Natural resources are abundant in
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
. Kosovo is mainly rich in lignite and mineral resources such as:
coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal is formed when dea ...
,
zinc
Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...
,
lead
Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...
,
silver
Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
and
chromium
Chromium is a chemical element with the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in group 6. It is a steely-grey, lustrous, hard, and brittle transition metal.
Chromium metal is valued for its high corrosion resistance and hardne ...
, but also with productive agricultural land.
Kosovo is also rich in forests, rivers, mountains and soil; Kosovo is especially rich in coal, being aligned among European countries as the third with the largest coal reserves.
Kosovo possesses around 14,700 billion tons of lignite in reserves, which aligns Kosovo as the country with the fifth largest lignite reserves in the world.
Natural resources through history
Natural resources in Kosovo were once the "backbone of industry". However, output is currently low due to insufficient investments in equipment. Among these natural resources that were previously important in the Kosovo economy were minerals and metals such as:
lignite
Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible, sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35%, and is considered the lowest rank of coal due to its relatively low heat ...
, aluminum, chrome, magnesium,
nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive but large pieces are slow to ...
, lead, zinc, and several different construction materials.
Kosovo was historically a mining district for the former
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
. The industrial complex
Trepça in
Mitrovica "was the largest mining operation in the former Yugoslavia".
During the time of Yugoslavia, Kosovo possessed 50% of all of Yugoslavia's nickel reserves, 36% of lignite, 48% of lead and zinc reserves, 47% of the magnesium reserves, and 32.4% of
kaolinite
Kaolinite ( ) is a clay mineral, with the chemical composition Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4. It is an important industrial mineral. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet of silica () linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedral ...
reserves.
During this time, mining was Kosovo's growth engine; however, the sector faced a decline from the 1990s.
Even prior to Yugoslavia, the region's natural resources were explored and extracted. During the reign of King
Milutin (mid 14th century) the mine in
Novo Brdo
Novo Brdo ( sr-Cyrl, Ново Брдо), or Novobërda and Artana ( sq-definite, Novobërdë or ''Artanë''), is a municipality located in the Pristina district of Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, it has a population of 6,729 inhabitants. Th ...
was considered the richest mine with silver in the Balkans, while the other two mines in Kosovo after Artana were
Trepça and
Janjevo
Janjevo () or Janjevë (in Albanian) is a village or small town in the Lipljan municipality in eastern Kosovo.
The settlement has a long history, having been mentioned for the first time in 1303 as a Catholic parish. The town was prior to the K ...
.
During the mid 14th and 15th century, Artana was the heart of the local economy, it was known as the city of silver and gold. Due its enormous importance, it was also highly protected and was the last city to fall in the hands of the
Ottomans
The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922).
Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...
during the invasion in the 15th century.
Data from 1931 to 1998 show that total production by the industrial complex Trepça during this time was:
* Lead: 2,066,000 tons
* Zinc: 1,371,000 tons
* Silver: 2,569 tons
*
Bismuth: 4,115 tons
* Cadmium (1968–1987) 1,655 tons.
From 1922 up to 2004, cumulative exploitation of lignite reserves amounted to 265Mt.
However, from September 2005 to the latest data in 2007, Trepça only produced lead, zinc and copper at an average of 5,000 tons per month. Some published research claims that Trepça still has potential for production of 999,000 tons of lead, 670,000 tons of zinc, and 2,200 tons of silver.
Although mining of Kosovo's most noted mineral resources such as lead, zinc and silver was an important part of its economy prior to 1999, active mining of lead, zinc and silver mines was halted at the start of the
Kosovo conflict.
Although these mines present a good opportunity for investment, their privatization has been difficult due to ownership issues.
Total natural resource rents in 2010, as calculated by the World Bank were 1.52% of GDP. Agriculture has also been an important sector of the economy in Kosovo due to its richness in agricultural land. It used to constitute 25% of the total output in Kosovo.
However, today, the use of agriculture land is fairly low in Kosovo. 53% of the total land in Kosovo is considered to be arable land.
The average farm is around 1.4 hectares.
Land
Since it is the surface upon which most economic activities occur, land is one of the most important natural resources contributing towards economic development. Kosovo has a total surface area of 10,877 square kilometers which is classified as: 53 to 54.23% agricultural land, 40.92% forest land and 4.85% infertile land.
Kosovo possesses a wide variety of soils. It is assessed that 15% of the soil in Kosovo is high quality soil, followed by 29% of medium quality, so 56% of all soil is poor quality soil, while the high and medium quality make up 44% of the soil in Kosovo.
The high and medium quality soil is composed 11% by humus soil, 8.4% grey carbonate land, 7.8% alluvial soil, and other dark and serpentine soils.
The poor quality soil is composed of diluvial lands, swamps, acidic grey soils and other infertile soils, and it mainly lies on hilly areas and mountains.
Agricultural land
The main economic activity in Kosovo is agriculture due to its underdevelopment.
54.23% of the land in Kosovo is qualified to be agricultural land, or 342,400 hectares of its area. However, the formal agricultural sector employs only 3.9% of the people in the workforce.
Out of the 54.23% of land which is agricultural land, 15% of it is considered to be agricultural land of good quality, 29% of medium quality agricultural land and the remaining 56% is of poorer quality land.
Forest land
Forests have a great importance in Kosovo and they are one of the greatest natural resources of Kosovo. They encompass 40.92% of the total land area in Kosovo.
Forests in Kosovo are of high importance because they are rich in biodiversity. Kosovo has a total of 464,800 hectares of forests, and another 28,200 hectares of forest land.
Flora
Kosovo possess one of the richest
flora
Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''.
E ...
in the
Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
, although it encompasses only 2.3% of the area in the Balkans.
The most important in these regards are the mountains
Albanian Alps and the
Sharr Mountains
Dragash or Sharr ( sq-definite, Dragashi or ''Sharri'') or Dragaš ( sr-cyr, Драгаш), is a town and municipality located in the Prizren District of Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Dragash has 1,098 inhabitants, while the ...
. Up to now, approximately 2,500 species of flora have been identified in Kosovo.
This high plant diversity in Kosovo represents a valuable natural resource, especially considering its low surface area. However, even with these rich resources, the flora in Kosovo has not been used to the benefit of the economy, not even in the past.
Wood
Wood is used in Kosovo as the main source of heating. Studies reveal that households in Kosovo consume 7.58 m
3 of wood each during one year, or a total consumption of 1.525 million m
3 per year.
Water
Kosovo can secure around of water per year from its underground water and river flows.
Kosovo possesses relatively low reserves of water as compared to its needs. The per capita water per year in Kosovo is estimated to be at 1,600 m
3/s.
The average annual water flow in Kosovo is calculated to be approximately 3.8 x 10
9 or 121.2 m
3/s. Total accumulated volume of water in current accumulation points is 569.69 million m
3. Apart from having insufficient water resources to meet its people's and economy's needs, Kosovo is also characterized by an unequal distribution of water across its surface.
Hydropower
Hydropower (from el, ὕδωρ, "water"), also known as water power, is the use of falling or fast-running water to Electricity generation, produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by energy transformation, converting the Pot ...
is only modestly used, due to its low potential. Water resources are mostly located in the western part, as opposed to the East and South East which have smaller reserves but larger needs for water.
There is lack of research regarding
groundwater
Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in rock and soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. About 30 percent of all readily available freshwater in the world is groundwater. A unit of rock or an unconsolidate ...
reserves in Kosovo. Groundwater reserves in Kosovo are mainly located in different formations of rocks. Although these reserves have a high importance for drinking water needs as well as
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
and
industry, they are mainly used through private wells. In the area of the
White Drin river basin there are several groundwater accumulations, which have a total area of 998 km
2, usable volume of 271×10
6 m
3 and an estimated total capacity of 511×10
6 m
3.
Lakes
In Kosovo, there are only few natural lakes. Among its artificial lakes are:
Radoniq,
Gazivoda,
Batllava,
Përlepnicë and
Badovc, which have the following characteristics:
Gazivoda Lake
Gazivoda Lake ( sq, Liqeni i Gazivodës, ''Liqeni i Ujëmani''), Gazivode Lake ( sr, Језеро Газиводе / ''Jezero Gazivode''), is an artificial lake in Kosovo and Serbia. Gazivoda Lake has an area of of which reside in North of Kos ...
:
* Area of basin:
* Average water flow: 13.5 m
3/s
* Total volume of accumulation: 390 m
3
Lake Batllava
Batllava Lake; sr, Batlavsko jezero, name=a refers to both an artificial lake and resort located in Kosovo.
History
Batllava Lake's dam started to be built in 1961 and was finished in 1965. The purpose of its construction was to supply water ...
:
* Area of basin:
* Average water flow: 1.06 m
3/s
* Total volume of accumulation: 30 m
3
Badovc Lake:
* Area of basin:
* Average water flow: 1.05 m
3/s
* Total volume of accumulation: 26.4 m
3
Radoniq Lake
Radoniq Lake or Radonjić Lake ( sq, Liqeni i Radoniqit; sr, Радоњићко језеро / ''Radonjićko jezero'') is a lake in Kosovo. After only Gazivoda Lake, it is the second largest in the territory of Kosovo, at 5.62 km2.
In 1998, ...
:
* Area of basin:
* Average water flow: 0.16 m
3/s
* Total volume of accumulation: 113 m
3
Rivers
From the rivers in Kosovo:
* 50.7% belong to (flow to) the
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...
, these are:
Ibar Ibar may refer to:
People
* Ibar of Beggerin (died 500), Irish saint
* Íbar of Killibar Beg, Irish saint
* Hilmi Ibar (born 1947), Kosovar academic
* José Ibar (born 1969), Cuban baseball player
Places
* Ibar District, a division of the Serbia ...
,
Morava e Binçës
Morava may refer to:
Rivers
* Great Morava (''Velika Morava''; or only Morava), a river in central Serbia, and its tributaries:
** South Morava (''Južna Morava'')
*** Binač Morava (''Binačka Morava'')
** West Morava (''Zapadna Morava'')
* Mora ...
and
Sitnica together with its branches
Llapi and
Drenica
Drenica ( al, Drenicë, Drenica, ), also known as the Drenica Valley, is a hilly region in central Kosovo, covering roughly around of Kosovo's total area (6%). It consists of two municipalities, Drenas and Skenderaj, and several villages in Klin ...
;
* 43.5% to the
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...
, these are:
White Drin and its branches in Deçani, Peje, Prizren,
Erenik,
Klina
Klina ( sq-definite, Klinë; Serbian Cyrillic: ) is a town and municipality located in the District of Peja of north-western Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Klina has 5,542 inhabitants, while the municipality has 38,496 inhabitan ...
, Topluha Plava and
Mirusha Waterfalls;
* and 5.8% to the
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea ; tr, Ege Denizi (Greek language, Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος: "Egéo Pélagos", Turkish language, Turkish: "Ege Denizi" or "Adalar Denizi") is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It ...
, these are:
Lepenci river and its branch
Nerodimka.
The rivers in Kosovo have irregular flows during the year, but they typically have high flows in the Winter season and early Spring. The four main rivers in Kosovo are:
White Drin,
Lepenci,
Morava and
Iber. The river White Drin is the longest river in Kosovo with a length of . Below are the length and surface area of the main rivers in Kosovo:
Thermal and mineral water
Kosovo also enjoys rich reserves of thermal and mineral water. Although little attention has been given to these resources, the data collected thus far shows that there are around 30 sources of thermal and mineral water in Kosovo. The main sources of such waters are: "Banja e Pejës", "Banjska" and "Banja e Kllokotit", for which there are also more data since they also operate as "healing thermal baths". Although these sources of water are suitable also for thermal power generation, they are mainly used for healing and recreational purposes. The range of the temperature of these sources of water is between 17 and 54
0C and the mineralization degree ranges from 2 to 5 g/L. These thermal and mineral water sources in Kosovo have in their composition also
hydrocarbon
In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons are examples of group 14 hydrides. Hydrocarbons are generally colourless and hydrophobic, and their odors are usually weak or ex ...
s,
sulfates, magnesium and
calcium
Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar to ...
.
The following table present the physical-chemical characteristics of some thermo-minerals sources in Kosovo:
Fisheries
Fisheries are evident in Kosovo in most of the freshwater sources; however, there is a lack of fisheries management which makes the maintenance of fisheries difficult. The main fish species found in Kosovo are:
trout
Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salmoni ...
,
catfish
Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, ...
, luce,
perch
Perch is a common name for fish of the genus ''Perca'', freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which three species occur in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Percif ...
, roach,
sneep etc.
Mineral resources
Kosovo's main mineral resources are: lead, zinc, silver, nickel, cobalt, chrome, lignite, copper, bauxite, magnesium,
iron
Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in f ...
, and several industrial minerals such as:
kaolin
Kaolinite ( ) is a clay mineral, with the chemical composition Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4. It is an important industrial mineral. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet of silica () linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedral ...
,
bentonite, quartz,
halloysite,
diatomite,
garnet
Garnets () are a group of silicate minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives.
All species of garnets possess similar physical properties and crystal forms, but differ in chemical composition. The different s ...
, asbestos and
leucites.
Mineral resources in Kosovo are estimated to be worth 13.5 billion euros, based on a survey by the Directorate for Mines and Minerals and the World Bank, from which 6.5 billion euros are attributed to the Mine in Sibofc alone, 3 billion to
Trepča, 2 billion to Ferronikel and another 2 billion to other resources across Kosovo.
Although the former director for mines and minerals, Hengstmann, claimed of this value, the expert for mines, Adil Januzi claimed that Kosovo's natural resources are of even higher value since Kosovo possesses only lignite of over 13 billion tonnes.
The industrial complex Trepča alone possesses more than 60 mineral species which have been identified thus far.
Metallic materials
Estimations amount to a worth of over 1 billion dollars of reserves of lead, zinc, silver,
manganese
Manganese is a chemical element with the symbol Mn and atomic number 25. It is a hard, brittle, silvery metal, often found in minerals in combination with iron. Manganese is a transition metal with a multifaceted array of industrial alloy use ...
, nickel and
boron
Boron is a chemical element with the symbol B and atomic number 5. In its crystalline form it is a brittle, dark, lustrous metalloid; in its amorphous form it is a brown powder. As the lightest element of the ''boron group'' it has th ...
.
The reserves of the main mineral resources in Kosovo are calculated to be:
* Lignite: around 13 billion tons
* Lead and zinc: 59 billion tons
* Bauxites: 2.7 billion tons
* Nickel: 13 billion tons
* Magnesium: 4.1 billion tons
A mineral deposit known as Artana is situated at the eastern part of Prishtina, around 18 km from it. Artana is calculated to contain 9 million tons of ore, with an average content of 2.5% Zn (zinc), 2.3% Pb (lead) and 92 ppm Ag (silver). While the three main minerals found in this deposit are lead, zinc and silver, other elements such as
cadmium
Cadmium is a chemical element with the symbol Cd and atomic number 48. This soft, silvery-white metal is chemically similar to the two other stable metals in group 12, zinc and mercury. Like zinc, it demonstrates oxidation state +2 in most of ...
(Cd), bismuth (Bi), gold (Au) etc. are also identified. Lead and zinc are found in Kosovo in the following mines:
Stari Trg mine
The Stari Trg mine (Serbian: Рудник Стари Трг, ''Rudnik Stari Trg'') is one of the largest lead and zinc mines in Kosovo. The mine is located in Leposavić. The mine has reserves amounting to 0.432 million tonnes of ore grading 5.1% l ...
,
Crnac mine, Artana mine,
Hajvalia
Hajvalia ( sq, Hajvalia, sr-Cyrl, Ајвалија) is a village or suburb southeast of Pristina, located 635 meters above sea level. It lies in the municipality of Prishtina. It has approximately 2,300 homes and 7 391 (2011) inhabitants. A smal ...
, Kizhnica, Badovc etc. Magnesium is found in:
Strezovc and
Golesh. Limestone mines are: Sharrcem. Chrome is found in Deve. Bauxite is found in Klina.
Base metal
A base metal is a common and inexpensive metal, as opposed to a precious metal such as gold or silver. In numismatics, coins often derived their value from the precious metal content; however, base metals have also been used in coins in the past ...
exports account for a large proportion of total exports, at approximately 63%, and they have continued to increase. From 19 million euros worth of base metal exports in 2004, they increased to 124 million euros in 2008.
From 47 million euros in 2007, iron and
steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
exports increased to 105 million euros in 2008. Following this increase in exports, a decline in demand began by the end of 2008.
Lead
Kosovo is rich with lead. The Trepça mining complex alone is estimated to possess deposits of lead at 425,000 tons.
Lead is produced in
Mitrovica, while the mineral reserves for producing lead are found in: Stanterg,
Artana, and
Kopaonik. These minerals contain rare metals such as: Ag, Au, Bi, Sb, Mn, Cu, Ge, Te, Ta and Se. The reserves are calculated to be worth 41.2 million tons. Lead has a utility coefficient of 95-98% while the production of lead, as it was estimated in 1987 was around 100,000 t of lead per year. The lead produced in Kosovo is utilized in three main industries in Kosovo:
* In Mitrovica, in the Accumulator industry, where 35,000 tons per year are used
* in
Peja
Peja ( Indefinite Albanian form: ''Pejë'' ) or Peć ( sr-Cyrl, Пећ ) is the fourth largest city of Kosovo and seat of Peja Municipality and Peja District. It is situated in the region of Rugova on the eastern section of the Accursed Mount ...
, in the industrial accumulators, where 12,000 tons per year are used
* in
Skenderaj
Skenderaj ( sq-definite, Skënderaj or ''Skënderaji'') or Srbica ( sr-Cyrl, Србица) is a town and municipality located in the Mitrovica District of Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Skënderaj has 9,372 inhabitants, while ...
, in the factory for hunting munitions, where 8,500 tons per year were used
While another considerable amount goes to the industries of the former Yugoslavia.
The lead concentrate prepared in Mitrovica has the following chemical composition:
* Pb: 73%
* Zn: 0.93%
* Cu: 0.09%
* Fe: 3.10%
* S: 16.4%
* As: 0.14%
* At: 0.18%
* SiO
2: 3.3%
* Ag, Cd, Bi, etc.: 1,425 g/t
Zinc
Kosovo is also rich in zinc which is also produced in Mitrovica. Trepça complex alone is estimated to contain 415,000 tons of zinc.
Since the mineral base for zinc is the same as lead, they are usually called lead-zinc minerals. The zinc concentrate is somewhat similar to Lead in components, the chemical structure of zinc produced in Mitrovica is as follows:
* Pb: 0.85%
* Zn: 47.0%
* Fe: 9.12%
* S: 29.52%
* As well as As, Mg, Cd, Ca, Ag, Hg.
About 20,000 tons per year of zinc produced are used in Vushtrri as zinc tin, and about 60,000 tons per year in
Gjakovë
Gjakova, ) and Đakovica ( sr-Cyrl, Ђаковица, ) is the seventh largest List of cities and towns in Kosovo, city of Kosovo and seat of Gjakova Municipality and District of Gjakova, Gjakova District. The city has 40,827 inhabitants, while ...
as zinc in tubes and ropes.
Silver, bismuth and cadmium
Trepça alone is estimated to contain 800 tons of silver.
During 1978–1988, not only was lead produced, but also some quantities of silver, gold, cadmium and bismuth. The quantities produced were: 200 tons Ag (silver) per year, 150 tons Bi (bismuth) per year, 120 kg Au (gold) per year, and 300 tons Cd (cadmium) per year. The processing of such metals has also developed in some regions of Kosovo, such as: processing of gold and silver in
Prizren
)
, settlement_type = Municipality and city
, image_skyline = Prizren Collage.jpg
, imagesize = 290px
, image_caption = View of Prizren
, image_alt = View of Prizren
, image_flag ...
, in amounts of approximately 20 kg Au monthly and 1,000 kg Ag monthly, also the production of nickel-cadmium batteries in Prizren, at about 100 tons Cd per year.
Iron, manganese, copper, uranium, titanium, thorium
Although there are indications of such sources of minerals, investigations are still ongoing and not determined. Up to know, there have been some sources of iron noticed in the areas of: - Petrashticë-
Shtime (44% iron and 2.5% Cr
2O
3), Tërstenik (40% iron and 3.5% Cr
2O
3), and Sedllarë (
Kamenica, 40% iron).
Manganese is usually found accompanying lead and zinc. The regions of Novobërdë, Brod, and
Dragash contain manganese resources of economic interest. These reserves contain an average chemical structure of manganese at 22.2% and are estimated to be around 5 million tons.
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
is found in the following locations:
*
Pashtrik
Pashtrikë or Pashtrik ( sq, Pashtriku) or Paštrik ( sr-Cyrl, Паштрик), is a mountain located in Kosovo and Albania. Its highest peak is located on their mutual border. It is high. The White Drin river passes along by it. Mount Pashtrik i ...
, at 1.0% copper
*
Rahovec
Rahovec ( sq-definite, Rahoveci) or Orahovac (Serbian Cyrillic: Ораховац) is a town and municipality located in the District of Prizren in western Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Rahovec has 15,892 inhabitants, while th ...
,
Guri i Kuq
Guri i Kuq ( sq, Guri i Kuq or ''Guri i Verdhë''; sr, Жути камен, ''Žuti kamen'', translated as "yellow rock") is a mountain in the Prokletije in Kosovo. Reaching a height of high, it is one of the highest mountains in the range. , between 1.2 and 2.73% copper
* Rexhanc,
Đeneral Janković
Hani i Elezit or Elez Han ( sq-definite, Han i Elezit or ''Hani i Elezit''; sr, Ђенерал Јанковић, ''Đeneral Janković''; officially Елез Хан, ''Elez Han'') is a town and municipality located in the Ferizaj District of Ko ...
, concentration undetermined
* and Mountains of
Deçani, concentration undetermined.
Bauxites
The use
bauxite
Bauxite is a sedimentary rock with a relatively high aluminium content. It is the world's main source of aluminium and gallium. Bauxite consists mostly of the aluminium minerals gibbsite (Al(OH)3), boehmite (γ-AlO(OH)) and diaspore (α-AlO(O ...
in Kosovo started in 1966 and it is now found in the
Grebnik Mountain,
the reserves of which amount to 1.7 million tons of bauxite.
Apart from the bauxite reserves, 2 tons of alumina are found in four tons of bauxite, from which then aluminum is produced. This means that the Grebnik mountain potentially contains 425,000 tons of aluminum.
The chemical structure of bauxite in Kosovo is:
* Al
2O
3: 46 to 52%
* SiO
2: 1 to 4.5%
* Fe
2O
3: 33 to 38%
* TiO
2: 1.8 to 2.7%
The mineral masses of bauxite range from thousands to millions of tons, and 20 to 200m. The newest bauxite reserves which are usable amount to 2.7 million tons (of categories A, B and C1), with another 40 million tons of limestone accompanying them. While no capacity for processing bauxite was created in Kosovo, the bauxite produced is mainly exported to several countries such as
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
and
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
.
Chromium
In Kosovo, there are only few chromium sources and they are spread in the regions of
Brezovica,
Gjakova
Gjakova, ) and Đakovica ( sr-Cyrl, Ђаковица, ) is the seventh largest city of Kosovo and seat of Gjakova Municipality and Gjakova District. The city has 40,827 inhabitants, while the municipality has 94,556 inhabitants.
Geographicall ...
,
Luboten
Ljuboten ( Serbian and mk, ) or Luboten (in Albanian) is a peak of the Šar Mountains located on the border between Kosovo and North Macedonia. Its elevation is .
Ljuboten, although not the highest peak of the range, is somewhat isolated fr ...
, Rahovec and Golesh. Chromium is extracted in Gjakova from Deva mining. The average chromium chemical structure is 44% Cr
2O
3. Although there are no definite data on the amount of chromium resources in Kosovo, up to 2008 total chromium production was around 102 million tons.
Gold
Gold in Kosovo is found accompanying copper, lead, and zinc, as well as some clean reserves in alluvial rivers. Gold is found in the Artana mine where its composition is high and it is in measurable levels. Artana is the source with the highest gold content in Kosovo, where deposits are estimated to be approximately 2,700 kg. Gold is also found in lead and zinc ores with an average content of 0.8 grams per ton. It has been calculated that from 1939 up to 1989, gold production in Kosovo amounted to approximately 11.9 tons.
Non-metallic materials
Quartz grit
Kosovo possesses quartz grit (SiO
2) in its eastern, southern and central part. Quartz grit is a high-quality industrial mineral, and is mainly used for construction materials. Its average chemical structure is:
* SiO
2: 95 to 97%
* Al
2O
3: 0.95 to 2.39%
* Fe
2O
3: 0.09 to 0.2%
* CaO: 0.81 to 1.21%
Although there are several areas in Kosovo rich in quartz, research on this mineral is not complete. Reserves are calculated to be around 340,000 m
3.
Magnesium carbonate
Several locations in Kosovo contain magnesium carbonate (MgCO
3), such as
Strezovce and Goleš.
The chemical structure of these minerals is:
* MgO: 44.49%
* SiO
2: 2.5 to 6%
* CaO: 0.9 to 5%
Prior to 1990, on average, annual production was 110,000 tons of magnesite, 22,000 tons of sintered magnesia and 10,000 tons of caustic calcined magnesia.
In total, around 4.6 million tons of this mineral have been used up to now.
Total current reserves are: 2.4 million tons in Magure and another 1.7 million tons in Strezovce.
Argil
Argil
Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4).
Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay parti ...
in Kosovo is found in several locations, such as: Gjakovë,
Dardanë, Landovicë, Skënderaj, Klinë, Pejë, Viti,
Ferizaj,
Pristina
Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians and ...
and
Podujeva
Podujevo ( sr-Cyrl, Подујево), Podujeva, or Besiana ( sq-definite, Podujevë or ''Besianë''), is a city and municipality in Kosovo's Pristina District. According to the 2011 census, the city of Podujeva has 23,453 inhabitants, while ...
.
In total, the argil reserves are assessed to be 2 billion tons.
The chemical structure of argil, which is used mainly to produce bricks and tiles is:
* SiO
2: 56 to 62%
* Al
2O
3: 12.6 to 15.2%
* MgO: 2.9 to 3.2%
* CaO: 2.3 to 7%
Kaolin, bentonites and cement
Kosovo also possesses large reserves of kaolin (rocks rich in kaolinite), one of the largest in Kosovo located in Low Karaçeva, to the east
Gjilan
Gjilan, or Gnjilane ( sr-cyr, Гњилане) is the eighth largest city in Kosovo and seat of Gjilan Municipality and Gjilan District.
Name
Ottoman chronicler Evliya Çelebi mentions ''Morava'' as a settlement of the Sanjak of Vučitrn. ...
. This mine in Low Karaçeva has operated since 1965, and up to now, total kaolin reserves used are approximately 372,000 tons.
Overall, Kosovo possesses total kaolin reserves of approximately 15 million m
3 mainly spread in four fields.
Bentonite reserves in Kosovo are assessed to be at a total of 86 million tons, and they are mainly spread in seven mineral fields.
Cement
A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mix ...
reserves in Kosovo are assessed to be at a total of 95 million tons, and they are spread in "Hani i Elezit".
Decorative stone, limestone, and grit
Kosovo possesses a total of 3 billion tons of marble (black marble, onyx, green marble) and they are mainly found in Deçan and Peja.
Limestone reserves are estimated to be around 10 billion tons, while grit found in rivers is estimated to be at 1 billion tons.
Fuels
Lignite
Kosovo is mostly rich in lignite and lignite accounts for 97% of electricity generation in Kosovo. Kosovo's reserves of lignite are aligned as fifth in the world, at around 14 Billion tons.
The lignite in Kosovo is found in three main basins: Kosovo basin, Dukagjin basin and Drenica basin.
The Kosovo basin has so far been the main basin used for mining. Lignite exploitation in Kosovo was first recorded in 1922, in the Kosovo basin, when mining began.
Kosovo Basin has a surface area of 274 km
2. The Dukagjini basin has a surface area of 49 km
2. Other basins encompass a surface area of 5.1 km
2.The lignite in Kosovo is low in
sulfur
Sulfur (or sulphur in British English) is a chemical element with the symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with a chemical formula ...
content and has a good lime concentration which means it can absorb sulfur during
combustion
Combustion, or burning, is a high-temperature exothermic redox chemical reaction between a fuel (the reductant) and an oxidant, usually atmospheric oxygen, that produces oxidized, often gaseous products, in a mixture termed as smoke. Combusti ...
.
Overall, the lignite mines in Kosovo have among the most favorable characteristics in Europe.
Average stripping ratio of waste to coal is 1.7m
3 to 1, and it is of high quality for electricity generation.
The net calorific value of lignite in Kosovo varies between 6.28 and 9.21 MJ/kg, with an average of 7.8 MJ/kg.
The humidity ranges between 38 and 48%, the ash percentage between 9.84 and 21.32%, and sulfur content between 0.64 and 1.51%.
Kosovo has the second largest reserves of exploitable lignite in Europe, only after Germany and
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
.
Lignite is the major source of energy in Kosovo and will remain to be so due to its high reserves.
There are three main coal basins in Kosovo.
The
Kosovo basin has around 12 billion tons of lignite.
The coal in the Kosovo basin is of lignite type and its geological age is the Early Pontian P, 1.
The
Dukagjini basin contains three coal series:
* Mio Pliocene series, (before the
Pontian age
Pontian may refer to:
* Pope Pontian (died 235), 3rd-century Catholic Pope
* Pontian Greeks, a group of ethnic Greeks traditionally from the Pontus and Pontic Mountains regions in northern Turkey
* Pontian Islands, a group of islands on the coast o ...
)
* Early Pliocene series (during the Pontian age)
* Late Pliocene series (during the
Levantinian age Levantine may refer to:
* Anything pertaining to the Levant, the region centered around modern Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, and Jordan, including any person from the Levant
** Syria (region), corresponding to the modern countries of the Leva ...
)
The north of the Dukagjini basin is the most productive.
While the Kosovo basin is located in the east of Kosovo and Dukagjini in the west, the
Drenica basin lies in between them with the lowest potential compared to the other two. The Drenica basin consists of two coal-beds:
Skenderaj
Skenderaj ( sq-definite, Skënderaj or ''Skënderaji'') or Srbica ( sr-Cyrl, Србица) is a town and municipality located in the Mitrovica District of Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Skënderaj has 9,372 inhabitants, while ...
and Drenica.
While the Kosovo and Dukagjini Basin can be exploited for electricity generation, the smaller basin of Drenica cannot be utilised for energy production, although it can be exploited for industrial purposes; thus, it is not of any lower importance.
Mining and metal industry
There are two lead and zinc smelters in Trepča in Mitrovica, which are currently not operating because they were closed down during the
UNMIK administration in 2000. They were closed down because of their environmental hazards. There are also several other enterprises which have been privatized after the war, such as: Ferronikeli in 2005, Llamkos Galvasteel in 2005, and Sharrcem in 2000. These enterprises: Ferronikeli in Drenas, a nickel mining and smelting complex; Sharrcem in Han i Elezit, a miner of limestone and manufacturer of cement; and Llamkos Galvasteel in
Vushtrri, a manufacturer of steel, were "industrial champions" in the former Yugoslavia. Investments in the mining and metals sector in Kosovo have been very low and even declining during 2007–2011; however, this industry constitutes the largest portion of Kosovo's exports. The mining and metals industry provides almost 76% of the export revenues in Kosovo. This has also contributed to decreasing a portion of the rent-based income in Kosovo and increasing the real-economy income in Kosovo. Nevertheless, there are many structural imbalances in this sector and although it constitutes a high portion of the exports, the industry is also heavily dependent upon imports. The mining and metals industry in Kosovo shows a lack of internal integration, which means that there are few links in the production process between different segments in the industry and there is a need for investments in the field. Also, by establishing new enterprises in the mining and metals sector, Kosovo was able to decrease its current account deficit in 2011 by around 537 million Euros.
Although metal processing developed quickly within the mining and metal industry during 2003–2011 and it increased export revenues by 16-fold, it was not able to encourage production linkages within the industry. During 2009–2011 the only mining licenses issued were to existing companies in Kosovo and only 5 were issued for extraction projects. During 2003–2011 imports also increased of ore and ore concentrates which were then processed locally and re-exported. While ores extracted by private companies or at Trepča are exported and further on processed and refined out of Kosovo, the domestic manufacturing industry uses processed metals imported from abroad. Thus, there are no linkages within the metals and mining industry in Kosovo and the industry is fully dependent linked with external economies. The extractive sector, although it is increasing in importance, it still remains at a relatively low level of 1.1% of GDP (2010) and significantly lower than its level prior to the war and the 90s.
In 2008, the export of nickel ingots amounted to almost half of the whole exports value.
The mining sector contributes relatively low to
GDP (approximately 1%).
Base metals accounted for almost 33% of all exports in 2010. These figures align Kosovo among the countries which the World Bank evaluates as "mineral economies".
Institutions in the energy sector
The main institutions in the energy sector in Kosovo are: The Ministry of Energy and Mining, the Energy Regulatory Office and the Independent Commission for Mines and Minerals (ICMM), while some of the major enterprises are: the Kosovo energy Corporation (KEK) and the Kosovo Electricity Transmission System and Market Operator (
KOSTT
KOSTT j.s.c is a transmission system operator company with the headquarters in Pristina, Kosovo. It plays an important role in the energy sector in Kosovo. As a market operator it is responsible for the organization and administration of trades in ...
).
See also
*
Coal in Kosovo
Lignite coal in Kosovo is and will continue to be an important local energy source due to its high reserves. Kosovo is very rich in lignite and accounts around 90% of Kosovo's electricity production. The nation has the 5th largest lignite res ...
*
Economy of Kosovo
The economy of Kosovo is a transition economy. Kosovo was the poorest province of the former Yugoslavia with a modern economy established only after a series of federal development subsidies in the 1960s and the 1970s.
During the 1990s, the abolit ...
*
Forests of Kosovo
*
Geography of Kosovo
Kosovo is a small and landlocked country in Southeastern Europe. The country is strategically positioned in the center of the Balkan Peninsula enclosed by Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the north and east, North Macedonia to the southeast, a ...
*
Trepča Mines
References
{{Europe topic, Natural resources of
Geology of Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...