I have been working for the United Nations Mission in Kosovo since July 2001.
For a short geography lesson, Kosovo is a widely debated province (or former province depending on who you talk to 
of Serbia (former Yugoslavia).
Kosovo is landlocked, sharing borders with Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, and the now independent Montenegro. For a quick general geographic reference, it is north of Greece, east of Italy, and west of Bulgaria
Coming over for the first time?
Need some tips on living conditions and what to bring?
Wondering where to eat?
Visit my Kosovo Restaurant Guide!
Wondering about stray dogs in Kosovo?
Read my Stray Dogs in Kosovo – An epidemic problem
How about a laugh? Read the Kosovo Driver’s Handbook or Poverty in Kosovo
View Photos from Around Kosovo Visit my photo album or my bud’s site Kosovo in Pictures
The Status Proposal Read Ahtisaari’s proposal to the Security Council
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Major International Organizations
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| United Nations Mission in Kosovo Official Site of UN Mission in Kosovo |
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| EULEX Official Site of the EU Police & Justice Mission in Kosovo |
ICO Official Site of the EU International Civilian Office in Kosovo |
| US Office Pristina Official Site of the US Office | KFOR(Kosovo Force)Official Site of the NATO Force in Kosovo |
| EuropeanUnionEU Pillar of UNMIK – Closed June 2008 | Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Official Site of OSCE Mission in Kosovo |
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Civilian
Police Sites |
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| UNMIKCivilian Police
Official Site of the United Nations Civilian Police (CivPol) It is pretty outdated (2002/2003) but it still has some valid information. |
Civilian Police InternationalThe current contract holder for Civilian Police serving in Kosovo.
A company that is said to treat the employees a bit more like a human than a number compared to others! |
| Secure AspectsDubbed as the “water cooler” for law enforcement professionals, the site features a forum, store, and monthly journal.
There also is a job search engine for positions around the world.Civpol.orgA discussion and support forum for International Civilian Police Officers. You may need knee-high boots to wade through the poo but there are occasional good discussions. You’ll see me posting occasional information as mtcowgirl |
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Kosovo Tourism
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| In Your Pocket Guide to Kosovo
A great guide with hotels, restaurants, and cultural sites. The guides are sold in Kosovo but an abridged version is available for free download. The actual guide does only cost 3 Euros so I recommend to go out and get the full version. |
Visit KosovoThe official site of the Ministry of Tourism. For some reason it is difficult to access the pages, you get errors off the site a LOT. But there is still some good info when you are able to navigate the site. |
| International Charities Operating in Kosovo
Some people wish to donate to charity or get involved in community service when they arrive in Kosovo. There are a plethora of international organizations operating in Kosovo. The one that I have listed below help the children of Kosovo, the future of the region.I urge anyone coming to the mission not to give money to children coming into the cafes. Instead, buy the child a hot chocolate during the winter or a coke during the summer.
Give children begging on the streets something to eat. The problem with giving these children money is that they often do not see any of it. Their parents are often standing outside or sitting further down the sidewalk waiting for the child to get money, and then they take whatever is “earned”. |
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| SOS Kinderdorf International SOS Kinderdorf operates an orphanage (transit-home) in Kosovo as well as a kindergarten. | Healing Hearts Works with women & children suffering after the Kosovo Conflict. Promotes multi-ethnic activities and rebuilding of social bonds. |
| Other International Aid Agencies | |
| International Red Cross ICRC stopped most of their assistance operations at the end of 2003 but they still assist displaced families. | Mercy Corps Mercy Corps is involved in rebuilding infrastructure, agriculture programs, and minority returns. |
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Kosovo & Balkan News
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| Google News for Kosovo The latest Kosovo news from around the world. Probably one of best places to get news. | SoutheastEuropean Times A great resource for the Balkans, not just Kosovo. News for Kosovo |
| FocusKosovoA bi-monthly publication from the UNMIK Division of Public Information | KosovoFact File from BBC News
In-Depth
Focus on Kosovo from CNN |
| KosovaLive — News from KosovoYou can get the headlines for free. Articles on subscription basis. | RadioFree Europe (Southeast) |
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