Geography
Climate
Human Geography
History
Politics and Administration
Development Indicators

Geography

Albania is located in the Balkan Region of Europe, and has borders with regions of Montenegro and Kosova (North - East), with Macedonia (FYR) to the East, Greece to the South, and faces the Adriatic and Ionian Seas to the West. The country lies between 39 38' and 42 39' latitude North and between 19 16' and 21 40' longitude East.

Albania is mainly a mountainous country. The national territory covers some 28,750 km² (11.000sq miles) of which nearly 30 per cent lies more than 1000 meters above sea level.

Albania is rich in rivers and streams. The most important rivers are the Drini in the North and Shkumbini and Seman in the South, which is the longest river in Albania (281km). Among the numerous lakes, three have surface areas of more than 250 km². There are four natural freshwater lakes, Shkodra, Ohrid, Prespa, and Butrinti, all of which share borders with either Greece or ex-Yugoslavia.

The capital city, Tirana, is located in the Western central part of the country, approximately 35 kilometers from the coast and 110 meters above sea level. Albania’s coastline is one of its greatest assets. There are two distinct zones; the Adriatic and the Ionian.

Climate

Albania has a typical Mediterranean climate in its coastal areas, with hot and dry summers, bright sunny days and mild winters; rainfall is concentrated in the spring and late autumn.

During the period from June to September the weather is hot, while from October to May it is cool and wet. During the winter, average daily temperatures in the more densely settled areas of the country fall to slightly above zero degrees Celsius; during the summer months of July and August, the average daily temperatures rise to above 30 degrees. Peak temperatures are frequently above 40 degrees. In the mountains, average temperatures drop below zero in the winter and rise only to the low 20s in the summer.

The winds have a seasonal character, during the cold half of the year and especially during the winter months, the air moves from the land towards the sea reducing the land temperature. In the regions along the sea, predominate cool sea breezes that blow during the months of June, July and August.

Human Geography

The population of Albania is 3,354,300 inhabitants (1998). The average density of population is close to 117 inhabitants per km², one of the highest levels found in the Balkans. There is a very slight preponderance of females in the population. The population is predominantly rural, although urbanization is quickly closing the gap. 55% of the population lives in the countryside, while 45% lives in the cities and towns. During the last decade the population has been moving from the rural areas to the towns and cities. There is also a high level of emigrants overseas and to neighboring countries. Official statistics are not available. This subject will be dealt with in detail in the 1999 Albanian Human Development Report. Updated figures are forthcoming.

The largest city is the capital, Tirana with more than 700.000 inhabitants, Durres 95.400, Shkoder 87.800, Elbasan 83.800, Vlora 73.800, Korca 65.300, and Fier 45.300 (1997).

The population of Albania is ethnically homogeneous. It is estimated that close to 99 per cent of the population is ethnic Albanian. The largest ethnic minority is Greek. There is also a minority of Macedonians (FYR) and a small number of Vllachs and Gypsies in Albania.

Albanian is the official language. There are two main dialects Tosk and Geg with differences that have become negligible during recent decades. The Albanian language is unique and of particular interest for its complex genesis and evolution.

Thanks to exposure to language instruction through schooling and electronic media, new generations of Albania generally have a basic knowledge of Italian, English, French, German, Russian and/or other languages. The most widely spoken foreign language is Italian, followed by Greek (especially in the south). English is quickly gaining ground among the younger generation.

History

The Albanian people are believed to be autochthonous to the Balkan Peninsula. The ancient ancestors of the Albanian people were the Illyrians, who are traced back through the second millennium b.c. The first traces are to be found in (6.000 - 2.000 BC). The Illyrians came under Roman domination for a period of some five and a half centuries. The port city of Durres is the farthest point where Via Egnatia ends in the West. Via Egnatia is the historical route across the Balkans and the main overland link between Rome and Constantinople (East and West of Europe).

Following the Roman period, Albania came at various times under the domination of the Orthodocs, the Byzantine Empire, the Bulgars, the Normans, the Serbs, and the Venetian. However, the Albanian people were able to maintain their cultural, national and linguistic identity throughout. A high point of national unity and identity came during the age of Albania's greatest national hero, Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg. By the beginning of the Sixteenth Century, Albania came under the Ottoman rule, which remained for the following five centuries.

Albania won its national independence in 1912. It became a monarchy under King Zog I in 1928. The king reigned, with Italian support, until 1939 when Italian military forces invaded. Albania remained under Italian occupation until 1943, and under German occupation until the end of 1944. Upon the withdrawal of the German forces, the Communist regime that was to hold power for the next four and half decades was established. From 1978 until the late 1980s, the country was almost entirely isolated from the rest of the world. Until his death in 1985, political authority was held almost solely by Enver Hoxha, First Secretary of the Albanian Party of Labor

By 1989 and 1990, economic conditions had deteriorated significally and there was rising public protest and the beginning of the surge of undocumented emigration flows to Greece and Italy. A multi-party election was held in March 1992, the first democratic election in Albania in more than 60 years.