina

Vitina (Serbian Cyrillic: Витина) or Viti (Albanian: Vitia), is a town and municipality located in the District of Gjilan in Kosovo.[lower-alpha 1] According to the 2011 census, the town of Vitina has 4,924 inhabitants, while the municipality has 46,987 inhabitants.

For other uses, see Vitina (disambiguation).
Vitina

Town and municipality
Flag
Emblem
Location of the municipality of Vitina within Kosovo
Coordinates: 42°18′N 21°23′E
Location Kosovo[lower-alpha 1]
DistrictGjilan
Government
 • MayorSokol Haliti
 • Municipal270 km2 (100 sq mi)
Elevation
499 m (1,637 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Urban
4,924
 • Municipal
46,987
 • Municipal density170/km2 (450/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
61000
Area code(s)+381 280
Car plates06
Websitekk.rks-gov.net/viti

Municipality
  • Ballancë/Balance
  • Beguncë/Begunce
  • Binça/Binač
  • Budrikë e Epërme/Gornja Budrika
  • Buzovik
  • Çifllak/Čiflak
  • Debelldeh/Debelde
  • Devajë/Devaja
  • Drobesh/Drobeš
  • Gërmovë/Grmovo
  • Gjylekar/Đelekare
  • Goden i Madh/Veliki Goden
  • Gushicë/Gušica
  • Kabash/Kabaš
  • Letnicë/Letnica
  • Lubishtë/Ljubište
  • Mjak/Mijak
  • Novosellë/Novo Selo
  • Podgorc/Podgorce
  • Pozharan/Požaranje
  • Radivojc/Radivojce
  • Ramjan/Donje Ramnjane
  • Ramnishtë/Ravnište
  • Remnik/Ribnik
  • Sadovinë e Çerkezëve/Čerkez Sadovina
  • Sadovinë e Jerlive/Jerli Sadovina
  • Shasharë/Šašare
  • Sllatinë e Epërme/Gornja Slatina
  • Sllatinë e Poshtme/Donja Slatina
  • Smirë/Smira
  • Stubëll e Epërme/Gornja Stubla
  • Stubëll e Poshtme/Donja Stubla
  • Tërpezë/Trpeza
  • Tërstenik/Trstenik
  • Vërban/Vrban
  • Vërnakollë/Vrnavokolo
  • Vërnez/Vrnez
  • Zhiti/Žitinje

History
A protest in Vitina, monitored by KFOR troops, January 2000.

Ottoman period

The municipality has several settlements historically inhabited by the Laramans, crypto-Catholics.

Kosovo War and aftermath

Following the 1999 Kosovo War, it was the home of A Company, 2/505 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, the first KFOR troops to begin stabilization efforts in the municipality. After the initial unit left, Vitina was the site of a subsequent international scandal when a Staff Sgt. Frank J. Ronghi, from A company, 3/504 Parachute Infantry Regiment raped and killed a local girl. The subsequent investigation uncovered serious training and leadership deficiencies in the 3/504 Parachute Infantry Regiment, and catalysed a tremendous change in the training of units deploying for peacekeeping operations.[1] The Church of the Holy Mother of God, Podgorce was looted during the conflict.

During the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, the Orthodox cemetery in Vitina and the village of Dobreš were hit by missiles.[2]

In August 2003, explosive devices planted in Klokot destroyed five Serb houses, with several injuries, including two American KFOR soldiers.[3]

Serbian Orthodox cemeteries have been destroyed in Vitina, among other towns, and in 2004 during unrest, nuns of the Binča monastery were physically attacked, by ethnic Albanians.[4]

Contemporary

In 2013 in response to a KLA monument being removed by Serbian authorities in Preševo, a Kosovo Albanian crowd in Vitina demolished a Yugoslav-era memorial for anti-fascist Partisans that were killed during the Second World War.[5] Members of the Kosovo Police were present but did nothing to intervene. The incident was filmed and posted to YouTube.[6]

Demographics
Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
196133,642—    
197139,780+1.69%
198147,839+1.86%
199157,290+1.82%
201146,987−0.99%

According to the last official census done in 2011, the municipality of Vitina has 46,987 inhabitants. Based on the population estimates from the Kosovo Agency of Statistics in 2016, the municipality has 47,370 inhabitants.

Ethnic groups

The ethnic composition of the municipality:

Ethnic Composition, Including IDPs
Year/Population Albanian  % Serbs  % Croats  % Roma  % Total
196120,49660.9210,44231.042,0776.172133,642
197126,92767.699,64924.262,6136.571260.3239,780
198135,10573.388,36917.493,7227.782290.4947,839
199145,07878.687,00212.224,3317.563730.6557,290
201146,66999.31130.24700.12646,987
Reference: Yugoslav population census data, and the 2011 census in Kosovo.

See also

Notes and references

Notes:

  1. Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Serbia. The Republic of Kosovo unilaterally declared independence on 17 February 2008, but Serbia continues to claim it as part of its own sovereign territory. The two governments began to normalise relations in 2013, as part of the 2013 Brussels Agreement. Kosovo is currently recognized as an independent state by 97 out of the 193 United Nations member states. In total, 112 UN member states recognized Kosovo at some point, of which 15 later withdrew their recognition.

References:

  1. https://www.nytimes.com/2000/08/02/world/us-sergeant-gets-life-in-murder-of-kosovo-girl-11.html%7Cdate=May 2008
  2. Civilian Deaths in the NATO Air Campaign. Human Rights Watch. 2000. p. 59.
  3. Serbian Studies. 18. North American Society for Serbian Studies. 2004. p. 315.
  4. Savo B. Jović (2007). Ethnic Cleansing and Cultural Genocide on Kosovo and Metohija: Testimony to the Suffering of the Serbian Orthodox Church and Serbian People from 1945 to 2005. Holy Synod of Bishops of The Serbian Orthodox Church. pp. 113, 157. ISBN 978-86-7758-017-9.
  5. Ristic, Marija; Peci, Edona (22 January 2013). "UN Seeks Calm After Serbia Monument Protest". Balkaninsight. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  6. "Serb cemeteries, memorials desecrated in Kosovo". B92. Beta/Tanjug. 21 January 2013. Archived from the original on 16 February 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2015.

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