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Gnjilane
—  Municipality and town  —
Гњилане / Gnjilane Gjilan / Gjilani
Mosque in Gnjilane.
Gnjilane Location in Kosovo
Coordinates: 42°27′53″N 21°28′1″E / 42.46472°N 21.46694°E / 42.46472; 21.46694
Country	Kosovo[a]
District	District of Gnjilane
Government
- Mayor	Qemajl Mustafa
Area
- Total	515 km2 (198.8 sq mi)
Population (1991)
- Total	103,675
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	60010
Area code(s)	+381 280
Website	Municipality of Gnjilane

Building in Gnjilane.

Gnjilane or Gjilan (Albanian: Gjilani or Gjilan; Serbian: Гњилане, Gnjilane,Turkish: Gilan ) is a city and municipality in eastern Kosovo^[a]. It is the administrative center of the District of Gnjilane. It is famous for having been recorded the lowest temperature in Kosovo with −32.5 °C (−27 °F) on 25 January 1963.^{[citation needed]}

Name and history

The origin of the town name is disputed. Albanian sources claim that the town was originally established in 1572 by the Gjinolli family, who arrived from Novo Brdo, one of the most important late-medieval cities in the central Balkans. However, there is no definite evidence to support that claim, and in fact no one can confirm as to who the first true inhabitants were, or when they first settled there.

In 1915, in and around the city, the Serbian army made a futile stand against the 1st Army of Bulgaria, during the World War I Battle of Kosovo. That battle resulted in the ultimate defeat of the Serbian military, and the occupation by the forces allied with the then German Empire. In World War II there was a significant amount of activity in and around Gnjilane by the Partisans fighting against Nazi Germany and her allies. Monuments to these actions can still be found today, one of which is located in the middle of the village of Koretiste. In 1999, Camp Monteith was established outside the city as a base of operations for KFOR during Operation Joint Guardian, on the site of a destroyed Serbian military base which is handed over to Kosovo Protection Corps in 2007 after U.S. Military downsized their troops. Gnjilane has also served as the regional headquarters of the UNMIK International Police task force from 1999.

Population

In April 2008, the Gnjilane municipality was estimated to have over 130,000 residents.^[1]. The vast majority of the population is Albanian, followed by Serbs, and a small number of minorities.

Economy

There are 3,700 registered private businesses in the municipality employing 7,900 people. Before 1999, Gnjilane was an important industrial centre in Kosovo. Still in operation are the radiator factory and tobacco factory, which has been recently privatized. The new city business incubator, supported by the European Agency for Reconstruction, was inaugurated in Summer 2007.

Features

Gnjilane is now the administrative center of the District of Gnjilane of Kosovo. Since February 15, 2003, it is the headquarters of the Local Democracy Agency in Kosovo of the Council of Europe.

Sports

Gnjilane is home to the Basketball club Drita Gjilan, the football clubs KF Gjilani and KF Drita and Volleyball club KV Drita, male and female- the most successful club in Gnjilane's history.

Notes and references

Notes:

References:

External links

• Municipality of Gnjilane
• Pictures of NATO bombing of Gjilan-Gnjilane
• SOK Kosovo and its population

Municipalities of Kosovo1 Dečani • Đakovica • Dragaš • Glogovac • Gnjilane • Istok • Kačanik • Klina • Kosovo Polje • Kosovska Kamenica • Kosovska Mitrovica • Leposavić • Lipljan • Mališevo • Novo Brdo • Obilić • Orahovac • Peć • Podujevo • Pristina • Prizren • Srbica • Štimlje • Štrpce • Suva Reka • Uroševac • Vitina • Vučitrn • Zubin Potok • Zvečan New Municipalities: Đeneral Janković • Gračanica • Junik • Klokot-Vrbovac • Mamuša • Parteš • Ranilug 1 Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Serbia and the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo. The Assembly of Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence on 17 February 2008, a move that is recognised by 65 of the 192 UN member states and the Republic of China (Taiwan), but not by other UN member states. Serbia claims it as part of its own sovereign territory.

Coordinates: 42°28′N 21°29′E / 42.47°N 21.48°E / 42.47; 21.48