Rahovec
Town and municipality in Kosovo
Rahovec (Albanian definite form: Rahoveci) or Orahovac (Serbian Cyrillic: Ораховац), is a town and municipality located in the District of Gjakova in Kosovo. According to the 2024 census, the town of Rahovec has 13,642 inhabitants, while the municipality has 41,799 inhabitants. It is also the center of the sports clubs KF Rahoveci, KB Rahoveci and KH Rahoveci.
01Etymology
The name of the town and municipality is of Serbian origin and is derived from the Proto-Slavic word orěhъ, meaning nux (English: nut). The name Rahovec comes from an Albanised pronunciation of Orahovac.
02Geography
Rahovec is located in southwestern Kosovo and is part of the district of Gjakova. To the north, it shortly borders Klina, to the northeast Malisheva, to the southeast Suhareka and Mamusha, to the south Prizren, and to the west Gjakova. The distance from the capital city of Kosovo, Prishtina, is approximately 60 km (37 mi). The municipality covers an area of approximately 276 km2 (107 sq mi) and it includes 35 villages.
03Demographics
| 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% |
| 2024 | 41,799 | −2.25% |
| Source: ASK Data | ||
According to the last census of 2024 of Kosovo Agency of Statistics, the municipality of Rahovec has 41,799 while the town in itself has 13,642 inhabitants.
Of the 41,799 inhabitants, 40,491 (96.87%) are Albanians and other ethnicities mostly include Serbs and other ethnic groups.
Local Pidgin Language
The town was known for a language known locally as "Rahovecionshe" or "Raveqki", which is a mixture of Albanian and Torlakian Serbian. Its use has declined rapidly after the Kosovo War and nowadays it is nearly extinct. 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.
04Economy
Rahovec is especially known for its vineyards and wines.
05Notable people
- Shkëlzen Maliqi (born 1947), Kosovo Albanian former politician, born in Rahovec.
- Ajet Shehu (born 1990), English footballer, born in Rahovec.
- Ukshin Hoti (1943-1999), Kosovo Albanian activist, politician, and philosopher, born in Krusha e Madhe.
- Meriton Korenica (born 1996), Kosovo Albanian footballer playing for CFR Cluj and the Kosovo national football team, born in Rahovec.
- 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.
- Kida (born 1997), Kosovo Albanian female singer
- Bylbyl Sokoli (born 1957), Kosovan football manager and politician
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Rahovec”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Clock Tower in Rahovec.jpg by Bujar Imer Gashi, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Vreshtat e Rahovecit.jpg by Bleron Caka, CC BY 4.0
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