Geographical Position

Kosovo is located in the heart of South East Europe. Kosovo is situated between the 42° and 44° parallels of northern hemisphere and between the 20° and 22° meridians. Positioned in the centre of the Balkan Peninsula, it presents an important junction of the Median and Southern Europe, and the Adriatic and Black Sea. Kosovo's area is 10,908 km2 and is populated by over 2 million people. The main axis of the junction of northern and southern Balkan regions is comprised of the Ibër, Sitnica and Lepenc river valleys. This axis divides several roundabout valleys: near Mitrovica along the Ibër river passes the Adriatic highway which connects the Montenegrin coast, near Besiana (Podujeva) town; the Llapi and Toplica roads connect Kosovo with the Serbian city of Nish and with the interior part of Balkan Peninsula; nearby is the city of Prishtina and the Drenica valley which connects Drini i Bardhë (White Drini) with the shortest way to the Albanian coast. In the city of Ferizaj , the Morava e Binçës pathway is divided, which is then connected to the main river axes of the Morava and Vardar Rivers .

Climate

Climate and temperatures in Kosovo are variable during the four seasons of the year. Winter is with snow and low temperatures, and in Prishtina, Kosovo's Capital, the average temperature goes down to - 2°C. Spring and autumn are cool and with seasonal rainfalls, whereas summer is hot and dry (rainless), with an average temperature of +22°C. In Kosovo, average high temperatures during the year range between +25°C and +38°C.

Flora and Fauna

Climate, pedological (soil) and hydrographical (water) variations have influenced Kosovo's diverse world of plants and animals.

Flora
In the transitive zone from the field in the hillock regions you will see acacias (fruit trees), then the white mulberry, black mulberry, black oak, plane trees, Canadian poplar trees, Japanese robins, bays, and American ash-trees.

In hillock regions the most widespread of the deciduous (lose their leaves) trees are the beech trees, and with an increase in altitude (900 – 1500 m) we begin to find the trees that hold their leaves: red fir, fir, black pine, and white pine. Chestnut trees, like a pointer of Mediterranean climate, continue through the Bjeshkëve të Nemuna mountains till Strellci i Epërm village and on to Peja (in Zatra). At an altitude of around 1,500m the mountain pastures begin and continue up to 2,200m, and in many pastures you can find bilberries, a plant that yields very healthy fruit.

Fauna
The hilly-mountain zone is much richer with fauna. In the field and hilly zone of the forests (such as Lipovica, Kleçka, etc.) you will find boar, deer and rabbit. Among the wildfowl that live in the field-hilly zone are the fulvous raven (corbie), magpie, starling, field sparrow, pecker, pigeon, turtledove, field partridge, quail, pheasant etc. The fulvous (brown) bear, chamois, boar, wolf, fox, roe, big and small wild hen, forest hen, grouse, squirrel, etc are found in the mountain zone. Bears are more prevalent in the mountain zone of the Albanian Alps, in Sharr, Moknë etc. For tourist hunting the forests of Lipovica (Blinaja) and Kleçka (not far from Lipjan) are most suitable. Regarding water fauna you can fish: salmon trout, dispar fish, eel, catfish, carp, scubas, torpedo, small herring, gudgeon (carp family), to name some.