Kukës (Albanian pronunciation:[ˈkukəs]; Albaniandefinite form: Kukësi) is a city in Albania. The city is the capital of the surrounding municipality of Kukës and county of Kukës, one of 12 constituent counties of the republic. It spans 8.2 km2 (3.2 sq mi) and had a total population of 15,643 people as of 2023.[1][2]
Kukës traces its history back over a thousand years. The region that nowadays corresponds to the city territory was inhabited by several ancient Illyrian tribes (most predominantly Dardani tribe), as most of Albania. Numerous tombs from the Illyrians have been identified at Këneta and Kolsh nearby the city. The city was part of Kingdom of Dardania during antiquity. The residential estate served as a stopping point on a branch road leading to the Via Egnatia, which connected Durrës on the Adriatic Sea in the west with Constantinople on the Marmara Sea in the east.
Photo of the Old Nermjeme Bridge in 1905
Illyrian tombs were found at Këneta and Kolsh nearby Kukës.[5] It was a small Roman settlement, a stopping point on a branch road leading to the Via Egnatia, and a minor Ottoman market centre and trading post on the road to southern Kosovo. It was there (Qafa e Kolosjanit) where Albanian resistance stood up against retreating Serbian army in 1912.
Modern development
Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan during the 1999 Kosovo War crisis in Kukës
The old Kukës was located at the confluence of the White Drin and Black Drin. In 1976 the town was submerged beneath the Fierza Reservoir, which is held back by a dam.
The new town (Kukësi i Ri - "New Kukës") was built in the 1970s in the plateau nearby which is 320m over the sea level. Kukësi i Ri is surrounded by the artificial lake of Fierza and it looks like a peninsula from the above.
It is linked with the other parts of the country by three bridges. On the east it faces the snow-covered mountain of Gjallica, 2468 m above sea level.
In modern times and due to the close proximity to Kosovo, the city achieved worldwide recognition during the Kosovo War as thousands of Kosovo-Albanian refugees crossed the border and found security in the city. Kukës attracted international attention during the Kosovo War when 450,000 Kosovo Albanian refugees crossed the frontier and were housed in camps in and around Kukës.
Contemporary
The city was nominated for the 2000 Nobel Peace Prize in regard to hospitality and for embracing thousands of refugees during the Kosovo War.[6] It was the first time a town was nominated for the prize.[7] In 2017, the city applied for the 2018 European Green Capital Award to become Europe's Green Capital.[8]
There is a mosque and a closed alpine-style hotel, part of an attempt to establish a tourist industry there. The OSCE maintained a villa there.
Environment
Kukës is situated in the northeast of the country. It lies mostly between latitudes 42° and 5° N, and longitudes 20° and 25° E. The city lies on the Luma Plain and the southern shores of Lake Fierza.[2] It lies approximately 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) in the southeast of the former location of the city, which was relocated as part of a hydroelectric scheme.[2]
Climate
Like all East Albanians who are in the plain the zone is humid subtropical (Köppen: Cfa), similar to the north of Italy, due to its interior location but near the Mediterranean. Despite its southern location, its distance to the east compensates for this difference.[9][10] The city experiences mostly continental climate.[2][11] This means that the winters are cold and snowy and the summers are predominantly hot. The city's temperature varies a large deal across the seasons with a mild spring in April and May, hot summer months from June to August, frequently rainy and windy autumn months in September and October and very cold winter months, often with snow and frost, from December to March. The mean monthly temperature ranges between −25 °C (−13 °F)[dubious – discuss] in winter and 25 °C (77 °F) in summer.[2] The mean annual precipitation ranges between 900 millimetres (35 inches) and 3,000 millimetres (120 inches) depending on longitude and latitude.[2]
Climate data for Kukës, elevation: 44 m or 144 ft, 1961-1990 normals and extremes[a]
After the fall of communism, due to the newly implemented freedom of movement among all Albanians, a significant number of Kukës’ population relocated internally or emigrated abroad for better economic opportunities.
The region is well known for their developed agriculture. Kukës has a carpet factory whose products are for domestic and trade use. There is also a copper processing factory as the raw material.
Kukës is a good centre for fishing and walking in the surrounding mountains.
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