Dragaš

Dragash ( Albanian: Dragashi or Sharr or Sharri, Serbian Драгаш / Dragaš ) is a city and headquarters of the eponymous municipality in the south of Kosovo.

Name

The city is named after the medieval regional Serbian prince Constantine Dragaš. The name is derived from the Slavic Dragaš drag ( dear, expensive).

Population

A large village consists of the city and 35 other villages. 2011 was its 33 584 inhabitants.

About two-thirds of the population are Albanians, Bosniaks and Gorani about one-third. The latter live mainly in the mountainous south.

The population development of the community:

Geography

The territory of Dragash is surrounded by Šar Planina Mountain and the mountains Livadaris, Gjalic and Cylen. Through the northern, shallower part of the area, the road to Prizren, which is the only link to other communities and cities.

Economy

Due to its unfavorable soil conditions and geographical location Dragash is one of the most underdeveloped regions of Kosovo. The main employers are the UNMIK police, private companies such as KUK Commerc, the MEKA and some of the companies located in the former social or state property.

All former state-owned enterprises are under the responsibility of the KTA ( Kosovo Trust Agency ). UNMIK launched a privatization of the company, so that foreign companies can invest.

Infrastructure

The district is very mountainous and therefore suffers from infrastructure problems, the access to some villages in the winter time is impossible. Roads, particularly ( Zhur - Dragash; Dragash Brod; Dragash - Restelica ) must be urgently strengthened to promote social and economic development of the region.

Bus services between Dragash and Opoja existed in the 1990s and have been improved by donations from the organization OSCE SIMF. Taxi connections also exist, but are priceless because of the high travel costs for the poor. Although the telephone connection has greatly improved in recent years, some villages still have no connections. The water supply is assured in some villages. In some other villages ( Brrut, Zgatar, Bello Brad and others) there is hardly any water, the inhabitants have to live there most of the day without water.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of Dragash shows a dog guarding a flock of sheep. Highlighted is the city and county within the parish.