Information about Albania.

ALBANIA

The Republic of Albania is a Balkan country in Southeastern Europe. It borders Montenegro to the north, the southern Serbian province of Kosovo in the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia in the east, and Greece in the south. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the west and a coast on the Ionian Sea to the southwest. Despite having a troubled history, the country has been classified as an emerging democracy since the 1990s.

HISTORY

Many Historians believe Albanians to be the direct descendants of Illyrians. Some, however, disagree over the origin of the Illyrians. Some of them maintain that the Illyrians descended from the pre-Indo-European Pelasgians while other scholars place them in the later wave of Indo-European invasions.

GEOGRAPHY

Albania consists of mostly hilly and mountainous terrain, with the highest mountain, Korab in the district of Dibra reaching up to 2,753 metres (9,032 ft). The country mostly has a continental climate, with cold winters and hot summers. Besides the capital city of Tirana, with 800,000 inhabitants, the principal cities are Durrës, Elbasan, Shkodër, Gjirokastër, Vlorë, Korçë and Kukës.

DEMOGRAPHICS

Unusual among Balkan nations, indeed anywhere in the world, is that Albania is (officially) a homogeneous country with only small minorities. Most of the population is ethnically Albanian (95% according to the CIA World Factbook Feb 2005). Many ethnic Albanians also live in the bordering countries of Serbia (around 2,000,000; of that, around 1,800,000 in Kosovo), Montenegro (around 60,000), and the Republic of Macedonia (around 50,000). Also a small number of ethnic Albanians used to live in Greece and are called Çam or Cham.

LANGUAGE

The dominant language is Albanian. Many Albanians are fluent in English, Greek and Italian.

RELIGION

During the communist era religion was prohibited. Since that time the Albanian has been proclaimed as the only officially Atheist country in the world, claiming the religion to be Albanianism. The most widely-practiced religions are Albanian Orthodox (20%), Catholic Church (10%), and Islam (70%).

ECONOMY

A poor country by West European standards, Albania is making the difficult transition to a more open-market economy.
The democratically elected government that assumed office in April 1992 launched an ambitious economic reform program to halt economic deterioration and put the country on the path toward a market economy. Key elements included price and exchange system liberalization, fiscal consolidation, monetary restraint, and a firm income policy.
Despite many institutional and legislative problems, Tirana is committed to joining the EU. In June 2006, the country signed a Stabilisation and Association Agreement as a first step toward joining the European Union.
Albania is one of the poorest European states, with a GDP per capita half that of Bulgaria and almost one tenth that of the UK. It is poorly linked by road and rail to its neighbours and between its own cities.
Albania's coastline on the Ionian Sea, especially near the Greek tourist island of Corfu, is becoming increasingly popular with tourists due to its relatively unspoiled nature and its beaches.

EDUCATION

The literacy rate in Albania for the total population, age 9 or older, is about 93%.Elementary education is compulsory (grades 1-8), but most students continue at least until a secondary education. Students must successfully pass graduation exams at the end of the 8th grade and at the end of the 12th grade in order to continue their education.
Most schools are public and financed through the government, but recently several private schools of various levels have been opened. The academic year is divided into two semesters. The school week begins on Monday and ends on Friday. The school year begins in September and finishes around June. There is a winter break of about two to three weeks.

FOREIGN RELATIONS

Albanian foreign policy has concentrated on maintaining good relations with its Balkan neighbors, gaining access to European-Atlantic security institutions, and securing close ties with the United States.
The Government of Albania is very concerned with developments in the ethnic Albanian province of Kosovo in neighboring Serbia, particularly in the post-Dayton agreement period. While maintaining a responsible and nonprovocative position, the Albanian Government has made it clear that the status and treatment of the Albanian population in Kosovo is a principal national concern.
Tirana's relations with the Republic of Macedonia remain friendly, despite occasional incidents involving ethnic Albanians there.

MILITARY

The military of Albania is made up of the General Staff Headquarters, Land ForcesCommand (Army), Naval Forces Command, Air Defense Command, Training and Doctrine Command, and Logistics Command.

CULTURE
CLOTHING

Fustanella is a skirt-like garment worn by men in the Balkans until the 19th century and is frequentlyidentified with the elite Greek ceremonial unit of Presidential Guard, the Evzones. Today fustanella are part of traditional Albanian and Greek dresses, worn mainly by ceremonial Greek military units and folk dancers. The garment is made from long strips of linen sewn together to make a pleated skirt.
A qeleshe is a traditional skull cap, which is worn by Albanian men, usually from northern highlands of Albania or Kosovo and particularly in the Arberesh villages in Italy. The cap is made from one single piece of woolen felt, usually white, that is molded to the shape of the head.

CUISINE

Albanian cuisine consists of local dishes from around the country of Albania. Many of these dishes are typical of the Balkans and indeed the Mediterranean, but some are local specialties. The main meal of the Albanians is lunch and it is usually accompanied by a salad of fresh vegetables, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, olives, olive oil, vinegar and salt.

MUSIC

Music has always been a potent means of national expression for Albanians. Under Hoxha's regime, this was channeled into songs of patriotic devotion to the party; since the arrival of democracy in 1991, lyrics have come to focus on long-suppressed traditions like kurbet (seeking work outside of Albania) and support for various political parties, candidates and ideas. Pop musicians have developed too, long banned under the socialists, with Ardit Gjebrea being foremost among them.

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