Albania
Updated: Oct 22, 2022
Home> Countries> Europe> Albania
Country Name
Albania or officially The Republic of Albania.
Location
Albania lies in the southwestern portion of the Balkan Peninsula. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, Macedonia to the east, and Greece to the south and southeast. The country's coast touches the Adriatic Sea to the west and the Ionian Sea to the southwest which forms the Albanian Riviera. It is less than 72 km (45 mi) from Italy across the Strait of Otranto, which connects the Adriatic to the Ionian Sea.
Capital
Tirana.
Reason for Naming
Albania is a Latin name for the country whose inhabitants are known as Shakiberi. It may be derived from the Illyrian tribe of Albani (Albanian: Albanët) recorded by Ptolemy, the geographer, and astronomer from Alexandria, who drafted a map in 150 AD which shows the city of Albanopolis located northeast of the city of Durrës. The term may have a continuation in the name of a medieval settlement called Albanon or Arbanon, although it is not certain that this was the same place. In his history written in the 10th century, the Byzantine historian Michael Attaliates was the first to refer to Albanoi as having taken part in a revolt against Constantinople in 1043 and to the Arbanitai as subjects of the Duke of Dyrrachium. During the Middle Ages, the Albanians called their country Arbëri or Arbëni and referred to themselves as Arbëreshë or Arbëneshë.
Flag
The first use of the current flag design was in 1444. The Flag of Albania was adopted in 1992. The flag of Albania is a Red flag with a silhouetted black double-headed eagle in the center. The flag was first adopted as the national flag of modern Albania in 1912. The flag that was used before in the Kingdom of Albania since 1946 was identical to the current flag with a yellow star at the top of the eagle. The eagle is sacred to the Albanians, who see themselves as descendants of the eagle and refer to themselves as "Shaktipari", meaning "sons of the eagle" The Red stands for bravery, strength, and valor, The double-headed eagle represents the sovereign state of Albania.
Language
Albanian residents speak Albanian, which is a branch of the Indo-European languages family that has been influenced by several other languages, including Arabic, Turkish and Persian.
Greek is the most spoken in Albania, the language is spoken by the Greeks living in the country as well as by Albanians who had immigrated to Greece in the past.
Minority Languages Spoken In Albania as Aromanian, Romani, Macedonian, Serbo-Croatian. There are popular foreign languages spoken in Albaniaas; Italian, English, French, Russian and Chinese.
The Italian language is the most popular foreign language spoken in Albania. The popularity of the language traces its origins to when the country was a protectorate of Italy. During this period, Italian was an official language in Albania. Most of the Albanians who speak Italian in the country have learned the language by watching Italian television on an extensive scale.
English, unlike Italian, is widely taught in schools across Albania. Thus, English is the most popularly spoken foreign language among the youth of Albania.
Religion
Albania is a secular state without an official religion, with the freedom of religion being a constitutional right. Despite the fact that most Albanians are still affiliated with religious groups such as Muslims and Christians, some intellectual, political, and religious figures refuse to the referring Albania as a "Muslim state" or "a state with a Muslim majority". However, most of the population are Sunni Muslims (after the decline in the number of Muslims). Followed by Christianity (Catholics and Orthodox) and then Bektashi Order** and there is also a number who do not belong to any religion.
** is a dervish order (tariqat) named after the 7th century and belongs to Haji Bektash Veli, spread in Anatolia, and then in Albania.
Currency
Albanian Lek (ALL).
Euro (€) (EUR).
Time Zone
+01:00 GMT.
+02:00 GMT. (Summer Time)
Government Regime
Unitary Parliamentary Constitutional Republic.
Climate
Albania has a Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters in the lowlands. In the highlands, snow can fall from November until March; mountain towns are very cold at this time of year.
The best time to go to the Albanian coast for a beach holiday is in summer: in July and August, the sun shines and the Adriatic Sea is warm. If you want to visit the cities of the plains, such as Tirana or Shkodër, considering that they can be hot in summer, you can choose the months of May, June, and September. October has pleasant temperatures too, but it can be quite rainy, especially in the second part. September, a month when the sea is slightly warmer than in June, may therefore be an interesting choice, to take a trip throughout the country and at the same time to spend some time at the beach.