The territory of the province, as recognised by Serbian laws, lies in the southern part of Serbia and covers the regions of Kosovo and Metohija.

The territory was previously an autonomous province of Serbia during Socialist Yugoslavia (1946–1990), and acquired its current status in 1990.

Following the end of the Kosovo War 1999, and as a result of NATO intervention,[5][6] Serbia and the federal government no longer exercised de facto control over the territory.

[7][8] While Serbia has not recognised Kosovo's independence, in the 2013 Brussels Agreement, it abolished all its institutions in the Autonomous Province.

The parliaments of all Yugoslavian republics and provinces, which until then had MPs only from the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, were dissolved and multi-party elections were held within them.

The constitution made the creation of privately owned media possible, however their operation was very difficult because of high rents and restrictive laws.

In September 1990, up to 123,000 Albanian workers were dismissed from their positions in government and media, as were teachers, doctors, and civil servants,[14] provoking a general strike and mass unrest.

Although the sackings were widely seen as a purge of ethnic Albanians, the government maintained that it was removing former communist directors.

Albanians responded by boycotting state schools and setting up an unofficial parallel system of Albanian-language education.

[19] Albanian opposition to the sovereignty of Yugoslavia and especially Serbia had previously surfaced in rioting (1968 and March 1981) in the capital Pristina.

[22] The Serb areas have united into a community, the Union of Serbian Districts and District Units of Kosovo and Metohija established in February 2003 by Serbian delegates meeting in North Mitrovica, which has since served as the de facto "capital."

The President of SNV in North Kosovo is Dr Milan Ivanović, while the head of its Executive Council is Rada Trajković.