ich means "understanding each other".[21][22] Under the Ottoman Empire Albania was referred to officially as Arnavutluk and its inhabitants as Arnauts (officially, Arnavutlar). These terms remain the same officially and in common usage in the current Republic of Turkey.[23] The word is considered to be a metathesis from the word Arvanite, which was the Medieval Greek name for the Albanians.[24] History History of Albania Prehistory Prehistoric Balkans Antiquity Illyria Illyrians Macedonia (Roman province) Illyricum Middle Ages Albania in the Middle Ages Albania under the Byzantine Empire Albania under the Bulgarian Empire Albania under the Serbian Empire Principality of Arbėr Kingdom of Albania Albanian Principalities League of Lezhė Venetian Albania Ottoman Albania Ottoman Albania Sanjak of Albania Sanjak of Scutari Sanjak of Debar Scutari Vilayet Janina Vilayet Kosovo Vilayet Albanian Pashaliks Massacre of the Albanian beys Albanian National Awakening Revolts of 1833-1839 Revolt of 1843-1844 Revolt of 1847 League of Prizren League of Peja Revolt of 1910 Revolt of 1911 Battle of Deēiq Revolt of 1912 Albanian Vilayet Albanian Declaration of Independence Post-Independence Independent Albania Provisional Government Albanian Congress of Trieste International Commission of Control Balkan Wars Principality of Albania Peasant Revolt in Albania Republic of Central Albania Vlora War Republic of Korēė Republic of Mirdita Italian Protectorate on southern Albania Vlora War Congress of Lushnjė Italian protectorate over Albania Union of Italia & Albania Albania under Germany Albanian Resistance Second League of Prizren Liberation of Albania Communist Albania Contemporary Albania Post-Communism 1997 unrest Republic of Albania This box: view talk edit Main article: History of Albania The history of Albania emerged from the prehistoric stage from the 4th century BC, with early records of Illyria in Greco-Roman historiography. The modern territory of Albania has no counterpart in antiquity, comprising parts of the Roman provinces of Dalmatia (southern Illyricum), Macedonia (particularly Epirus Nova), and Moesia Superior. The territory remained under Roman (Byzantine) control until the Slavic migrations of the 7th century, and was integrated into the Bulgarian Empire in the 9th century. The territorial nucleus of the Albanian state formed in the Middle Ages, as the Principality of Arbėr and the Kingdom of Albania. The first records of the Albanian people as a distinct ethnicity also date to this period. In 15th century there was a series of confrontations between Albanians led by Scanderbeg and the advancing Ottoman Empire. Soon after the death of Scanderbeg, upon the successful Ottoman siege of Shkodra in 1478, the organized resistance ceased and the country became part of Ottoman Empire. It remained under Ottoman control as part of the Rumelia province until 1912, when the first independent Albanian state was declared. The formation of an Albanian national consciousness dates to the latter 19th century and is part of the larger phenomenon of rise of nationalism under the Ottoman Empire. The first organization which opposed the partition of Albania and pushed for greater autonomy was the League of Prizren, formed on 1 June 1878, in Prizren, Kosovo. The League of Prizren used military force to prevent the annexing of northern Albanian areas assigned to Montenegro, and Serbia, and southern Albanian areas assigned to Greece by the Congress of Berlin. After several battles with the Montenegran troops, the league was forced to cede Ulcinj to Montenegro and then was defeated by the Ottoman Army sent by the Sultan in order to prevent the league from achieving autonomy for Albania.[25] The uprisings of 1910-1912, and the Ottoman defeat in the Balkan Wars, and the advancing Montenegran, Serbian, and Greek armies into the territory of what is now Albania, led to the proclamation of independence by Ismail Qemali in Vlora, on 28 November 1912. Albania's independence was recognized by the Conference of London on July 29, 1913, but the drawing of the borders of Albania ignored the demographic realities of the time.[26] The short-lived monarchy (1914–1925) was succeeded by an even shorter-lived first Albanian Republic (1925–1928), to be replaced by another monarchy (1928–1939), which was annexed by Fascist Italy and then by Nazi Germany during World War II. After the collapse of the Axis powers, Albania became a communist state, the People's Socialist Republic of Albania, which was dominated by Enver Hoxha (died 1985). Hoxha's political heir Ramiz Alia oversaw the disintegration of the "Hoxhaist" state during the wider collapse of the Eastern Bloc in the later 1980s. The communist regime collapsed in 1990, and the Republic of Albania was founded in 1991. The old communist party was routed in the elections of March 1992, amid economic collapse and social unrest. An economic crisis spread in the late 1996 following the failure of some Ponzi schemes operating in the country, peaking in 1997 in an armed rebellion, that led to another mass emigration of Albanians, mostly to Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Germany and North America. In 1999 the country was affected by the Kosovo War, when a great number of Albanians from Kosovo found refuge in Albania. Albania became a full member of NATO in 2009. The country is applying to join the European Union. Independence Independent Albania Principality of Albania Albanian Republic Albanian Kingdom Albania under Italy Albania under Germany Communist Albania Republic of Albania 1912 1912–1914 1914–1925 1925–1928 1928–1939 1939–1943 1943–1944 1944–1992 since 1992 George Kastrioti Skanderbeg (1405–1468) Ismail Qemali, hero of Albanian independence (1912–14) President (1924–28) and King (1928–39) Zog of Albania Enver Hoxha (1944–1985) Administrative divisions Main articles: Counties of Albania, Districts of Albania, and Municipalities of Albania Albania is divided into 12 administrative counties (Albanian: qark or prefekturė). These counties include 36 districts (Albanian: rreth) and 373 municipalities (Albanian: bashki or komunė). 72 municipalities have city status (Albanian: qytet). There are overall 2980 villages/communities (Albanian: fshat) in all Albania. Each district has its council which is composed of a number of municipalities. The municipalities are the first level of local governance, responsible for local needs and law enforcement.[27] County Capital Districts Municipalities Cities Villages 1 Berat Berat Berat Kuēovė Skrapar 10 2 8 2 1 2 122 18 105 2 Dibėr Peshkopi Bulqizė Dibėr Mat 7 14 10 1 1 2 63 141 76 3 Durrės Durrės Durrės Krujė 6 4 4 2 62 44 4 Elbasan Elbasan Elbasan Gramsh Librazhd Peqin 20 9 9 5 3 1 2 1 177 95 75 49 5 Fier Fier Fier Lushnjė Mallakastėr 14 14 8 3 2 1 117 121 40 6 Gjirokastėr Gjirokastėr Gjirokastėr Pėrmet Tepelenė 11 7 8 2 2 2 96 98 77 7 Korēė Korēė Devoll Kolonjė Korēė Pogradec 4 6 14 7 1 2 2 1 44 76 153 72 8 Kukės Kukės Has Kukės Tropojė 3 14 7 1 1 1 30 89 68 9 Lezhė Lezhė Kurbin Lezhė Mirditė 2 9 5 2 1 2 26 62 80 10 Shkodėr Shkodėr Malėsi e Madhe Pukė Shkodėr 5 8 15 1 2 2 56 75 141 11 Tirana Tirana Kavajė Tirana 8 16 2 3 66 167 12 Vlorė Vlorė Delvinė Sarandė Vlorė 3 7 9 1 2 4 38 62 99 Government, politics and armed forces Main article: Politics of Albania Albania This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Albania Constitution Constitution Human rights Legislature Assembly Chairman Jozefina Topalli Political parties Judiciary Constitutional Court Administrative Court Court of Justice (ordinary jurisdiction) Supreme Court Executive President Bamir Topi Prime Minister Sali Berisha Cabinet Divisions Districts Counties Municipalities Elections 2001 2005 2009 Foreign policy Foreign relations Accession to European Union Other countries · Atlas Politics portal view talk edit The Albanian republic is a parliamentary democracy established under a constitution renewed in 1998. Elections are held every four years to a unicameral 140-seat chamber, the People's Assembly. In June 2002, a compromise candidate, Alfred Moisiu, former Army General, was elected to succeed President Rexhep Meidani. Parliamentary elections in July 2005 brought Sali Berisha, an ex-Albanian communist party member, back to power as leader of the Democratic Party. The current president Bamir Topi was elected by Parliament in July 2007. The Euro-Atlantic integration of Albania has been the ultimate goal of the post-communist governments. Albania's EU membership bid has been set as a priority by the European Commission. Albania, along with Croatia, joined NATO on 1 April 2009, becoming the 27th and 28th members of the alliance.[28] The workforce of Albania has continued to migrate to Greece, Italy, Germany, other parts of Europe, and North America. However, the migration flux is slowly decreasing, as more and more opportunities are emerging in Albania itself as its economy steadily develops. Executive branch The head of state in Albania is the President of the Republic. The President is elected to a 5-year term by the Assembly of the Republic of Albania by secret ballot, requiring a 50%+1 majority of the votes of all deputies. The next election will be held in 2012. The current President of the Republic is Bamir Topi. The President has the power to guarantee observation of the constitution and all laws, act as commander in chief of the armed forces, exercise the duties of the Assembly of the Republic of Albania when the Assembly is not in session, and appoint the Chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister). Executive power rests with the Council of Ministers (cabinet). The Chairman of the Council (prime minister) is appointed by the president; ministers are nominated by the president on the basis of the prime minister's recommendation. The People's Assembly must give final approval of the composition of the Council. The Council is responsible for carrying out both foreign and domestic policies. It directs and controls the activities of the ministries and other state organs. President Bamir Topi PD 20 July 2007 Prime Minister Sali Berisha PD 9 September 2009 Legislative branch The Assembly of the Republic of Albania (Kuvendi i Republikės sė Shqipėrisė) is the lawmaking body in Albania. There are 140 deputies in the Assembly, which are elected through a party-list proportional representation system. The President of the Assembly (or Speaker), who has two deputies, chairs the Assembly. There are 15 permanent commissions, or committees. Parliamentary elections are held at least every four years. The Assembly has the power to decide the direction of domestic and foreign policy; approve or amend the constitution; declare war on another state; ratify or annul international treaties; elect the President of the Republic, the Supreme Court, and the Attorney General and his or her deputies; and control the activity of state radio and television, state news agency and other official information media. Patrol boat Iliria of the Albanian Navy Armed forces Main article: Military of Albania The Albanian Armed Forces (Forcat e Armatosura tė Shqipėrisė) were first formed after independence in 1912. Albania reduced the number of active troops from 65,000 in 1988[29] to 14,500 in 2009[30] and the military now consists mainly of a small fleet of aircraft and sea vessels. In the 1990s, the country scrapped enormous amounts of obsolete hardware, such as tanks and SAM systems from China.[citation needed] Today, it consists of the General Staff Headquarters, the Albanian Land Forces, Albanian Air Force, Albanian Naval Defense Forces, the Albanian Logistic Brigade and the Albanian Training and Doctrine Command. Increasing the military budget was one of the most important conditions for NATO integration. Military spending accounted for about 2.7% of GDP in 2008. Since February 2008, Albania participates officially in NATO's Operation Active Endeavor in the Mediterranean Sea.[31] and received a NATO membership invitation on 3 April 2008.[32] Albania became a full member of NATO on 1 April 2009. Geography Main article: Geography of Albania Satellite image of Albania Ksamil islets. Albania has a total area of 28,748 square kilometers. It lies between latitudes 39° and 43° N, and mostly between longitudes 19° and 21° E (a small area lies east of 21°). Albania's coastline length is 476 km (296 mi)[33]:240 and extends along the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. The lowlands of the west face the Adriatic Sea. The 70% of the country that is mountainous is rugged and often inaccessible from the outside. The highest mountain is Korab situated in the district of Dibėr, reaching up to 2,753 metres (9,032 ft). The climate on the coast is typically Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and warm, sunny, and rather dry summers. Inland conditions vary depending on altitude, but the higher areas above 1,500 m/5,000 ft are rather cold and frequently snowy in winter; here cold conditions with snow may linger into spring. Besides the capital city of Tirana, which has 800,000 inhabitants, the principal cities are Durrės, Korēė, Elbasan, Shkodėr, Gjirokastėr, Vlorė and Kukės. In Albanian grammar, a word can have indefinite and definite forms, and this also applies to city names: both Tiranė and Tirana, Shkodėr and Shkodra are used. The three largest and deepest tectonic lakes of the Balkan Peninsula are partly located in Albania. Lake Shkodėr in the country's northwest has a surface which can vary between 370 km2 (140 sq mi) and 530 km2, out of which one third belongs to Albania and rest to Montenegro. The Albanian shoreline of the lake is 57 km (35 mi). Ohrid Lake is situated in the country's southeast and is shared between Albania and Republic of Macedonia. It has a maximal depth of 289 meters and a variety of unique flora and fauna can be found there, including "living fossils" and many endemic species. Because of its natural and historical value, Ohrid Lake is under the protection of UNESCO. There is also Butrinti Lake which is a small tectonic lake. It is located in the national park of Butrint. Climate Albanian Alps 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 relative to its landmass. 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 (45 °F). Summer temperatures average 24 °C (75 °F). In the southern lowlands, temperatures average about 5 °C (9 °F) higher throughout the year. The difference is greater than 5 °C (9 °F) 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. Albanian landscape 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 (39.4 in) to more than 1,500 millimeters (59.1 in) annually, with the higher levels in the north. Nearly 95% 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 (70.9 in) and are as high as 2,550 millimeters (100.4 in) in some northern areas. The western Albanian Alps (valley of Boga) are among the wettest areas in Europe, receiving some 3,100 mm (122.0 in) of rain annually.[34] The seasonal variation is not quite as great in the coastal area. The higher inland mountains receive less precipitation than the intermediate uplands. Terrain differences cause wide local variations, but the seasonal distribution is the most consistent of any area. In 2009 an expedition from University of Colorado discovered four small glaciers in the 'Cursed' mountains in North Albania. The glaciers are at the relatively low level of 2,000 meters – almost unique for such a southerly latitude.[35] Flora and fauna The lynx still survives in Albania.[36] Although a small country, Albania is distinguished for its rich biological diversity. The variation of geomorphology, climate and terrain create favorable conditions for a number of endemic and sub-endemic species with 27 endemic and 160 subendemic vascular plants present in the country. The total number of plants is over 3250 species, approximately 30% of the entire flora species found in Europe. Over a third of the territory of Albania – about 10,000 square kilometers (2.5 million acres)  – is forested and the country is very rich in flora. About 3,000 different species of plants grow in Albania, many of which are used for medicinal purposes. Phytogeographically, Albania belongs to the Boreal Kingdom and is shared between the Adriatic and East Mediterranean provinces of the Mediterranean Region and the Illyrian province of the Circumboreal Region. Coastal regions and lowlands have typical Mediterranean macchia vegetation, whereas oak forests and vegetation are found on higher altitudes. Vast forests of black pine, beech and fir are found on higher mountains and alpine grasslands grow at altitudes above 1800 meters.[37] Golden eagle–the national symbol of Albania.[38] According to the World Wide Fund for Nature and Digital Map of European Ecological Regions by the European Environment Agency, the territory of Albania can be subdivided into three ecoregions: the Illyrian deciduous forests, Pindus Mountains mixed forests and Dinaric Alpine mixed forests. The forests are home to a wide range of mammals, including wolves, bears, wild boars and chamois. Lynx, wildcats, pine martens and polecats are rare, but survive in some parts of the country. There are around 760 vertebrate species found so far in Albania. Among these there are over 350 bird species, 330 freshwater and marine fish and 80 mammal species. There are some 91 globally threatened species found within the country, among which the Dalmatian pelican, Pygmy cormorant, and the Eur