History of Albania

Origins

Illyrians

Ottoman Empire

Middle Ages Principates

Battle of Ujebardha

National Renaissance

Monarchy

Republic of Mirdita (1921)

Albanian Republic (1925-1928)

Albanian Kingdom (1928-1939)

Axis Occupation

Albania under Italy (1939-1943)

Socialist Albania to Today

People's Socialist Republic of Albania (1946-1992)

Albania (since 1992)

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The History of Albania began over two millennia ago with tribes of uncertain origin populating the area. The origin of the Albanians has been for some time a matter of dispute among historians Illyrians has come to refer to a broad ill-defined " Indo-European " group of peoples who inhabited the western Balkans ( Illyria, roughly The land that is today Albania was controlled by the Ottoman Empire from 1385 until 1913. The fall of the Roman Empire and the age of great migrations brought radical changes to the Balkan Peninsula and the Illyrian people The Battle of Ujëbardha, also known as the battle of Albulena, was fought on September 2, 1457 between Albanian forces led by Skanderbeg The rise of Albanian nationalism See also Rise of nationalism under the Ottoman Empire The 1877-1878 Russo-Turkish War dealt a decisive blow to Ottoman Albania's re-emergence after World War I Albania's political confusion continued in the wake of World War I. The Republic of Mirdita was a short-lived unrecognized republic declared in northern Albania by Gjon Markagjoni and his followers Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar The Albanian Republic was the official name of Albania as enshrined in the Constitution of 1925 Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Albanian Kingdom ( Gheg Albanian: Mbretnija Shqiptare, Standard Albanian Mbretëria Shqiptare) was the constitutional monarchal rule Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Communist and Nationalist resistance Beginning of the Communist movement Faced with an illiterate Agrarian, and mostly Muslim society monitored Albania existed as a Protectorate of the Kingdom of Italy officially known as the Albanian Kingdom ( Gheg Albanian: Mbretnija Shqiptare Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The History of Communist Albania essentially spans from 1945 until 1992 during which Albania had a Communist government Socialist People's Republic of Albania (Albanian Republika Popullore Socialiste e Shqipërisë) was the official name of Albania during the communist rule Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) After being conquered by the Roman empire and later the Ottoman empire, Albania became an independent state. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Albania has recently started the conversion from communism to capitalism, and expects to be a full member of NATO in 2009. Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based Capitalism is the Economic system in which the Means of production are owned by private Persons and operated for Profit and where The North Atlantic Treaty The country is applying to the European Union. Albania was the first of the officially recognized Potential Candidate countries to start the negotiations of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement in 2003 The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in

Contents 1 Ethnic origins 2 Prehistory 3 Roman period 4 Christianity 5 Barbarian invasions and Early Middle Ages 6 Late Middle Ages 7 Ottoman rule 8 Birth of nationalism 9 World War I and its effects 10 World War II and the rise of Communism 11 Communist rule 12 Post-Communism 13 References 14 See also 15 External links

Ethnic origins

For more details on this topic, see Origin of Albanians. The origin of the Albanians has been for some time a matter of dispute among historians

Some scholars consider that Albanians are the descendants of Illyrians, perhaps named after an Illyrian tribe named Albanoi, which was located in modern-day Albania. Illyria ( Albanian Iliria ( Ancient Greek; Latin Illyria; see also Illyricum) was in Classical antiquity a region in the Illyrian tribes or possibly or partly Illyrian tribes or tribes inhabiting lands known as Illyria. This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. [6] Other scholars dispute this and claim that Albanian derives from a dialect of the (otherwise extinct) Thracian languages. The Thracian language was the Indo-European language spoken in ancient times by the Thracians in South-Eastern Europe Some others believe the majority of the Illyrians were conquered and/ or assimilated by the invading Slavic peoples after the fall of the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial ^[1][2] The perception of Illyrian as centum language was based on analysis of the Messapic language in southern Italy which scholars believed was related to Illyrian language. Messapian (also known as Messapic) is an extinct Indo-European language of South-eastern Italy, once spoken in the region of Apulia. Geography Southern Italy forms the lower "boot" of the Italian peninsula containing the ankle (Abruzzo and Molise and southern Lazio the toe (Calabria and the heel

Those who support the Illyrian-Albanian continuity theory maintain that all Illyrian tribes, except the Albanians, were assimilated or driven southwards into Albania and Greece during the Early Middle Ages after the waves of migrating barbarians. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία The Early Middle Ages is a period in the History of Europe following the fall of the Western Roman Empire spanning roughly five centuries from AD 500 "Barbarian" is a pejorative term for an uncivilized person either in a general reference to a member of a nation or Ethnos perceived A formidable mountain homeland and resilient tribal society enabled the Albanians to survive into modern times with their identity and their language intact. Albanian (sq ''Gjuha shqipe'' ˈɟuha ˈʃcipɛ is an Indo-European language spoken by nearly 6 million peoplewhile others claim that it derives from Daco - According to these scholars, the name 'Albania' is derived from the name of an Illyrian tribe called the Arbër, or Arbëreshë, and later Albanoi, that lived near Durrës.

Prehistory

Main articles: Illyria and Prehistoric Balkans

The Illyrians were Indo-European tribesmen who appeared in the western portion of the Balkan Peninsula about 1000 B. Illyria ( Albanian Iliria ( Ancient Greek; Latin Illyria; see also Illyricum) was in Classical antiquity a region in the Prehistoric Balkans is the period of human presence (including early hominins) before the appearance of Indo-European people, which extended 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, bronze swords with winged-shaped handles, and domestication of horses. The Illyrians occupied lands extending from the Danube, Sava, and Morava rivers to the Adriatic Sea and the Sar Mountains. The Danube (In Donau from earlier Danuvius, Celtic *dānu, meaning "to flow run" Slovak and Polish Dunaj The Sava ( Bosnian, Croatian, Slovene: Sava; Serbian: Сава, Sava) is a river in The Morava (March is a River in Central Europe. It is the most important river of Moravia, which derives its name from it The Šar Mountains (Malet e Sharrit, Шар Планина Šar planina) is a Mountain range that extends from southern Kosovo and the northwest At various times, groups of Illyrians, such as the Messapians and Iapyges, migrated to Italy through both overland routes and the sea. Messapian (also known as Messapic) is an extinct Indo-European language of South-eastern Italy, once spoken in the region of Apulia. The Iapyges or Iapygians were an Indo-European people who inhabited the heel of Italy (modern Apulia) before being absorbed by the ^[3]

Albanians were originally an extension of the southeast Illyrian peoples. By contrast with other areas, the coastal hinterland between the Narenta and the Drilon was occupied by a considerable number of smaller tribes, most of whom lost their identities during the final stages of Roman occupation. The twenty peoples listed by Pliny were only a fraction of the eighty-nine civitates attested by Varro a century earlier at the Narona conventus.

The southeast of Dalmatia was populated by "real Illyrians," and the evidence from personal names produces a uniform picture with very little influence from other parts of the province, except for a group of Celtic names in the upper Neretva valley around Konjic. Neretva is a river in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. The total length is 225 km of which 203 km are in Herzegovina, while the final 22 km are in the Konjic is a town and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in northern Hercegovina, around 50 kilometres south-west of Sarajevo. In the later 3rd and 2nd centuries B. C. , all these peoples were part of the Illyrian kingdom, but with the removal of King Genti they all attained some form of independence, mostly through treaty arrangements with the Romans.

The Illyrians carried on commerce and warfare with their neighbors: Greeks, Paionians, Thracians, and other peoples. The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions For the flower genus see Peony. Paionia or Paeonia (Παιονία was in ancient geography the land of the Paeonians "Thracians" also refers to modern inhabitants of Thrace, regardless of ethnicity To the east in Dardania, there was a broad area of intermingling, or a "contact zone," between Illyrians and Thracians. The Dardani ( Ancient Greek Δαρδάνιοι were a Thraco-Illyrian tribe This area encompassed the Danube below Belgrade down the west of the Morava valley to the Vardar and the northern border of Macedonia. The Vardar or Axios ( Αξιός Axiós or Βαρδάρης Vardárīs; Latin: Axius) is the longest and major River in the In the south and along the Adriatic Sea coast, the Illyrians were heavily influenced by the Greeks, who founded trading colonies there. At the end of the 7th century B. C. , Corinthian Greek settlers from Corfu established ports on the coast at Apollonia (Pojanë, near modern Vlorë) in 588 B. Corfu (Κέρκυρα Kérkyra, ˈkʲe̞ɾkʲiɾa Κέρκυρα or Κόρκυρα Corcyra Corfù is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea C. and farther north at Lissos (Lezhë) and Epidamnos (modern Durrës) in 623 B. Lissos ("Λισσός" in Greek is an ancient city in south-west Crete, in Agios Kirikos area near the small village of Sougia, 70 km south of Chania C. The Illyrians living in Albania's rugged mountains, however, resisted Greek settlement. Illyrian raiders attacked the coastal cities and Illyrian pirates threatened Greek trading ships in the Adriatic Sea.

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 (bulae) 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. , well-developed Illyrian population centers 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 Bardhyllis became a formidable local power in the fourth century B. Bardyllis of the Illyrians (also attested as Bardylis in Ancient Greek: Βάρδυλις Βάρδυλιν Βάρδυλλις and Latin language C. He fought against Greek settlers and particularly Macedonia, a powerful Greek kingdom to the southeast. Macedon or Macedonia ( Greek grc Μακεδονία grc-Latn Makedonía) was the name of a kingdom centered in the northern-most In 358 B. C. , however, Macedonia's Phillip II, father of Alexander the Great, defeated the Illyrians and assumed control of their territory as far as Lake Ohrid. Philip II of Macedon, ( Greek: Φίλιππος Β' ο Μακεδών &mdash φίλος = friend + ίππος = Horse Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Ohrid (Охрид) is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. 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. , new Illyrian kingdoms were established. In 312 B. C. , King Glaucius expelled the Greeks from Durrës. King Glaukias ( Ancient Greek: Γλαυκίας, "glaring" from γλαυκός glaukos "glaring" was an Illyrian By the end of the third century, the Illyrian king Agron had united many independent cities and greatly expanded Illyrian territory. Agron was the second king of Illyria, and the son of King Pleuratus. Agron made Shkodër his capital and built an army and navy to protect Illyrian cities and ports. His kingdom, which stretched from Dalmatia in the north to the Vijosë River in the south, controlled parts of northern Albania, Montenegro, and Hercegovina. After Agron's death in 231 B. C. , control of Illyria passed to his widow, Teuta. The queen ordered several attacks on neighboring states, but the pirate raids on merchant vessels in the Adriatic Sea made Teuta's realm an enemy of Rome. ^[3] Roman troops defeated Teuta's army and seized the port of Epidamnos, which the Romans renamed Durrachium.

Roman period

In the Illyrian Wars of 229 and 219 B. C. , Rome overran the Illyrian settlements in the Neretva River valley. Neretva is a river in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. The total length is 225 km of which 203 km are in Herzegovina, while the final 22 km are in the The Romans made new gains in 168 B. C. , with Roman forces capturing Illyria's King Gentius at Shkodër, which they called Scodra, and bringing him to Rome in 165 B. Gentius (ruled 180–168 BC was the last king of Illyria. He was the son of the Illyrian king Pleuratus II, of the tribe of the Labeates. Shkodër (Shkodër or Shkodra is a city located on Lake Shkodër in northwestern Albania in the District C. A century later, Julius Caesar and his rival Pompey fought their decisive battle near Durrës (Dyrrachium). Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, commonly known as Pompey /'pɑmpi/ Pompey the Great or Pompey the Triumvir ( Classical Latin abbreviation Rome finally subjugated recalcitrant Illyrian tribes in the western Balkans during the reign of Emperor Tiberius in A. D. 9. The Romans divided the lands that constitute modern-day Albania among the provinces of Macedonia, Dalmatia, and Epirus. The Roman province of Macedonia was officially established in 146 BC, after the Roman general Quintus Caecilius Metellus defeated Andriscus of Macedon Dalmatia ( Croatian: Dalmacija, see names in other languages) is a region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, situated mostly in modern Epirus (from Ionic Greek Ήπειρος - Ēpeiros, Doric Greek: Ἅπειρος - Apeiros, in Albanian ^[3]

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. Kuvend, in Albania, was a form of exercising one's power in regard to community decisions that might affect one's family or self ^[3]

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 extension of the Via Egnatia, an old Illyrian road and later famous military highway and trade route that led from Durrës through the Shkumbin River valley to Macedonia and Byzantium. The Via Egnatia ( Greek:) was a road constructed by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. The Shkumbin ( Albanian indefinite form the definite form is Shkumbini, occasionally spelled Skumbi in English is a River in central Albania This article is about the city See also Byzantine Empire. Byzantium ( Greek: Βυζάντιον Latin: la BYZANTIVM Copper, asphalt, and silver were extracted from the mountains. The main exports were wine, cheese, oil, and fish from Lake Scutari and Lake Ohrid. Lake Ohrid (Охридско Езеро transliterated: Ohridsko Ezero; Liqeni i Ohrit straddles the mountainous border between the southwestern region of the 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. ^[3]

Illyrians distinguished themselves as warriors in the Roman legions and made up a significant portion of the Praetorian Guard. Several Roman emperors born in the Balkans are claimed by Albanians to be of Illyrian origin,^[3] including Gaius Decius, Claudius Gothicus, Aurelian, Probus, Diocletian,^[3] and Constantine the Great. Lucius Domitius Aurelianus ( September 9, 214 or 215 &ndashSeptember or October 275 known in English as Aurelian, Roman Emperor (270&ndash275 Marcus Aurelius Probus (c August 19, 232 &ndashSeptember/October 282 was a Roman Emperor (276&ndash282 Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus ( ca. December 22 244 The modern historian Timothy Barnes takes December 22 as his birthdate Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus (27 February ca. 272 &ndash 22 May 337 commonly known as Constantine I, Constantine the Great, or Saint Constantine ^[3]

Christianity

Christianity came to Illyrian-populated lands in the first century A. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings D. Saint Paul wrote that he preached in the Roman province of Illyricum, and tradition holds that he visited Durrës. Paul the apostle (שאול התרסי Šaʾul HaTarsi, meaning " Saul of Tarsus " Σαούλ Saul and Σαῦλος Saulos and ^[3] In 379, under emperor Theodosius I, as part of the Prefecture of Illyricum Orientale, the southern region was divided into three provinces: Epirus Vetus, with capital at Nicopolis (modern Preveza), Epirus Nova, with capital at Durrës, and Praevalitania, with capital at Shkodër. Epirus vetus was a Province in the Roman Empire. Between 146 BC and 395 AD, it was incorporated into the Roman province of Macedonia Nicopolis (Νικόπολις city of victory) or Actia Nicopolis was an ancient city of Epirus, founded 31 BC by Octavian in memory Each city formed an archdiocese.

When the Roman Empire was divided into eastern and western halves in A. D. 395, Illyria east of the Drinus River (Drina between Bosnia and Serbia), including the lands that now form Albania, were administered by the Eastern Empire but were ecclesiastically dependent on Rome. The Drina ( Serbian and Bosnian: Дрина or Drina) is a river in the Balkan Peninsula. In A. D. 732, a Byzantine emperor, Leo III the Isaurian, subordinated the area to the patriarchate of Constantinople. Leo III the Isaurian ' or the Syrian ' ( Greek: Λέων Γ΄ Leōn III) (c For centuries thereafter, the Albanian lands became an arena for the ecclesiastical struggle between Rome and Constantinople. Remaining under Roman influence, most Albanians living in the mountainous north maintained their Roman Catholicism, whereas in the southern and central regions, the majority became Orthodox while forging closer links with Greek peoples to the south. ^[3]

After the formation of the Slav principality of Dioclia (modern Montenegro), the metropolitan see of Bar was created in 1089, and dioceses in northern Albania (Shkodër, Ulcinj) became its suffragans. Starting in 1019, Albanian dioceses of the Byzantine rite were suffragans of the independent Archdiocese of Ohrid until Durrës and Nicopolis (Preveza) were re-established as metropolitan sees. Thereafter, only the dioceses in inner Albania (Elbasan, Krujë) remained attached to Ohrid. In the 13th century during the Venetian occupation, the Latin Archdiocese of Durrës was founded.

Barbarian invasions and Early Middle Ages

For more details on this topic, see Albania in the Middle Ages. The fall of the Roman Empire and the age of great migrations brought radical changes to the Balkan Peninsula and the Illyrian people

The fall of the Western Roman Empire and the age of great migrations brought radical changes to the Balkan Peninsula and the Illyrian people. Barbarian tribesmen overran many rich Roman cities, destroying the existing social and economic order and leaving the great Roman aqueducts, coliseums, temples, and roads in ruins. The Illyrians gradually disappeared as a distinct people from the Balkans, replaced by the Bulgars, Serbs, Croats and Bosnians. In the late Middle Ages, new waves of invaders swept over the Albanian-populated lands. ^[4]

Thanks to their protective mountains, close-knit tribal society, and sheer pertinacity, however, the Albanian people developed their distinctive identity and language. ^[4] Indeed, Albania's ancient communities evolved into fiercely independent clans. Albania remained an isolated place where landowning families ruled over large, private domains. Small principalities developed near port cities and in fertile river valleys. In the mountains, the Albanian clans fought for territory and for scarce natural resources.

In the fourth century, barbarian tribes began to prey upon the Roman Empire, and the fortunes of the Illyrian-populated lands sagged. The Germanic Goths and Asiatic Huns were the first to arrive, invading in mid-century; the Avars attacked in A. D. 570; and the Slavic Serbs and Croats overran Illyrian-populated areas in the early seventh century. ^[4]

For a time, southern Illyricum remained an important source of manpower for the imperial army. Most of the reconquests in the western Mediterranean were achieved by troops from the southern Balkans. The security of these homelands was now based on local strongholds, either new or refurbished. The network of small forts, whose construction would have been a burden on local communities, represented a passive defense from a basis of limited control over the countryside. In Old and New Epirus, 50 existing forts were repaired, but according to Procopius in his Secret History, the region was ravaged almost every year of Justinian's reign by Huns and Slavs, causing many Roman casualties and so much destruction that the area was deserted. The refortifications had proven insufficient.

With the eventual collapse of Illyricum, the condition of the region worsened. There seems to have been a collapse of the inland towns which had arisen in the Hellenistic period, while the more secure coastal cities continued to enjoy a relatively prosperous existence. Some inland places were protected with the latest type of defenses, including Scampis (Elbasan) on the Via Egnatia and Vig near Shkodër. The passage of the Visigoths and Ostrogoths through the area caused the building of several new hill-fortresses, such as Sarda overlooking the river Drin, sometime after the 5th century. The population of this area were Latin-speaking provincials, in the interior mainly of Illyrian origin, but more cosmopolitan in the coastal towns.

The dispersal of Slavs in the southern Balkans following the unsuccessful siege of Thessalonika in 586 led to an occupation of Praevalitania and the region south of the Shkumbin, a distribution indicated by place-names of Slav origin. During the 7th and 8th centuries Durrës and the coast remained under imperial control, but the old cities of Lezhë and Shkodër sank to within their acropolis. This is due in large part to the wholesale withrdrawal of Byzantine forces from the Balkans to reinforce the Middle Eastern provinces in 620, leaving Albania to fend for itself.

The key evidence for the population of this time is the Komani-Krujë group of cemeteries centered on Durrës, town-based and Christian. These cemeteries went out of use by the early 9th century when the new military command theme of Durrës came into existence in 862. They indicate the survival of a Romanized population of Illyrian origin driven out by Slav settlements further north, the Romanoi mentioned by Constantine Porphyrogenitus. This interpretation is supported by the concentration of Latin place-names around the Lake of Shkodër, in the Drin and Fan valleys and along the road from Lezhë to Ulpiana in Kosovo, with some in the Black Drin and Mat valleys, a distribution limited on the south by the line of the Via Egnatia.

Another population to the south is evidenced by an early tumulus culture, and this is considered to represent the Albëri of the tenth and eleventh centuries, for whom the region of Arbëri (Gheg Albëni), north of Tirana between the Mat and Erzen rivers, is named. A third region indicates movement from high altitudes between the Shkumbin and Mat, concentrated between Elbasan and Krujë, into the plain of the Mat - a likely place for Arbanon. However, the main brunt of the northern mountaineer population probably came from the northern Albanian mountains, in Dukagjin and Mirditë, and the mountains of Drin, descending into the lowlands of western Albania, the Black Drin river valley, and into parts of Old Serbia during the summer.

In the 8th and 9th century, the Bulgars conquered much of the Balkan Peninsula and extended their domain to the lowlands of what is now central and southern Albania. The Bulgarian tsar Simeon I defeated the Byzantine army and established colonies along the Adriatic seacoast. Simeon (also Symeon) I the Great (Симеон I Велики transliterated Simeon I Veliki; simɛˈɔn ˈpɤrvi vɛˈliki ruled over Bulgaria Samuil, conquered Durrës, the former Roman port of Durrachium that still traded with cities in Greece and Italy. Many Illyrians fled from coastal areas to the mountains, exchanging a sedentary peasant existence for the itinerant life of the herdsman. Other Illyrians intermarried with the conquerors and eventually assimilated. In general, the invaders destroyed or weakened Roman and Byzantine cultural centers in the lands that would become Albania. ^[4]

But the Byzantine emperor Basil II, nicknamed the “Bulgar-slayer”, counterattacked in 1014. Basil II, surnamed the Bulgar-slayer (Βασίλειος Β΄ Βουλγαροκτόνος Basileios II Boulgaroktonos, 958 &ndash December 15 1025 The Byzantine forces smashed the Bulgarian army, seized the Adriatic ports, and conquered Epirus, which lies south of Albania. These territories were far from the Byzantine capital at Constantinople, however, and Byzantine authority in the area gradually weakened. While the clans and landowners controlled the countryside, the people of the coastal cities fought against Byzantine rule.

It was during this period of rebellion and turmoil that the name Albania arose, the first historical mention of Albania and Albanians was in 1081, in an account of resistance by Byzantine Emperor Alexius I Comnenus to a Vatican-backed Norman fleet. Alexios I Komnenos, or Comnenus (Greek Αλέξιος Α' Κομνηνός (1048 &ndash August 15, 1118) Byzantine emperor (1081&ndash1118 The History of the Papacy is the history of both the spiritual role and the temporal role over a timespan of almost 2000 years from the arrival of Peter in Rome to the present day The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. ^[4]

Late Middle Ages

The first historical mention of Albania and the Albanians as such appears in an account of the resistance by a Byzantine emperor, Alexius I Comnenus, to an offensive by the Vatican-backed Normans from southern Italy into the Albanian-populated lands in 1081. Alexios I Komnenos, or Comnenus (Greek Αλέξιος Α' Κομνηνός (1048 &ndash August 15, 1118) Byzantine emperor (1081&ndash1118 In the same year, the weakness of the Byzantine empire let northern Albania slip under Serbian control.

The ports of Albania remained a valuable prize for several rival nations. The Normans, who ruled a kingdom in southern Italy, conquered Durrës in 1081. The Byzantine reconquest of 1083 required the help of Venice, which soon gained commercial privileges in Albanian towns as a reward. This wealthy trading city in northern Italy built fortresses and trading posts in Albania's lowlands to bolster its power. The Normans returned in 1107 and again in 1185 but were quickly expelled.

Again during the late medieval period, invaders ravaged the Illyrian-inhabited regions of the Balkans. Norman, Venetian, and Byzantine fleets attacked by sea. Bulgar, Serb, and Byzantine forces came overland and held the region in their grip for years. Clashes between rival clans and intrusions by the Serbs produced hardship that triggered an exodus from the region southward into Greece, including Thessaly, the Peloponnese, and the Aegean Islands.

Divided into warring clans, the Albanians were unable to prevent the occupation of their country by outsiders. The Serbs occupied parts of northern and eastern Albania toward the end of the 12th century^[4] and conquered Shkodër in the 1180s. In 1204, after Western crusaders sacked Constantinople, Venice won nominal control over central and southern Albania and the Epirus region of northern Greece and took possession of Durrës. A prince from the overthrown Byzantine ruling family, Michael Comnenus, made alliances with Albanian chiefs and drove the Venetians from lands that now make up southern Albania and northern Greece, and in 1204 he set up an independent Byzantine principality, the Despotate of Epirus, with Janina (now Ioannina) as its capital. Michael I Komnenos Doukas or Comnenus Ducas ( Greek: Μιχαήλ Α΄ Κομνηνός Δούκας Mikhaēl I Komnēnos Doukas) often inaccurately called The Principality of Epirus can also refer to the pashalik of Ali Pasha The Despotate or Principality of Epirus (Δεσποτάτο της Ioannina (Ιωάννινα, often el Γιάννενα or el Γιάννινα / is a city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a metropolitan population of ^[4] His successor, Theodore, conciliated the Albanian chiefs in 1216, repulsed an attack on Durrës in 1217 by western Crusaders and Venetian ships, and turned his armies eastward before being defeated in 1230 by the revived Bulgarian Empire of Ivan Asen II. Ivan Asen II (Иван Асен II iˈvan aˈsɛn ˈftɔri also Йоан Асен II Yoan Asen II) in English sometimes known as John Asen II,

A restored Byzantine Empire smashed Bulgaria in 1246 and pushed to the north Albanian coast, where the Albanian tribes were briefly weaned away from their alliance with the Despotate of Epirus. The Byzantines gained Durrës in 1256 but lost it in 1257 to Manfred, king of the Two Sicilies, who also acquired Vlorë and Berat in 1268. Manfred ( Venosa, 1232 &ndash Benevento February 26, 1266) was the King of Sicily from 1258 to 1266 In 1272 his successor, Charles I of Anjou, the ruler of the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily, attacked from his base in southern Italy. Charles I ( 21 March 1226 &ndash 7 January 1285) commonly called Charles of Anjou, was the King of Sicily by conquest Charles conquered Durrës and much of central Albania; he called his new domain the Albanian kingdom that would last until 1336. The Kingdom of Albania may refer to the state on territory of Albania in two different periods of history

Internal power struggles further weakened the Byzantine Empire in the 14th century, and by this time Serbia, a realm to the northeast, had already established a dynasty at Shkodër to take control of northern Albania. In the mid-1300s, Stefan Dušan, a powerful Serbian king, conquered much of the western Balkans, including all of Albania except Durrës. Stefan Uroš IV Dušan ( c.1308 – 20 December 1355) called Silni ("the Mighty" was the King of Serbia (from ^[4] Dušan drew up a legal code for his realm and crowned himself "Emperor of the Serbs, Greeks, Bulgarians, and Albanians. " But in 1355, while leading an attack against Constantinople, Dušan suddenly died. His empire quickly broke apart, and his lands were divided among Serb and Albanian noblemen. Strong families came to the fore, especially the Balshas in the north and the Thopias in the center. Southern Albania fell to a Serbian chieftain, Thomas Preliubovich, in 1367. He was succeeded in 1385 by a Florentine noble.

The constant warfare in Albania caused poverty and deadly famines. Beginning in the 14th century, many Albanians left their troubled homeland and migrated southward into the mountains of Epirus and to the cities and islands of Greece. Albanian exiles also built communities in southern Italy and on the island of Sicily.

Ottoman rule

For more details on this topic, see Albanian lands under Ottoman domination. The land that is today Albania was controlled by the Ottoman Empire from 1385 until 1913.

Ottoman supremacy in the Balkan region began in 1385 with the Battle of Savra but was briefly interrupted in the 15th century, when Gjergj Kastrioti, an Albanian warrior known as Skanderbeg, allied with some Albanian chiefs and fought-off Turkish rule from 1443-1478 (although Kastrioti died in 1468). The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The Battle of the Saurian Field (Savra field Berat, modern-day southern Albania) was fought on 18 September 1385 between Ottoman Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg ( 6 May 1405 &ndash 17 January 1468) ( Albanian: Gjergj Kastriot Skënderbeu, widely known as Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg ( 6 May 1405 &ndash 17 January 1468) ( Albanian: Gjergj Kastriot Skënderbeu, widely known as Kastrioti's strongholds included Kruja, Petrela and Berat. Krujë ( Albanian: Krujë or Kruja) is the Capital City of the District of Krujë in Albania See also History of Albania Petrela is a town 15 km south of Tirana, in the central Albania. Berat (also known in Albanian as Berati, Greek Bulcheriòpolis - Πουλχεριοπολις Upon the Ottomans' return, a large number of Albanians fled to Italy, Greece and Egypt and maintained their Arbëresh identity. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish } Albanians (Shqiptarët are an Ethnic group and a Nation, in the sense of sharing a common Albanian culture speaking the Albanian language Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Arbëreshë are an ethnic community living in Italy, especially the regions of Calabria and Sicily. Many Albanians won fame and fortune as soldiers, administrators, and merchants in far-flung parts of the empire. As the centuries passed, however, Ottoman rulers lost the capacity to command the loyalty of local pashas, who governed districts on the empire's fringes, which threatened stability in the region. The Ottoman Dynasty (or the Imperial House of Osman) ( Turkish: Osmanlı Hanedanı) ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1299 to 1922 beginning with Pasha or pacha, formerly bashaw, (paşa پاشا ( Persian: پاشا ( Armenian: Փաշա was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire The Ottoman rulers of the nineteenth century struggled to shore up central authority, introducing reforms aimed at harnessing unruly pashas and checking the spread of nationalist ideas. The Ottoman Dynasty (or the Imperial House of Osman) ( Turkish: Osmanlı Hanedanı) ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1299 to 1922 beginning with Albania would be a part of the Ottoman Empire until the early 20th century. This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The twentieth century of the Common Era began on

Birth of nationalism

For more details on this topic, see National awakening and the birth of Albania. The rise of Albanian nationalism See also Rise of nationalism under the Ottoman Empire The 1877-1878 Russo-Turkish War dealt a decisive blow to Ottoman

By the 1870s, the Sublime Porte's reforms aimed at checking the Ottoman Empire's disintegration had clearly failed. Events and Trends Technology The invention of the prototype telephone by Alexander G Ottoman Porte (also Sublime Porte, High Porte, or in Ottoman Turkish, Bab-ı Ali) used to refer to the Divan (court The image of the "Turkish yoke" had become fixed in the nationalist mythologies and psyches of the empire's Balkan peoples, and their march toward independence quickened. The Albanians, because of the preponderance of Muslims link with Islam and their internal social divisions, were the last of the Balkan peoples to want to a division from the Ottoman Empire, because they feared that they would lose its Albanian-populated lands to the emerging Balkan states--Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, and Greece. } Albanians (Shqiptarët are an Ethnic group and a Nation, in the sense of sharing a common Albanian culture speaking the Albanian language Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country Montenegro ( British English) Montenegrin / Serbian: PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THE LANGUAGES WITHOUT CONSENSUS ON THE TALK PAGE! The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία ^[5]

Albanian leaders formed the League of Prizren in 1878 with the backing of sultan Abdulhamid II, through which they pressed for territorial autonomy and defending their lands from the onslaught of their neighbours. The League of Prizren (Lidhja e Prizrenit was an Albanian political organization founded on June 10, 1878 in Prizren, Vilayet of Kosovo Year 1878 ( MDCCCLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common After decades of unrest a major uprising exploded in the Albanian-populated Ottoman territories in 1912, on the eve of the First Balkan War. Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 pitted the Balkan League ( Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, and Bulgaria When Serbia, Montenegro, and Greece laid claim to Albanian lands during the war, the Albanians declared independence. ^[5]

The European Great Powers endorsed an independent Albania in 1913, after the Second Balkan War leaving outside the Albanian border more than half of the Albanian population and their lands, that were partitioned between Montenegro,Serbia and Greece. A great power is a Nation or State that has the ability to exert its influence on a global scale Year 1913 ( MCMXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Second Balkan War was fought in 1913 between Bulgaria on one side and its First Balkan War allies Serbia, Greece, and Montenegro They were assisted by Aubrey Herbert, a British MP who passionately advocated their cause in London. Aubrey Nigel Henry Molyneux Herbert, MP, (1880 &ndash September 26, 1923) was a British diplomat traveller and intelligence officer associated with A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. As a result, Herbert was offered the crown of Albania, but was dissuaded by the British prime minister, H. H. Asquith, from accepting. Herbert Henry Asquith 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC ( 12 September 1852 &ndash 15 February 1928) served Instead the offer went to William of Wied, a German prince who accepted and became sovereign of the new Principality of Albania. Prince William of Wied Prince of Albania (Wilhelm Friedrich Heinrich ( 26 March 1876 &ndash 18 April 1945) reigned briefly as sovereign The Principality of Albania was a short-lived monarchy in the Balkans established on February 21, 1914.

The young state, however, collapsed within weeks of the outbreak of World War I. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All ^[5] Before this, Albanians rebelled against the German prince and declared the independence of their country from the jurisdiction of the great powers and established throughout the country a Muslim regime under the leadership of a local warrior, Haji Qamil. This situation did not last for a long time as the World War I erupted and Albania was invaded by Montenegro, Serbia, Austria-Hungary, Greece, Italy, and France. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All After World War I, Albania was still under occupation of Serbian and Italian forces. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All It was a rebellion of the respective populations of the Northern and Southern Albania that pushed back the Serbs and Italians behind the recognized borders of Albania

World War I and its effects

For more details on this topic, see History of Albania (1919-1939). Albania's re-emergence after World War I Albania's political confusion continued in the wake of World War I.

Albania achieved a degree of statehood after World War I, in part because of the diplomatic intercession of the United States. This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The country suffered from a debilitating lack of economic and social development, however, and its first years of independence were fraught with political instability. Unable to survive a predatory environment without a foreign protector, Albania became the object of tensions between Italy and the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (the later Yugoslavia), which both sought to dominate the country. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Serbs ( Serbian: Срби Srbi) are a South Slavic people living in the Balkans and Central Europe, mainly in Serbia, Croats (Hrvati are a South Slavic people mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries Slovenes or Slovenians ( Slovene Slovenci, dual Slovenca, singular Slovenec, feminine Slovenke, dual Slovenki The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian, Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Macedonian: ^[6]

With Yugoslav military assistance, Ahmed Bey Zogu, the son of a clan Chieftain, emerged victorious from an internal political power struggle in late 1924. The Kingdom of Yugoslavia (Serbo-Croato-Slovene ie Serbo-Croatian, Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene: Kraljevina Jugoslavija Zog I Skanderbeg III of the Albanians ref> (born Ahmet Zogolli, later changed to Ahmet Zogu) (October 8 1895 &ndash April 9 1961 was King A clan is a group of People united by Kinship and descent, which is defined by perceived descent from a common ancestor Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Zogu, however, quickly turned his back on Belgrade and looked instead to Benito Mussolini's modernist Italy for patronage. Belgrade (Београд Beograd is the Capital and largest city of Serbia. ^[6] Under him, Albania joined the Italian coalition against Yugoslavia of Kingdom of Italy, Hungary, and Bulgaria in 1924-1927. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1927 ( MCMXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. After the United Kingdom's and France's political intervention in 1927 with the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the alliance crumbled. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Year 1927 ( MCMXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Kingdom of Yugoslavia (Serbo-Croato-Slovene ie Serbo-Croatian, Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene: Kraljevina Jugoslavija In 1928 the country's parliament declared Albania a kingdom and Zogu King. Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. ^[6] King Zog remained a conservative, but initiated reforms, for example, in an attempt at social modernisation the custom of adding one's region to one's name was dropped. Zog I Skanderbeg III of the Albanians ref> (born Ahmet Zogolli, later changed to Ahmet Zogu) (October 8 1895 &ndash April 9 1961 was King Zog also made donations of land to international organisations for the building of schools and hospitals [7]. Mussolini's forces overthrew King Zog when Italy invaded Albania in 1939. The Italian invasion of Albania ( April 7 &ndash April 12, 1939) was a brief military campaign by the Kingdom of Italy against the Albanian Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[6]

World War II and the rise of Communism

For more details on this topic, see Military history of Albania during World War II. Communist and Nationalist resistance Beginning of the Communist movement Faced with an illiterate Agrarian, and mostly Muslim society monitored

During World War II, Albanian fascists supported Italy in its invasion on Greece in October 1940. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Fascism is a totalitarian nationalist and corporatist ideology Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Some Albanians took a part in muslim formations which helped German SS force in repression on Yugoslavian and Albanian resistance movements. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The ( German for "Protective Squadron" abbreviated SS - or ( Runic)- was a major Nazi organization under Adolf Hitler and the See also Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian Communist partisans fought Italian and German occupation forces as well as various nationalist Albanian partisans. However, they were victorious in World War II and took over the country which became communist immediately after that.

Communist rule

For more details on this topic, see History of Albania (1945-1989). The History of Communist Albania essentially spans from 1945 until 1992 during which Albania had a Communist government

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. (ɛnˈvɛɾ ˈhɔdʒa 16 October 1908 11 April 1985 was the leader of the People's Republic of Albania from the end of World War II until his death in 1985 as the Mehmet Ismail Shehu ( January 10, 1913 – December 17, 1981) was an Albanian Communist politician who served as premier of Albania World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including They began to concentrate primarily on securing and maintaining their power base by killing all their political adversaries, and secondarily on preserving Albania's independence and reshaping the country according to the precepts of Stalinism so they could remain in power forever. Stalinism is the political regime named after Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union from 1929–1953 Throughout all rule, Hoxha engineered an elaborate cult of personality that elevated him to the status of infallible leader. A cult of personality or personality cult arises when a country's leader uses Mass media to create a heroic public image through unquestioning flattery and praise When he died in 1985, grandiose nation-wide mourning ceremonies were organized. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) ^[7]

In the late 1980s, very limited tourism was permitted into the country, mostly by entering from Greece on bus tours. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Foreigners however were followed everywhere they went by secret service agents to make sure they "behaved".

Soon after Hoxha's death, voices for change emerged in the Albanian society and the government began to seek closer ties with the West in order to improve economic conditions, and initial democratic reforms were introduced including multi-party elections in 1991. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Pursuant to a 1991 interim basic law, Albanians ratified a constitution in 1998, establishing a democratic system of government based upon the rule of law and guaranteeing the protection of fundamental human rights. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled

Post-Communism

For more details on this topic, see History of Albania (1989-present). The History of Albania began over two millennia ago with tribes of uncertain origin populating the area

Since 1992 Albania has been oriented towards the West. In 1992 the Democratic Party took control of the country through democratic elections. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) The Democratic Party of Albania ( Albanian: Partia Demokratike e Shqipërisë) is a Center-right, Conservative, Political party in What followed were deliberate programs of economic and democratic reform, but Albanian inexperience with capitalism led to the proliferation of pyramid schemes - which were not banned due to the corruption of the government. A pyramid scheme is a Non-sustainable Business model that involves the exchange of Money primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme without Political corruption is the use of governmental powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain Anarchy in late 1996 to early 1997, as a result of the collapse of these pyramid schemes, alarmed the world and prompted intensive international mediation. Anomie, in contemporary English language is a sociological term that signifies in individuals an erosion diminution or absence of personal norms standards or values

In 1995, Albania was accepted in the Council of Europe and has requested membership in NATO. The North Atlantic Treaty The workforce of Albania has continued to emigrate to Greece, Italy, Europe and North America. The political leadership has not fulfilled the people's hope for a short and comfortable transition.

In March 1997 the 1997 unrest in Albania took place. The 1997 unrest in Albania, also known as the Lottery Uprising, was an uprising sparked by Ponzi scheme failures The general elections of June 1997 brought the Socialists and their allies to power. President Berisha resigned from his post, and Socialists elected Rexhep Meidani as the President of the Republic. (born on August 17, 1944, in Tirana, Albania) is an Albanian Politician. Albanian Socialist Party Chairman Fatos Nano was elected Prime Minister, a post which he held until October 1998, when he resigned as a result of the tense situation created in the country after the assassination of a prominent leader of the Democratic Party, Azem Hajdari. The Socialist Party of Albania ( Albanian: Partia Socialiste e Shqipërisë) a social democratic Political party in Albania, is currently Fatos Thanas Nano (born September 16, 1952 in Tirana) is a Member of the Albanian Parliament, representing Sarandë constituency Azem Hajdari ( March 11, 1963 - September 12, 1998) was an Albanian politician who was assassinated in Tirana Pandeli Majko was then elected Prime Minister, and he served in this post until November 1999, when he was replaced by Ilir Meta. Pandeli Majko (born November 15 1967 in Tirana) was Prime Minister of Albania from 1998-1999 and for a short time in 2002 Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Ilir Meta (born March 24, 1969 in Skrapar, Albania) was the prime minister of Albania from 29 October 1999 to Albania approved its constitution through a popular referendum which was held in November 1998, but which was boycotted by the opposition. The general local elections of October 2000 marked the loss of control of the Democrats over the local governments and a victory for the Socialists.

Although Albania has made strides toward democratic reform and maintaining the rule of law, serious deficiencies in the electoral code remain to be addressed, as demonstrated in the June 2001 parliamentary elections. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. International observers judged the 2001 elections to be acceptable, but the Union for Victory Coalition, the second-largest vote recipient, disputed the results and boycotted parliament until January 31, 2002. The Union for Victory Coalition (Bashkimi për Fitoren was a coalition of political parties in Albania. The Socialists re-elected Ilir Meta as Prime Minister in August 2001, a post which he held till February 2002, when he resigned due to party infighting. Pandeli Majko was re-elected Prime Minister in February 2002. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar.

Aside from internationally acceptable statistics, Albania shows incredible infastructural and economic improvement. This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. Construction is at a current boom in Albania as villas, apartment complexes, offices, restaurants, and hotels are multiplying at a frantic rate. This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. The standard of living has been steadily increasing. Even more promising is the increase in development of manufacturing and consumer-based businesses in Albania, evidenced in companies like Olim (oil products), Deka (detergents), Glina (bottled water), Birra Tirana (brewery), and Alumil (Aluminium alloys). WikipediaNaming An alloy is a Solid solution or Homogeneous mixture of two or more elements, at least one of which is a Metal, which itself has

References

• Bushkoff, Leonard. "Albania, history of", Collier's Encyclopedia. vol. 1. NY: P. F. Collier, L. P. , 1996.
• Oxford Encyclopedic World Atlas 5th Edition, Ed. Keith Lyle, Copyright 2000, Printed in Spain
• Rodgers, Mary M. (ed. ). Albania. . . in Pictures. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company, 1995.
• 2003 U.S. Department of State Background Note of Albania
• Afrim Krasniqi: The End of Albania's Siberia. Tirana 1998.
• Afrim Krasniqi: Civil Society in Albania. Tirana 2004.
• Afrim Krasniqi: Political Parties in Albania 1920-2006. Tirana 2006.
• Antonello Biagini, Storia dell'Albania contemporanea, Bompiani, 2005

See also

• Albania in the Middle Ages
• Timeline of Albanian history to 1993
• Timeline of Albanian history from 1994
• International rankings of Albania
• Historiography and nationalism
• History of the Balkans
• History of Europe
• History of present-day nations and states

External links

• Wikimedia Atlas of Albania
• Albanian Canadian League Information Service (ACLIS) is a unique source for Albanian History, Facts, Biographies of great Albanians as Political, Cultural, Sports National Personalities & VIP and materials about the history, culture, art, traditions and more.. of Albania & Albanians (English)
• Albanian History and Facts of history of Albania (mostly in Albanian)
• Collection of materials about the history of Albania (mostly in Albanian, partly in English)
• Comprehensive history of Albania before 1912 (in Albanian)

The fall of the Roman Empire and the age of great migrations brought radical changes to the Balkan Peninsula and the Illyrian people Chronology of Important Events of Albania: AD 1 to 11th century In the 2nd century AD, Ptolemy, the geographer and astronomer In 1992 the Albanian Communists were trumped by the Democratic Party of Albania in national elections The following are international rankings of. Cities Tirana: not ranked as a Global city Durres: not ranked as a Historiography is the study of how history is written One pervasive influence upon the writing of history has been Nationalism, a set of beliefs about The Balkans is an area of southeastern Europe situated at a major crossroads between mainland Europe and the Near East. The history of Europe describes the passage of time from humans inhabiting the European continent to the present day This is a list of articles on the History of contemporary countries states and dependencies

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