Kosovo-The Country

Or will it be Kosova-The Country? I suppose it will just depend on who is doing the referring (much like how one refers to Germany/Deutschland).

Today's news roundup indicates that February 17 may be the magical date (the New York Times is reporting it). There are certain national symbols that need to be decided. From the Christian Science Monitor:

With independence looming, Kosovo to pick a flag

I wonder how disruptive this period will be to my classes. The semester begins on February 15 (and ends May 30th). As far as I know, I don't have any Serbians in my university classes although I haven't asked (I do know that there are Albanians, Bosniaks, and Turks). I try to refer to everyone as 'Kosovar,' but 'Kosovars' don't refer to themselves that way. There are Albanians, Serbians, Roma, Gorani, Bosniaks, Internationals, and a few other smaller groups. Identity is strongly tied to ethnicity. Regardless of my students' backgrounds, I'm certain that I'll have to make a few adjustments in my classes (whether it be content or timing) the week that independence is declared. At least it's (tentatively) set to happen in the very beginning of the semester.

On a seperate subject, I don't think too many people realize that the US has quite a large military base in Kosovo, Camp Bondsteel. I've not been out there, nor would I have reason to (but I imagine shelves filled with Grape Nuts and peanut butter). You can read a bit about it on GlobalSecurity.org.