ALBANIA
You Albania, you give me honour,
you give me the name Albanian
Ti Shqipëri, më jep nder, më jep emrin Shqipëtar
ALBANIA
You Albania, you give me honour,
you give me the name Albanian
Ti Shqipëri, më jep nder,
më jep emrin Shqipëtar
Overview
Overview of Albania
Overview
Albania is a country located on the Balkan Peninsula. Its first colonies were established by the Greeks in 7th century BC, which comprised of Duress, Apollinia, and Butrint. For many centuries Albania was annexed to various kingdoms and empires. The last notable being the Ottoman Empire which ruled the region from 1497 to 1912. Once independent, Albania became a republic and then a kingdom when its president established himself as a king. During WWII, the country was controlled by Italy and then Germany until Enver Hoxha successfully led a resistance to claim back its independence. He then became the president from 1946 until his death in 1985. However, his rule isolated the country from the rest of the world and gave fear to its own citizens. Albanians were not allowed to leave the country; and were tortured, jailed, or murdered for any wrong doings that went against the regime. Communism finally ended in 1992 (the last in Europe), which brought a positive change to the country. The landscape of Albania is mostly mountainous; over 70% has elevations of more than 300 metres. However, most of the population live on the coastal lowlands. The country also has a lot of bunkers. They were built to repel an invasion. It’s believed that there are 173,000 scattered throughout the country!
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Information of Albania
Information
Capital
Tirana
Language
Albanian
Area (km2)
28, 748
Population
2, 877, 396
Currency
Lek
Income
6, 093 US
Tourism
5, 340, 000
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Facts. History. Information
Tens of thousands of ‘Bunkers’ are scattered throughout the country to repel an invasion. These bunkers were built from 1968 to 1985, weigh at 5 tonnes of concrete and iron, and can withstand a tank strike. This was proven when the chief engineer stood inside the bunker while it was shot.
Majority of the film entertainment during the communist era was Albanian made. The only Western actor who had his films shown to the public was British actor Sir Norman Wisdown. He was very popular in the country and became a cult hero. By the 1980s, the Albanians were producing at least 14 films a year.
The landscape of the country is mostly mountainous; over 70% has elevations of more than 300 metres. The highest peak is Mt Korab at 2764 metres. The biggest lake is Lake Shkoda, which is the biggest in the Balkans. And the longest river is the ‘drin’ which is 280km long. Most of the population live on the coastal low lands.
In the 15th century, a northern community created a ‘code’ (Kanun) that covered 1262 ‘duties’ of daily life. One of the rules was to revenge a family/ guest that was murdered, by murdering the killer’s family/ guest. This created an endless cycle of murdering. The ‘revenge’ will only stop until all the men of the family are dead, or ‘peace’ has been established by respected elders of the village. On a positive note, there are 38 articles on how to treat a guest, this includes giving them an abundance of food, drink, and comfort.
1497 – 1912: Between 1443 and 1468, The ottomans led a strong campaign to overtake the town of Kruja, Albania, however they were resisted many times by ‘Gjergj Kastrioti’ (Skanderbeg); Albania’s national hero. After Skanderbeg’s death, The Ottomans took control of Kruja in 1479. In 1497, all of Albania was finally conquered by the Ottoman Empire. The religion of Islam became the official religion of the nation. The Muslim citizens were favoured, while the Christians were suppressed. The Christian households were obliged to have one of their sons to be a Muslim and serve the army. In 1878, autonomy became on the radar by Albanian Ethnics in Prizren (Modern day Kosovo), however they were rejected by the Ottomans in 1881. The uprisings continued between 1910 and 1912, which finally resulted in Independence from the Ottomans; however, modern day Kosovo had to be a part of Serbia and not Albania.
1912 – 1914: From 1912, Albania became independent from the Ottoman Empire. Its national boundaries were established. Since then, its boundaries have been left unchanged. In the beginning of its independence, the great powers of Europe tried to place a German Prince, Wilhelm of Weid, as the ruler of Albania. However his rule only lasted for 6 months, as he wasn’t accepted by the people. During the outbreak of WW1 (1914) and after, portions of the country were occupied by Italy, France, Yugoslavia, Greece, and Austria-Hungary. After the war, an orthodox priest by the name of Fan Noli, set up a Republic Government to help stabilise the nation.
1928 – 1939: In 1924, the Orthodox priest was overthrown by the interior minister, Ahmed Bey Zogu. Ahmet Zogu established Albania as a republic in 1925, with himself as the president. Then in 1928, he established Albania as a Kingdom, with himself as the King (King Zog).
1939 – 1941: During King Zogu reign, he made a series of concessions to Italy, which made Albania virtually a state controlled by Italy. In April 1939, his relations with Italy backfired, which resulted in Benito Mussolini (leader of Italy) invading Albania. Ahmet fled the country with his wife and newborn son to Britain London. He used the gold from the Albanian treasury to rent a floor at the Ritz Hotel. Once invaded, Albania became part of the Italian Empire.
1941 – 1992: On the 8th of November 1941, Enver Hoxha formed a Communist Party, and led a resistance to Italy. Enver Succeeded, however Albania was then occupied by Germany. In 1943, Enver led another resistance, this time Germany, and succeeded. On January 1946, Albania finally became a republic yet again with Enver Hoxha as the President. On September 1948, Albania broke its relationship with Yugoslavia, who wanted Albania to join their federation. Albania allied itself with the Soviet Union, and modelled its economic plans. This relationship angered Britain and the United States, who tried to overthrow the Hoxha’s government. In 1960, the relationship between the Soviets and Albanians ended, due to Nikita Khrushchev (leader of USSR) demanded a marine base to be established in the town of Vlora. In 1966, Albania allied with China, and modelled its economic plans; the major being collectivisation of agriculture’. In 1968, Albania lost all of its Eastern European allies when it left the Warsaw Pact (Similar to NATO, but for Eastern Europeans) following the Soviet’s invasion of Czechoslovakia. This led to Albania creating 60,000+ bunkers to protect itself from an invasion. In 1976, Mao Zedong (Leader of China) died, which started a cultural change in China. In 1978, Albania’s relationship with China ended, which left the country without any allies, and a damaged economy (food shortages became regular). During that time, the Albanian people lived in fear of the government; the government even instilled a ‘secret police’ (Albanians called them the ‘Sigurimi) to observe the public. Albanian citizens were not allowed to leave the country; and were tortured, jailed, or murder for any wrong doings that went against the regime. Wrong doings included minor reprimands like listening to foreign radio. On the 11th of April 1985, Enver Hoxha died which ended his rule of Albania. After Enver’s death, the Communist party continued to be in charge, with his fellow associate Ramiz Alia being the leader. Alia loosen the border restrictions, which allowed Albania to be opened to tourist. The agricultural public no longer had to work on the farms, which resulted to more people living in the city, yet it led to food shortages.
1992+: On December 1990, the government allowed opposing government parties, due to the protests from the student public; a Socialist and Democratic Party was formed. On the 22nd of March 1992, Sali Berisha’s Democratic Party won the election. Berisha’s government cause the country to be out of control, it was a complete free-for-all. For example, the port of Vlora was used as an illegal immigrant crossing into Italy. During this time, Ramiz Alia was arrested for criticising the Democratic Party; and Fatos Nano, the leader of the Socialist Party, was arrested for corruption. In 1996, 70% of Albanians lost their life-savings due to an investment scheme collapse. This resulted in riots, Nano being freed from jail, and then being elected as president. Nano and his Socialist Party was able to restore some faith in investors and public security. In 1999, 465,000 people from Kosovo refuge in Albania, due to the Serbian’s campaign of ethnic cleansing. This population boom had a positive benefit to Albania’s economy. In the 21st century, Albania has a stable economy, with lots of money being invested into infrastructure.
Capital
Tirana
Language
Albanian
Area
28, 748km2
Population
2, 877, 396
Currency
Lek
Income
6, 093 US
Tourism
5, 340, 000
HDI
0.791
Rank
33/50 EU
Tens of thousands of ‘Bunkers’ are scattered throughout the country to repel an invasion. These bunkers were built from 1968 to 1985, weigh at 5 tonnes of concrete and iron, and can withstand a tank strike. This was proven when the chief engineer stood inside the bunker while it was shot.
Majority of the film entertainment during the communist era was Albanian made. The only Western actor who had his films shown to the public was British actor Sir Norman Wisdown. He was very popular in the country and became a cult hero. By the 1980s, the Albanians were producing at least 14 films a year.
The landscape of the country is mostly mountainous; over 70% has elevations of more than 300 metres. The highest peak is Mt Korab at 2764 metres. The biggest lake is Lake Shkoda, which is the biggest in the Balkans. And the longest river is the ‘drin’ which is 280km long. Most of the population live on the coastal low lands.
In the 15th century, a northern community created a ‘code’ (Kanun) that covered 1262 ‘duties’ of daily life. One of the rules was to revenge a family/ guest that was murdered, by murdering the killer’s family/ guest. This created an endless cycle of murdering. The ‘revenge’ will only stop until all the men of the family are dead, or ‘peace’ has been established by respected elders of the village. On a positive note, there are 38 articles on how to treat a guest, this includes giving them an abundance of food, drink, and comfort.
1497 – 1912: Between 1443 and 1468, The ottomans led a strong campaign to overtake the town of Kruja, Albania, however they were resisted many times by ‘Gjergj Kastrioti’ (Skanderbeg); Albania’s national hero. After Skanderbeg’s death, The Ottomans took control of Kruja in 1479. In 1497, all of Albania was finally conquered by the Ottoman Empire. The religion of Islam became the official religion of the nation. The Muslim citizens were favoured, while the Christians were suppressed. The Christian households were obliged to have one of their sons to be a Muslim and serve the army. In 1878, autonomy became on the radar by Albanian Ethnics in Prizren (Modern day Kosovo), however they were rejected by the Ottomans in 1881. The uprisings continued between 1910 and 1912, which finally resulted in Independence from the Ottomans; however, modern day Kosovo had to be a part of Serbia and not Albania.
1912 – 1914: From 1912, Albania became independent from the Ottoman Empire. Its national boundaries were established. Since then, its boundaries have been left unchanged. In the beginning of its independence, the great powers of Europe tried to place a German Prince, Wilhelm of Weid, as the ruler of Albania. However his rule only lasted for 6 months, as he wasn’t accepted by the people. During the outbreak of WW1 (1914) and after, portions of the country were occupied by Italy, France, Yugoslavia, Greece, and Austria-Hungary. After the war, an orthodox priest by the name of Fan Noli, set up a Republic Government to help stabilise the nation.
1928 – 1939: In 1924, the Orthodox priest was overthrown by the interior minister, Ahmed Bey Zogu. Ahmet Zogu established Albania as a republic in 1925, with himself as the president. Then in 1928, he established Albania as a Kingdom, with himself as the King (King Zog).
1939 – 1941: During King Zogu reign, he made a series of concessions to Italy, which made Albania virtually a state controlled by Italy. In April 1939, his relations with Italy backfired, which resulted in Benito Mussolini (leader of Italy) invading Albania. Ahmet fled the country with his wife and newborn son to Britain London. He used the gold from the Albanian treasury to rent a floor at the Ritz Hotel. Once invaded, Albania became part of the Italian Empire.
1941 – 1992: On the 8th of November 1941, Enver Hoxha formed a Communist Party, and led a resistance to Italy. Enver Succeeded, however Albania was then occupied by Germany. In 1943, Enver led another resistance, this time Germany, and succeeded. On January 1946, Albania finally became a republic yet again with Enver Hoxha as the President. On September 1948, Albania broke its relationship with Yugoslavia, who wanted Albania to join their federation. Albania allied itself with the Soviet Union, and modelled its economic plans. This relationship angered Britain and the United States, who tried to overthrow the Hoxha’s government. In 1960, the relationship between the Soviets and Albanians ended, due to Nikita Khrushchev (leader of USSR) demanded a marine base to be established in the town of Vlora. In 1966, Albania allied with China, and modelled its economic plans; the major being collectivisation of agriculture’. In 1968, Albania lost all of its Eastern European allies when it left the Warsaw Pact (Similar to NATO, but for Eastern Europeans) following the Soviet’s invasion of Czechoslovakia. This led to Albania creating 60,000+ bunkers to protect itself from an invasion. In 1976, Mao Zedong (Leader of China) died, which started a cultural change in China. In 1978, Albania’s relationship with China ended, which left the country without any allies, and a damaged economy (food shortages became regular). During that time, the Albanian people lived in fear of the government; the government even instilled a ‘secret police’ (Albanians called them the ‘Sigurimi) to observe the public. Albanian citizens were not allowed to leave the country; and were tortured, jailed, or murder for any wrong doings that went against the regime. Wrong doings included minor reprimands like listening to foreign radio. On the 11th of April 1985, Enver Hoxha died which ended his rule of Albania. After Enver’s death, the Communist party continued to be in charge, with his fellow associate Ramiz Alia being the leader. Alia loosen the border restrictions, which allowed Albania to be opened to tourist. The agricultural public no longer had to work on the farms, which resulted to more people living in the city, yet it led to food shortages.
1992+: On December 1990, the government allowed opposing government parties, due to the protests from the student public; a Socialist and Democratic Party was formed. On the 22nd of March 1992, Sali Berisha’s Democratic Party won the election. Berisha’s government cause the country to be out of control, it was a complete free-for-all. For example, the port of Vlora was used as an illegal immigrant crossing into Italy. During this time, Ramiz Alia was arrested for criticising the Democratic Party; and Fatos Nano, the leader of the Socialist Party, was arrested for corruption. In 1996, 70% of Albanians lost their life-savings due to an investment scheme collapse. This resulted in riots, Nano being freed from jail, and then being elected as president. Nano and his Socialist Party was able to restore some faith in investors and public security. In 1999, 465,000 people from Kosovo refuge in Albania, due to the Serbian’s campaign of ethnic cleansing. This population boom had a positive benefit to Albania’s economy. In the 21st century, Albania has a stable economy, with lots of money being invested into infrastructure.
Travel
Travel to Albania
Travel
The 4 main cities of Albania comprise of Berat, Saranda, Shkoder, and Tirana. Berat is known as the ‘city of a thousand windows’ from its Ottoman architecture that ascend up to the castle. Saranda is regarded as Albanian’s summer resort with its beachfront promenade and high-rise buildings. Shkoder is famous for the ‘Accursed Mountains Hike’ that many travellers regard as their highlight of Albania. Tirana is the capital of the nation which provides the bustling city life experience (especially the Blloku neighbourhood). Overall, Albania is a unique country to visit, especially due to its long-term isolation. You can still feel it when you travel through the countryside. In the 1970s, it only had 6000 annual visitors. Now, it attracts more than 5 million people per year due to its wide range of leisure activities. This includes hiking, cruising (ferry), swimming (beach), and exploring (ancient places & natural wonders). Each of the cities are well connected by minibuses which are called ‘Furgon’. These Furgons run on a daily basis and are paid directly to the driver. You want to try to visit the four main cities as each offer something different. Missing one will affect your overall outlook of Albania. However, If you don’t have the time, then I recommend visiting Saranda or Shkodra.
