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Gjakova

Gjakova
Albanian: Gjakova or Gjakovë
Serbian: Ђаковица or Đakovica
Turkish: Yakova
City and municipality
Old town, reflecting Gjakova's Ottoman heritage.
Old town, reflecting Gjakova's Ottoman heritage.
Coat of arms of Gjakova
Coat of arms
Gjakova is located in Kosovo
Gjakova
Gjakova
Location in Kosovo
Coordinates: 42°23′N 20°26′E / 42.383°N 20.433°E / 42.383; 20.433Coordinates: 42°23′N 20°26′E / 42.383°N 20.433°E / 42.383; 20.433
Country Kosovo
District District of Gjakova
Government
 • Mayor Mimoza Lila Kusari
Area
 • City and municipality 586.91 km2 (226.61 sq mi)
 • Urban 13.189 km2 (5.092 sq mi)
Elevation 375 m (1,230 ft)
Population (2011)
 • City and municipality 95,576
 • Density 160/km2 (420/sq mi)
 • Urban 40,827
 • Urban density 3,100/km2 (8,000/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 50000
Area code(s) +383 390
Car plates 07

Gjakova (Albanian: Gjakovë) or Đakovica (Serbian Cyrillic: Ђаковица) is a city and municipality in western Kosovo. Gjakova is one of the largest cities in Kosovo and ranks 5th with a population of 94,556. It is also the administrative centre of the homonymous district.

Geographically, it is located in the south-western part of Kosovo, about halfway between the cities of Peć and Prizren. It is approximately 100 km (62 mi) inland from the Adriatic Sea. The city is situated some 208 kilometres north-east of Tirana, 145 kilometres north-west of Skopje, 80 kilometres west of the capital Pristina, 435 kilometres south of Belgrade and 263 kilometres east of Podgorica.

The city of Gjakova has been populated since the prehistoric era. During the ottoman period, Gjakova served as a trading center on the route between Shkodër and Istanbul. It was also one of the most developed trade centers at that time in the Balkans. Gjakova has always been considered as a city where tolerance and coexistence in terms of religion and culture has been part of the society in the last centuries.

The Albanian name for the town is Gjakova, while the Serbian name is Đakovica with the common -ica diminutive placename suffix. There are several theories on the origin of the village name, such as from the personal name Jakov; the Serbian word (pupil); or from the Albanian word for "blood" ().


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