Albania facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Republic of Albania Republika e Shqipërisë (Albanian)
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Ti Shqipëri, më jep nder, më jep emrin Shqipëtar "You Albania, give me honour, you give me the name Albanian"
Anthem: "Himni i Flamurit" "Hymn to the Flag"
Location of Albania (green)
Capital and largest city	Tirana 41°19′N 19°49′E / 41.317°N 19.817°E / 41.317; 19.817
Official languages	Albanian
Recognised minority languages	Greek Aromanian Macedonian
Religion (2023)	50.67% Islam 16.02% Christianity 13.83% Non-denominational 3.55% Atheism 0.15% other 15.77% undeclared
Demonym(s)	Albanian
Government	Unitary parliamentary republic

• President	Bajram Begaj
• Prime Minister	Edi Rama
• Parliament Speaker	Elisa Spiropali

Legislature	Kuvendi
Establishment history

• Principality of Arbanon	1190
• Kingdom of Albania	February 1272
• Princedom of Albania	1368
• League of Lezhë	2 March 1444
• Pashalik of Scutari/Janina	1757/1787
• League of Prizren	10 June 1878
• Proclamation of independence from the Ottoman Empire	28 November 1912
• Principality of Albania	29 July 1913
• 1st Republic of Albania	31 January 1925
• Kingdom of Albania	1 September 1928
• 2nd Republic of Albania	10 January 1946
• 3rd Republic of Albania	28 December 1976
• 4th Republic of Albania	29 April 1991
• Current constitution	28 November 1998

Area
• Total	28,748 km² (11,100 sq mi) (140th)
• Water (%)	4.7
Population
• 2023 census	2,402,113
• Density	83.6/km² (216.5/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2024 estimate
• Total	$59.099 billion (118th)
• Per capita	$20,739 (83rd)
GDP (nominal)	2024 estimate
• Total	$25.297 billion (125th)
• Per capita	$8,877 (84th)
Gini (2019)	▼ 34.3 medium
HDI (2022)	0.789 high · 74th
Currency	Lek (ALL)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Driving side	right
Calling code	+355
ISO 3166 code	AL
Internet TLD	.al

Albania (officially called Republic of Albania) is an independent republic in Southeastern Europe, with an area of 28,748 square kilometres (11,100 sq mi). The capital is Tirana, and other important cities are Durrës, Elbasan and Vlora. Over 3 million people live in Albania. The most Albanians are Muslims with 55%, 23% Eastern Orthodox and 15% Roman Catholics.

Albania is next to Kosovo, Montenegro, Greece and Macedonia. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea in the west, and a coast on the Ionian Sea in the southwest. The official language is Albanian. The national anthem is Hymni i Flamurit.

History
Divisions
Cities
Armed forces
Geography
Flora and fauna
Related pages
Images for kids
See also

History

Building in Albania

Albania was the southern part of Illyria during the Roman Empire. In the Middle Ages the Albanians were ruled by many foreign countries, including the Byzantine and Venetian Empires and during the 16th century resistance to the Ottoman Empire's rule was led by the Albanian national hero Skanderberg.

After four centuries of Turkish domination, finally in the 20th century an independent Albania was created. In 1939 Albania was conquered by fascist Italy and was part of the Kingdom of Italy until 1943. After World War II Albania became independent again, under communist rule. It was ruled by Enver Hoxha, who died in 1985. Ramiz Alia took over and also later became President when, in 1992, Albania returned to democracy, it now has friendly relations with the European Union, which it has applied to join.

Divisions

Albania is divided into 12 counties. These counties include 36 districts and 373 municipalities

Counties of Albania

	County	Capital	Districts	Municipalities	Cities	Villages
1	Berat	Berat	Berat Kuçovë Skrapar	10 2 8	2 1 2	122 18 105
2	Dibër	Peshkopi	Bulqizë Dibër Mat	7 14 10	1 1 2	63 141 76
3	Durrës	Durrës	Durrës Krujë	6 4	4 2	62 44
4	Elbasan	Elbasan	Elbasan Gramsh Librazhd Peqin	20 9 9 5	3 1 2 1	177 95 75 49
5	Fier	Fier	Fier Lushnjë Mallakastër	14 14 8	3 2 1	117 121 40
6	Gjirokastër	Gjirokastër	Gjirokastër Përmet Tepelenë	11 7 8	2 2 2	96 98 77
7	Korçë	Korçë	Devoll Kolonjë Korçë Pogradec	4 6 14 7	1 2 2 1	44 76 153 72
8	Kukës	Kukës	Has Kukës Tropojë	3 14 7	1 1 1	30 89 68
9	Lezhë	Lezhë	Kurbin Lezhë Mirditë	2 9 5	2 1 2	26 62 80
10	Shkodër	Shkodër	Malësi e Madhe Pukë Shkodër	5 8 15	1 2 2	56 75 141
11	Tirana	Tirana	Kavajë Tirana	8 16	2 3	66 167
12	Vlorë	Vlorë	Delvinë Sarandë Vlorë	3 7 9	1 2 4	38 62 99

Cities

This is a list of the largest cities in Albania.

Durrës

Tirana

Rank	City	2001 Census	2011 census
1	Tirana	352,581	421,286
2	Durrës	113,465	115,550
3	Vlorë	85,180	79,948
4	Elbasan	95,554	79,810
5	Shkodër	85,798	74,876
6	Fier	56,297	57,198
7	Korçë	58,911	51,683
8	Berat	45,572	36,467
9	Lushnjë	38,336	31,424
10	Kavajë	28,149	20,312

Armed forces

The Albanian Armed Forces were first formed after independence in 1912. Albania reduced the number of active troops from 65,000 in 1988 to 14,500 in 2009. The military now is mostly a small fleet of aircraft and sea vessels.

Geography

Albania has a total area of 28,748 square kilometers. Albania's coastline length is 476 km (296 mi). It goes along the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. On the coast there are mild, wet winters and warm, sunny, and rather dry summers.

70% of the country is mountains. The highest mountain is Korab.

Albania is bordered by Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo, which is a state not recognized by Serbia and some other countries. A short stretch of sea separates Albania from the far southeast of Italy.

Flora and fauna

Golden eagle is the national symbol of Albania

Although a small country, Albania has a lot of variety in plants and animals. The total number of plants is over 3250 species. There are over 350 bird species, 330 freshwater and marine fish and 80 mammal species. The Golden Eagle is the national symbol of Albania.

Images for kids

The remains of Kamenica Tumulus in the county of Korçë.
Founded in the 4th century BC, Scodra was a significant city of the Illyrian tribes of the Ardiaei and Labeates.
Apollonia was an important Ancient Greek colony on the Illyrian coast along the Adriatic Sea and one of the western points of the Via Egnatia route, that connected Rome and Constantinople.
The town of Krujë was the capital of the Principality of Arbanon in the Middle Ages.
A relief of the Scuola degli Albanesi commemorating the Siege of Shkodra. It illustrates Sultan Mehmet II laying siege to the Albanian town of Scutari then part of Venetian Empire.
Ismail Qemali is regarded as the founding father of the modern Albanian nation.
Zog I was the first and only king of Albania; his reign lasted 11 years (1928–1939).
Enver Hoxha served as Prime Minister and First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania.
A bunker overlooking the Albanian Alps. By 1983, approximately 173,371 concrete bunkers were scattered across the country.
In 1988, the first foreigners were allowed to walk into the car-free Skanderbeg Square in Tirana.
The earthquake of November 2019 was the strongest to hit Albania in more than four decades.
The Albanian Alps are an extension and simultaneously the highest section of the Dinaric Alps.
Gjipe is located on the confluence of the Adriatic and Ionian Sea.
Panorma Bay on the Albanian Riviera in the south has a mediterranean climate.
The Albanian Alps in the north have a subarctic climate.
The golden eagle is the national symbol and animal of Albania.
The common bottlenose dolphin is a frequent visitor to the waters of the Albanian Adriatic and Ionian Sea Coasts.
The Lagoon of Karavasta within the Divjakë-Karavasta National Park is renowned for hosting the rare Dalmatian pelican.
Assisted by the governments of Kosovo and Albania, an official application for the inclusion of the Arbëreshë people in the list of UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage is being prepared.
Albanian soldiers in the Province of Kandahar, Afghanistan.
GPD per capita development of Albanien since 1913
Tirana is the economic hub of the country. It is home to major domestic and foreign companies operating in the country.
Grapes in Berat. Due to the mediterranean climate, wine, olives and citrus fruits are mostly produced in Southern Albania.
The Antea factory in Fushë-Krujë
The Islets of Ksamil in the south of the Albanian Ionian Sea Coast.
Tirana International Airport is named in honour of the Albanian nun and missionary Mother Teresa.
The University of Arts is the largest higher education institute dedicated to the study of arts.
Lake Koman was formed as a result of the construction of the Koman Hydroelectric Power Station in 1985.
The dialects of the Albanian language in Albania.
Representatives of the Sunni, Orthodox, Bektashi and Catholic Albanian communities and in Paris.
The double-headed eagle on the walls of the St. Anthony Church.
Butrint has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites since 1992.
The Codices of Berat are eminently important for the global community and the development of ancient biblical, liturgical and hagiographical literature. In 2005, it was inscribed on the UNESCO's Memory of the World Register.
The Fortress of Bashtovë is on the tentative list for inscribing it as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Bukë misri (cornbread) is a staple on the Albanian table.
Speca të ferguara (roasted peppers) served with pite, a traditional and prominent layered Albanian pie.
The former grounds of the headquarters of Radio Tirana in the capital of Tirana. Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH) was initially inaugurated as Radio Tirana in 1938 prior to the World War II.
Albanian iso-polyphony is designated as an UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
The Albanian Dancer (1835) by French artist Alexandre-Gabriel Decamps; the dancers are depicted wearing the fustanella, the national costume of Albania
An excerpt from the Meshari (The Missal) written by Gjon Buzuku. (1555)
Parashqevi Qiriazi - teacher and feminist (1880–1970)
Arena Kombëtare in central Tirana