Kamenica, Kosovo

For other uses, see Kamenica.

Kamenica or Dardana (Albanian indefinite form: Kamenicë or Dardanë), or Kosovska Kamenica (Serbian Cyrillic: Косовска Каменица), is a town and municipality located in the Gjilan District of Kosovo. According to the 2024 census, the municipality of Kamenica has 22,868 inhabitants, while the town has 5,206 inhabitants.^[2]

Kamenica Kosovska Kamenica
Town and municipality
Panorama of the town of Kamenica
Flag Emblem
Kamenica Show map of Kosovo Kamenica Show map of Europe
Coordinates: 42°35′02″N 21°34′30″E
Country	Kosovo
District	Gjilan
Government
• Mayor	Kadri Rahimaj (LVV)
Area
• Municipality	424 km2 (164 sq mi)
• Rank	9th in Kosovo
Elevation	470 m (1,540 ft)
Population  (2024)[1]
• Municipality	22,868
• Density	54/km2 (140/sq mi)
• Urban	5,206
• Ethnicity	89.9% Albanians 8.2% Serbs 1.9% Other
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	62000
Area code	+383 280
Vehicle registration	06
Website	kk.rks-gov.net/kamenice

History

The Dardana Fortress

The Kamenica area, as the whole of Kosovo, was inhabited by the Dardani tribe, an Illyrian people. Traces of them have also been found in the archaeological site of the Dardana Fortress. The fortress was rebuilt later in the late Roman period.^[3]

Kamenica always had better than average inter-ethnic relations during the Yugoslav era. Tensions today are low because there was less violence than elsewhere during the Kosovo War.^[4]

Geography

The municipality of Kamenica lies in the east of Kosovo in a hilly and mountainous region. Kamenica is part of the geographical and ethnographic area of Gollak. It is bordered to the southwest by Ranillug, to the west by Novobërda, to the northwest by Prishtina and to the north and east it borders Serbia. Gjilan is located 30 km (19 mi) away, while Prishtina is around 75 km (47 mi) away from Kamenica.

Demographics

Municipal historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1948	37,677	—
1953	39,977	+1.19%
1961	43,058	+0.93%
1971	46,505	+0.77%
1981	48,320	+0.38%
1991	52,152	+0.77%
2011	36,085	−1.82%
2024	22,868	−3.45%
Source: Division of Kosovo

According to the 2024 census by the Kosovo Agency of Statistics, the municipality of Kamenica has 22,868 inhabitants.

The ethnic composition is predominantly Albanian, who constitute 89.9% of the population, followed by Serbs at 8.2%, with other ethnic groups making up 1.9%.^[2]

Politics

Elections for the Mayor of the Municipality and the Municipal Assembly are held every four years. The ballots are separate, where voters can choose from a list of contenders hailing from various political parties on one ballot, and on the other they can choose one candidate for the representative at the Municipal Assembly from a specific partisan or independent list.

Notable people

• Azem Vllasi, politician and lawyer
• Donat Rrudhani, footballer at FC Luzern
• Demir Krasniqi, musician
• Ermir Lenjani, footballer at FC Schaffhausen
• Leotrim Kryeziu, footballer at FC Prishtina
• Musa Hajdari, athlete
• Nuhi Berisha, revolutionary and founder of the People's Movement of Kosovo
• Qëndrim Ismajli, footballer at KF Tirana
• Rexhep Malaj, patriot and a symbol of Albanian national resistance
• Rrahim Beqiri, as known as Komandant Roki, KLA military officer

See also

• Municipalities of Kosovo