Rahovec
Rahovec (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
| |
|---|---|
From the top, Panorama of Rahovec, Rahovec Clocktower, Xhamia e Sokolit | |
 Emblem | |
  Rahovec  Rahovec | |
| Coordinates: 42°23′58″N 20°39′17″E | |
| Country | Kosovo |
| 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 |
.tif.jpg.webp)
Etymology
The name of the town and municipality is of Serbian origin and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word orěhъ, meaning nux (English: nut).[1] The name Rahovec comes from an Albanised pronunciation of Orahovac.
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.[2] In 2011 the municipality had a total population of 56,208.[3]
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 |
Local Pidgin Language
The town is known for a language known locally as "Rahovecionshe" or "Raveqki", which is a mixture of Albanian, Serbian, Turkish, and Bulgarian. Its use has declined rapidly after the Kosovo War, with Albanian becoming the predominant language. 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. [4]
Notable people
- Shkëlzen Maliqi (born 1947), Kosovo Albanian former politician, born in Rahovec.[5]
- Ajet Shehu (born 1990), English footballer, born in Rahovec .
- Ukshin Hoti (1943–1999), Kosovo Albanian activist, politician, and philosopher, born in Krusha e Madhe.[6][7]
- 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.[8]
- Kida (born 1997), Kosovo Albanian female singer
- Xhevdet Bajraj (1960–2022), poet and screenwriter who resided in Mexico.[9]
References
- 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)] - Municipal Profile: Rahovec/Orahovac Archived 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. 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
- 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
