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| Albanie | |
|---|---|
| Conventional long name | Albanie |
| Capital | Tirana |
| Largest city | Tirana |
| Official languages | Albanian |
| Area km2 | 28748 |
| Population estimate | 2870000 |
| Currency | Euro |
| Calling code | +355 |
| Time zone | CET |
| Government type | Parliamentary republic |
Albanie is a country in Southeastern Europe on the Balkan Peninsula with a coastline on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. It shares land borders with Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Greece, and lies across the sea from Italy. Tirana serves as the capital and cultural center, hosting institutions such as the University of Tirana, the National Library of Albania, and the National Museum of Albania.
The modern name derives from classical and medieval exonyms and endonyms recorded by Ptolemy, Procopius, and medieval Byzantine Empire chroniclers. Latin and Greek sources used variants such as "Albania" and "Arbanon", while medieval documents from the Kingdom of Sicily and the Serbian Empire preserved forms like "Arbër" and "Arbanum". Ottoman-period registers in the Sanjak and Vilayet systems recorded the ethnonym in Arabic-script Ottoman Turkish as seen in the archives of the Topkapı Palace. The historiography of the name involves scholars such as Giovanni Boccaccio for Renaissance references, modern philologists at the University of Vienna, and fieldwork by researchers affiliated with the Institute of History (Albania).
Albanie occupies part of the southwestern Balkans, spanning the Prokletije (Accursed Mountains), the Pindus foothills, and the Ionian Sea coast. Major rivers include the Drin, Vjosa, Shkumbin, and Seman, which have featured in transboundary water projects involving Montenegro and North Macedonia. The country contains protected areas such as Valbonë Valley National Park, Llogara National Park, and the Butrint National Park, which is near the ancient site of Butrint and the Corfu Channel. Albania’s road and rail corridors connect to the Trans-European Transport Network corridors toward Greece and Italy via ferry links from the ports of Durrës and Vlorë.
Antiquity in the region saw Illyrian tribes referenced by Herodotus and engaged with colonial entities like Corinth and Rome; archaeological sites include Apollonia (Illyria), Butrint, and Shkodër (Scodra). During the medieval period principalities such as Arbanon and figures like Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg intersected with the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Naples. The 20th century featured declarations and treaties involving Great Power Conference diplomacy, the Treaty of London (1913), and the interwar monarchy under Ahmet Zogu. World War II occupations involved Italy and Nazi Germany, while postwar realignment produced the People's Socialist Republic of Albania led by Enver Hoxha and later reforms under Ramiz Alia. The 1990s transition included the fall of communist institutions, the 1997 crisis linked to pyramid schemes, and subsequent integration efforts with NATO and the European Union accession process.
Albanie’s cultural heritage includes traditional music styles like iso-polyphony associated with Gjirokastër and Vlorë, and folk costumes preserved in the National Historical Museum. Literary figures such as Ismail Kadare and Gjergj Fishta are central to modern letters, with publishing houses tied to the Academy of Sciences of Albania. Religious sites reflect Bektashi Order tekke and Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania parishes alongside Roman Catholic dioceses linked to Shkodër–Pult. Festivals such as the National Folk Festival in Gjirokastër and the Korca Beer Festival coexist with film events at the Tirana International Film Festival. Cuisine shows Ottoman, Mediterranean, and Balkan influences with staples also found in markets in Sarandë, Berat, and Kukës.
Economic history includes agrarian reform and industrialization under Enver Hoxha and liberalization in the 1990s. Key sectors today include tourism concentrated in Sarandë, energy projects on the Drin cascade, and remittances from diasporas in Italy, Greece, and the United States. Major infrastructure and investment involve entities such as the Port of Durrës Authority, international lenders like the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and private firms operating in textiles, mining near Ballsh, and telecommunications with operators present from Telekom Albania or regional conglomerates. Energy interconnections refer to projects linking with Kosovo and Greece, and renewable initiatives in wind and solar have been proposed in collaboration with the European Investment Bank.
The political system operates under a constitution adopted by the People's Assembly (Albania) and presided over by a President and Prime Minister; major contemporary parties include the Socialist Party of Albania and the Democratic Party of Albania. Foreign policy has focused on membership in NATO and negotiations for accession to the European Union, while judicial reform has been the subject of legislation debated in the Constitutional Court of Albania and overseen in cooperation with the Venice Commission. Law enforcement and civil institutions interact with international organizations such as Interpol and the United Nations Development Programme, and anti-corruption initiatives coordinate with the Group of States against Corruption.
Population centers include Tirana, Durrës, Vlorë, Elbasan, and Shkodër, with migratory flows to Italy and Greece shaping diaspora communities in Boston and Toronto. Ethnic and linguistic minorities include Gorani people, Aromanian people, and Roma people, and religious communities linked to Islam in Albania, Roman Catholicism in Albania, and Eastern Orthodoxy in Albania. Census and statistical work are conducted by the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT), and health and education services are provided through institutions such as the University Hospital Centre Mother Teresa and the Ministry of Health and Social Protection (Albania).
Category:Countries in Europe