Introduction to Geography of Albania
Albania, or Republic of Albania, a nation on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe. The Albanian name of the country is Shqipéri, meaning “Land of Eagles.” It lies on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea and is bordered by Serbia and Montenegro, Macedonia, and Greece.
Facts in brief about AlbaniaCapital: Tirane.Official language: Albanian.Area: 11,100 mi2 (28,748 km2). Greatest distances—north-south, 215 mi (346 km); east-west, 90 mi (145 km). Coastline—175 mi (282 km).Population: Current estimate—3,187,000; density, 287 per mi2 (111 per km2); distribution, 55 percent rural, 45 percent urban. 2001 census—3,069,275.Chief products: Agriculture—corn, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat. Mining—chromite, copper, petroleum. Manufacturing—cement, fertilizers, food products, textiles.Flag: On the flag of Albania, a two-headed black eagle appears on a red field. Albania's name in Albanian, the official language, is Shqiperia, which means The Land of the Eagle.Money: Basic unit—lek.Physical Geography
LandHigh mountains and eroded plateaus make up most of the land. In the extreme north are the North Albanian Alps, which in some areas are rugged and glacially scoured. They rise more than 8,800 feet (2,680 m) above sea level and extend northeast-southwest. Equally high mountains in the east and the south follow roughly a northwest-southeast trend. The highest peak rises 9,068 feet (2,764 m) above sea level in the Korab range on the Macedonian border in the east. Small basins, deep river valleys, and gorges occur in Albania's mountainous interior.
Along the Adriatic coast lies a flat to hilly alluvial plain, up to 25 miles (40 km) wide. It is marked by silted river mouths, meandering rivers, and marshy areas. A hilly belt where the mountains and the coastal plain meet is the most densely settled part of the land.
Albania is a small country in southeastern Europe.WaterRivers vary from raging torrents in the mountains to sluggish streams on the lowlands. Their flows also vary enormously with the rainy and dry seasons. Except for the Buenë, Albania's rivers are unsuited to navigation. They are, however, important sources of hydroelectric power. Among the chief streams are the Drin, Drin-i-zi, Buenë, and Mat in the north and the Shkumbin, Seman, Devoll, Osum, and Vijosë in the south.
Lake Scutari in the northwest lies partly in Serbia and Montenegro and Lake Ohrid in the east lies partly in Macedonia. Lake Prespa, which is connected by underground channel to Lake Ohrid, is shared with Macedonia and Greece. There are also small lakes and lagoons along the coast.
ClimateAlbania has a Mediterranean climate, much like that of southern Italy and southern California, along the coast. Summers here are hot and relatively dry; winters are mild and rainy. Elsewhere, Albania's climate is of the continental type, with colder winters, milder summers, and greater rainfall throughout the year. Average yearly precipitation is generally 30 to 60 inches (760 to 1,520 mm). Larger amounts fall on the western slopes of the high mountains.
Natural Vegetation. Maquis, a drought-resistant kind of Mediterranean brush and shrub vegetation, grows on the coastal lowlands and hills. Many of the plants are thorny and have hairy, waxy, or thick leaves that conserve water. There are also tracts of marsh grass in the poorly drained areas.
Forests cover nearly 40 per cent of the land. Much of it, particularly on the low mountain slopes, is sparse woodland, brush, and shrub. Deciduous forests, mainly oak, chestnut, and beech, cover the middle slopes; pine, fir, and other conifers grow on the upper parts.
Economy
For centuries Albania has been one of the least developed and poorest countries of Europe. Before World War II its economy was based almost entirely on farming and had changed little since the Middle Ages. During 1946–91, when it was a Communist country, Albania had a centrally planned economy. Emphasis was placed on the development of mining, electrical power generation, and heavy manufacturing. Despite experiencing considerable economic progress during this period, Albania remained poor. Since 1991, when Albania became a democracy, the government has encouraged the growth of private enterprise. Money sent home by Albanians working in other countries is extremely important to the national economy.
AgricultureThough its relative importance has declined, farming is still a mainstay of the economy. Agricultural production has greatly increased in recent decades; however, crop yields are still relatively low and production insufficient to meet all the needs of the country. Mechanization and new farmland, which has been put into use by reclamation projects along the coast, account for much of the increase in production.
Grains, mainly wheat and corn, are the chief crops. Also important are vegetables, especially potatoes; sugar beets; tobacco; and grapes, olives, oranges, and other fruit.
About half of the agricultural land is used for pasturing livestock. Sheep and goats, which are able to graze far up the mountain slopes, are the most numerous livestock. Poultry is also widely raised.
ManufacturingSince the end of World War II, many new industries have been established, especially for processing mineral and agricultural goods. Among products produced are refined petroleum, cement, iron and steel, smelted copper and other primary metals, fertilizers, cotton and woolen textiles, and various processed foods—primarily flour, sugar, olive oil, wine, and cheese.
MiningAlbania's mineral wealth is substantial, and mining operations have expanded considerably since 1950. Albania is one of the world's largest producers of chromium ore. Chromium ore and nickel and copper ores are the nation's chief exports. Petroleum, natural gas, and coal are also produced. The use and export of hydroelectric power has expanded substantially since 1980.
TransportationRoads form the most extensive transportation system and carry the greatest volume of traffic. However, many of the roads in mountainous areas are not usable by motor vehicles. There are few privately owned cars in Albania. Buses and trucks are widely used. Railways connect several port cities with towns in the interior. Tiranë, the capital, is linked by air with several other European countries. There is no internal air service. The chief seaports are at Durrës and Vlorë. Some local shipping is done on the three large lakes.
The People
The Albanian people are descendants of the ancient Illyrians, with a small mixture of Visigoth, Slav, and Thracian. Because of the mountainous character of much of their country, Albanians were isolated both from effective centralized rule and from the rest of the world. They developed and maintained great independence of spirit and strong loyalty to their tribes, or clans. Deadly clan feuds were common through most of Albanian history and continued into the 1900's.
In spite of efforts toward modernization, many rural people still live and work under primitive conditions. Living standards in the cities remain far below those of other European nations.
PopulationAlbania's population density, about 303 persons per square mile (117 per km2), is low for a European nation but is about four times that of the United States. There are few large cities. The majority of the people live in villages and on farms.
Language. The Albanian language is an Indo-European tongue derived from ancient Illyrian. Slavic words were introduced during the early migrations. Later, separate dialects developed in the north, where the language of the church was Latin, and in the south, where it was Greek. The Shkumbin River marks the boundary between the two dialect groups—the Ghegs to the north and the Tosks to the south.
During the Ottoman era a considerable amount of Turkish was absorbed into both dialects. Literary Albanian, for which a Roman alphabet was established in 1908, is based on Gheg. Greeks living in the southern tip of Albania maintain their own language. In the west the Vlachs, descendants of the Thracians, speak a Romanian dialect.
ReligionAlbania fell originally within the realm of the Byzantine, or Eastern Orthodox, branch of the Christian church. Hatred of the Orthodox Bulgarians and Serbians who conquered their country caused the northern Albanians to turn to the Roman Catholic Church. After the Turkish conquest many Albanians were converted to Islam. Prior to World War II the population was about 70 per cent Muslim, making Albania the only predominantly Muslim country in Europe. Two-thirds of the remainder, mainly in the south, belonged to the Eastern Orthodox Church; the rest, largely in the north, were Roman Catholic.
Under the postwar Communist government religion was suppressed. In 1967 all churches and mosques were closed or turned to other uses. During 1990–91, the government ended its suppression of religion and many churches and mosques were reopened.
Education and Culture. At the time Albania gained its independence in 1912, the only educated persons were those who had attended foreign-language schools. Even after the establishment of an Albanian school system, facilities were limited. At the outbreak of World War II, 85 per cent of the population was illiterate.
After the war, with Soviet assistance, a great effort was made to provide basic education for all children, and by the 1980's illiteracy had been reduced to about 25 per cent. Schooling is compulsory from age 7 to 15. Secondary schools are of three types: general education; technical-professional, which combine vocational training with a general education; and lower vocational, which provide training in agriculture and industry. The nation's first university was established in Tiranë in 1957. Since then, three other universities have been founded.
Tiranë is the nation's main cultural center. The city is home to several national museums, an orchestra, and an opera company.
Government
The constitution of 1946 made the Albanian Workers' party (Communist party) the nation's sole political party. In 1990, largely due to overwhelming public demand, other political parties were allowed to form. After multiparty elections in 1991, an interim constitution, creating a democratic form of government, was adopted.
Under the 1991 constitution, the country's legislative body is the People's Assembly, made up of one house. The Assembly elects the president, who is the head of state. The Council of Ministers, appointed by the president and approved by the Assembly, is the executive body. The chairman of the council is the head of government.
Each of Albania's 27 districts is governed by an elected council. The Supreme Court is the highest court of appeals. The Constitutional Court rules on the constitutionality of laws.