Albania
Albania (video of CNN)
Tirana
Dec 29, 2007
Dec 28, 2007
Dec 25, 2007
Dec 23, 2007
Religions in Albania
The majority of Albanians today are either atheists or agnostics. According to an official US Government Report: "No reliable data were available on active participation in formal religious services, but estimates ranged from 25 to 40 percent.", leaving 60 to 75 percent of the population non-religious.
The country does not have a history of religious extremism and takes pride in the harmony that exists across religious traditions and practices. Religious pragmatism continued as a distinctive trait of the society and interreligious marriage has been very common throughout the centuries, in some places even the rule. There is a strong unifying cultural identity, where Muslims and Christians see themselves as Albanian before anything else. This has been solidified historically by the common experience of struggling to protect their culture in the face of various outside conquerors.
A Northern Albanian intellectual and poet, Pashko Vasa (1825-1892), made the trenchant remark, later co-opted by the totalitarian state, that "Churches and mosques you shall not heed / The religion of Albanians is Albanism" (Gheg Albanian: "Mos shikoni kisha e xhamia / Feja e shqyptarit âsht shqyptaria").
Anyway the religions in albania are three:
Roman Catholic,
Orthodox,
Muslim
I don’t want to put percentages, as very often is speculated about the percentages of religions in Albania, for certain aims. Anyway I want to stress that the first religion in Albania has been Catholicism. Later after Ottoman empire occupied Albania for centuries, they obliged many Albanians to convert from Catholics into Muslims. Later on a part of south of Albania were influenced by the Greece and converted into Orthodox.
Climate of Albania
With its coastline facing the Adriatic and Ionian seas, its highlands backed upon the elevated Balkan landmass, and the entire country lying at a latitude subject to a variety of weather patterns during the winter and summer seasons, Albania has a high number of climatic regions for so small an area. The coastal lowlands have typically Mediterranean weather; the highlands have a Mediterranean continental climate. In both the lowlands and the interior, the weather varies markedly from north to south.
Coastline in southern Albania.
The lowlands have mild winters, averaging about 7 °C.
Summer temperatures average 24 °C, humidity is high, and the weather tends to be oppressively uncomfortable. In the southern lowlands, temperatures average about 5 °C higher throughout the year. The difference is greater than 5 °C during the summer and somewhat less during the winter.
Inland temperatures are affected more by differences in elevation than by latitude or any other factor. Low winter temperatures in the mountains are caused by the continental air mass that dominates the weather in Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Northerly and northeasterly winds blow much of the time. Average summer temperatures are lower than in the coastal areas and much lower at higher elevations, but daily fluctuations are greater. Daytime maximum temperatures in the interior basins and river valleys are very high, but the nights are almost always cool.
Average precipitation is heavy, a result of the convergence of the prevailing airflow from the Mediterranean Sea and the continental air mass. Because they usually meet at the point where the terrain rises, the heaviest rain falls in the central uplands. Vertical currents initiated when the Mediterranean air is uplifted also cause frequent thunderstorms. Many of these storms are accompanied by high local winds and torrential downpours.
When the continental air mass is weak, Mediterranean winds drop their moisture farther inland. When there is a dominant continental air mass, cold air spills onto the lowland areas, which occurs most frequently in the winter. Because the season's lower temperatures damage olive trees and citrus fruits, groves and orchards are restricted to sheltered places with southern and western exposures, even in areas with high average winter temperatures.
Lowland rainfall averages from 1,000 millimeters to more than 1,500 millimeters annually, with the higher levels in the north. Nearly 95% of the rain falls in the winter.
Rainfall in the upland mountain ranges is heavier. Adequate records are not available, and estimates vary widely, but annual averages are probably about 1,800 millimeters and are as high as 2,550 millimeters in some northern areas. The seasonal variation is not quite as great in the coastal area.
The higher inland mountains receive less precipitation than the intermediate uplands. Terrain differences cause wide local variations, but the seasonal distribution is the most consistent of any area.
Geography of Albania
Albania is a European country.
Albania has a total area of 28,750 square kilometers. It shares a 287-kilometre border with Serbia and Montenegro to the north, a 151-kilometre border with the Republic of Macedonia to the north and east, and a 282-kilometre border with Greece to the south and southeast. Its coastline is 362 kilometres long. The lowlands of the west face the Adriatic Sea and the strategically important Strait of Otranto, which puts less than 100 kilometers of water between Albania and the heel of the Italian "boot" (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea).
Albania has coastline on the Adriatic Sea and the Ionian Sea.
With theexception of the coastline, all Albanian borders are artificial. They were established in principle at the 1912-1913 conference of ambassadors in London. The country was occupied by Italian, Serbian, Greek, and French forces during World War I, but the 1913 boundaries were essentially reaffirmed by the victorious states in 1921. The original principle was to define the borders in accordance with the best interests of the Albanian people and the nationalities in adjacent areas. The northern and eastern borders were intended, insofar as possible, to separate the Albanians from the Serbs and Montenegrins; the southeast border was to separate Albanians and Greeks; the valuable western Macedonia lake district was to be divided among the three states-- Albania, Greece, and Yugoslavia --whose populations shared the area. When there was no compromise involving other factors, borderlines were chosen to make the best possible separation of national groups, connecting the best marked physical features available.
Allowance was made for local economic situations, for example, to prevent separation of a village from its animals' grazing areas or the markets for its produce. Political pressures also were a factor in the negotiations, but the outcome was subject to approval by powers having relatively abstract interests, most of which involved the balance of power rather than specific economic ambitions.
Division of the lake district among three states required that each of them have a share of the lowlands in the vicinity. Such an artificial distribution, once made, necessarily affected the borderlines to the north and south. The border that runs generally north from the lakes, although it follows the ridges of the eastern highlands, stays sixteen to thirty-two kilometers west of the watershed divide. Because negotiators at the London conference declined to use the watershed divide as the northeast boundary of the new state of Albania, the Albanian population of Kosovo was incorporated into Serbia.
In Albania's far north and the northeast mountainous sections, the border connects high points and follows mountain ridges through the largely inaccessible North Albanian Alps, and further south Bjeshkët e Namuna (The Accursed Mountains). For the most part, there is no natural boundary from the highlands to the Adriatic, although Lake Shkodër and a portion of the Buna River south of it were used to mark Albania's northwest border. From the lake district south and southwest to the Ionian Sea, the country's southeast border goes against the grain of the land, crossing a number of ridges instead of following them.
Elevation extremes:
Lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
Highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,753 m
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, timber, nickel
Albanian language
The Albanian Language
A more concrete evidence of the Illyrian-Pelasgian origin of the Albanians is supplied by the study of the Albanian language. Notwithstanding certain points of resemblance in structure and phonetics, the Albanian language is entirely distinct from the tongues spoken by the neighbouring nationalities.
This language is particularly interesting as the only surviving representative of the so-called Thraco-Illyrian group of languages, which formed the primitive speech of the inhabitants of the Balkan Peninsula. Its analysis presents, however, great difficulties, as, owing to the absence of early literary monuments, no certainty can be arrived at with regard to its earlier forms and later developments.
In the course of time the Albanian language has been impregnated by a large number of foreign words, mainly of ancient Greek or Latin, which are younger than the Albanian Language, but there are certain indications that the primitive Illyrian language exerted a certain degree of influence on the grammatical development of the languages now spoken in the Balkan Peninsula.
There is, however, a very striking feature in this whole matter: that the Albanian language affords the only available means for a rational explanation of the meaning of the names of the ancient Greek gods as well as the rest of the mythological creations, so as exactly to correspond with the characteristics attributed to these deities by the men of those times. The explanations are so convincing as to confirm the opinion that the ancient Greek mythology had been borrowed, in its entirety, from the Illyrian-Pelasgians. As it was mentioned before, Zeus survives as "Zot" in the Albanian language. The invocation of his name is the common form of oath among the modern Albanians. Athena ( the Latin Minerva), the goddess of wisdom as expressed in speech, would evidently owe its derivation to the Albanian "E Thena," which simply means "speech." Thetis, the goddess of waters and seas, would seem to be but Albanian "Det" which means "sea." It would be interesting to note that the word "Ulysses,"whether in its Latin or Greek form "Odysseus," means "traveler" in the Albanian language, according as the word "udhe," which stands for "route" and "travel," is written with "d" or "l," both forms being in use in Albania. Such examples may be supplied ad libitum. No such facility is, however, afforded by the ancient Greek language, unless the explanation be a forced one and distorted one; but in many instances even such forced and distorted one is not available at all.
In addition, we should not forget the fact that Zeus was a Pelasgian god, par excellence , his original place of worship being Dodona. It is estimated that of the actual stock of the Albanian language, more than one third is of undisputed Ilyrian origin, and the rest are Illyrian-Pelasgian, ancient Greek and Latin, with a small admixture of Slavic, Italian (dating from the Venetian occupation of the seaboard), Turkish and some Celtic words, too.
Dialects of albanian language
The two principal Albanian dialects are Geg, spoken by about two-thirds of the people, including almost all Albanians in Kosovo, and Tosk, used by the remaining third. Within each dialect, there are subdialects. Despite the variations that have developed in the many isolated communities, Albanians generally communicate well with each other.
During the 1920s and 1930s, the government attempted to establish the dialect of the Elbasan area, which was a mixture of Geg and Tosk, as the official language. The local dialects persisted, however, and writers and even officials continued to use the dialect of their association. After Hoxha acceded to power, the Tosk dialect became the official language of the country. Some scholars saw the imposition of "standard" Albanian as a political scheme to denigrate the Geg dialect and culture.
History of Albania
Albanians are the most ancient race in southesatern Europe.
ETYMOLOGY OF THE NAME "ALBANIA"
A curious item about Albania is her very name, that is, the etymology of the word "Albania." The country was known as Illyria in ancient times and until the eleventh century (1081) A.D, where the Albania and Albanians are mentioned for the first time in a historical record, by Byzantine emperor. Then the name "Albania" appears in 13th century in Latin dictionaries. During the Middle Ages the Albanians called their country Arb'r or Arb'n and referred to themselves as Arb'resh or Arb'nesh. To this day, there are communities of Albanians who migrated to Greece and Italy, in the wake of foreign invasions and pressures, who know themselves by those names. According to the Albanian scholar Konitza, the term "Albania" did not displace "Illyria" completely until the end of the fourteenth century. The term is believed to derive from "Albanoi," the name of an Illyrian tribe in what is now north-central Albania, which was first mentioned in the second century A.D. by Ptolemy, the Alexandrian astronomer. The term slowly spread to other Illyrian tribes until its usage became universal among all the Albanian people. Scholars have not been able to determine the origin of Shqip'ria – The Albanians (Albanians call our country –Shqiperi, and ourselves – Shqiptar). This name for our land (Shqipria), is believed to have supplanted the name Albania during the 16th and 17th centuries. It probably was derived from shqipe (in English- eagle) which, modified into shqipria, became: -the land of the eagle.
Illyrians
Illyrian culture is believed to have evolved from the Stone Age and to have manifested itself in the territory of Albania towardthe beginning of the Bronze Age, about 2000 BC. The Illyrians were not a uniform body of people but a conglomeration of many tribes that inhabited the western part of the Balkans, from what is now Slovenia in the northwest to and including the region of Epirus, which extends about halfway down the mainland of modern Greece. In general, Illyrians in the highlands of Albania were more isolated than those in the lowlands, and their culture evolved more slowly--a distinction that persisted throughout Albania's history. In its beginning, the kingdom of Illyria comprised the actual territories of Dalmatia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, with a large part of modern Serbia. Shkodra (Scutari) was its capital, just as it is now, the most important center of Northern Albania. Authors of antiquity relate that the Illyrians were a sociable and hospitable people, renowned for their daring and bravery at war. Illyrian women were fairly equal in status to the men, even to the point of becoming heads of tribal federations. The land of Illyria was rich in minerals--iron, copper, gold, silver--and Illyrians became skillful in the mining and processing of metals. They were highly skilled boat builders and sailors as well; indeed, their light, swift galleys known as liburnae were of such superior design that the Romans incorporated them into their own fleet as a type of warship called the Liburnian.
Chronology of historical Albanian Events
1225 B.C.
Earliest known Illyrian king, Hyllus (the star – in Albanian), dies. Fourth Century B.C. King Bardhylus (white star – in Albanian) unites Illyria, Molossia (Epirus) and part of Macedonia. The Illyrian kingdom reaches its peak.
358 B.C.
Illyrians are defeated by Philip II of Macedonia, father of Alexander the Great.
312 B.C.
King Glauk of Illyria expels Greeks from Durrës.
232 B.C.
King Agron dies, the Illyrian throne is occupied by Queen Teuta, the celebrated Queen whom historians have called Catherine the Great of Illyria.
165 B.C.
The last king of Illyria was Gentius. In 165 B.C. Romans captured and send him to Rome. Illyria is now under Roman control.
First Century A.D.
Christianity comes to Illyrian populated areas.
9 A.D.
Emperor Tiberius of Rome subjugates the Illyrians and divides present day Albania between Dalmatia, Epirus, and Macedonia.
395 A.D.
Division of Roman Empire leaves lands presently inhabited by Albanians under the administration of the Eastern Empire.
Fourth Century - Seventh Century
Goths, Huns, Avars, Serbs, Croats, and Bulgars successively invade Illyrian lands.
Eighth Century
Slav tribes settle into the territories of present-day Slovenia, Bosnia, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia, and assimilate the Illyrian populations of these regions. The Illyrians in the south avert assimilation.
732
Illyrians are subordinated to the patriarchate of Constantinople by the Byzantine Emperor, Leo the Isaurian.
1054
When the Christian church split in 1054 between the East and Rome, southern Albania retained its tie to Constantinople while northern Albania reverted to the jurisdiction of Rome. This split in the Albanian church marked the first significant religious fragmentation of the country. Twelfth Century
Serbs occupy parts of northern and eastern Albanian inhabited lands.
1204
Venice wins control over most of Albania, but Byzantines regain control of the southern portion and establish the Despotate of Epirus.
1272
Forces of the King of Naples occupy Durrës and establish the Kingdom of Arbëria, the first Albanian kingdom since the fall of Illyria.
1385
Albanian ruler of Durrës invites Ottoman forces to intervene against a rival.
1389
Albanians join Serbian-led Balkan army that is defeated by Ottoman forces at the Battle of Kosova.
1403
Gjergj Kastrioti is born.
1443
After losing a battle near Nis, Skenderbeg with a group of Albanian warriors defect from the Ottoman army and return to Kruja.
1444
Albanian principalities unite at Lezha under Skenderbeg, who is proclaimed chief of Albanian resistance.
1449
Albanians, under Skenderbeg, rout Ottoman forces under Sultan Murat II.
1468
Skenderbeg dies.
1478
Kruja falls to Ottoman Turks; Shkodra falls a year later. Subsequently, many Albanians flee to southern Italy, Greece, Egypt, and elsewhere; many remaining are forced to convert to Islam.
Early Seventeenth Century
Some Albanians who convert to Islam find careers in Ottoman Empire's government and military.
Seventeenth Century and Eighteenth Century
About two-thirds of Albanians convert to Islam.
1822
Albanian leader Ali Pasha of Tepelena assassinated by Ottoman agents for promoting autonomy. 1830 1000 Albanian leaders invited to meet with Ottoman general who kills about half of them.
1835
Ottoman Porte divides Albanian-populated lands into vilayets of Janina, Manastir, Shkodra, and Kosova with Ottoman administrators.
1861
First school known to use Albanian language in modern times is open in Shkodra.
1877-78
Treaty of San Stefano, signed after Russo-Turkish War, assigned Albanian-populated lands to Bulgaria, Montenegro and Serbia; but Austria-Hungary and Britain block the treaty's implementation. Albanian leaders meet in Prizren, Kosova, to form the League of Prizren. The League initially advocated autonomy for Albania. At the Congress of Berlin, the Great Powers overturn the Treaty of San Stefano and divide Albanian lands among several states. The League of Prizren begins to organize resistance to the Treaty of Berlin's provisions that affect Albanians. 1881 Ottoman forces crush Albanian resistance fighters at Prizren. The League's leaders and families are arrested and deported.
1897
Ottoman authorities disband a reactivated League of Prizren, execute its leader and ban Albanian language books.
1908
Albanian intellectuals meet in Manastir (Bitolja, Macedonia), at the Congress of Manastir to standardize the Albanian alphabet using the Latin script. Up to now, Latin, Cyrillic and Arabic script had been used.
1912
May. Albanians rise against the Ottoman authorities and seize Shkup (Skopje, Macedonia). October. First Balkan War begins, and Albanian leaders affirm Albania as an independent state. November. Albanian delegates at Vlora declare the independence of Albania and establish a provisional government. December. Ambassadorial conference opens in London and discusses Albania's fate.
1913
May. Treaty of London ends First Balkan War, Second Balkan War begins November. Treaty of Bucharest ends Second Balkan War. Great Powers recognize an independent Albanian state. Conference of London ripped the Albanian land and gave almost the half of it to Serbia and Montenegro (Kosovo), Greece (Çameria) and Macedonia (Dibra e madhe). These lands were the most productive in food grains, livestock, minerals, etc.
1914
Prince Wilhelm of Wied is installed as head of the Albanian state by the International Control Commission. His rule ended within six months, with the outbreak of World War I.
1918
World War I ends, with Italian armies occupying most of Albania, and Serbian, Greek and French armies occupying the remainder. Italian and Yugoslav powers begin struggle for dominance over Albanians. In December, Albanian leaders meet at Durrës to discuss Albania's interests at the Paris Peace Conference.
1919
Serbs attack Albanian cities; Albanians adopt guerilla warfare. Albania is denied official representation at the Paris Peace Conference; British, French and Greek negotiators decide to divide Albania among Greece, Italy and Yugoslavia. This decision is vetoed by American president Wilson.
1920
January. Albanian leaders meet in Lushnjë and reject the partitioning of Albania by the Treaty of Paris, warn that Albanians will take up arms in defence of territory, and creates bicameral parliament. February. Albanian government moves to Tirana, which becomes the capital. September. Albania forces Italy to withdraw its troops and abandon claims on Albanian territory. December. Albania is admitted to the League of Nations as sovereign and independent state.
1921
November. Yugoslav troops invade Albania; League of Nations commission forces Yugoslav withdrawal and reaffirms Albania's 1913 borders. December. Popular Party, led by Xhafer Ypi, forms government with Ahmet Zogu as minister of internal affairs.
1922
August. Ecumenical patriarch in Constantinople recognizes the Autochephalous Albanian Orthodox Church. September. Ahmet Zogu assumes position as Prime Minister.
1923
Albania's Sunni Muslims break ties with Constantinople and pledge primary allegiance to native country.
1924
March. Zogu's party wins elections for National Assembly, but Zogu steps down after a financial scandal and a assassination attempt. July. A peasant-backed insurgency wins control of Tirana; Fan S. Noli becomes Prime Minister; Zogu flees to Yugoslavia. December. Zogu, backed by Yugoslav army, returns to power and begins to smother parliamentary democracy; Noli flees to Italy.
1926
Italy and Albania sign First Treaty of Tirana, which guarantees Zogu's political position and Albania's boundaries.
1928
Zogu pressures the parliament to dissolve itself, a new constituent assembly declares Albania a kingdom and Zogu becomes Zog I, "King of the Albanians."
1931
Zog refuses to renew the First Treaty of Tirana. Italians continue with political and economic pressure.
1934
After Albania signs trade agreements with Greece and Yugoslavia, Italy suspends economic support, then attempts to threaten Albania.
1935
Mussolini presents a gift of 3,000,000 gold frances to Albania; other economic aid follows.
1939
March. Mussolini delivers ultimatum to Albania. April. Mussolini's troops invade and occupy Albania; Albanian parliament votes to unite Albania with Italy; Zog flees to Greece.
1940
Italian army attacks Greece through Albania.
1941
April. Germany, with support of Italy and other allies defeat Greece and Yugoslavia. October. Josip Broz Tito, Yugoslav communist leader, directs organizing of Albanian communists. November. Albanian Communist Party founded; Enver Hoxha becomes first secretary.
1942
September. Communist Party organizes National Liberation Movement, a popular front resistance organization. October. Non-communist nationalist groups form to resist the Italian occupation.
1943
August. Italy's surrender to Allied forces weakens Italian hold on Albania; Albanian resistance fighters overwhelm five Italian divisions. September. German forces invade and occupy Albania.
1944
January. Communist Partisans, supplied with British weapons, gain control of southern Albania. May. Communists meet to organize an Albanian government; Hoxha becomes chairman of executive committee and supreme commander of the Army of National Liberation. July. Communist forces enter central and northern Albania. October. Communists establish provisional government with Hoxha as prime minister. November. Germans withdraw from Tirana, communists enter capital. December. Communist provisional government adopts laws allowing state regulation of commercial enterprises, foreign and domestic trade.
1945
January. Communist provisional government agrees to restore Kosova to Yugoslavia as an autonomous region; Yugoslav leaders bring Kosova under marshal law. Tribunals begin in Albania to condemn thousands of "war criminals" and "enemies of the people" to death or prison. Communist regime begins to nationalize industry, transportation, forests, pastures. December. Elections are held for the People's Assembly. Only members of the Democratic Front are permitted to participate.
1946
People's Assembly proclaims Albania a "people's republic"; purges of non-communists from government positions begins. People's Assembly adopts new constitution. Enver Hoxha becomes prime minister, defense minister, foreign minister and commander-in-chief. July. Treaty of friendship signed with Yugoslavia; Yugoslav advisors and grain begin pouring into Albania. October. British destroyers hit mines off Albania's coast. The United Nations and the International Court of Justice condemn Albania.
1948
Albanian Communist Party leaders vote to merge Albanian and Yugoslav economies and militaries. June. Cominform expels Yugoslavia; Albanian leaders launch anti-Yugoslav propaganda campaign, cut economic ties, and force Yugoslav advisors to leave. Later on the treaty of friendship with Yugoslavia is abrogated; Hoxha begins purging high-ranking party members accused of "Titoism"; Soviet Union begins economic aid to Albania. November. Communist Party of Albania renames itself the Party of Labor of Albania.
1950
Britain and United States insert anti-communist guerillas into Albania; all are unsuccessful.
1955
Albania becomes a founding member of the Warsaw Pact.
1960
Albania sides with China on Sino-Soviet ideological dispute; consequently Soviet economic support is curtailed and Chinese aid is increased.
1961
Soviet Union breaks diplomatic relations, Albania looks towards China for support.
1967
Hoxha regime conducts violent campaign to extinguish religious life in Albania; by year's end over two thousand religious buildings were closed or converted to other uses. Albania is declared "the world's first atheist country," religious leaders are imprisoned and executed.
1968
Albania condemns Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia, subsequently Albania withdraws from Warsaw Pact.
1974
New constitution adopted in Yugoslavia. Autonomous units, including Kosova, become constituent members of the federation.
1976
New constitution adopted. Albania becomes a "people's socialist republic."
1978
China terminates all economic and military aid to Albania.
1981
Massive demonstrations occur in Kosova. Demonstrators demand Kosova become a republic in Yugoslavia. Yugoslav police and army presence is increased in Kosova.
1985
Enver Hoxha dies. Ramiz Alia is his successor.
1989
Alia, addressing the Eighth Plenum of the Central Committee, signals that radical changes to the economic system are necessary. In Yugoslavia, a new constitution is adopted in Serbia, which limits the autonomy of Kosova. The constitution passes without the approval of the parliament of Kosova.
1990
January. Demonstrations at Shkodra force authorities to declare a state of emergency. July. Young people demonstrate against regime in Tirana, 5,000 citizens seek refuge in foreign embassies. Albanian delegates of the parliament of Kosova declare the independence of Kosova from Serbia. Subsequently Serbia abolishes the parliament and government of Kosova, closes down the only Albanian daily, and takes over the state-owned television and radio. August. Government abandons its monopoly on foreign commerce and begins to open Albania to foreign trade. December. University students demonstrate in streets and call for dictatorship to end; Alia meets with students; multiparty system introduced; the Democratic Party, the first opposition party is established; regime authorizes political pluralism.
1991
January. First opposition newspaper Rilindja Demokratike begins publishing. March-April. First multiparty elections held since the 1920s; Labor Party wins over 67 percent of votes, Democratic Party wins around 30 percent. April. Alia reelected to President. Assembly passes law on Major Constitutional Provisions which provides for fundamental human rights and separation of powers and invalidates the 1976 constitution. June. Prime Minister Fatos Nano and rest of cabinet resign after trade unions call for general strike to protest worsening economic conditions and killing of opposition demonstrators in Shkodra. Party of Labor renamed to Socialist Party of Albania. Albania accepted as a full member of the CSCE. August. 18,000 Albanians cross the Adriatic to seek asylum in Italy; most are returned. People's Assembly passes law allowing private ownership, foreign investment and private employment of workers. September. A referendum is held in Kosova. Over 90 percent of voters vote for independence. December. Democratic Party withdraws ministers after accusing communists of blocking reform. Alia sets up new government headed by Vilson Ahmeti and sets March 1992 for new elections.
1992
March. Democratic Party scores decisive election victory over the Socialist Party in the midst of economic freefall and social chaos. Elections are held in Kosova; the Democratic League of Kosova wins the majority of votes; the elections are called illegal by the Serbian regime. April. Sali Berisha, leader of the Democratic Party, becomes first democratically elected president. September. Former President Alia and eighteen other former communist officials, including Nexhmije Hoxha, wife of late dictator Hoxha, arrested and charged with corruption and other offenses.
Currently Albanian state and people is working for being adhered into European Union Albania is going to be member of NATO
Dec 7, 2007
The position of Albania.
Albania is a southeast European country. A Balkan country. It is situated between Greece (in south), Macedonia (east), Kosovo (Albanian place) and Montenegro (north). And the west of Albania is dampen from the Adriatic and Ionian seas.
Below is the todays Map of Albania. (I said todays because before 1913 Albania has been a larger country)
Dec 6, 2007
Albania is a beautiful coutry.
Albania.
A European country. Not so known in the world.
Do you know why?. Because it is a small country, and for more over it has been closed for the world for about half century, under direction of communist and dictatorial regime (from 1944 till 1990).
It is a beautiful country, but who knows something about Albania doesn’t know that it is a beautiful country. It has a good four seasons climate. The geographical formation offers to people what they desire:
If you like the beach you can enjoy the beautiful beaches of Albania from north to south.
If you like the mountains you can enjoy the beauties of Albanian alps in the north, you can enjoy also the mountains of the south also.
You can enjoy also the beauties of Albanian fields, the beauties of Albanian rivers and lakes.
European people go far away to exotic countries for they holidays, because they don’t know that next to their country is a little paradise of the nature, which is Albania. So they can come to enjoy their holidays in the middle of the beautiful nature and climate of Albania.
So what do you expect? Come to Albania, open your eyes and enjoy the beauties of Albania.
Here to this page I will put photos and videos from Albania
