| The just recently declared independence
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| | The history of Kosovo's struggle to
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| of the enclave of Kosovo has refocused
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| | independence is quite complicated. As a
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| attention on the various territories of
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| | province within Yugoslavia, Kosovo was
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| the former Yugoslavia and Albania, and
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| | first formed in 1945 as the Autonomous
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| the various languages spoken in the
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| | Kosovo-Metohian Area to protect
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| region.
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| | Yugoslavia's Albanian minority largely
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| At the heart of current events is Kosovo,
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| | localize in the region.
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| though a series of wars apart from the
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| | The history of Kosovo however dates back
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| Kosovo war were fought in the former
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| | to antiquity when according to Authur
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| Yugoslavia in the 1990's. Kosovo's days
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| | Evans, Kosovo was known as Dardania which
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| old declaration of independence is
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| | is derived from the Albanian word
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| strongly rejected by Serbia and by its
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| | dardh?eaning pear; after the Illyrian
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| patron, Russia.
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| | tribe known as the Dardani.
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| Geographically, Kosovo borders Serbia to
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| | The key differentiator between Albanians
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| the north, Montenegro to the east, and
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| | is their adherence to Islam. This is
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| Albania and the Republic of Macedonia to
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| | connected historically to the Ottoman
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| the south.
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| | conquest of Kosovo.
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| Kosovo has a population numbering two
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| | The conquest was a significant
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| million. The population is primarily
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| | achievement for the Ottoman Turks as the
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| Albanians, though populations of
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| | minerals resources in the Kosovo region
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| Serbians, Turks, Romani , Goranis,
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| | proved a needed asset to the Ottoman
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| Bosniaks, and other ethnic communities
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| | empire. The establishment of Ottoman
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| also reside there. Priatina is the
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| | hegemony in Kosova initiated a new era
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| capital and largest city.
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| | culturally and religiously. The religious
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| With approximately more than 90% of the
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| | makeup of the region was complicated with
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| population of Kosovo being ethnic
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| | the existing Catholic population in a
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| Albanians, the Albanian language is
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| | delicate if not unfavorable relationship
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| recognized as an official language along
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| | with the new Turkish regime.
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| with Serbian. Other languages including
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| | The beleaguered status of the Catholic
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| Turkish, Romani, and Bosnian are also
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| | Church led to increasing oppression of
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| spoken.
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| | its members. Religiously selective
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| In addition, to Albania and Kosovo,
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| | taxation as well as threats to national
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| Albanian is also spoke in Italy, the
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| | assimilation by absorption into the
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| Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro,
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| | Serbian Orthodox Church led to a mass
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| Greece, Turkey, and by immigrant
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| | conversion of Albanians into Islam
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| communities in many countries throughout
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| | further cementing the cultural,
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| Europe, as well as in communities in
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| | religious, and linguistic differences
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| Egypt, Russia, Ukraine, United Kingdom,
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| | that continue today.
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| United States, and Australia.
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