The Republic of Kosovo is a country in the Balkans in southeastern Europe.
Kosovo declared itself independent in February 2008. Previously, it was an autonomous province of Serbia, located in southern Serbia.
Because of conflict between ethnic Albanians, who make up the majority of the people in Kosovo, and ethnic Serbians, the region was administered by the UN beginning in 1999.
As of 2011, many countries, including Serbia, still do not recognize Kosovo's independence.
Kosovo is 4,212 square miles (10,908 square kilometers) in area.
It is mostly mountainous, particularly along the borders in the west and south.
Poljes are prominent geographical features in Kosovo.
A polje is a depression that is several miles across. It has broad, flat floors and is surrounded by steep, limestone walls
Poljes form when rain and underground water dissolved limestone along large vertical cracks.
2,153,139 people live in Kosovo.
92% are ethnic Albanians and 4% are Serbs. There are also Gorani, Bosniaks, Turkish and Roma.
The capital of Kosovo is Pristina.
Kosovo has a parliamentary system of government.
The official currency is the Euro.