PRISTINA, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Kosovo Albanians celebrate the first anniversary of Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia on Tuesday. Kosovo is recognised as independent by more than 50 countries including the United States, but notably not by Serbia and its traditional ally Russia. Here is a brief profile of Kosovo, an ethnic crossroads in the heart of the Balkans. HISTORY * Kosovo is about the size of Connecticut or Qatar. It was first inhabited by Illyrian and Thracian tribes, ruled by the Romans then populated by Slavs in the 6th century. It became part of the Kingdom of Serbia in the early 13th century, with a mixed population of Serbs, Albanians and Vlachs. The Nemanjic dynasty made it the spiritual heartland of Serbia, giving lands to the Orthodox Church and building monasteries that stand today. ETHNIC MAKEUP * Many Serbs left in the 500 years after the Ottoman Empire defeated the Serbs at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389. The Albanians, converts to Islam, grew in number. Mutual expulsions and migrations to and from Albania in the early 20th century changed Kosovo's makeup. Today, 2 million Albanians form 90 percent of the population. About 120,000 Serbs remain in Kosovo, just under half in the northern enclave and the rest in enclaves protected by NATO. YUGOSLAV YEARS * Landlocked and poor apart from mineral deposits, Kosovo was an autonomous region of the Socialist Yugoslav Federation and had effective self-government from 1974. But ethnic tensions escalated in the 1980s as Yugoslavia began to crumble and economic conditions deteriorated. Slobodan Milosevic used Serb nationalism as a springboard to power in 1989, restricting Albanian rights in education and local government. Strikes, protests and violence led Belgrade to declare a state of emergency in 1990, sending in the Yugoslav army and police. WAR * Albanians have officially demanded independence since renegade elections in 1992 made pacifist leader Ibrahim Rugova president of a self-declared republic. The demand was ignored as Serbs fought for pieces of Croatia and Bosnia, and support shifted to armed struggle by the Kosovo Liberation Army, a guerrilla force. Serb forces hit back so hard in 1998 that 100,000 Albanians fled and NATO powers warned Milosevic they would not tolerate another round of "ethnic cleansing" in the Balkans. Peace talks in France failed and in March 1999 NATO started bombing to force Serbia to withdraw. About 800,000 Albanians fled or were expelled to Macedonia and Albania before Milosevic gave in 78 days later. As his forces pulled out, up to 200,000 Serbs and other ethnic minorities left as well. LIMBO * Kosovo has been administered by the United Nations with NATO peacekeeping since June 1999. Unemployment is 40-45 percent among the overwhelmingly young population. Kosovo's uncertain future status virtually precludes outside investment. Spasms of ethnic violence, mostly by Albanians against Serbs, together with criminal gangs trafficking in contraband and people, have tarnished its image. Almost two years of Serb-Albanian negotiations ended in failure in December 2007. INDEPENDENCE * Kosovo declared independence on Feb. 17, 2008 and Europe's newest country was soon recognised by the United States and most of the European Union member states. Serbia and its ally Russia reject Kosovo's secession. Kosovo has since established a new constitution, its own army, national anthem, passports, identity cards, intelligence agency and has opened its first 18 embassies, mostly in Western countries. Kosovo expects to join the World Bank and International Monetary Fund this year, however, Serbia and Russia are trying to block its membership in all international institutions. (Editing by Adam Tanner)
Activists of a youth opposition movement stand with a poster reading "Never Sleep With Putinist!" during a protest against the present policy in central Moscow on St. Valentine's Day, February 14, ...
