Orahovac


Orahovac or Rahovec is a town and municipality located in the District of Gjakova in western Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Orahovac has 15,892 inhabitants, while the municipality has 56,208 inhabitants.

Name

The Serbian name of the town, Orahovac, is derived from the Serbo-Croatian :wiktionary:orah|orah, meaning "walnut". The Albanian name Rahovec comes from an Albanised pronunciation of Orahovac.

Geography and population

The municipality covers an area of approximately and contains 35 villages. In 2014 the town had a total population of 23,200 and the population of the municipality was 58,214. In 2011 the municipality had a total population of 56,208.

Demographics

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 group1991 census2011 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, Orahovac dialect 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.

Notable people