Albania

The Republic of Albania (Republika e Shqiperise) is in southeastern Europe on the Balkan Peninsula. About the size of the US state of Vermont, it is bordered on the south by Greece and the Ionian Sea, on the east by North Macedonia, on the northeast by Kosovo, on the northwest by Montenegro, on the west by the Adriatic Sea.

After emerging in the 1990s from forty-six years of a government considered the most repressive in the communist bloc, Albania has struggled toward democracy, economic stability, and recognition as a partner in the European community. Its assets include rich mineral resources, beautiful seacoasts, and a high literacy rate. Its liabilities have included weak infrastructure, high unemployment and a low birthrate, a reputation for election irregularities and for environmental pollution, and a serious problem with organized crime.

General Information

• Full name of country: Republic of Albania
• Former name(s): People's Socialist Republic of Albania
• Region: Europe
• Nationality: Albanian(s) (noun), Albanian (adjective)
• Official language: Albanian
• Population: 3,101,621 (2023 est.)
• Population growth: 0.19% (2023 est.)
• Currency (money): Albanian lek
• Land area: 27,398 sq km (10,578 sq miles)
• Water area: 1,350 sq km (521 sq miles)
• Time zone: UTC +1
• Capital: Tirana (Tirane)
• Flag: The Albanian flag is solid red with a black two-headed eagle emblazoned in the center. The historic nature of the flag harkens back to the country’s independence in the fifteenth century, when the double-headed eagle acted as the seal of Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg, the Dragon of Albania, who led the revolt against the Ottoman Empire.
• Independence: November 28, 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)
• Government type: parliamentary democracy
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal system: civil law system except in the northern rural areas where customary law known as the "Code of Leke" prevails
• National anthem: "Hymni i Flamurit" (Hymn to the Flag), by Aleksander Stavre Drenova/Ciprian Porumbescu
• National holiday: Independence Day, November 28 (1912) also known as Flag Day

Note: unless otherwise indicated, statistical data in this article is sourced from the CIA World Factbook, as cited in the bibliography.

People and Culture

The Albanian language taught in schools since 1909 is derived from the Tosk dialect. Although Albanian is an ancient Indo-European language, probably predating Greek, like most languages it has been modified by assimilating vocabulary from other peoples: first classical Greek, then Latin, then Turkish.

Before 1909, Albania's poets and other writers composed in their separate dialects or in Greek or Italian, transcribing their work using different alphabets: the Roman, Cyrillic, and Arabic. As the twentieth century began, Albanian nationalists realized that without a common language and alphabet, a unified nation would not be possible. Accordingly, Albanian statesmen and intellectuals met and adopted a 36-letter, Roman-based alphabet and an official Albanian language.

Albania's religious institutions, like its language, have been affected by political movements. In 1967 the communist government, declaring Albania the world's first official atheist nation, ordered that all mosques and churches be closed. Since 1990 private religious practice has been permitted. According to 2011 estimates, an estimated 56.7 percent of citizens identify as Muslim, with the next largest groups those who do not specify a religion (16.2 percent), Roman Catholics (10 percent), and Orthodox Christians (6.8 percent). Atheists account for about 2.5 percent of the population.

The Albanian Orthodox church, though similar to Greek and Eastern Orthodox Christian churches, is independent, and has been since its founding in 1922. Since 1990, several Protestant churches have established footholds in Albanian cities, with growing membership.

Albania's population underwent a significant decline following the end of the isolationist communist regime. The 2001 census revealed a 3 percent loss during the previous twelve years. Many citizens emigrated, largely to Italy but also to Greece and the United States, driven by the economic instability and political uncertainty of the 1990s. On the other hand, in 1999, nearly 500,000 ethnic Albanians from Kosovo sought refuge in the Republic of Albania from the horrors of potential genocide. By 2023, the net migration rate was -3.22 per 1,000 people.

Years of relatively low birth rates also contributed to the country's demographic concerns. In 2023, Albania had approximately 12.48 births for every 1,000 citizens, and a death rate of 7.36 per 1,000 people. This provided an overall population growth rate of 0.19 percent—in essence, no growth at all.

Approximately 64.6 percent of Albanians lived in urban areas in 2023. Tirana, the capital, was the largest city, with about 520,000 people.

Indigenous People: Ethnic Albanians trace their heritage to the Illyrians, who settled the land in prehistoric times. The earliest known king of Illyria, Hyllus, died in 1225 BCE. The Illyria of Hyllus and his successors comprised not only Albania, but also Dalmatia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and much of present-day Serbia. Its capital was Shkodra (Scutari), still a major Albanian city.

Education: Over 98 percent of Albanians over age fifteen can read and write (98.7 percent of men, 98.2 percent of women, according to 2021 estimates). Education for every citizen is free, and for children six to fourteen, compulsory. They attend an eight-grade primary school divided into two four-grade segments. Upon successful completion, they receive a leaving certificate.

The leaving certificate permits students to enter college-preparatory secondary schools called middle schools. If they prefer, students may attend pre-vocational and/or vocational schools.

To enter a university, students must pass entrance examinations. There are several public universities in Albania. Tirana is home to the University of Tirana, the Polytechnic University of Tirana, and a medical school.

The system of universal public education was first developed during Albania's communist epoch and was subsidized by other communist countries. Today's Albania has reorganized its educational system somewhat but lacks funds to support it. Often, rural educational administrators lack training, and opportunities for professional enrichment are scarce.

Health Care: In theory, all health and medical care in Albania is free. In practice, the change from communism to a free-market economy has often limited available health care outside the cities. Excellent physicians are available, but in some cases they have functioned with little or none of the technical equipment and supplies that health care workers in developed countries consider essential.

Nevertheless, Albanians are comparatively healthy. The national infant mortality rate is 10.54 deaths for every 1,000 live births (2023 estimate). The average life expectancy at birth is 79.7 years (2023 estimate).

Food: Albania's cuisine resembles that of its neighbors and sometime conquerors—Turkey, Greece, and Italy. Albanians enjoy varieties of pizza and lasagna, and baklava, kofte, and shish kebab. They use onions and sour cream in meaty stews, and yogurt in cooking and drinks. Albanian coffee is strong and thick; they produce excellent white wines, brandy, cognac, and raki, a liqueur somewhat similar to the Greek ouzo. Ice cream is popular. Traditionally, their main meal is enjoyed around noon.

Arts & Entertainment: The nation's folk arts are rich and varied. Albania, almost uniquely, retains an oral epic tradition. In the rural north, a single performer will sing narratives from the past, usually of heroes battling the Turks. Southern folk songs are communal, with both solo and choral elements.

Folk dances vary from region to region; southern dances often incorporate polyphonic music, an ancient and still living tradition. Traditional instruments include flutes; drums; bagpipes; the ciftelia, a two-stringed relative of the mandolin; and the lahuta, reminiscent of the lute.

Modern Albanian literature has strong roots in nineteenth-century romanticism and nationalism, in the poetry of Naim Frasheri (1846–1900) and the writings of Fan S. Noli (1882–1975). Among modern Albanian writers, poet and novelist Ismail Kadare (b. 1936) is the best known and most widely translated. After repression under the communist state, writers now enjoy freedom of expression and the respect of a literate society.

Painting and architecture in Albania embody eastern and western, ancient and modern artistic traditions in astonishing variety. Museums, streets, and town centers juxtapose Byzantine art with western impressionism, icons with social-realist sculpture, and mosques with the ruins of a Greek acropolis or Roman bath.

Holidays: November 28 is Independence and Liberation Day, Albania's great public holiday. On this date in 1912, nationalist delegates in Vlora declared Albanian independence from the Ottoman Empire and established a provisional government. On this date in 1998, Albanians by referendum approved their constitution. Other public holidays are New Year's Day (January 1), the Christian Christmas and Easter Monday, and the Muslim Ramadan and Bajra.

Albanians celebrate two holidays each March: Teachers' Day (March 7), which commemorates the 1846 opening of the first school to teach in the Albanian language; and International Women's Day (March 8).

Environment and Geography

Topography: Although it is a small country, Albania offers dramatic environmental contrasts. Along the Adriatic Sea, the "Albanian Riviera" is a low-lying coastline of broad, sandy beaches, and extensive lagoons. The coast along the Ionian Sea rises in steep cliffs from smaller, rockier beaches of fine white sand.

Large lakes, including Lake Ohrid, the deepest on the Balkan peninsula at 294 meters (931 feet), extend along Albania's borders with Macedonia and Greece. This is limestone country, and caves abound. In the interior and north rise high mountains, the Alpet, or Albanian Alps. Mount Korab, near the Macedonian border, is Albania's highest, at 2,764 meters (9,068 feet).

Natural Resources: Albania's resources include timber, fish, and soil. Albania is a major producer of chrome and also mines iron, nickel, salt, bauxite, coal, and petroleum. Natural gas is found in southwest Albania, and copper is mined near Shkodra.

The communist government exploited these resources using loans and grants from the Soviet bloc, then from communist China. Regrettably, as industrial activity expanded, so did industrial pollution.

Plants & Animals: Pine woods border Albania's Adriatic beaches, and olive, fig, and citrus groves flourish near both coasts. The Ionian coast from Vlore to Saranda is called, for its vegetation, "the Riviera of flowers." In contrast, the mountains in the interior and north are heavily forested with conifer, oak, and beech groves. Forests cover more than 28 percent of Albania's land.

Among the animals native to the forests are wolves, wild boars, brown bears, chamois and roe deer, lynx, two kinds of wildcat, foxes, jackals, weasels, and pine martens. Albania's lakes provide nesting for water birds, notably the threatened Dalmatian pelican. The Karavasta Lagoon (now Divjaka National Park) is its westernmost nesting site.

To preserve Albania's beauty and the diversity of its plant and animal life, the country has established several national forests and nature reserves, as well as more than two thousand national monuments. However, available funding is often insufficient to preserve these sites and to reverse the environmental pollution that threatens them.

Dangers range from hunting and woodcutting within the reserves (illegal but common) to widespread pollution of waterways. Raw sewage is often untreated into Albania's rivers. Increasingly, this sewage contains chemicals leaked from deteriorating factories built ago by communist benefactors. Albania's government is party to most international treaties and initiatives dealing with the environment. However, critics say that it lacks the funds to follow through on the country's promises related to energy efficiency and pollution.

Climate: The coast enjoys a Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers, especially along the Adriatic. In contrast, Albania's mountains can be cold and difficult. Heavy snowstorms often paralyze communities located at high altitudes during the winter.

Albania, like Greece to its south, is subject to earthquakes, and at times tsunamis have ravaged coastal towns.

Economy

Although natural resources abound, Albania remains among the poorest European states. Severe volatility in the decades following communist rule was followed by significant reform and growth in the 2010s, but a major earthquake in 2019 and the global COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020 caused major problems before the economy began to grow once again. The country has long struggled with a high unemployment rate, which was estimated at 11.82 percent in 2021 (rising to 27.8 percent for youth aged fifteen to twenty-four). Albania's labor force was about 1.378 million workers in 2021. Its estimated gross domestic product (GDP) was $40.822 billion US dollars in 2020. The per capita GDP was approximately $14,500 USD.

Agricultural labor, mainly at the small-scale and even subsistence level, has remained relatively widespread even alongside growth in the service sector. Disorganized land ownership and tax systems have complicated modernization efforts in many areas, though substantial effort has been put into reforms. Remittances from Albanians employed abroad, mostly living in Greece and Italy, have long been a significant contributor the Albania's GDP, though these funds declined significantly after the 2008 global financial crisis. Albania's major trading partner is Italy, with Spain, Germany, Greece, Turkey, China, and Kosovo also engaged in substantial trade.

Some trade revenue eludes official accounting. Albanian drug traffickers have been prominent, receiving illegal drugs from southwest Asia and South America and redistributing them in Western Europe. These groups have also branched into illicit money laundering, arms dealing, and transporting of undocumented aliens. Albania's difficulty in controlling such activity has slowed its progress in establishing ties to the European Union.

Legal trade and foreign investment in Albania has been hindered by its weak infrastructure, even after considerable improvement beginning in the 2010s. The nation's railroad system is limited. Highways and roads are often badly maintained, and gasoline stations are sparse between cities. Many roadways outside of major cities remain unpaved.

Industry: Albania's industries include timber, hydropower, food processing, textiles and clothing, mining, oil, cement, and chemicals. Most of these industries were developed by the former communist government and struggled in the lengthy, uneven transition toward an open-market economy.

The move toward a privatized energy industry was among the most notable changes in the country following the fall of communism. Albania has at times faced severe energy shortages. The government has worked to solve these through increased imports, although this increased Albania's already considerable trade deficit. Albania's notable exports include leather goods, clothing, perfumes, metals and metal ores, and crude oil as well as agricultural products.

Agriculture: Major crops grown in Albania include wheat, corn, potatoes, tomatoes, grapes, watermelons, onions, cucumbers, apples, and meat and dairy products. Albania's farmers could produce more, but antiquated farm equipment makes competition with Western European countries difficult. Droughts are also common in Albania. Most farms in Albania are small and independently operated.

Tourism: Albania was largely undiscovered by tourists into the early 2000s, but the industry has increased steadily and played a larger and larger role in the economy. The country boasts warm beaches, rugged mountains, caves, diversity of climate and wildlife, dramatic history, ancient cities and archeological sites, exotic architecture, plentiful museums, unique folk traditions, and an active artistic community. Albania's desire to increase tourism was reflected by the opening of a Club Med resort near Sarande on the Adriatic coast in 2006. In the 2010s the country was increasingly recognized as a popular tourist destination, earning mentions from many major travel publications.

Government

Albania is an emerging democracy with a constitution established in 1998 by popular referendum after the initial post-communist government collapsed amid a pyramid scheme scandal. All citizens aged eighteen years or older may vote. Of the many political parties, the Socialist Party (PS) and the Democratic Party (PD) have been predominant, with the latter often creating coalitions with smaller factions.

The national government has three branches. The legislative branch consists of the unicameral 140-seat People's Assembly, the members of which are elected to four-year terms. The executive branch, following the European model, includes a chief of state, the president, who is elected to five-year terms by the People's Assembly, and a head of government, the prime minister. The prime minister proposes a Council of Ministers who are then nominated by the president and approved by the Assembly.

The judicial branch consists of a nineteen-member Constitutional Court and a nine-member Supreme Court. There are many district courts and courts of appeals. Albanian citizens are subject to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.

Albania is divided into twelve administrative divisions called qarqe (counties). Each qark, its headquarters in a regional city, is responsible for local needs and law enforcement.

Interesting Facts

• Several Roman emperors, including Claudius Gothicus, Aurelian, Probus, Diocletian, and Constantine the Great, are considered to have been of Illyrian (Albanian) origin.
• The Albanian flag, a black double eagle on a red banner, is adapted from the Byzantine seal of Skanderbeg (1405–1468), the national hero who freed Albania from Turkish rule and kept it free for twenty-five years. Skanderbeg's heroic life inspired poems by Ronsard and Longfellow and an opera by Antonio Vivaldi.
• Albania is, along with Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, one of the few Europeans nation with a Muslim majority.

Bibliography

"Albania." The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 16 Oct. 2023, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/albania/. Accessed 20 Oct. 2023.

"Albania: Overview." The World Bank, 10 Oct. 2023, www.worldbank.org/en/country/albania/overview. Accessed 20 Oct. 2023.

"Albania Profile—Overview." BBC News, 23 Feb. 2016, www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17680732. Accessed 26 Aug. 2020.

"Practical Information." Albania, Albanian National Tourism Agency, 2019, albania.al/about/. Accessed 27 May 2022.