Rahovec (Albanian definite form: Rahoveci) or Orahovac (Serbian Cyrillic: Ораховац), is a town and municipality located in the District of Gjakova in western Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Rahovec has 15,892 inhabitants, while the municipality has 56,208 inhabitants.
Rahovec
| |
|---|---|
Town and municipality | |
From the top, Panorama of Rahovec, Rahovec Clocktower, Xhamia e Sokolit | |
 Flag  Emblem | |
  Rahovec  Rahovec | |
| Coordinates: 42°23′58″N 20°39′17″E / 42.39944°N 20.65472°E | |
| Country | Kosovo |
| District | District of Gjakova |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Smajl Latifi (AAK) |
| Area | |
• Municipal | 278 km2 (107 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 21st in Kosovo |
| Elevation | 477 m (1,565 ft) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
• Municipal | 56,208 |
| • Density | 200/km2 (520/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 15,892 |
| • Ethnicity | |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 21000 |
| Area code | +383 29 |
| Vehicle registration | 07 |
| Website | kk |
Etymology
editThe name of the town and municipality is of Serbian origin and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word orěhъ, meaning nux (English: nut).[2] The name Rahovec comes from an Albanised pronunciation of Orahovac.
Geography and population
editThe municipality covers an area of approximately 276 km2 (107 sq mi) and contains 35 villages.
Economy
editRahovec is especially known for its vineyards and wines.[3]
Demographics
edit| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | 27,335 | — |
| 1953 | 30,095 | +1.94% |
| 1961 | 35,461 | +2.07% |
| 1971 | 46,788 | +2.81% |
| 1981 | 61,178 | +2.72% |
| 1991 | 85,698 | +3.43% |
| 2011 | 56,208 | −2.09% |
| 2016 est. | 58,908 | +0.94% |
| Source: Division of Kosovo | ||
According to the last official census done in 2011, the municipality of Rahovec has 56,208 inhabitants.
In the municipality's total population, 98.14% are Albanians, amounting to 55,166 individuals, while the rest represent diverse minority groups in Kosovo, including Ashkali, Egyptians, Serbs, Bosniaks and various others.[4]
Local Pidgin Language
editThe town was known for a language known locally as "Rahovecionshe" or "Raveqki", which is a mixture of Albanian, Serbian and Bulgarian. Its use has declined rapidly after the Kosovo War and nowadays it is nearly extinct.[5] It is thought that this pidgin language developed as a way for Albanian grape farmers to sell their products to wine producers, who were predominately Slavic-speaking.[5]
Notable people
edit- Shkëlzen Maliqi (born 1947), Kosovo Albanian former politician, born in Rahovec.[6]
- Ajet Shehu (born 1990), English footballer, born in Rahovec .
- Ukshin Hoti (1943–1999), Kosovo Albanian activist, politician, and philosopher, born in Krusha e Madhe.[7][8]
- Ali Sokoli (1921–1974), Yugoslav physician, born in Rahovec.
- Jovan Grković-Gapon (1879–1912), Serbian Chetnik, born in Rahovec.
- Lazar Kujundžić (1880–1905), Serbian Chetnik commander, born in Rahovec.[9]
- Kida (born 1997), Kosovo Albanian female singer
- Xhevdet Bajraj (1960–2022), poet and screenwriter who resided in Mexico.[10]
References
edit- ^ "2011 Popullsia sipas gjinisë etnicitetit dhe vendbanimit" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2022.
- ^ Skok, Petar (1988) [1971]. Etimologijski rječnik hrvatskoga ili srpskoga jezika (in Serbo-Croatian). Vol. 2. Zagreb: Jugoslavenska akademija znanosti i umjetnosti. p. 562. ISBN 86-407-0064-8.
orah, pl. orasi ... praslav. orěhъ "nux". Pridjev na -ov orahov, poimeničen u topnimiji u sr. r. Orahovo, ... Orahov Do (Hercegovina), ... Oriovac, gen. -vca (toponim u Slavoniji) = Oravac, gen. -avca = Oraovac (1770, Kosmet) = Raovec u arbanaskom izgovoru.
[Translation: orah, plural orasi ... from the Proto-Slavic orěhъ "nux". The adjective on -ov, orahov, is nominalised in toponymy into Orahovo, ... Orahov Do (Herzegovina), ... Oriovac (Slavonia) = Oravac = Oraovac (1770, Kosovo and Metohija) = Raovec in Albanian pronunciation. (N.B. Orahovac and Rahovec are shown here in h-less variants Oraovac and Raovec)] - ^ "Wineries of Rahovec - KOHA".
- ^ "Popullsia sipas gjinisë etnicitetit dhe vendbanimit 2011 (AKS)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ a b "Kosovo's Mysterious Dialect Fades Away :: Balkan Insight". www.balkaninsight.com. 27 November 2010. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
- ^ Asanaj, Dino (1996). Shekulli 21 (in Albanian). Gjonlekaj Publishing Company. p. 283. ISBN 9780962214127.
Shkelzen Maliqi - Lindur më 1947, Rahovec, Kosovë.
- ^ Elsie, Robert (2010). Historical dictionary of Kosovo. Scarecrow Press. p. 130. ISBN 9780810874831.
- ^ Çollaku, Petrit (25 March 2015). "Kosovo Urged to Intensify Hunt for Missing Activist". Balkan Insight.
- ^ Stanojević, Stanoje (1925). Narodna enciklopedija srpsko-hrvatsko-slovenac̆ka, Knjiga 2 (in Serbian). zdavac̆: Bibliografski zavod d.d. p. 562.
O. H. - KUJUNDŽIĆ LAZAR, učitelj i čet- nički vojvoda ( uoči Lazareve subote 1880, selo Orahovac, srez podrimski, okrug prizrenski 25/5 1905, selo Ve- lika Hoča, srez podrimski, okrug pri- zrenski).
- ^ Avdyli, Ngadhnjim (1 November 2018). "Xhevdet Bajraj: I dreamt of freedom in a different way to the politicians". kosovotwopointzero.com.
External links
edit
- Rahoveci24.com (in Albanian)
- Rahoveci.NET (in Albanian)
- BBC article concerning March 2004 riots
- Statistical Office of Kosovo (SOK) (in Albanian)
- International Organization for Mifration (IOM)
- Survivors describe massacre in Orahovac
- Human Rights Publication-Massacre in Pastasel, Orahovac
- Photographic Evidence of Kosovo Genocide and Conflict