North Mitrovica[a] or North Kosovska Mitrovica,[b] is a town and municipality located in Mitrovica District in Kosovo. As of 2015, it has a population of 29,460 inhabitants.[2] It covers an area of 11 km2 (4 sq mi).

North Mitrovica
Mitrovica e Veriut (Albanian)
Severna Kosovska Mitrovica (Serbian)
View of North Mitrovica; Zvečan Fortress on the mountain to the left, Trepča chimney on the right, and Ibar Bridge in the center.
View of North Mitrovica; Zvečan Fortress on the mountain to the left, Trepča chimney on the right, and Ibar Bridge in the center.
Official logo of North Mitrovica
North Mitrovica is located in Kosovo
North Mitrovica
North Mitrovica
Location of the municipality of North Mitrovica within Kosovo
North Mitrovica is located in Europe
North Mitrovica
North Mitrovica
North Mitrovica (Europe)
Coordinates: 42°53′N 20°52′E / 42.883°N 20.867°E / 42.883; 20.867
CountryKosovo
DistrictMitrovica
Established2013
Government
 • MayorErden Atiq (VV)
 • Deputy MayorKatarina Adjančić
Area
 • Total11 km2 (4 sq mi)
Elevation
515 m (1,690 ft)
Population
 • Estimate 
(2023)
27,730
 • Density2,678/km2 (6,940/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
40000
Area code+383(0)28
Vehicle registration02
ClimateCfb
WebsiteOfficial site

North Mitrovica is a part of North Kosovo, a region with an ethnic Serb majority. The municipality was established in 2013 after North Kosovo crisis,[3][4] previously being the settlement of the city of Mitrovica, divided by the Ibar river.

Following the 2013 Brussels Agreement, the municipality is planned to be the administrative center of the Community of Serb Municipalities.

Name

edit

The northern part of Mitrovica (listen; is occasionally referred to as "North(ern) Kosovska Mitrovica" (Serbian: Северна Косовска Митровица/Severna Kosovska Mitrovica).[5] During the rule of Josip Broz Tito, Titova was added to the name of the city of Mitrovica and in the early 1990s it was replaced with Kosovska to distinguish it from the town of Sremska Mitrovica.[6][7] However, as of late, the northern part is increasingly referred to as simply North Mitrovica (Albanian: Mitrovica e veriut; Serbian: Северна Митровица/Severna Mitrovica).

History

edit

The city was part of Mitrovica, until its official separation in 2013. The separation came as a result of the North Kosovo crisis, following Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia in February 2008. The municipality was recognized by the Government of Kosovo in 2013 before the Kosovo local elections.

 
Monument to Serbian victims of Kosovo War

The city served as the de facto capital of the North Kosovo region which refused to work with the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo. Therefore, local Serbs formed the Assembly of Community of Municipalities, supported only by Serbia.

However, with the signing of the 2013 Brussels Agreement after the North Kosovo crisis, between the governments of Kosovo and Serbia, Serbia officially dropped its support for the assembly, agreeing to create a new Community of Serb Municipalities, an association of municipalities with Serb majority in Kosovo.[8] Its assembly will have no legislative authority and the judicial authorities will be integrated and operate within the Kosovo legal framework.[9]

Administration

edit

The Municipal Assembly of North Mitrovica has 19 deputies, one of whom is the speaker. There are currently 15 active councilors.[10]

Party Seats Gov't?
Civic Initiative "Mitrovica" 14 Yes
Independent 1 Yes

Demographics

edit
Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
200822,000—    
201529,460+4.26%

According to the 2011 estimations by the Government of Kosovo, North Mitrovica has 3,393 households and 12,326 inhabitants.[11]

In 2015, according to a report by OSCE, the population of North Mitrovica Municipality stands at 29,460 inhabitants.[2]

Ethnic groups

edit

The majority of North Mitrovica municipality is composed of Kosovo Serbs with more than 22,530 inhabitants (76.4%). Also, 4,900 (16.6%) Kosovo Albanians and 2,000 others live in the municipality.[2]

In North Mitrovica, according to the Update 2009, conducted by Kosovo Agency of Statistics, Serbs and other ethnic groups make up 92.97% or 11,459 inhabitants, while 7.03% or 867 were Albanians. Since North Mitrovica did not participate in population census conducted in April, 2011, the data is taken from the update 2008–2009 by Kosovo Agency of Statistics which is considered as official by Kosovo government. However, other different institutions have done other estimates that came up with different data.

Ethnic composition in North Mitrovica
according to 2009 Update[12]
Group Population Percentage
Albanian 867 7.03%
Serbs and others 11,459 92.97%
Total 12,326 100%

The ethnic composition of the municipality of North Mitrovica, including IDPs:[13][2]

Ethnic group 2023 est. Percentage
Serbs 17,530 61%
Albanians 7,820 27%
Bosniaks 1,200 5.2%
Gorani 580 2.6%
Romani 300 1.8%
Turks 210 1.5%
Ashkali 80 0.7%
Others 15 0.2%
Total 27,730 100%

Culture and education

edit

North Mitrovica currently represents the most important political, cultural, educational and health centres for Serbs in Kosovo. It is the largest urban area in Kosovo where Serbs form the ethnic majority. The University of Priština is located in the area, having relocated from Pristina to Mitrovica during the Kosovo War. In 2013, after November elections in Kosovo, North Mitrovica officially became a separate municipality.[14]

Sport

edit

The FK Trepča Sever and Rudar Kosovska Mitrovica are football clubs that are located in this part of the city. Currently FK Trepca plays in Serbian fourth-tier Morava Zone League while FK Rudar Kosovska Mitrovica plays in the fifth-tier Football First League of North Kosovo.[citation needed]

Twin towns – sister cities

edit
edit

See also

edit

Annotations

edit
  1. ^ Serbian: Severna Mitrovica, Serbian Cyrillic: Ceвepнa Митровица; Albanian: Mitrovica e Veriut or Mitrovicë Veriore
  2. ^ Serbian: Severna Kosovska Mitrovica, Serbian Cyrillic: Северна Косовска Митровица

References

edit
  1. ^ "Vendim Nr. 10-030/01-0007267/24 (Komuna e Mitrovices Veriore)".
  2. ^ a b c d "North Mitrovica". osce.org. OSCE. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  3. ^ "2013 Elections in Kosovo: North Mitrovica, a separate municipality". KQZ-Ks. Archived from the original on 8 January 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  4. ^ "2013 Kosovo Elections (Page 38): North Mitrovica" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 January 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  5. ^ Bataković, Dusan T. (2007). Kosovo and Metohija : Living in the Enclave. Balkanološki institut SANU. p. 85. ISBN 9788671790529.
  6. ^ Everett-Heath, John (2017). The Concise Dictionary of World Place Names. Oxford University Press. p. 1056. ISBN 9780192556462.
  7. ^ Bacevic, Jana (2014). From Class to Identity: The politics of education reforms in former Yugoslavia. Central European University Press. p. 129. ISBN 9786155225734.
  8. ^ "Community of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo to be formed". InSerbia News. November 2013.
  9. ^ "Brussels Agreement 2013" (PDF). Key number 10: 'The judicial authorities will be integrated and operate within the Kosovo legal framework ...
  10. ^ "Zëvendësohen asambleistët në Mitrovicën e Veriut". Mitrovica Veriore. 14 December 2022.
  11. ^ "ESTIMATION of Kosovo population 2011" (PDF). ask.rks-gov.net. Government of Kosovo. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  12. ^ "Kosovo Agency of Statistics – Census 2011" (PDF). Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  13. ^ "Documents Library". osce.org. Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  14. ^ "Official website". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  15. ^ "Међународна сарадња". Град Бања Лука (in Serbian). Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  16. ^ asst. "Братски и партнерски градови и општине". Краљево (in Serbian). Retrieved 5 July 2021.
edit

42°53′40″N 20°51′58″E / 42.894406°N 20.866095°E / 42.894406; 20.866095