District of Peja | |
|---|---|
 Rugova region in Peja district | |
.svg) Location of Peja district in Kosovo | |
| Country | Kosovo |
| Capital | Peja |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,366 km2 (527 sq mi) |
| Population (2024)[2] | |
• Total | 146,301 |
| • Rank | 7th |
| • Density | 107.1/km2 (277.4/sq mi) |
| Postal code | 30000[3] |
| Vehicle registration | 03 |
| Municipalities[4] | 3 |
| Settlements[5] | 118 |
| HDI (2022) | 0.754[6] high ·6th |
TheDistrict of Peja (Albanian:Rajoni i Pejës,Serbian:Пећки округ,romanized: Pećki okrug) is one of the sevendistricts of Kosovo. It has its seat in the city ofPeja. The district has three municipalities and 118 other settlements. According to the 2024 census, the district had 146,301 inhabitants, and is the least populated of all the districts of Kosovo.
Peja region has been occupied from theIllyrian era,[7][8] and was part of ancientDardania.[9] It is mentioned in the Roman map of Ptholomeus from the 3rd century CE, and was given by various names such as Siparantum, Pech, Peka, and Pentza during various periods of time. Pechi, theLatin name is first mentioned in the documents from 12th century CE.[9]
In the 14th century,Stefan Dusan established the Peja Patriarchy, after separating it fromConstantinople. After theKosovo battle in 1389 CE between theSerbian andOttoman Empires,[10] the region was under the control ofBalshaj family till 1421 andDukagjini family till 1462. The region came to be a part ofSanjak of Scutari in the 16th century, during which timeIslam was introduced to theCatholic population in the region.[9][11]
In October 1912, Peja region was captured by Montenegro from the Ottomans. It came under the occupation ofAustria-Hungary in 1915, and later under theKingdom of Yugoslavia in 1919. TheItalian Empire captured it from Yugoslavia during theSecond World War in 1941, and put under theGerman Empire in 1943. After the end of the war, it was returned to Yugoslavia in 1945, and it went to Serbia after thedissolution of Yugoslavia in 1992.[9][11] In 1999, Kosovar armed forces captured the region, and laterproclaimed independence from Serbia in 2008.[12] The Kosovar war of independence led to massive emigration and large scale damage to properties, with over 80% of the houses destroyed.[11][13]
According to the 2024 census, the district had 146,301 inhabitants, and is the least populated of all the districts of Kosovo.[2][14] The population included 72,611 males and 73,645 females. About 37,272 people were classified as under the age of seventeen.[1]Albanian was the most spoken language with 140,018 (95.7%) speakers, followed byBosnian (2.7%),Serb (1.2%), and others.[1]
As per the 2024 data,Islam was the dominant religion with 134,041 adherents (92.8%).Christians formed the major minority with nearly 6.4% of the population adhering to it.[1]Albanians formed the majority of the population (92%) with other ethnicity such asRomanis,Bosniaks, andSerbs forming a significant minority.[1]
| Ethnicity | Population | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Albanians | 134,522 | 92.0% |
| Balkan Egyptians | 4,011 | 2.7% |
| Bosniaks | 3,984 | 2.7% |
| Serbs | 1,683 | 1.2% |
| Others | 1,933 | 1.4% |
Peja is one of the sevendistricts of Kosovo. It has its seat in the city ofPeja.[14][15] The district has three municipalities–Peja,Istog, andKlina and 118 other settlements.[4][5]
| Municipality | Population(2024)[2] | Area(km2) | Density(km2) | Settlements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peja | 82,661 | 603 | 137.1 | 14 |
| Istog | 33,066 | 454 | 72.8 | 50 |
| Klina | 30,574 | 308 | 99.3 | 54 |
| District of Peja | 146,301 | 1,365 | 107.2 | 118 |
List of settlements:[5]
