Rahovec
Rahovec (definite Albanian form: Rahoveci) or Orahovac (Serbian Cyrillic: Ораховац) is a town and municipality located in the District of Prizren in western Kosovo.[a] According to the 2011 census, the town of Rahovec has 15,892 inhabitants, while the municipality has 56,208 inhabitants.
Rahovec | |
|---|---|
Panorama of Orahovac | |
Emblem | |
Location of the municipality of Rahovec in Kosovo | |
| Coordinates: 42°23′58″N 20°39′17″E / 42.39944°N 20.65472°ECoordinates: 42°23′58″N 20°39′17″E / 42.39944°N 20.65472°E | |
| Country | Kosovo[a] |
| District | District of Gjakova |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Smajl Latifi (AAK) |
| • Municipal | 278 km2 (107 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 477 m (1,565 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Urban | 15,892 |
| • Municipal | 56,208 |
| • Municipal density | 200/km2 (520/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 21000 |
| Area code | +383 29 |
| Car plates | 07/PZ |
| Website | kk |
Name
The Serbian name of the town, Orahovac, is derived from the Serbian orah, meaning "walnut".[1] The Albanian name Rahovec comes from an Albanised pronunciation of Orahovac.[1]
Ernst Eichler considers that the toponym delivers from Albanian term rrah, which delivers from Illyrian.[2]
Geography and population
The municipality covers an area of approximately 276 km2 (107 sq mi) and contains 35 villages. In 2014 the town had a total population of 23,200 and the population of the municipality was 58,214.[3] In 2011 the municipality had a total population of 56,208.[4]
Demographics
| 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 Orahovac has 56,208 inhabitants.
Ethnic groups
The ethnic composition of the municipality:
| Ethnic group | 1991 census | 2011 census |
|---|---|---|
| Albanians | 55,119 | 55,166 |
| Ashkali and Egyptians | - | 703 |
| Serbs | 3,938 | 134 |
| Romani | - | 84 |
| Others | 885 | 121 |
| Total | 59,942 | 56,208 |
Language
The town is known for a local dialect, Rahovec dialect (ravëqki; rahovecianshe, gjuha e Rahovecit) which is a mixture of Albanian, Serbian, Turkish and Bulgarian languages. Its use has declined rapidly after the Kosovo War, with Albanian becoming the predominant language.[5]
Notable people
- Shkëlzen Maliqi (born 1947), Kosovo Albanian former politician, born in Rahovec .
- Ajet Shehu (born 1990), English footballer, born in Rahovec .
- Ukshin Hoti (1943–1999), Kosovo Albanian activist, politician, and philosopher, born in Krusha e Madhe.
- 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 .
- Kida (born 1997), Kosovo Albanian female singer
- Xhevdet Bajraj (born 1960), poet and screenwriter who resided in Mexico.
Notes
- ^ a b The political status of Kosovo is disputed. Having unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008, Kosovo is formally recognised as an independent state by 101 UN member states (with another 13 states recognising it at some point but then withdrawing their recognition) and 92 states not recognizing it, while Serbia continues to claim it as part of its own territory.
References
- ^ a b 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)] - ^ Namenforschung : ein internationales Handbuch zur Onomastik. 1. Teilband. Ernst Eichler. Berlin: De Gruyter. 1995. ISBN 978-3-11-020342-4. OCLC 435630850.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ Municipal Profile: Rahovec/Orahovac 6 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, May 2006. Accessed October 2014.
- ^ Municipal Profile: Rahovec/Orahovac. Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, March 2014. Accessed October 2014.
- ^ "Kosovo's Mysterious Dialect Fades Away :: Balkan Insight". www.balkaninsight.com. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
- Marijana Milosavljević (NIN, 15 December 2005)
External links
- Rahoveci24.com (in Albanian)
- Rahoveci.NET (in Albanian)
- BBC article concerning March 2004 riots
- (in Albanian)
- Human Rights Publication-Massacre in Pastasel, Orahovac