::Albania~The Land Of Eagles:::...

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BDV-29858-BDV

Political Infighting Stalls Progress

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Ilir Meta, elected prime minister in 1999, rapidly moved forward in his first years to modernize the economy, privatize business, fight crime, and reform the judiciary and tax systems. He resigned in Jan. 2002, frustrated by political infighting. In June 2002, former general Alfred Moisiu was elected president, endorsed by both the Socialists (headed by Fatos Nano) and the Democrats (led by Sali Berisha), in an effort to end the unproductive political fractiousness that has stalemated the government. The political duel between Nano and Berisha continued, however, and little improvement was evident in the standard of living for Albanians. In 2005 elections, Berisha replaced Nano, who had been appointed by Moisiu in 2002 as prime minister.

Bamir Topi, a scientist and senior member of Berisha's Democratic Party, was elected president by parliament in July 2007.

Albania joined NATO in May 2009 and later in the month applied for membership in the European Union.

In July 2009's elections, the closest since 1990, Berisha's center-right coalition narrowly defeated the opposition socialists, who were led by Edi Rama. The opposition disputed the results and accused Berisha of voter intimidation.

Moving Toward Democracy

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Elections in March 1991 gave the Communists a decisive majority. But a general strike and street demonstrations soon forced the all-Communist cabinet to resign. In June 1991, the Communist Party of Labor renamed itself the Socialist Party and renounced its past ideology. The opposition Democratic Party won a landslide victory in the 1992 elections, and Sali Berisha, a former cardiologist, became Albania's first elected president. The following year, ex-Communists, including Ramiz Alia and former prime minister Fatos Nano, were imprisoned on corruption charges.

But Albania's experiment with democratic reform and a free-market economy went disastrously awry in March 1997, when large numbers of its citizens invested in shady get-rich-quick pyramid schemes. When five of these schemes collapsed in the beginning of the year, robbing Albanians of an estimated $1.2 billion in savings, Albanians' rage turned against the government, which appeared to have sanctioned the nationwide swindle. Rioting broke out, the country's fragile infrastructure collapsed, and gangsters and rebels overran the country, plunging it into virtual anarchy. A multinational protection force eventually restored order and set up the elections that formally ousted President Sali Berisha.

In spring 1999, Albania was heavily involved in the affairs of its fellow ethnic Albanians to the north, in Kosovo. Albania served as an outpost for NATO troops and took in approximately 440,000 Kosovar refugees, about half the total number of ethnic Albanians who were driven from their homes in Kosovo.

Albania: General information

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President: Bamir Topi (2007)

Prime Minister: Sali Berisha (2005)

Land area: 10,579 sq mi (27,400 sq km); total area: 11,100 sq mi (28,748 sq km)

Population (2010 est.): 3,659,616 (growth rate: 0.56%); birth rate: 15.39/1000; infant mortality rate: 17.5/1000; life expectancy: 78.13; density per sq mi: 340

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Tirana, 353,400

Other large cities: Durres, 113,900; Elbasan, 97,000

Monetary unit: Lek

Albania: History

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A part of Illyria in ancient times and later of the Roman Empire, Albania was ruled by the Byzantine Empire from 535 to 1204. An alliance (1444–1466) of Albanian chiefs failed to halt the advance of the Ottoman Turks, and the country remained under at least nominal Turkish rule for more than four centuries, until it proclaimed its independence on Nov. 28, 1912.

Largely agricultural, Albania is one of the poorest countries in Europe. A battlefield in World War I, after the war it became a republic in which a conservative Muslim landlord, Ahmed Zogu, proclaimed himself president in 1925 and king (Zog I) in 1928. He ruled until Italy annexed Albania in 1939. Communist guerrillas under Enver Hoxha seized power in 1944, near the end of World War II. Hoxha was a devotee of Stalin, emulating the Soviet leader's repressive tactics, imprisoning or executing landowners and others who did not conform to the socialist ideal. Hoxha eventually broke with Soviet communism in 1961 because of differences with Khrushchev and then aligned himself with Chinese communism, which he also abandoned in 1978 after the death of Mao. From then on Albania went its own way to forge its individual version of the socialist state and became one of the most isolated—and economically underdeveloped—countries in the world. Hoxha was succeeded by Ramiz Alia in 1982.

Albania: Geography

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Albania is situated on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea, with Montenegro and Serbia to the north, Macedonia to the east, and Greece to the south. Slightly larger than Maryland, Albania is composed of two major regions: a mountainous highland region (north, east, and south) constituting 70% of the land area, and a western coastal lowland region that contains nearly all of the country's agricultural land and is the most densely populated part of Albania.

Before the Roman Empire

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Archaeological, linguistic, and anthropological studies show that Albania is occupied by its native people from thousands of years ago. In ancient history, these people were known as the Illyrians. In earliest history Illyricum was a conglomeration of many tribes. This "tribal" paradigm has survived to modern times. During the communist era, a clan mentality existed in the mountainous regions with "chieftains" ruling towns and villages. Even today, blood feuds remain a part of Albanian society in these regions.

The earliest known Illyrian king was Hyllus (The Star), who died in 1225 BC. Illyricum reached its zenith about 400 BC under the rule of King Bardhylus (White Star). The borders of Illyria, under these ancient kings, extended into Bosnia, Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, a large part of modern Serbia, Montenegro, and Dalmatia. The Illyrian Kingdom declined beginning with the attacks of Philip II of Macedonia (father of Alexander the Great).

Under the Roman Empire

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About 229 BC the Illyrian navy of Queen Teuta was plundering Roman commercial shipping. This forced the Roman Senate to declare war on Illyricum. The war gave Rome an excuse to use Illyricum as a beachhead for conquest of the Adriatic regions. In 227 BC Queen Teuta agreed to peace, and by 168 BC Illyricum was under Roman control. In 165 BC Illyria's last king, Gentus, was defeated and brought to Rome as a captive. The brave and warlike Illyrians forced the Roman occupation to maintain a large military force. Records show that Caesar Augustus garrisoned at least two legions in Albania to maintain order.

Rome influenced Albania more than the previous Grecian Empire: The arts flourished and Latin words found their way into the Albanian language. Even today, one can occasionally find ancient Roman coins.

The remains of a Roman amphitheater exist in modern day Durrës, a site of gladiatorial games. Tradition tells us that this may have been the site of Titus' martyrdom. Archeologists discovered a lion pit, identified by the characteristic feeding "window" (a hole in the roof) and distinctive rounded corners near the exit. The switch-back exit needed rounded corners since the lions rushed into the arena with such haste. Otherwise, they would injure themselves on the sharp edges of a square corner.

Under the Byzantine Empire

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When Rome split in 395 AD, Albania became part of the Byzantine Empire. Under this rule, Illyria suffered devastation by barbarian raiders including the Huns, Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Slavs, etc. Only the southern tribes (modern day Albania), preserved their native language and culture amidst Slavic assimilation. During this period, the name of the region changed from Illyria to Arbri and finally to Albania (after the Albanoi tribe which inhabited that region).

Under the Ottoman Empire

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Skanderbeg

	Skanderbeg strengthened his defenses by building a string of castles that communicated to each other via smoke signals. Skanderbeg's sister occupied this castle that is just outside of Tirane.
		A view of modern-day Kruja from the site of Skanderbeg's castle.

The Struggle for Independence

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The Struggle for Independence

After 400 years of power, Turkey faced widespread rebellion as many of its Balkan subjects sought independence in the late 1800's. In the early 1900's the Albanian people began to formalize their national identity. Turkey was unsuccessful in suppressing the "Albanian League" of 1881. In 1908 the league officially adopted an Albanian alphabet. When Turkey failed to institute promised democratic reforms Albania began a three year armed struggle against Istanbul. On November 28, 1912 a congress in Vlorë declared Albanian independence. During this same period a Balkan alliance successfully defeated Turkey. A delegation of European ambassadors from Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary met in London in December 1912 to settle the outstanding issues resulting from the recent conflict. The conference agreed to recognize an independent Albania. However, strong pressure from Albania's neighbors led to the drawing of new borders that did not fall on ethnic lines. Nearly half of the population and lands were given to their neighbors. They ceded the northern region of Kosovo to Serbia, and the southern region to Greece, depriving Albania of its richest agricultural regions. In addition, the conference appointed a German prince, Wilhelm of Wied as ruler. Prince Wilhelm arrived in March 1914 but stayed only six months, when he fled the country at the outbreak of World War I. The war led to occupation by the armies of France, Italy, Greece, Serbia, and Austria-Hungary. These invasions left Albania without any political stability, and the country was nearly absorbed by its neighbors after the war. Fortunately, President Woodrow Wilson vetoed the plans of Britain, France, and Italy at the Paris Peace Conference to divide Albania amongst its neighbors. In January 1920 a national congress in Lushnje laid the foundations of a new government. The following December, with the assistance of Britain, Albania was granted admission into the League of Nations. The young democracy, however, still suffered conflicts. Albanian society split into two major forces. Ahmed Bey Zogu, a chieftain, led the land owners and other chieftains who retained the feudal paradigm of their Ottoman past. The other faction, led by the American-educated Bishop Fan S. Noli, embraced the progressive and democratic west. In March of 1924 Zogu's party won the elections, but he stepped down after a financial scandal and an assassination attempt. By July the western faction gathered enough strength and a popular revolt resulted. Zogu fled to Yugoslavia while Noli was installed as prime minister. Noli began to build a western style democracy and he announced a radical program of land reform and modernization. Unfortunately, Noli failed to carry through on his plans on several fronts. He vacillated on the implementation of his program, failed to garner international support of his slightly leftist government, and had a depleted state treasury. By December, a lack of support allowed Zogu, with Yugoslavian backing, to overthrow the government in an armed assault. At first Zogu began his 1925 reign as president. But, by 1928 he amassed enough power to have himself enthroned as King Zog I. Although officially a constitutional monarchy, he ruled as a dictator; denying his citizens any democratic freedoms. His feudal mindset left the peasantry impoverished and famine would have resulted if not for his annual importation of food. Many left the country in search of a better life. He alienated the educated class and his regime spawned periodic revolts. It was his oppressive reign that planted the seeds of communism. In the face of political and social instability, he signed accords with Italy. Zog was able to bring a fragile stability to the country through Italian financial aid, a coalition of chieftain supporters, and an efficient police force. To his credit, he did reduce the robber gangs that had plagued the country and laid the foundations of a modern educational system. The economic conditions, however, did not improve (especially with the coming of the Great Depression). Fascist Italy took advantage of Albania's weakened condition and used it as their springboard for military expansion into the Balkans. On April 7, 1939 Italy invaded and soon occupied the country, while King Zog was forced to flee to Greece.

During World War II

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Albania was occupied throughout World War II. First by the Italians until their surrender in 1943. When they withdrew, Nazi Germany (who had defeated Greece and Yugoslavia earlier) took over in September. Throughout the occupation three resistance groups were active: the National Front, the Legality Party, and the Communist Party (which had formed in 1941). With the withdrawal of the Germans in 1944, the Communist party seized control on November 29th. Enver Hoxha was secretary-general of the party and through his position took leadership. In 1946 the country became officially the People's Republic of Albania, and in 1976 the People's Socialist Republic of Albania.

The Communist Regime: 1944 to 1985

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Unlike the other communist satellites, the Albanians had no direct support from Moscow. In addition, Tito openly desired to annex Albania into Yugoslavia. Consequently, Enver Hoxha took a very isolationist view. Yugoslavia's efforts to replace him with a more pliant leader only spurred Hoxha to utilize every ruthless and devious device to solidify his position. The Yugoslavian effort to topple Hoxha incited him to violently eliminate all political, social, economic, and cultural opposition.

The head of the secret police and security forces, Koci Xoxe, unfortunately was pro-Yugoslavian. Hoxha eventually eliminated this threat when Stalin and Tito suffered a schism in 1948. Not only was he able to eliminate internal and external threats, but he was also able to establish Albania's first ties to Moscow. Upon several visits to Moscow, Hoxha soon became an avid disciple of Stalin due to their mutual bloodthirsty and Machiavellian paradigms.

Hoxha suffered a double blow after Stalin's death in 1953. First, Nikita Khrushchev (a reformist and anti-Stalinist) came to power. Second, in 1955, Russia began to rebuild ties with Yugoslavia after eight years. Hoxha was pressured to end his hostility toward Tito, and grudgingly had to make some superficial gestures towards Yugoslavia. The stress between Albania and Moscow continued to mount as Hoxha took personally their attempts to force him to accept reforms and abandon Stalinism. In 1960 Albania sided with China during their early ideological disputes with Moscow. Consequently, Moscow broke off diplomatic relations in 1961 and stopped all economic, industrial and military aid.

The Chinese took up these roles, but the alliance was short lived. On the one hand, Hoxha embraced Mao's cultural revolution. He began a violent campaign in 1967 when religious leaders were arrested and executed, and all religious practices were declared illegal. He even went so far as to declare Albania as the world's first official atheistic state! On the other hand, the cultural and size that existed between China could never be spanned. The rift widened in the 70's when China, much to Hoxha's horror, opened relations with both Yugoslavia and the United States. The alliance was finally severed in 1978 when China withdrew its economic, industrial, and military aid.

Once again Albania was completely isolated both ideologically and economically. Hoxha spurned the outside world and declared that Albania would become a model socialist republic on its own. However, the industrial plants of the 50's, built with Soviet aid, were outdated and rapidly deteriorating. A shortage of machinery led to widespread manual labor on collective farms. Hoxha's paranoia complicated matters as his highly centralized bureaucracy impeded any hope of improvement. The people were bombarded with contradictory government propaganda. There was a constant demand to increase production but people were also encouraged to rely on their own efforts for survival.

In 1981, in an effort to ensure the succession of a younger generation of leaders, Hoxha executed several party and government officials. He then withdrew from the forefront and most state functions were assumed by Ramiz Alia, who succeeded Hoxha when he died in 1985.

The Rocky Road to Democracy: 1985 to 1998

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The Rocky Road to Democracy: 1985 to 1998

With Enver Hoxha's death in 1985, his hand-picked successor, Ramiz Alia, inherited a failing economy and a disgruntled people. To counter the decline Alia legalized foreign investment, instigated some reforms, and began to establish diplomatic contacts with the west. However, the fall of communism in eastern Europe in 1989 encouraged resistance among the people. To stave the growing unrest, Alia allowed citizens to travel abroad, cut back the activities and powers of the secret police, restored religious freedom, and allowed some capitalistic activities. After a brutal Stalinist regime and isolation that had spiraled Albania into poverty, the reforms were too late and too little. Demonstrations in January 1990 led to a state of emergency in Shkodra. The following July the youth demonstrated in the capital of Tirana and 5,000 citizen sought refuge in foreign embassies. December's student demonstrations forced even more concessions from Alia. The allowance of other political parties in 1990 signaled the end of the dictatorship. Each concession to the opposition only weakened the communist monopoly. In January the first opposition newspaper was published. On February 20th, 1991 thousands of protesters toppled the statue of Enver Hoxha in the capital. By the end of March elections were organized throughout Albania. Although the Socialist Party won the elections and began reforms, the unrest continued. Opposition demonstrators are killed in Shkodra that June and in August 18,000 Albanians are denied asylum after fleeing to Italy. By December the coalition government collapsed when the populace and the opposing Democratic Party accused them of stalling on reforms. New elections were held in March of 1992 and the Democratic Party came to power. Dr. Sali Berisha was sworn in as president in April. The Democratic Party won the elections again on May 26, 1996. Democracy didn't bring peace, however. Many Albanians invested in get-rich-quick pyramids. When these pyramid schemes failed in the spring of 1997 widespread rioting resulted. Citizens blamed Berisha for not warning them, and some even thought the arrest of the pyramid leaders caused the schemes to collapse. Many lost their life savings, and were embittered when Berisha did not suffer financially as well. The resulting riots led to the death of more than 1,500 people and thousands of machine guns fell into the hands of citizens when they looted the military armories. Soon criminal gangs controlled the countryside and Albania nearly collapsed in total anarchy.

Berisha was forced to schedule new elections in the summer in hopes of restoring order. Those elections were marred by widespread violence despite a 7,000 member International Protection Force guarding polling stations. Drive-by shootings, murders, arson, bombings, and intimidation by gunmen forced polls to close three hours early. Some ballot papers and boxes were stolen or tampered with, but eventually a tally was made. The Democratic party had lost the people's confidence and the Socialist Party came to office, led by Fatos Nano. However, in the autumn of 1998 the assassination of a Democratic Party member incited riots and Nano was nearly overrun in an armed revolt.

GEOGRAPHY

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Size: 28,750 square kilometers (land area 27,400 square kilometers); slightly larger than Maryland.

Location: Southeastern coast of the Adriatic Sea and the eastern part of the Strait of Otranto, opposite the heel of the Italian boot; between approximately 40° and 43° north latitude.

Topography: A little over 20 percent is coastal plain, some of it poorly drained. Mostly hills and mountains, often covered with scrub forest. The only navigable river is the Bunë.

Climate: Mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters with a January low of 5°C; hot, clear, dry summers with a July high of 28°C; interior is cooler and wetter.

Boundaries: Land boundaries total 720 kilometers; borders with Greece 282 kilometers; border with former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 151 kilometers; border with Serbia 114 kilometers; border with Montengro 173 kilometers; coastline 362 kilometers.

Data as of April 1992

Climate

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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, the weather varies markedly from north to south.

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 five degrees higher throughout the year. The difference is greater than five degrees 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 percent 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 then the intermediate uplands. Terrain differences cause wide local variations, but the seasonal distribution is the most consistent of any area.

Data as of April 1992

Gjirokastra

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A city in southern Albania with an ancient history, that lies on the hills of Mali i Gj'r' (The Wide Mountain), on the eastern side of the valley of Drinos. Gjirokastra's (pronounced: Gee-roh'-kah'-strah') population is 30,000.

A view of the town

Traces of old settlements date back to the first century B.C. Because of its favorable position, protected by the high hills and crossed by major routes that lead to the inner parts of the country in the north and the Ionian Sea in the west, it was turned into a castle (The Castle of Gjirokastra), which became the nucleus for its growth. Its appearance as a city began in the 13th century, and it is mentioned in Byzantine writings as Argyropolihne (the city of Argyro). Around this year is when buildings began to emerge on the hills surrounding the castle walls. It became part of the Despotate of Epirus, and in the 14th century it was the center of the Albanian feudal family Zenebish'. The Ottoman Turks took the city in 1417. Due to its awkward position under Ottoman rule, the city had only 163 buildings in 1432. It began to prosper in the 16th century, when it became the center of the Sanjak of Delvina.

Gjirokastra gained its role as an important center during the 17th century, and it prospered during the years 1800-1830, when new houses were built, with high architectural and artistic value. The Pazari i Vjet'r (Old Bazaar) and Hazmurat quarters, located on two crests parallel to each other, are the places where the characteristic Gjirokastra houses were built the most. The present bazaar, at the center of the town, was first built in the 17th century. It was set ablaze in the 19th century and was rebuilt with carved stone to match the houses surrounding it. The Palorto and Manalat quarters have monumental collections of houses with their characteristic dimensions and walls of uniform blocks. Houses of the Dunavat quarters are decorously conjugated with their sites, and in the Cfaka quarters the shapes of the buildings are in harmony with the greenery. The Gjirokastra house is one of the most distinguished style of the Albanian house, which is represented in three variations. The exterior appearance combines the sternness it projects with the gracefulness of its windows, its lobby (�ardak), the small columns that hold the wide shelters, sometimes with paintings on them. In many cases the interiors have sculptured wood. The high architectural value of the houses are a reflection of the nature of Albanian towns from the Middle Ages through the 20th century.

Museum of History in Gjirokastra (photo by Dorothy Howells)

During the 19th century, Gjirokastra played an important role in the Albanian liberation movement of that period, it was the site of the Assembly of Gjirokastra, which was held in July, 1880. The city developed after World War II, and today is an economic, cultural, and educational center of southern Albania. Its main fields of production are food, clothing, tobacco, and metals. Gjirokastra has the "A. Z. ,ajupi" Cultural Center with a professional theater, gallery of arts, and 23 museums, of which the most distinguished are The National Museum of Arms and the Gjirokastra Museum of the Rilindja (the Albanian National Liberation Movement of the 19th century). Gjirokastra publishes several newspapers, including ones in Greek, since it is home to part of the Greek minority of Albania.
Every five years since the year 1968, Gjirokastra is the site of the National Folk Festival, which brings together folk musicians and dancers from the entire country, and lately from Kosova and the Albanian populated regions of FYR of Macedonia.

Apollonia

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Apollonia is an important archeological site in the Fier District in southwestern Albania.

The remains of ancient Apollonia

Berat

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The 2000 year old town of Berat is located in southcentral Albania. It is one of the oldest and most beautiful towns of Albania. As you can see from the pictures, it is no wonder that Berat is also known as "the town of a thousand windows."

Views of Berat

One of the churches inside the Berat Castle, where the famous Onufri Museum is located.

Albania National Anthem

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Albania National Anthem

Albania

Himni i Flamurit (in English: Hymn to the Flag) is the national anthem of Albania. The words were written by the Albanian poet Asdreni (Aleksander Stavre Drenova). The hymn was first published as a poem in Liri e Shqipërisë (in English: Freedom of Albania), an Albanian newspaper in Sofia, Bulgaria on April 21, 1912. It was later printed in a volume of poems by Drenova titled Ëndra e lotë (in English: Dreams and tears), which was published in Bucharest.

The music of the anthem was composed by the Romanian composer Ciprian Porumbescu, originally for the song "Pe-al nostru steag e scris Unire" (or "E scris pe tricolor unire").

Lyrics and translation

There are two versions of the anthem: a long and a short one. Below is the text for the long version. The second stanza is considered as refrain and is repeated at the end. The short version makes use of the first two stanzas only and repeats the last two verses of the 2nd stanza. Usually, in sportive events among national teams, the short version is the one officially used. (The original poem has three more stanzas that are not part of the anthem - which are added at the end.)

Albanian lyrics	Translation
First stanza
Rreth flamurit të përbashkuar Me një dëshir' e një qëllim, Të gjith' atij duke iu betuar Të lidhim besën për shpëtim.	Around our flag we stand united, With one wish and one goal, A sacred oath we bestow upon it Proclaiming loyalty for our salvation.
Second stanza
Prej lufte veç ai largohet Që është lindur tradhëtar, Kush është burrë nuk frikësohet, Po vdes, po vdes si një dëshmor!	From the struggle only he turns his back, He who is born a traitor, He who is a true man is not frightened, But dies a martyr to the cause.
Third stanza
Në dorë armët do t'i mbajmë, Të mbrojmë atdheun në çdo kënd, Të drejtat tona ne s'i ndajmë; Këtu armiqtë s'kanë vënd!	With weapons in our hands a-brandished, We will defend our fatherland, Our sacred rights we’ll not relinquish, The foe has no place in our land.
Fourth stanza (not sung)
Se Zoti vetë e tha me gojë Që kombe shuhen përmbi dhé, Po Shqipëria do të rrojë; Për të, për të luftojmë ne!	For God himself proclaimed: The nations of the earth shall wane, And yet will live, will thrive Albania. For her our fight won’t be in vain.
Sixth stanza (not sung)
O Flamur, flamur, shenj' e shenjtë tek ti betohemi këtu për Shqipërinë, atdheun e shtrenjtë, për nder' edhe lavdimn e tu.	O Flag, flag, you sacred symbol upon you we now swear for Albania, our dear fatherland for honour and your commends
Fifth stanza (not sung)
Trim burrë quhet dhe nderohet atdheut kush iu bë therror. Përjetë ai do të kujtohet mbi dhe, nën dhe si një shenjtor!	Brave man is named and honoured the one who sacrificed himself for the fatherland Forever he will be remembered on earth and under as a saint!

National Flag of Albania

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National Flag of Albania

Country: Republic of Albania

Albania Flag Description:

The Albanian flag consists of a black, two headed eagle in the center of the red base.

Albania Flag Meaning:

The eagle is taken from an Albanian folk tale. The eagle faithfully watches over and guides the king or the "son of the eagle."

Albania Flag History:

The current version of the Albania flag was adopted on April 7th 1992. The coat of arms was adopted May 22nd, 1993. Some modern versions of the Albania flag have a helmet or star above the eagle. A version of the Albanian flag with a red star and a yellow border dates back to the Communist takeover in 1946 and has recently been removed. The eagle dates back to George Castriota, an Albanian Christian who became a Turkish general in the 15th century under the name of Iskander Bey, or Skanderberg. Castriota used the double-headed eagle on his seals and this has led it to being on the modern flag. Albania declared independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912. All versions of the Albanian flag since then have featured an eagle, even during the Italian occupation of World War II, and its communist regime after the war. Albania became a republic again in 1992.

Interesting Albania Flag Facts:

The nickname of the Albania flag is 'flamur e Skenderbeut' (Skanderbeg's flag).

Ancient History of the Albanians

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The first reaction perhaps of most people upon learning of the unique features of the Albanians is "Where did these people come from?" or "Who ordered the Albanians?" The answer is that the Albanians were in the nature of an aboriginal people of the Balkans who were pushed back into a mountainous corner of the peninsula by the migratory invasions of the Slavs. The Albanian language is a branch of the Indo-European language family so Albanian is not so ancient as Basque. But the Albanians were in the Balkans from at least 1000 B.C. Like Greek, Albanian is a branch of Indo-European spoken by a relatively small number compared to the other branches such a Germanic, Celtic and Slavic.

In ancient times the Albanians were known as the Illyrians and were spread more extensively over the Balkans. Isolated groups are still found as far afield as Italy including Sicily, the Ukraine, Bulgaria, Greece and European Turkey, but primarily the Albanian speakers are concentrated in what is now Albania, Kosovo and western Macedonia. The language of the ancient Dacians in what is now Romania appears to be related to Albania. Some small core of Dacian has survived in modern Romanian.

HISTORY OF ALBANIA

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Ancient Illyria

The first Balkan War

Ancient Illyria: to AD 1909

The western part of the Balkan peninsula is known to the ancient Greeks as Illyria. The Illyrians, a group of Indo-European tribes, have been in the area since at least 1000 BC. Their region becomes prosperous during the Roman empire and is devastated by the subsequent passage of Visigoths and Huns on their way into Europe. But these waves of people, however destructive, merely pass through.

The next to arrive in the Balkans, in the 6th century AD, are the Slavs - and they come to stay. Gradually they predominate in the entire region of Illyria except for mountainous Albania. The Albanians become the only identifable group descending directly from the Illyrians.

In its strategic but exposed position, Albania is a pawn in the shifting patterns of power through the centuries. It is in the Byzantine empire, it is prey to Norman adventurers from southern Italy, it is in the Latin empire of Constantinople, its ports are occupied by Venice and finally it is absorbed within the Ottoman empire.

Early rule by the Turks is repeatedly frustrated by the achievements of Albania's national hero, Skanderbeg. Son of an Albanian princely family, he is taken as a hostage to Istanbul and is brought up to be a Muslim warrior. But when sent into service in the Balkans, he changes sides, proclaims himself a Christian and leads a movement to liberate his people.

From 1443 to 1467 Skanderbeg frustrates a succession of Turkish armies sent to subdue him, on occasion even armies led in person by the sultans Murad and Mehmed II. But after his death, in 1468, Albania sinks into an uninterrupted four centuries of subjection to Turkish rule.

Sealed off from the constant struggles between Christian nations and the Turks elswhere in the Balkans, Albania becomes fully absorbed into the Ottoman empire. Education is only in Turkish; the only chance of advancement is in the Turkish administration or army. Eventually more than two thirds of the Albanian population are Muslim, with the rest being divided between Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox.

As a result a nationalist movement develops later in Albania than elsewhere in the region. But in the late 19th century there are attempts to print some works of literature in Albanian - an activity forbidden by the Turks and made more difficult by the lack of an agreed alphabet.

The defining moment of Albanian nationalism is a congress held at Bitolj in 1909, which adopts a standard way of writing and spelling the Albanian language in Roman letters. The same congress appoints a committee of national union, aiming at this stage only for autonomy within the Ottoman empire. But events move faster than the committee could possibly envisage. Three years later, turmoil in the region leads almost instantly to Albanian independence.

The first Balkan War: AD 1912-1913

The Balkan upheavals of 1912 begin in Albania. A national uprising against the Turks is so successful that an Albanian army presses far enough east to occupy the Macedonian city of Skopje. This success stirs the Balkan states to action, for an independent Albania is not part of their plans. In October 1912 Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria go to war against Turkey.

The allies rapidly make inroads into Macedonia and Albania. In the east the Bulgarians push the Turks back to their defensive lines at Catalca, only sixty miles from Istanbul. In the west the Greeks move into southern Albania and the Serbians reach the Adriatic, capturing the port of Durrës on November 28.

On the same day at Vlorë, another port fifty miles to the south, the Albanians declare their independence and set up their first national government. But the issue is now taken into international hands.

Austria-Hungary, in particular, is determined not to have a strengthened Serbia on her southern border. A conference of ambassadors of the relevant powers (Italy, Austria-Hungary, Russia, the Ottoman empire) convenes in London in December to discuss the issue. It is agreed that the independence of Albania should be recognized, but there is much dispute as to the exact boundaries. Russian pressure on behalf of the Serbs results eventually in one glaring anomaly. The province of Kosovo, containing some 800,000 Albanian inhabitants, is severed from Albania and allotted to Serbia.

Ancient Illyrians

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Library of Congress Article on the Ancient Illyrians

Mystery enshrouds the exact origins of today's Albanians. Most historians of the Balkans believe the Albanian people are in large part descendants of the ancient Illyrians, who, like other Balkan peoples, were subdivided into tribes and clans. The name Albania is derived from the name of an Illyrian tribe called the Arber, or Arbereshë, and later Albanoi, that lived near Durrës. The Illyrians were Indo-European tribesmen who appeared in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula about 1000 B.C., a period coinciding with the end of the Bronze Age and beginning of the Iron Age. They inhabited much of the area for at least the next millennium. Archaeologists associate the Illyrians with the Hallstatt culture, an Iron Age people noted for production of iron and bronze swords with winged-shaped handles and for domestication of horses. The Illyrians occupied lands extending from the Danube, Sava, and Morava rivers to the Adriatic Sea and the Sar Mountains. At various times, groups of Illyrians migrated over land and sea into Italy.

The Illyrians carried on commerce and warfare with their neighbors. The ancient Macedonians probably had some Illyrian roots, but their ruling class adopted Greek cultural characteristics. The Illyrians also mingled with the Thracians, another ancient people with adjoining lands on the east. In the south and along the Adriatic Sea coast, the Illyrians were heavily influenced by the Greeks, who founded trading colonies there. The present-day city of Durrës evolved from a Greek colony known as Epidamnos, which was founded at the end of the seventh century B.C. Another famous Greek colony, Apollonia, arose between Durrës and the port city of Vlorë.

The Illyrians produced and traded cattle, horses, agricultural goods, and wares fashioned from locally mined copper and iron. Feuds and warfare were constant facts of life for the Illyrian tribes, and Illyrian pirates plagued shipping on the Adriatic Sea. Councils of elders chose the chieftains who headed each of the numerous Illyrian tribes. From time to time, local chieftains extended their rule over other tribes and formed short-lived kingdoms. During the fifth century B.C., a well-developed Illyrian population center existed as far north as the upper Sava River valley in what is now Slovenia. Illyrian friezes discovered near the present-day Slovenian city of Ljubljana depict ritual sacrifices, feasts, battles, sporting events, and other activities.

The Illyrian kingdom of Bardhyllus became a formidable local power in the fourth century B.C. In 358 B.C., however, Macedonia's Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, defeated the Illyrians and assumed control of their territory as far as Lake Ohrid (see fig. 5). Alexander himself routed the forces of the Illyrian chieftain Clitus in 335 B.C., and Illyrian tribal leaders and soldiers accompanied Alexander on his conquest of Persia. After Alexander's death in 323 B.C., independent Illyrian kingdoms again arose. In 312 B.C., King Glaucius expelled the Greeks from Durrës. By the end of the third century, an Illyrian kingdom based near what is now the Albanian city of Shkodër controlled parts of northern Albania, Montenegro, and Hercegovina. Under Queen Teuta, Illyrians attacked Roman merchant vessels plying the Adriatic Sea and gave Rome an excuse to invade the Balkans.

In the Illyrian Wars of 229 and 219 B.C., Rome overran the Illyrian settlements in the Neretva River valley. The Romans made new gains in 168 B.C., and Roman forces captured Illyria's King Gentius at Shkodër, which they called Scodra, and brought him to Rome in 165 B.C. A century later, Julius Caesar and his rival Pompey fought their decisive battle near Durrës (Dyrrachium). Rome finally subjugated recalcitrant Illyrian tribes in the western Balkans dwing the region of Emperor Tiberius in A.D. 9. The Romans divided the lands that make up present-day Albania among the provinces of Macedonia, Dalmatia, and Epirus.

For about four centuries, Roman rule brought the Illyrian-populated lands economic and cultural advancement and ended most of the enervating clashes among local tribes. The Illyrian mountain clansmen retained local authority but pledged allegiance to the emperor and acknowledged the authority of his envoys. During a yearly holiday honoring the Caesars, the Illyrian mountaineers swore loyalty to the emperor and reaffirmed their political rights. A form of this tradition, known as the kuvend, has survived to the present day in northern Albania.

The Romans established numerous military camps and colonies and completely latinized the coastal cities. They also oversaw the construction of aqueducts and roads, including the Via Egnatia, a famous military highway and trade route that led from Durrës through the Shkumbin River valley to Macedonia and Byzantium (later Constantinople)

Copper, asphalt, and silver were extracted from the mountains. The main exports were wine, cheese, oil, and fish from Lake Scutari and Lake Ohrid. Imports included tools, metalware, luxury goods, and other manufactured articles. Apollonia became a cultural center, and Julius Caesar himself sent his nephew, later the Emperor Augustus, to study there.

Illyrians distinguished themselves as warriors in the Roman legions and made up a significant portion of the Praetorian Guard. Several of the Roman emperors were of Illyrian origin, including Diocletian (284-305), who saved the empire from disintegration by introducing institutional reforms, and Constantine the Great (324-37)--who accepted Christianity and transferred the empire's capital from Rome to Byzantium, which he called Constantinople. Emperor Justinian (527-65)--who codified Roman law, built the most famous Byzantine church, the Hagia Sofia, and reextended the empire's control over lost territories- -was probably also an Illyrian.

Christianity came to the Illyrian-populated lands in the first century A.D. Saint Paul wrote that he preached in the Roman province of Illyricum, and legend holds that he visited Durrës. When the Roman Empire was divided into eastern and western halves in A.D. 395, the lands that now make up Albania were administered by the Eastern Empire but were ecclesiastically dependent on Rome. In A.D. 732, however, a Byzantine emperor, Leo the Isaurian, subordinated the area to the patriarchate of Constantinople. For centuries thereafter, the Albanian lands became an arena for the ecclesiastical struggle between Rome and Constantinople. Most Albanians living in the mountainous north became Roman Catholic, while in the southern and central regions, the majority became Orthodox.

Source [for the Library of Congress]: Based on information from R. Ernest Dupuy and Trevor N. Dupuy, The Encyclopedia of Military History, New York, 1970, 95; Herman Kinder and Werner Hilgemann, The Anchor Atlas of World History, 1, New York, 1974, 90, 94; and Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15, New York, 1975, 1092.

Data as of April 1992
SOURCE: The Library of Congress - ALBANIA - A Country Study

Constantinople Originally a Greek city, Byzantium, it was made the capital of the Byzantine Empire by Constantine the Great and was soon renamed Constantinople in his honor. The city was captured by the Turks in 1453 and became the capital of the Ottoman Empire. The Turks called the city Istanbul, but most of the non-Muslim world knew it as Constantinople until about 1930.

The Land & The People

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Albania has a reputation as a land of great natural beauty and romantic remoteness. These two characteristics have made it all the more attractive, mysterious, forbidding, challenging, or exasperating to outsiders, be they travelers, scholars, diplomats, or merchants. For example, in a work he published in 1913, the Croatian scholar Milan von Sufflay called Albania regio mirabilissima, "a most singular country" or "a most marvelous country" (1). Others have referred to it as the "Switzerland of the Balkans" or as the "rock garden of southeastern Europe." On the other hand, the country's uncommon isolation from the world, arising generally from its rugged, mountainous terrain, has led foreigners to speak of it as "the Tibet of Europe" or as a country more mysterious than central Africa. It is an attitude that has had currency for centuries. We find it, for instance, in the writings of Edward Gibbon, the great eighteenth-century British historian. Speaking of Albania, Gibbon said that it is "a country within sight of Italy, which is less known than the interior of America." (2)

The remoteness and isolation of the country became practically legendary and all too frequently gave rise to reports and descriptions of the land and of the people - even in books and encyclopedias - that were closer to legends than to reality. Perhaps because of its romantic remoteness and other reasons, Albania has exerted a continuous fascination on artists, including poets, playwrights, composers, and more recently film makers and producers of television programs. Shakespeare set his comedy Twelfth Night in Illyria - the name by which Albania was known in former times. Lord Byron, who visited southern Albania in 1810, wrote some stirring lines about her landscape in his poem Childe Harold.

Morn dawns: and with it stern Albania's hills...

Robed half in mist, bedewed with snowy rills.

In Mozart's comic opera Cosi fan tutte the principal male characters, Ferrando and Guglielmo, appear for the most part as two "Albanian noblemen" in clever scheme to test the love of their fiances. [The women fail the test when they succumb the charms of the Albanians but succeed nevertheless in winning back the love of their men.]

From: Prifti, Peter R. Socialist Albania since 1944 - Domestic and Foreign Developments. Cambridge, Mass: The MIT Press, 1978.