Albania is a Mediterranean country in southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Serbia and Montenegro in the north, the Republic of Macedonia in the east, and Greece in the south, has a coast on the Adriatic Sea in the west, and a coast on the Ionian Sea in the southwest. The country is an emerging democracy and is formally named the Republic of Albania (Albanian: Republika e Shqipërisë). Albania - History. Main articles: Illyria, Illyricum, Dalmatia, History of Albania. In the ar ...

Including:

• Albania - History
• Albania - Politics
• Albania - Administrative divisions
• Albania - Geography
• Albania - Economy
• Albania - Demographics
• Albania - Culture
• Albania - Miscellaneous topics

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Albania toponym, Albania toponym - Albania Balkans, Albania toponym - Arbon, Albania toponym - Albanoi, Albania toponym - Albania, Albania toponym - Arbanon, Albania toponym - Shqipëria, Albania toponym - Albania Caucasus, Albania toponym - Albania Scotland

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Main articles: Districts of Albania and Counties of Albania Albania is divided into 12 qark (county or prefecture), which are further divided into 36 rrethe (districts). The capital city, Tiranë, has a special status. The districts are: 1 Berat 2 Bulqizë 3 Delvinë 4 Devoll 5 Dibër 6 Durrës 7 Elbasan 8 Fier < ...

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Albania, Albania - History, Albania - Politics, Albania - Administrative divisions, Albania - Geography, Albania - Economy, Albania - Demographics, Albania - Culture, Albania - Miscellaneous topics

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He became a passionate advocate of Albanian independence, having visited the country in 1907, 1911 and 1913. When the Albanian delegates to the 1912 London Balkan Peace Conference arrived, they secured the assistance of Herbert as an advisor. He was very active in their cause and is regarded as having a considerable influence on Albania's obtaining independence. He was twice offered the throne of Albania. On the first occasion, just before World War One, he was interested, but was dissuaded by the then prime minister, Herbert Asquith, a family friend. The National Library of Albania in Tirana was once named afte ...

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Aubrey Herbert, Aubrey Herbert - Background, Aubrey Herbert - Languages and travels, Aubrey Herbert - Albania, Aubrey Herbert - Parliament, Aubrey Herbert - World War One, Aubrey Herbert - Family Life and premature death, Aubrey Herbert - Model for Literature, Aubrey Herbert - Bibliography

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Greece restored diplomatic relations with Albania in 1971, but the Greek government retained a cease-of-fire and did not formally lift the state of war, declared during WWII, until 1987. After the fall of the Albanian communist regime in 1991, relations between Athens and Tirana became increasingly strained because of widespread allegations of mistreatment by Albanian authorities of the Greek ethnic minority in southern Albania, and of the same by the Greek authorities towards alleged Albanian minorities in northern Greece. A wave of Albania ...

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Foreign relations of Greece, Foreign relations of Greece - Turkey, Foreign relations of Greece - References, Foreign relations of Greece - The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Foreign relations of Greece - Albania, Foreign relations of Greece - United States, Foreign relations of Greece - The Middle East, Foreign relations of Greece - Terms, Foreign relations of Greece - Eastern Thrace, Foreign relations of Greece - Northern Epirus, Foreign relations of Greece - Smyrna, Foreign relations of Greece - Enosis, Foreign relations of Greece - Great Greece, Foreign relations of Greece - Constantinople, Foreign relations of Greece - Black Sea, Foreign relations of Greece - Megali Idea

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Main articles: Illyria, Illyricum, Dalmatia, History of Albania. In the area that is today Albania, human activity has been present since the beginning of human history. The earlier inhabitants were probably part of the pre-Indo-European populace that occupied the coastline of most parts of the Mediterranean. Their physical remains are scarce though, and concentrated on the coastal region. Soon, these first inhabitants were overrun by the Proto-Hellenic tribes that gradually occupied modern-day Greece, southern parts of what is ...

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Albania, Albania - History, Albania - Politics, Albania - Administrative divisions, Albania - Geography, Albania - Economy, Albania - Demographics, Albania - Culture, Albania - Miscellaneous topics

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Main articles: Illyria, Illyricum, Dalmatia, History of Albania. The earlier inhabitants were probably part of the pre-Indo-European populace that occupied the coastline of most parts of the Mediterranean. Their physical remains are scarce though, and concentrated on the coastal region. Soon, these first inhabitants were overrun by the Proto-Hellenic tribes that gradually occupied modern-day Greece, southern parts of what is now the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the south of present-day Albania. This process was com ...

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Albania, Albania - History, Albania - Politics, Albania - Administrative divisions, Albania - Geography, Albania - Economy, Albania - Demographics, Albania - Culture, Albania - Miscellaneous topics

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Culture of Albania Albanian folklore Albanian language Albanian literature Albanian mythology Albanian proverbs Cinema of Albania Cuisine of Albania Albanian poets List of Albanians Music of Albania Religion in Albania Sports in Albania Tourism in Albania Television and radio in Albania See also. Albania Culture The Tale of the Eagle

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Caucasian Albania (or Aghbania) was an ancient empire that covered what is now southern Dagestan and most of today's Azerbaijan of the Caucasus. For much of its history, the Azerbaijani are the descendants of Caucasian Albania. Caucasian Albania - Ancient population of Aghbania. Aran was a legendary ancestor and the eponym of the Albanians (Aghvan). Caucasian Albanians were one of the Ibero-Caucasian peoples, the ancient and indigenous population of modern southern Dagestan and Azerbaijan. The Mannae ...

Including:

• Caucasian Albania - Ancient population of Aghbania
• Caucasian Albania - Creation of the Caucasian Albanian kingdom and its regions
• Caucasian Albania - Caucasian Albania and Armenian conquests
• Caucasian Albania - Spreading of Christianity in Caucasian Albania
• Caucasian Albania - Dissolution of the Albanian kingdom
• Caucasian Albania - Albanian Alphabet and Language
• Caucasian Albania - Literature

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From 1945 until 1990 Albania had a socialist government. The communist party was created in 1941. Enver Hoxha became the leader of this party. In 1985, Enver Hoxha died and Ramiz Alia took his place. Initially, Alia tried to follow in Hoxha's footsteps, but in Eastern Europe Mikhail Gorbachev had appeared in the Soviet Union with new policies (Glasnost and perestroika). The government was pressured by the US and Europe. His party won the election of 1991. In 1992 the general elections ...

Including:

• History of Communist Albania - Consolidation of power and initial reforms
• History of Communist Albania - Albanian-Yugoslav tensions
• History of Communist Albania - Deteriorating relations with the west
• History of Communist Albania - Albania and the Soviet Union
• History of Communist Albania - Albania and China
• History of Communist Albania - The cultural and ideological revolution
• History of Communist Albania - The break with China and self-reliance
• History of Communist Albania - Transition to democracy
• History of Communist Albania - Reference

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The total length of Albania's roads had more than doubled in about three decades, and by the 1980s almost all of the country's remote mountain areas were connected, at least by dirt roads, with the capital city and ports. The country's roads, however, were generally narrow, poorly marked, pocked with holes, and in the early 1990s often crowded with pedestrians and people riding mules, bicycles, and horse-drawn carts. Even in tiny villages, hundreds of people of all ages gathered daily along main roads waving their arms seeking rides, and gan ...

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Transportation in Albania, Transportation in Albania - Railways, Transportation in Albania - Railway links with adjacent countries, Transportation in Albania - Highways, Transportation in Albania - Waterways, Transportation in Albania - Pipelines, Transportation in Albania - Ports and Harbors, Transportation in Albania - Merchant Marine, Transportation in Albania - Airways, Transportation in Albania - Airports, Transportation in Albania - Total paved runways, Transportation in Albania - Total unpaved runways, Transportation in Albania - Heliports, Transportation in Albania - Reference

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The 70% of the country that is mountainous is rugged and often inaccessible. The remainder, an alluvial plain, receives precipitation seasonally, is poorly drained, and is alternately arid or flooded. Much of the plain's soil is of poor quality. Far from offering a relief from the difficult interior terrain, the alluvial plain is often as inhospitable as the mountains. Good soil and dependable precipitation, however, are found in intermontane river basins, in the lake district along the eastern frontier, and in a narrow band of slightly elevated land betwee ...

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Geography of Albania, Geography of Albania - Borders, Geography of Albania - Climate, Geography of Albania - Terrain, Geography of Albania - Drainage, Geography of Albania - Statistics

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Albania's standard-gauge rail lines linked Shkodër with Durrës, Tirana, Elbasan, Pogradec, Ballsh, and Vlorë. The country's only international rail link, opened in 1986, connected Shkodër with Yugoslavia's rail system. The connection is now made through Montenegro. Albania's communist government focused on developing new rail lines to serve mining regions and the coastal plain. According to official figures, Albania's railroad in 1987 and 1988 carried about 33 percent of the country's total freight tonnage for that period. The opening of ...

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Transportation in Albania, Transportation in Albania - Railways, Transportation in Albania - Railway links with adjacent countries, Transportation in Albania - Highways, Transportation in Albania - Waterways, Transportation in Albania - Pipelines, Transportation in Albania - Ports and Harbors, Transportation in Albania - Merchant Marine, Transportation in Albania - Airways, Transportation in Albania - Airports, Transportation in Albania - Total paved runways, Transportation in Albania - Total unpaved runways, Transportation in Albania - Heliports, Transportation in Albania - Reference

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Kukes airport is to open in early 2006. Making this the second civilian airport in Albania. Plans are on the table for an internation airport in Vlore and Sarande. Transportation in Albania - Total paved runways. 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) Transportation in Albania - Total unpaved runways. 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 ...

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Transportation in Albania, Transportation in Albania - Railways, Transportation in Albania - Railway links with adjacent countries, Transportation in Albania - Highways, Transportation in Albania - Waterways, Transportation in Albania - Pipelines, Transportation in Albania - Ports and Harbors, Transportation in Albania - Merchant Marine, Transportation in Albania - Airways, Transportation in Albania - Airports, Transportation in Albania - Total paved runways, Transportation in Albania - Total unpaved runways, Transportation in Albania - Heliports, Transportation in Albania - Reference

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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, ...

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Geography of Albania, Geography of Albania - Borders, Geography of Albania - Climate, Geography of Albania - Terrain, Geography of Albania - Drainage, Geography of Albania - Statistics

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Nearly all of the precipitation that falls on Albania drains into the rivers and reaches the coast without even leaving the country. In the north, only one small stream escapes Albania. In the south, an even smaller rivulet drains into Greece. Because the topographical divide is east of the Albanian border with its neighbors, a considerable amount of water from other countries drains through Albania. An extensive portion of the basin of the Drini i Bardhë River (White Drini), called Beli Drim by Serbs, basin is in the Metohia area, a ...

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Geography of Albania, Geography of Albania - Borders, Geography of Albania - Climate, Geography of Albania - Terrain, Geography of Albania - Drainage, Geography of Albania - Statistics

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With the exception 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 ...

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Geography of Albania, Geography of Albania - Borders, Geography of Albania - Climate, Geography of Albania - Terrain, Geography of Albania - Drainage, Geography of Albania - Statistics

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Main article: History of Albania (1989-present) Since 1992 Albania has been oriented towards the West. In 1995, Albania was accepted in the Council of Europe and has requested membership in NATO. The workforce of Albania has continued to emigrate to Greece, Italy, Europe and North America. Corruption in the government is becoming more and more obvious. The political leadership has not fulfilled the peop ...

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History of Albania, History of Albania - The Origin of the Albanians, History of Albania - Ancient Illyria, History of Albania - The Roman Period, History of Albania - The Coming of Christianity, History of Albania - The Barbarian Invasions And The Middle Ages, History of Albania - Ottoman Rule, History of Albania - The birth of Albanian nationalism, History of Albania - World War I and its effects on Albania, History of Albania - World War II and the rise of Communism 1941-44, History of Albania - Communist Albania, History of Albania - Modern Albania

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Main article: History of Albania (1945-1989) Enver Hoxha and Mehmet Shehu emerged as the dominant figures in Albania after five years of political turmoil following the end of World War II. They began to concentrate primarily on securing and maintaining their power base, and secondarily on preserving Albania's independence and reshaping the country according to the precepts of Stalinism. Throughout all rule, Hoxha engineered an elaborate cult of personality that elevated him to the status of infallible leader. When he died in 1985, g ...

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History of Albania, History of Albania - The Origin of the Albanians, History of Albania - Ancient Illyria, History of Albania - The Roman Period, History of Albania - The Coming of Christianity, History of Albania - The Barbarian Invasions And The Middle Ages, History of Albania - Ottoman Rule, History of Albania - The birth of Albanian nationalism, History of Albania - World War I and its effects on Albania, History of Albania - World War II and the rise of Communism 1941-44, History of Albania - Communist Albania, History of Albania - Modern Albania

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Main article: Albanian folk music Albanian folk music falls into three sylistic groups, with other important music areas around Shkoder and Tirana; the major groupings are the Ghegs of the north and southern Labs and Tosks. The northern and southern traditions are contrasted by the "rugged and heroic" tone of the north and the "relaxed, gentle and exceptionally beautiful" form of the south. These disparate styles are unified by "the intensity that both performers and listeners give to their music as a medium for patriotic expre ...

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Music of Albania, Music of Albania - Characteristics, Music of Albania - Folk music, Music of Albania - Northern Albania, Music of Albania - Southern Albania, Music of Albania - Popular music, Music of Albania - 1930s art song, Music of Albania - 1950s and beyond, Music of Albania - Albanian music in Macedonia and Kosovo, Music of Albania - Classical music, Music of Albania - Sound samples, Music of Albania - Notes

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