kosovo (/ˈkɒsəvoʊ, ˈkoʊ-/; albanian: "kosova" or "kosovë", [kɔˈsɔva] or [kɔˈsɔvə]; serbian cyrillic: косово, [kôsoʋo]), officially the republic of kosovo (albanian: "republika e kosovës"; / "republika kosovo"), is a partially-recognised state and disputed territory in southeastern europe. on 17 february 2008, kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from serbia. it has since gained diplomatic recognition as a sovereign state by 95 un member states.