Geography of Kosovo

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Physical map of Kosovo.
Physical map of Kosovo.

Kosovo is situated in the Balkans. At an area of 10,887 km², it accommodates a population of roughly 2 million.

Contents

[edit] Climate

Kosovo is located between the Mediterranean Sea and mountainous regions of Southeast Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. This geographic location gives the country its large annual temperature range. Summer temperature highs can reach +30°C, winter's temperatures as low as -10°C[1]. According to the Strahler classification map The climate in Kosovo is considered moist continental[2]. The country experiences warm summers and cold and snowy winters.

[edit] Mountains and mountain ranges

See: List of mountains in Kosovo

Dukagjini, Juniku Mountains.
Dukagjini, Juniku Mountains.

Much of Kosovo's terrain is mountainous. The Šar Mountains are located in the south and south-east, bordering Macedonia. This is one of the region's most popular tourist and skiing resorts, with Brezovica and Prevalac as the main tourist centres. The region of Kosovo's mountainous area, including the highest peak Gjeravica, at 2656 m above sea level, is located in the south-west, bordering Albania.

The Kopaonik mountains are located in the north. The central region of Drenica, Crnoljeva and the eastern part of Kosovo, known as Goljak, are mainly hilly areas.

[edit] Bodies of water

Although Kosovo is landlocked, there are several notable rivers and lakes within its borders. The main rivers are the White Drin, running towards the Adriatic Sea, with the Erenik among its tributaries), the Sitnica, the South Morava in the Goljak area, and Ibar in the north. The main lakes are Gazivoda (380 million m³) in the north-western part, Radonjić (113 million m³) in the south-west part, Batlava (40 million m³) and Badovac (26 million m³) in the north-east part. Other smaller scenic lakes include Heart's Lake and Big Lake. Kosovo is also home to the following waterfalls:

  • The 25 meter Drin Waterfall is located at the mouth of the White Drin River.[3]
  • The Miruša Waterfalls are a series of falls on the Miruša River (a tributary of the Drin) in the municipality of Mališevo in western Kosovo, on the east side of the Metohija region.[4]

[edit] Rugova Valley and Canyon

One of Kosovo's most prominent geological features is the Rugova Canyon. The 6 km long canyon along the border with Montenegro was formed by the flow of the Mbushtria River. The canyon was declared a Protected National Monument in 1988, and will be included in a proposed Bjeshket e Nemuna/Prokletije National Park, approved by the Kosovo Parliament in 2003.[5]

[edit] Plains

There are two main plains in Kosovo. The Metohija basin is located in the western part of the Kosovo, and the Plain of Kosovo occupies the eastern part. Between the two basins there is low hills area of Drenica.

The plain of Kosovo is on average higher that the plain of Metohija for about 100 meters.

Average height of the plain of Kosovo is 550 meters and the average height of the plain of Metohija is 450 meters.

[edit] Gadime Cave

Gadime Cave is a cave composed of Paleozoic marble, located in the village of Donje Gadimje on the eastern side of the Kosovo Valley. The northern passage contains displays of aragonite speleothems in a variety of rare formations.[6][7]

[edit] External links

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