Leposavić

Although historically known as Leposavić in Serbian and Leposaviq in Albanian and being an area of Serbian settlement, the town has been referred to as Albanik on some maps produced by KFOR since Kosovo's declaration of independence.{{cite book |author1=Marc Sommers |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QJklAQAAIAAJ |title=Parallel worlds: rebuilding the education system in Kosovo |author2=Peter Buckland |author3=International Institute for Educational Planning |publisher=International Institute for Educational Planning |year=2004 |quote=On the maps produced by KFOR (Kosovo Forces, the collective name for the NATO forces stationed there), diplomacy and compromise are sought: each town in Kosovo has two names: one in Albanian, another in Serbian. Kosovo’s capital is listed both as Prishtinë (Albanian) and Priština (Serbian). Not all of the town names match so closely, however. On some maps, for example, the town of Leposavic (Serbian) is listed not as Leposaviq, the Albanian equivalent, but as ' Albanik', which translates as 'Albanian'. Located in the far north of Kosovo and close to Serbian borders on three sides, Leposavic/Leposaviq/Albanik has historically been an area of Serbian settlement. The politics surrounding 'Albanik' is only one example of the multitude of ways that conflict between Albanians and Serbs in Kosovo continues after the war has passed. |access-date=2018-04-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928192500/https://books.google.com/books?id=QJklAQAAIAAJ |archive-date=2023-09-28 |url-status=live}} Albanik is preferred over Leposaviq in Kosovar governmental documents translated into English.{{cite web |author=MINISTRY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT |title=MINING STRATEGY OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOSOVO 2012–2025 |url=http://www.kuvendikosoves.org/common/docs/Strategjia_Minerare_e_R._Kosoves_2012_-_225__Ang.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131200206/http://www.kuvendikosoves.org/common/docs/Strategjia_Minerare_e_R._Kosoves_2012_-_225__Ang.pdf |archive-date=2017-01-31 |access-date=2018-04-29 |website=mzhe-ks.net |page=21}}

From 1877 to 1913 Leposavić was part of Kosovo vilayet. Leposavić, then a village, was the scene of fighting during the Serbian–Turkish Wars from 1876-1878.{{cite book |last1=Opačić |first1=Petar |last2=Skoko |first2=Savo |title=Srpsko-turski ratovi 1876-1878 |date=1981 |publisher=Beogradski izdavačko-grafički zavod |location=Jugoslavija |page=61 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WMsqAAAAMAAJ |access-date=28 May 2023 |archive-date=11 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230111091529/https://books.google.com/books?id=WMsqAAAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}

After the First Balkan War (1912), Kosovo was internationally recognised as a part of Serbia and northern Metohija as a part of Montenegro at the Treaty of London in May 1913. In 1918, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, later named Yugoslavia was established by the merging of the Western South Slavic states. Between 1929 and 1941, the region was administratively part of the Zeta Banovina.

Lešak, Belo Brdo, Vračevo, Berberište were incorporated into the Leposavić municipality in 1953.{{citation needed|date=May 2015}}

In the mid–1950s, the Assembly of PR Serbia decided that the Leposavić municipality be ceded to Autonomous Region of Kosovo and Metohija, after requests by the Kosovo leadership.{{cite book|author=Dragoslav Despotović|title=Raskršća, ili, Autoportret bivšeg narodnog neprijatelja|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5m7zAAAAMAAJ|year=1993|publisher=Nova Iskra|page=463}} It had up until then been part of the Kraljevo srez, of which the population was wholly Serb. After this, the number of Serbs drastically fell. In 1959, Leposavić was incorporated into the province.{{cite book|title=Marksistička misao|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nZXmAAAAMAAJ|year=1988|publisher=Marksistički centar Centralnog komiteta Saveza komunista Srbije|page=209|quote=опћина Лепосавић (која је припојена САПК 1959. године)}}{{cite book|author=Miloš Macura|title=Problemi politike obnavljanja stanovništva u Srbiji|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kUEvAAAAMAAJ|year=1989|publisher=Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti|page=74|isbn=9788670250666 }}

After the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, the political group Pokret za Leposavić ("Movement for Leposavić") was established, which sought to bring together those committed to cooperation and communication with the international community and the Albanians.{{cite book|title=NIN.: Nedeljne informativne novine|issue=2650–2661|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2czlAAAAMAAJ|year=2001|publisher=Politika|page=2}}

Aside from the town of Leposavić, the municipality includes the following villages:

{{div col|colwidth=12em}}

• Bare
• Belo Brdo
• Beluće
• Berberište
• Bistrica
• Bistrica e Shalës
• Borova
• Borčane
• Brzance
• Cerajë
• Crveni
• Crnatovo
• Ćirkoviće
• Desetak
• Dobrava
• Donje Isevo
• Donji Krnjin
• Dren
• Duboka
• Gnježdane
• Gornji Krnjin
• Graničane
• Grkaje
• Guvnište
• Gulije
• Ibarsko Postenje
• Jarinje
• Jelakce
• Jošanica
• Kajkovo
• Kamenica
• Kijevčiće
• Koporiće
• Kostin Potok
• Košutica
• Košutovo
• Kruševo
• Kruščica
• Kutnje
• Lazine
• Leshak
• Lozno
• Majdevo
• Mekiniće
• Miokoviće
• Mioliće
• Mošnica
• Ostraće
• Plakaonica
• Planinica
• Popovce
• Potkomlje
• Pridvorica
• Rvatska
• Rodelj
• Rucmance
• Seoce
• Slatina
• Sočanica
• Tvrđan
• Trebiće
• Trikose
• Ulije
• Vitanoviće
• Vračevo
• Vuča
• Zabrđe
• Zavrata
• Zemanica
• Zrnosek

{{div col end}}

{{Historical populations

|title=Municipal historical population

| percentages = pagr

|1948|14949 |1953|17015 |1961|19006 |1971|18044 |1981|16906 |1991|16395 |2011|13773

|source = [http://pop-stat.mashke.org/kosovo-division.htm Division of Kosovo]

}}

According to the 2011 estimations by the Government of Kosovo, Leposavić has 4,193 households and 13,773 inhabitants.{{cite web|url=http://ask.rks-gov.net/media/2129/estimation-of-kosovo-population-2011.pdf|title=ESTIMATION of Kosovo population 2011|website=ask.rks-gov.net|publisher=Government of Kosovo|access-date=19 August 2017|archive-date=16 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170516232037/http://ask.rks-gov.net/media/2129/estimation-of-kosovo-population-2011.pdf|url-status=dead}} In 2015 report by OSCE, the population of Leposavić municipality stands at 18,600 inhabitants.{{cite web|title=Leposavić|url=http://www.osce.org/kosovo/13120?download=true|website=osce.org|publisher=OSCE|access-date=19 August 2017|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304001959/http://www.osce.org/kosovo/13120?download=true|url-status=live}} The municipality of Leposavić includes the town and 72 villages.

The majority of Leposavić municipality is composed of Kosovo Serbs with around 18,000 inhabitants (96.4%), while 350 Bosniaks and 270 Kosovo Albanians live in the municipality. Kosovo Albanians live in the three southern villages of Bistrica e Shalës, Cerajë, and Koshutova.

The ethnic composition of the municipality of Leposavić, including IDPs:

Almost all industrial facilities are closed or work with reduced capacity. The unemployment rate is also high, and it has been considerably increased due to the closing down of most of the Trepča conglomerate facilities. The municipality is rich in natural, infrastructure and management, but current circumstances blocked all the potentials. The municipality adopted the Development Agenda 2006 – 2009, in cooperation with United Nations Office for Project Services and with the support of UNMIK and the Italian Government, which foresees improvement in the local economy. However, with the current difficult situation, there is not much hope that the agenda will be properly implemented. The municipality, led by a very proactive chief executive officer, pays noteworthy efforts toward identifying and initiating projects ideas.

There are three lead and zinc mines operating on the territory of Leposavić: Belo Brdo, Crepulje and Crnac.

The NGO Caritas Kosovo maintains a regional office in Leposavić.{{cite web |url= https://www.caritaskosova.org/en/contact |title= Contact |website= caritaskosova.org |access-date= 4 July 2024}}

{{expand list|date=May 2015}}

The municipality [http://spomenicikulture.mi.sanu.ac.rs/mapa.php?ops=90158 has several monuments] protected by the Republic of Serbia as part of the cultural heritage list.

The following Serbian Orthodox churches are located in Leposavić:

• Sočanica Monastery
• Vračevo Monastery
• Church of Cosmas and Damian
• Church of St. Basil of Ostrog

File:Crkva Sv. Kuzmana i Damjana - Kosovo.jpg|Church of Cosmas and Damian

File:Monastère de Vracevo.jpg|Monastery of Vračevo

File:Church of St. Vasilije Ostroški, Leposavić.JPG|Church of St. Basil of Ostrog

Crkva Svetog_Vasilija_Ostroškog,_Leposavić.jpg|Church of St. Basil of Ostrog

• North Kosovo
• Community of Serb Municipalities
• District of Mitrovica
• Kosovska Mitrovica District

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book|author=Благоје Павловић|title=Насеља и миграције становништва општине Лепосавић|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EeQtQwAACAAJ|year=2003|publisher=Институт за српску културу Приштина}}
• {{cite book|author=Milka Stojanovic|title=ИБАРСКИ Колашин - природа и традицијска култура: зборник радова|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w6RWcgAACAAJ|year=2009|publisher=Centar za Naučna Istraživanja SANU i Univ. u Kragujevcu|isbn=978-86-81037-24-9}}
• {{cite book|author=Милисав В Лутовац|title=Ибарски Колашин: антропогеографска испитивања|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jOoCHAAACAAJ|year=1954|publisher=Издавачко Предузеђе Народне Републике Србије}}

{{Commons category|Leposavić}}

• [https://kk.rks-gov.net/leposaviq/en/ Official website]

{{Kosovo municipalities}}

{{Community of Serb Municipalities}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leposavic}}

Category:Populated places in the District of Mitrovica

Category:North Kosovo

Category:Municipalities of Kosovo

Category:Cities in Kosovo