A Background on Albania
The History, Location, Politics and Culture of Albania
Albania is a little-known formerly communist country in the Balkans with a unique culture and an ancient and often tragic history dating back to one thousand BC.
Albania is a small country in Eastern Europe which has a very eastern culture due to being part of the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire for almost 500 years. It has endured Communism and Fascism, and has been both a Christian and a Muslim country. It is now in the process of developing into a modern European country.
Albania's Location
Most people's first question about Albania (if they're honest) is “Where is it?” Albania lies on the Adriatic and Ionian coast, north of Greece, south of Montenegro, west of Macedonia and across the water from Italy. It is part of the area of Eastern Europe called the Balkans. Albania used to be much larger, about twice the size it is now. Some of the territory was lost gradually over the centuries but most of it was reassigned to its neighbours after the Second World War, leaving large populations of Albanians living in adjoining countries to this day.
The History of Albania
The second question most people ask is “Isn't it Communist?” The quick answer is no, but a severe Communist dictatorship lasting over 40 years is a part of Albania's often tragic history. Albanians are thought to be directly descended from the ancient Illyrians who moved into the region around the tenth century BC. Illyria was conquered by Macedon in the fourth century BC, and then later by the Romans, after a long struggle.
Christianity first reached Illyria with the Apostle Paul in the first century AD, and after the schism of the church it was Roman Catholic rather than Orthodox. Albania, as it was by this time, resisted the advances of the Turks under the leadership of the national hero, Skenderbeg, but was later conquered and assimilated into the Ottoman Empire. Financial penalties for Christians and restrictions on their religious freedom led to a large number of the population converting to Islam, making Albania the only Muslim European country.
The First World War ended the power of the Turks in Europe, briefly freeing Albania. This “golden age” under King Zog was ended by fascist Italian invasion, swiftly followed by the rise of a Maoist communist dictatorship led by the sinister “Uncle Enver” Hoxha. Hoxha isolated Albania, building a million concrete bunkers and telling the citizens that the western world wanted to invade Albania for its wealth. Meanwhile, Albanians lived in fear, deprivation and state-enforced Atheism. The regime finally fell in 1991, but the collapse in 1997 of a government sponsored pyramid selling scheme crashed the economy, scuppering progress and leaving Albania still one of the poorest nations in Europe.
Characteristics of the Country
Albania is a beautiful country, rich in natural springs and mineral wealth. It is mainly mountainous, apart from one large central plain containing most of the larger cities. Albania is about the size of Wales and with a similar population, about 3 million, although as many again live in the Albanian hinterland in neighbouring countries or as emigrants in Greece, Italy and further afield. The culture is very eastern, reminiscent of Turkey, with lots of Arabic words in the language, Turkish coffee and sweets, and rather “traditional” attitudes to the roles of men and women.
The language, thought to derive from ancient Illyrian, is unrelated to any other branch of European languages. The climate is Mediterranean – hot in summer, wet in winter – although the mountainous areas can be far harsher. Conditions are still quite basic, especially in the countryside where the use of horses and donkeys rather than cars and tractors is still very common. Politically, it has a democratic two party system - Democratic and Socialist.
The Future for Albania
The youth culture is very western and Americanised, and contact with the outside world through emigration has led to demands for improvements. If problems with corruption and organised crime can be solved, Albania hopes one day to become a member of the European Union.
Source: The Oxford Classical Dictionary (2000)
