Albania

Albania, officially the Republic of Albania, is a small and rugged country located in the Balkan region of Europe. He is very nationalist, proud to be Albanian. He is also somewhat socially awkward.

Due to being in Europe and having an extremë distrust for Rusia for what Bashkimi Sovjetik did, Albania can into NATO, but cannot into Bashkimi Evropian due to the ongoing conflict with Kosovo and Serbia. He is also in the United Nations like almost every other nation in the world.

Most Albanians live in remote mountain villages.

Historia (History)

From 1992 to the early 2000s, Albania transitioned from a communist state to a democracy, with significant challenges along the way. Sali Berisha became the first democratically elected president in 1992.

In 1997, Albania experienced widespread civil unrest due to economic problems caused by the collapse of pyramid schemes. The large sums of money siphoned from the government to fund these schemes led to the collapse of the Democratic Party's government in January 1997. The conflict, which lasted until August 1997, resulted in the deaths of more than 2,000 people. Various sources also describe the ensuing violence as a rebellion or even a civil war.

During the late 1990s, Serbians and other non-Albanians would be taken to the "Yellow House", also known as the "Death Factory". The unfortunate victims then would be killed, and their organs would be sold on the black market in Italy. Each victim gained the "business" around 50,000 USD. After the Kosovo War ended, the factory operated for another year and was then closed.

The Socialist Party, led by Fatos Nano, came into power. In 1999, the Kosovo War brought an influx of Kosovar refugees, and Albania's strategic location played a crucial role in NATO's intervention. By 2006, Albania had signed the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU, paving the way for further integration.

From 2009 onwards, Albania made significant strides towards integration with Western institutions, joining NATO in April 2009 and formally applying for EU membership later that month. The Socialist Party, under Edi Rama, won the 2013 elections and has remained in power, emphasizing judicial reforms and anti-corruption measures that have often been criticized for consolidating authority and targeting opponents. Albania was granted EU candidate status in 2014.

On 26 November 2019, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake ravaged Albania, and comprehensive response to the earthquake included substantial humanitarian aid from the Albanian diaspora and various countries around the world.

On 9 March 2020, COVID-19 was confirmed to have spread to Albania. From March to June 2020, the government declared a state of emergency as a measure to limit the virus's spread. Albania's COVID-19 vaccination campaign started on 11 January 2021, and as of 11 August 2021, the total number of vaccines administered in Albania was 1,280,239 doses.

By 2020, the EU agreed to open accession talks. Despite political tensions and ongoing challenges, including economic development and political stability, Albania has made steady progress towards EU membership, with official accession negotiations beginning in 2022.

Recently, the Muslim population in Albania has been dropping. Albania is no longer a Muslim-majority country since 2024, as the Muslim percentage dropped to 45.7%, compared to 2023's 50.67%.

Kuzhinë (Cuisine)

Throughout the centuries, Albanian cuisine has been widely influenced by Albanian culture, geography and history, and as such, different parts of the country enjoy specific regional cuisines. Cooking traditions especially vary between the north and the south, owing to differing topography and climate that essentially contribute to the excellent growth conditions for a wide array of herbs, fruits, and vegetables.

With a coastline along the Adriatic and Ionian in the Mediterranean Sea, fish, crustaceans, and seafood are a popular and an integral part of the Albanian diet. Otherwise, lamb is the traditional meat for different holidays and religious festivals for both Christians and Muslims, although poultry, beef, and pork are also in plentiful supply.

Albanian wine is also common throughout the country and has been cultivated for thousands of years. Albania has a long and ancient history of wine production and belongs to the Old World of wine producing countries.

Here are some dishes commonly eaten in Albania:

• Tavë kosi – National dish of Albania. Known as "soured milk casserole", consisting of lamb and rice baked under a thick, tart veil of yoghurt/soured milk (sometimes replaced by eggs).
• Mish Qëngji – Lamb meat, a staple in Albanian cuisine.
• Mish Derri – Pork meat, eaten in Albania though less in Muslim-majority areas because pig is HARAM.
• Sufflaqe – Street food in Albania, inspired by Greek souvlaki.
• Raki – Traditional Albanian spirit (strong brandy-like drink).
• Petulla/Flija – Layered pancake-like dish, it's a type of Albanian fried dough, like fluffy fritters or small round pancakes. Made with flour, yeast, salt, and water (sometimes yogurt for extra fluffiness), it is fried until golden and crisp on the outside, soft on the inside. Usually eaten warm, sprinkled with powdered sugar, honey, or jam, but also sometimes with savory toppings like feta cheese or ajvar. It is very common as a homemade breakfast or snack in Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia.
• Japrak – Stuffed grape leaves (similar to dolma), common in Albania.
• Groshë – Bean stew, an everyday Albanian comfort food.
• Bakllave – Albanian version of baklava, a festive dessert.
• Burek me djath – Cheese-filled burek, very popular throughout Albania.
• Hashure – Sweet wheat pudding, made for religious or festive occasions.
• Mediterranean Food – Broadly describes much of Albania's coastal cuisine (fish, olive oil, fresh veggies).

Biodiversiteti (Biodiversity)

A biodiversity hotspot, Albania possesses an exceptionally rich and contrasting biodiversity on account of his geographical location at the centre of the Mediterranean Sea and the great diversity in his climatic, geological and hydrological conditions. Because of remoteness, the mountains and hills of Albania are endowed with forests, trees and grasses that are essential to the lives for a wide variety of animals, among others for two of the most endangered species of the country, the lynx and brown bear, as well as the wildcat, grey wolf, red fox, golden jackal, Egyptian vulture and golden eagle, the latter constituting the national animal of the country.

Approximately 3,500 different species of plants can be found in Albania which refers principally to a Mediterranean and Eurasian character. The country maintains a vibrant tradition of herbal and medicinal practices. At the minimum 300 plants growing locally are used in the preparation of herbs and medicines. The trees within the forests are primarily fir, oak, beech and pine.

Marrëdhëniet (Relationships)

Miqtë (Friends)

• Kosovës - Bestest friend, I will help you get free from that monster…
• SHBA - He help me a lot!! YOU ARE AN AMAZING PERSON!! THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!! REMOVE SERBIA!! ♫ Thank you USA, you are my best friend, you are the peacekeeper, you are the legend! ♫
• Kanadaja - He's also my best friend EVER!! Thanks, EH!
• Kroacia - A good friend I am pleased to recognize this Slav as my Illyrian cousin. Even though he is Slavic, I like him. He can make peace with Serbia too, which I can! No more wars! I'm happy to meet you and say Hvala Vam!
• Organizata e Traktatit të Atlantikut të Veriut - Best savior of 1999! Remove Serbian influence!

Asnjëanës (Neutral)

• Somali - Damn brother, just because we're Muslim doesn't mean that you must hijack ships.
• Vietnami - Wë both dislike China, but why yuo support it over Kosovo?

Armiqtë (Enemies)

• Serbisë - FREE KOSOVO YUO EVIL KEBAB REMOVER!
• Islanda - HAHA! 4-2?! I DEFEAT YOU!
• Meksika - Why you don't recongize Kosovo?!?!
• Siria - A puppet of Serbia!
• Uganda - You think that I am homosexual loving, dude I am also hate homosexuals! And you recognize Kosovo as Serbia.

Si te Vizatosh (How to draw)

Flag of Albania

1. Draw a ball.
2. Fill it with red.
3. Draw a black double-headed bird in the middle.
4. Add the eyes and you’re done!

Color Name		HEX
	Red	#FF0000
	Black	#000000

Galeri (Gallery)

RegularInformational

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  ALBANIA NUMBER ONE
• 
  CRAZY SUMMER DANCE!!!! (Click to view the entire gif)
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  Coats of Arms
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  Map

Shih Gjithashtu (See Also)

• Albanians