Essential Information & explanations, latest texts & monographs on Albania.

Greece Map by Cartographia

Albania: The Bradt Travel Guide by Gillian Gloyer

Albanian Identities: Myth and History by Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers

King Zog of Albania: Europe's Self-Made Muslim Monarch by Jason Tomes

Phoenix: High Albania: A Victorian Traveller's Balkan Odyssey by Edith Durham

Kanuni I Leke Dukagjinit: The Code of Leke Dukagjini by Leke Dukagjini

Albania: From Anarchy to Balkan Identity by Miranda Vickers

Long Life to Your Children: A Portrait of High Albania by Stan Sherer

The Accursed Mountains; Journeys in Albania by Robert Carver

Diplomacy and Crisis Management in the Balkans: A Us Foreign Policy Perspective by Gazmen Xhudo

Blue Guide Albania (Blue Guides) by James Pettifer

The Myth of Greater Albania by Paulin Kola

The Concert by Ismail Kadare

The General of the Dead Army by Ismail Kadare

Albania in Transition: The Rocky Road to Democracy (Nations of the Modern World Ser) by Elez Biberaj

Albania

The Republic of Albania, or Albania (Albanian: Shqipëria, meaning Land of the Eagles), is a country in southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro in the north, Serbia in the north-east, the Republic of Macedonia in the east, and Greece in the south, has a coast on the Adriatic Sea in the west, and a coast on the Ionian Sea in the southwest. Republika e Shqipërise (In Detail) (Full size) National motto: None Official language Albanian Capital Tirana President Alfred Moisiu Prime Minister Fatos Nano Area - Total - % waterRanked 139th 28,748 km² 4.7% Population - Total (2003) - Density Ranked 126th 3,582,205 122/km2 Independence - DateFrom the Ottoman Empire November 28, 1912 Currency Lek Time zone UTC +2 National anthem Hymni i Flamurit Internet TLD.AL Calling Code355 Table of contents showTocToggle("show","hide") 1 History 2 Politics 3 Districts 4 Geography 5 Economy 6 Demographics 7 Culture 8 Miscellaneous Topics 9 External links History Main article: History of Albania Albania has been the site of several Greek colonies, and was later part of the Roman province of Illyricum. After being conquered by a number of nations, it became a part of the Ottoman Empire in 1478. After the First Balkan War, Albania declared independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but the country remained in unrest. Occupied by Italy during World War II, the (mainly communist) resistance led by Enver Hoxha seized control when the Italians left. Until 1990, five years after the death of Hoxha, Albania was an extremely isolationist communist state, with little contact even with the other communist states. A multi-party democracy is emerging, but the country suffers from economic problems, organised crime, and a large number of Albanian refugees from Kosovo. Politics Main article: Politics of Albania Head of state is the president, which is elected by the Kuvendi Popullor, or People's Assembly. The main part of the Assembly's 155 members are elected by the Albanians in elections every 5 years. The president is assisted by a council of ministers, which is appointed by the president. Districts Main article: Districts of Albania Albania is divided into 36 districts, or rrethe. Several districts are then grouped into a counties or prefectures, of which there are 12. The capital city, Tiranë, has a special status. The districts are:

See also: List of cities in Albania (Note: some cities have the same name as the district they are in). Geography Main article: Geography of Albania Albania consists of mostly hilly and mountainous terrain, the highest mountain reaching up to 2,753 m. The country mostly has a land climate, with cold winters and hot summers. Besides capital city Tirana, with 520,000 inhabitants, the principal cities are Durrës, Elbasan, Shkodër, Vlorë and Korçë. Economy Main article: Economy of Albania Albania is one of Europe's poorest countries, with half of the economically-active population still engaged in agriculture and a fifth said to be working abroad. The country has to deal with a high unemployment rate, corruption up to high government levels and organised crime. Albania is aided financially from abroad, notably by Greece and Italy. The country exports nearly nothing and imports a lot from Greece and Italy. The money for imports comes from the financial aid and from the money that refugees working abroad bring to Albania. This is a good status-quo business for both Greece and Italy. Also unofficially Greece government makes money by selling visas unofficially to Albanian citizens, who are not allowed to travel freely abroad. For this reason both countries have several visa consulates in major cities of Albania, and oppose indirectly every possibility of free movement from Albanian citizens in EU. Demographics Main article: Demographics of Albania Most of the population (95%) is Albanian, but there is a sizeable Greek minority (3%). Many ethnic Albanians also live in bordering Kosovo. The language is Albanian, although some Greek is also spoken. Since the occupation by the Ottomans, the majority of Albanians have been Muslim (70%), even though religion was prohibited during the communist era. The Eastern Orthodox (20%) and Catholic Church (10%) are the other main religions in Albania. Culture Main article: Culture of Albania

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