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Albania - Demographics

Albania - Demographics: Encyclopedia II - Albania - Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Albania Most of the population is ethnically Albanian (95% according to the CIA World Factbook Feb 2005), there is a Greek minority (3% of the population), this however could significally vary according to other sources, (note: in 1989, other estimates of the Greek population ranged from 1% (official Albanian statistics) to 12% (from a Greek organization) [1]). Many ethnic Albanians also live in the bordering countries of Serbia and Montenegro (around 1,850,000; of that, around 1,800,000 in Serbia ...

Albania: Encyclopedia II - Albania - Demographics

Albania - Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Albania

Most of the population is ethnically Albanian (95% according to the CIA World Factbook Feb 2005), there is a Greek minority (3% of the population), this however could significally vary according to other sources, (note: in 1989, other estimates of the Greek population ranged from 1% (official Albanian statistics) to 12% (from a Greek organization) [1]). Many ethnic Albanians also live in the bordering countries of Serbia and Montenegro (around 1,850,000; of that, around 1,800,000 in Serbia (around 1,700,000 in its province called Kosovo (officially Kosovo and Metohia) only) and around 50,000 in Montenegro) and the Republic of Macedonia (around 500,000). Since 1991, large numbers of Albanians have emigrated, both legally and illegally, to Greece and Italy.

The language is Albanian, although Greek is also spoken by the Greek minority in the southern regions of the country.

Since the occupation by the Ottomans, the majority of Albanians have been Muslim (70%), even though religion was prohibited during the communist era. The Albanian government proclaimed Albania the only officially atheistic country in the world. After the fall of the Communist Regime in 1989-1990 religions were reinstated. According to 1939 statistics, the Albanian Orthodox (20%) and Roman Catholic Church (10%) would be the other main religions in Albania. Religious fanaticism has never been a serious problem, with people from different religions living in peace and even getting married although this was not considered to be an optimal solution. 20% of the total Muslim population is Bektashi, people who follow a faith originating in the Turkish migrations into Turkey, and came to Albania through the Ottoman Janissaries. It has outwardly Shi'ite Islamic elements, but is really a Shamanic-Pantheistic faith.