Kosovar Kaleidoscope Trivia Quiz

Answer: Fourteenth century

The Battle of Kosovo, which took place on 15 June 1389, is considered a defining moment in the development of a Serbian national identity. As such, this monument, built in 1953, was a logical place for Slobodan Milosevic to choose as the venue from which he delivered his 1989 speech which dramatically raised the level of ethnic tension in the region, and marked a further step towards the breakup of Yugoslavia.

The monument was built to resemble a medieval tower of the era of the original battle, and contains a plaque with 'The Kosovo Curse'. This poem, which first appeared in an 1845 collection of folk songs, and is traditionally attributed to Prince Lazar, curses all Serbs who did not support their comrades.

The Battle of Kosovo took place at Kosovo Polje, which literally means 'field of blackbirds', so the contemporary country's name could be rendered in English as Blackbird.

Answer: It was the centre of a valuable mining area, including silver and gold

Novo Brdo (a name meaning New Hill) was a significant mining area from the beginning of the thirteenth century. It was known for its silver, including glam silver (a mixture of silver and gold), as well as iron and lead mines. The fortress provided a safe residence for the miners. Ownership changed hands a number of times during the struggles for dominion between Serbs and Turks until the fortress was abandoned near the end of the seventeenth century when the mines were closed.

In 1892, many of its stones were used to build barracks for troops in Pristina.

The fortress was declared a Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1948, and systematic archeological excavations were set up in 1952. Amateur treasure hunters continue to dig for rumored treasures, hampering scientific research.

Answer: Skanderbeg

George Kastrioti Skanderbeg (whose name has a number of variants indifferent languages) lived from 1405 until 1468. An Albanian by birth, he served the Ottomans from 1423 to 1443 after having been abducted. He deserted in 1443 and established himself as ruler of several towns in the areas now considered to be Albania and Macedonia. From that base he established the League of Lezhe, sometimes considered the first Albanian state, and commanded their military forces. Subsequently participating in the Italian civil wars, he died during the Ottoman-Venetian War. The population of Kosovo is primarily of Albanian ethnicity - over 90% in 2005 - and this Albanian hero is widely venerated.

The Vivaldi opera referred to is 'Scanderbeg', first performed in 1718. Longfellow included 'The Spanish Jew's Second Tale: Scanderbeg' in his 1880 collection 'Tales of a Wayside Inn'. The three names that were incorrect options were all associated with Kosovo during the twentieth century. Josip Tito ruled Yugoslavia, of which Kosovo was a part; Ibrahim Rugova was the first president of (self-declared) independent Kosovo (1992-2000 and 2002-2006); Bujar Bukoshi was prime minister of Kosovo from 1991 to 2000.

Answer: Serbs and Montenegrins

All of these ethnic groups were part of Yugoslavia - it doesn't take much imagination to see why that federation had such problems with 'Unity and Brotherhood', which was the slogan adopted to describe the official policy of peaceful coexistence between the various groups.

This monument is one of many constructed to encourage popular support of the concept. In 2011 it was removed to allow construction of an underground carpark. Because it is seen as a tribute to Yugoslavia, it is unlikely to be returned when the area, which has been renamed Adem Jashari Square, is restored.

Answer: 17 February 2008

The monument was built in ten days of frantic construction, so that it could be unveiled on Independence Day. It is three metres tall, and 24 metres long (roughly 10 ft by 80 ft), and was signed on its first day with black permanent markers by around 150,000 people, including President Fatmir Sejdiu and Prime Minister Hashim Thaci. For the fifth anniversary in 2013 it was repainted to be covered with the flags of all the nations which had granted recognition to Kosovo.

The other dates in the question were also of significance in the history of Kosovo. 11 March 1981 was the first day of student protests that led to widespread anti-Serbian riots. A state of emergency was declared, and Yugoslav troops quelled the riots in early April. The 28th of June 1989 was the date of Milosevic's Gazimestan speech which further exacerbated ethnic tensions. 22 September 1992 was the date on which the Republic of Kosova, only recognized by Albania, was declared.

Answer: North Kosovo

North Kosovo includes the northern part of Mitrovica on its southern edge, and extends to the north. At the time when Kosovar independence was declared, there was speculation that it would be partitioned from the new country, and returned to Serbia (which still considers that the region is under its legal domain). The status of the disputed region is unclear due to contradictory references in a number of international agreements over the years.

The northern city of Kosovska Mitrovica (Serbian name) is just called Mitrovica in Albanian. It was one of the earliest cities established in Kosovo, and was named 'Civitas Sancti Demetrii' (City of Saint Demetrius) in honour of Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki, a Christian martyr from the fourth century who has had a number of cities named in his honour.

Answer: NATO

The Kosovo War (28 February 1998 - 11 June 1999) was fought between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (now divided into Serbia and Montenegro) and the Kosovo Liberation Army. NATO supported the KLA, and provided aerial support. The bombing campaign ran from 24 March 1999 until the war ended with the signing of the Kumanovo Treaty, in which Yugoslavia agreed to withdraw from Kosovo, and allow an international peacekeeping force to control the area.

The use of depleted uranium in weapons is controversial, due to the toxicity of the metal. Bomb fragments and residue can significantly increase the risk of developing illnesses associated with radiation exposure. It is used because it is very dense and very hard. This means that projectiles made of or coated with depleted uranium can be lighter and smaller than those using traditional metals, making it easier to deliver them with high precision.

Answer: Gjeravica

Gjeravica (the Albanian spelling has been used, as the Serbian one uses a crossed D, not available on my keyboard) is known for the many glacial lakes located on its slopes. The largest of them, Gjeravica Lake, is the source of the Erenik River, which flows southeast for about 50 km before terminating in the White Drin.

Great Rudoka (2,658 m or 8,720 ft), in the northern Sar mountains, is sometimes called the highest mountain in Kosovo, but there is some dispute as to whether the actual peak lies within Kosovo or not. If it is, then Gjeravica is only the second-highest peak, at 2656 m.

Answer: Snow skiing

The ski resort of Brezovica attracts the most tourists, but there is excellent skiing to be found in many other spots throughout the Sar Mountains. Brezovica was used as an alternative venue for the downhill races during the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, and continued to hold international races through the subsequent decades. If you prefer to visit in the summer months, you can hike the mountains, and observe the flowers, birds and butterflies.

Answer: Both have played football/soccer internationally

Besart Berisha played for a number of European clubs, including Tennis Borussia Berlin and Hamburger SV, before moving to the Australian A League as a striker with Brisbane Roar. He became a member of the Albanian national team in 2006.

Labinot Haliti moved to Sydney, Australia at the age of 14, so his football career started in Australia with the Sydney Olympics. After playing for several Australian clubs, he played for teams in Albania and Poland before returning to Australia and the Newcastle Jets in 2009.

These are only two of the many international sports figures born in what is now Kosovo. I chose them because they play the same sport, and do so in Australia at the time of writing this quiz.