Kosovo population census to be held in 2005

The first census in Kosovo since the province came under U.N. rule will start in early 2005, the United Nations said Monday.

The census will provide demographic information on Kosovo's population -- including a breakdown between ethnic Albanians and Serbs -- and also detail the province's housing situation, the United Nations said in a statement.

Kosovo has been administered by the United Nations since 1999, following NATO's air war aimed at stopping the crackdown of Serb forces on independence-seeking ethnic Albanians.

The census will be conducted by Kosovo's statistical office and overseen by the United Nations and other international organizations.