Rahovec

Rahovec (definite Albanian form: Rahoveci) or Orahovac (Serbian Cyrillic: Ораховац) is a town and municipality located in the District of Gjakova in western Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Rahovec has 15,892 inhabitants, while the municipality has 56,208 inhabitants.

Rahovec
Rahovec (Albanian)
Ораховац / Orahovac (Serbian)
Town and Municipalities of Kosovo
Panorama of Orahovac
Panorama of Orahovac
Official logo of Rahovec
Emblem
Location of the municipality of Rahovec in Kosovo
Location of the municipality of Rahovec in Kosovo
Coordinates: 42°23′58″N 20°39′17″E
CountryKosovo
DistrictDistrict of Gjakova
Government
 • MayorSmajl Latifi (AAK)
 • Municipal278 km2 (107 sq mi)
Elevation
477 m (1,565 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Urban
15,892
 • Municipal
56,208
 • Municipal density200/km2 (520/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
21000
Area code+383 29
Car plates07/PZ
Websitekk.rks-gov.net/rahovec

Name

The Serbian name of the town, Orahovac, is derived from the Serbian orah, meaning "walnut".[1] The Albanian name Rahovec comes from an Albanised pronunciation of Orahovac.[1]

Ernst Eichler considers that the toponym delivers from Albanian term rrah.[2]

Geography and population

The municipality covers an area of approximately 276 km2 (107 sq mi) and contains 35 villages. In 2014 the town had a total population of 23,200 and the population of the municipality was 58,214.[3] In 2011 the municipality had a total population of 56,208.[4]

Demographics
Municipal historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
194827,335—    
195330,095+1.94%
196135,461+2.07%
197146,788+2.81%
198161,178+2.72%
199185,698+3.43%
201156,208−2.09%
2016
est.		58,908+0.94%
Source: Division of Kosovo

According to the last official census done in 2011, the municipality of Orahovac has 56,208 inhabitants.

Ethnic groups

The ethnic composition of the municipality:

Ethnic group 1991 census 2011 census
Albanians55,11955,166
Ashkali and Egyptians-703
Serbs3,938134
Romani-84
Others885121
Total59,94256,208

Language

The town is known for a local dialect, Rahovec dialect (ravëqki; rahovecianshe, gjuha e Rahovecit) which is a mixture of Albanian, Serbian, Turkish and Bulgarian languages. Its use has declined rapidly after the Kosovo War, with Albanian becoming the predominant language.[5]

Notable 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.
  • 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
  • Xhevdet Bajraj (1960–2022), poet and screenwriter who resided in Mexico.

References
  1. Skok, Petar (1988) [1971]. Etimologijski rječnik hrvatskoga ili srpskoga jezika (in Serbo-Croatian). Vol. 2. Zagreb: Jugoslavenska akademija znanosti i umjetnosti. p. 562. ISBN 86-407-0064-8. orah, pl. orasi ... praslav. orěhъ "nux". Pridjev na -ov orahov, poimeničen u topnimiji u sr. r. Orahovo, ... Orahov Do (Hercegovina), ... Oriovac, gen. -vca (toponim u Slavoniji) = Oravac, gen. -avca = Oraovac (1770, Kosmet) = Raovec u arbanaskom izgovoru.
    [Translation: orah, plural orasi ... from the Proto-Slavic orěhъ "nux". The adjective on -ov, orahov, is nominalised in toponymy into Orahovo, ... Orahov Do (Herzegovina), ... Oriovac (Slavonia) = Oravac = Oraovac (1770, Kosovo and Metohija) = Raovec in Albanian pronunciation. (N.B. Orahovac and Rahovec are shown here in h-less variants Oraovac and Raovec)]
  2. Ernst Eichler (1995). Namenforschung: ein internationales Handbuch zur Onomastik. 1. Teilband. Berlin: De Gruyter. ISBN 978-3-11-020342-4. OCLC 435630850.
  3. Municipal Profile: Rahovec/Orahovac Archived 6 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, May 2006. Accessed October 2014.
  4. Municipal Profile: Rahovec/Orahovac. Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, March 2014. Accessed October 2014.
  5. "Kosovo's Mysterious Dialect Fades Away :: Balkan Insight". www.balkaninsight.com. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  • Marijana Milosavljević (NIN, 15 December 2005)
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Rahovec.
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