Districts of Kosovo

Districts of Kosovo, also known as administrative regions of Kosovo (; ) are regional administrative units within the administrative division of Kosovo. They were initially created as regional administrative structures of the UN-administered Kosovo (1999-2008), and were later reorganized, thus continuing to exist in the Republic of Kosovo (since 2008).

UNMIK regions In 1999, the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) undertook several administrative reforms, and divided the UN-administered Kosovo into five UNMIK regions, centered in: Gjilan, Mitrovica, Peja, Pristina, and Prizren. Initially, those UNMIK regions were headed by regional administrators, while on the municipal level of administrative division, municipal administrators were appointed.UNMIK (1999): Regulation No. 1999/14: On the Appointment of Regional and Municipal Administrators.

Thus by the end of 1999, initial 29 municipalities were grouped into five UNMIK regions,UNMIK (1999): Regulation No. 1999/17: On the Approval of the Kosovo Consolidated Budget and Authorizing Expenditures for the Period 1 September to 31 December 1999.UNMIK (1999): Regulation No. 1999/27: On the Approval of the Kosovo Consolidated Budget and Authorizing Expenditure for the Period 1 January to 31 December 2000. and by the spring of 2000, the 30th municipality was formed (Malisheva) and attached to the UNMIK region of Prizren.UNMIK (2000): Regulation No. 2000/22: Amending UNMIK Regulation No. 1999/27 On the Approval of the Kosovo Consolidated Budget and Authorizing Expenditures for the Period 1 January to 31 December 2000.UNMIK (2000): Regulation No. 2000/67: On the Approval of the Kosovo Consolidated Budget and Authorizing Expenditure for the Period 1 January to 31 December 2001.

In July 2000, territorial scopes of all municipalities in the UN-administered Kosovo were officially regulated by UNMIK, thus resolving several remaining administrative issues.UNMIK (2000): Regulation No. 2000/43: On the Number, Names and Boundaries of Municipalities.

Those UNMIK administrative reforms, that were introduced in 1999-2000, were not always identical with previous administrative divisions, that existed in the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija (APKM). The existing number of districts (five) was initially kept, but their territories were redefined to correspond more closely to five KFOR sectors: Kosovska Mitrovica District (APKM) was thus paralleled by the UNMIK region of Mitrovica Peć District (APKM) by the UNMIK region of Peja Kosovo District (APKM) by the UNMIK region of Pristina Kosovo-Pomoravlje District (APKM) by the UNMIK region of Gjilan Prizren District (Serbia) (APKM) by the UNMIK region of Prizren

Serbia protested the new administrative changes, not seeing it as legitimate, but the UNMIK implemented it regardless of Serbia's protests, because it had such authority, established by virtue of Resolution 1244 of the United Nations Security Council.

Since 2003, instead of initial regional administrators, UNMIK regions were headed by regional representatives.UNMIK (2003): Regulation No. 2003/11: Amending UNMIK Regulation No. 1999/14 on the Appointment of Regional and Municipal Administrators.

Administrative regions of Kosovo In 2001, UNMIK created the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government in the UN-administered Kosovo, that also included the Transitional Government of Kosovo, with several ministries. Within some of those ministries, regional administrative branches were formed. Their number and territorial scopes varied. Thus in 2005, the Ministry of Health had six regions, centered in Gjakova, Gjilan, Mitrovica, Peja, Pristina, and Prizren,UNMIK (2005): Report Submitted by the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo while some other ministries and government agencies also had their own distinctive regional branches.

Since 2008, within the administrative division of the Republic of Kosovo, at first six, and later seven administrative regions (districts) were established, as regional (deconcentrated) branches of various administrative departments:

District of Ferizaj, newly created District of Gjakova, newly created District of Gjilan, smaller in scope than the initial UNMIK region of Gjilan District of Mitrovica, same in scope as UNMIK region of Mitrovica District of Peja, smaller in scope than the initial UNMIK region of Peja District of Pristina, similar in scope than the initial UNMIK region of Pristina District of Prizren, smaller in scope than the initial UNMIK region of Prizren

In 2014, seven consular districts were defined in the Republic of Kosovo. In 2020, the Ministry of Regional Development defined five development regions (Central, Eastern, Western, Southern, and Northern) in the Republic of Kosovo,Ministry of Regional Development (Republic of Kosovo): Strategy for Regional Development 2020-2030 and in 2022, the Kosovo Agency of Statistics redefined seven statistical regions, with same centers as seven administrative regions, but some of them not entirely identical in territorial scopes.Kosovo Agency of Statistics (2022): Classification of Statistical Regions in Kosovo

Seven administrative regions in Kosovo Administrative districts (regions) Map Area in km2 Population in 2024 (rank) Densityper km2 Municipalities District number Settlements District of Ferizaj (Rajoni i Ferizajit/Uroševački okrug) 1,030 180,897 175.6 Ferizaj Hani i Elezit Kaçanik Shtime Štrpce05 126 District of Gjakova (Rajoni i Gjakovës/Đakovički okrug) 1,129 152,311 134.9 Deçan Gjakova Junik Rahovec07 170 District of Gjilan (Rajoni i Gjilanit/Gnjilanski okrug) 1,206 150,126 124.5 Gjilan Kamenica Klokot Parteš Ranilug Viti06 287 District of Mitrovica (Rajoni i Mitrovicës/Kosovskomitrovački okrug) 2,077 166,805 (without North Kosovo) 155.9 Leposavić Mitrovica North Mitrovica Skenderaj Vushtrri Zubin Potok Zvečan02 267 District of Peja (Rajoni i Pejës/Pećki okrug) 1,365 146,301 107.2 Peja Istog Klina03 118 District of Pristina (Rajoni i Prishtinës/Prištinski okrug) 2,470 511,938 207.3 Drenas Gračanica Kosovo Polje Lipjan Novo Brdo Obiliq Podujevë Pristina01 298 District of Prizren (Rajoni i Prizrenit/Prizrenski okrug) 1,397 271,535 194.4 Dragash Malisheva Mamusha Prizren Suva Reka04 195

Districts of Kosovo

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