Albania

I

Introduction

Albania (in Albanian, Shqipëri, “Eagle’s Country”), officially Republic of Albania, republic, south-eastern Europe, located in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula; bounded on the north-west and north by Serbia and Montenegro, on the east by the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), on the south-east and south by Greece, and on the west by the Adriatic Sea. Albania, one of the smallest countries of Europe, has a maximum length from north to south of about 345 km (214 mi) and a maximum width of about 145 km (90 mi). Its total area is 28,748 sq km (11,100 sq mi). Tirana is the capital and largest city.

II

Land and Resources

Albania is predominantly mountainous with peaks averaging between 2,100 and 2,400 m (7,000 to 8,000 ft). Lowlands, which comprise less than one quarter of the land area, are limited to a belt along the Adriatic coast north of Vlorë and to several river valleys extending inland from the coast. The rugged North Albanian Alps form the southern end of the Dinaric Alps and include Albania’s highest peak, Mount Korab (2,751 m/9,026 ft). In the central and southern parts of the country the mountains are interrupted by high plateaux and basins. The coastal lowlands possess rich soils, but in many places the land is marshy or poorly drained.

A

Rivers and Lakes

Most of Albania’s rivers rise in the mountainous east and flow west to the Adriatic Sea. The largest of these—the Drin, Shkumbi, and Mat—have broad valleys. Albania’s three large lakes straddle its borders: in the north-west, Lake Scutari, and in the east, Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa.

B

Climate

The Adriatic coastal region has a typical Mediterranean climate, with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Inland, a more severe continental climate prevails, with marked seasonal temperature extremes. Average annual precipitation ranges from about 1,000 mm (40 in) on the coast to nearly 2,500 mm (100 in) in sections of the northern mountains. Summer precipitation is scant in all parts of the country.