Tirana, Albania

Quick facts:

2.8 million population.

Secular state

Median age 34

60% moslem, 20% Catholic, 20% orthodox

1991 fall of communist government.

Agricultural economy

Very mountainous terrain.

Brain drain of doctors and nurses, but new law states all medical students must remain in Albania for 5 years before leaving country.

Average salary $600 p/month, but there are many who have become extremely wealthy

Only pay income tax over $500

No private cars until 1990

The countryside is very mountainous and rural life probably hasn’t changed much over many decades. Fruit trees – apples, pears, citrus, plums and persimmons grow in abundance. Olive trees have been planted throughout the country and now produce high grade olive oil and olives for export. Albania experiences 300 sunny days per year.

Tirana is a very modern city with wide boulevards and construction of skyscrapers all around. Investment by the World Bank, European Redevelopment Fund, and other foreign investors has led to this boom.

HISTORY – timeline: Illyria can be referred to as ancient Albania as its center was located in modern-day Albania. In addition, many historians argue that modern Albanians are descendants of the ancient Illyrians. While they were centered in Albania, the Illyrian tribes were spread throughout the Balkan Peninsula.

The Illyrian people, along with the Greeks and the Thracians, were one of three Indo-European peoples to appear in the Balkans. The ancient Illyrians were an Iron Age society (1200 and 550 BCE). The Illyrians were not so much one people as a collection of tribes. The name “Illyria,” given to these tribes by the Greeks.

Ottoman rule for 500 years until Independence in 1912

1920 Tirana chosen as capital

King Zog ruled from 1928-1939

1939 – Italy occupied Albania and Germany occupied from Sep’43 to Nov’44 during which time the Albanian partisan forces fought both occupiers.

1944 communists came to power

1991 communism collapsed

Communist terror: the communist regime in Albania was one of the worst. The government took control of the economy and revoked all civil liberties. In 1967, the Communist Party banned all religious activity in the country, rendering all religion lawless.

Communist tyranny left Albania among the world’s poorest countries. It is still considered the poorest country in Europe. Despite this, a significant portion of the country’s wealth went towards defense spending, a product of the government’s militarism.

The bunkers in Albania were part of a broad system built between 1960 and 1986 to defend Albania from NATO forces and the Warsaw Pact. This system consisted of over 750,000 bunkers was built during the reign of Enver Hoxha, a paranoid leader, longtime dictator and most isolating Stalinist, from the end of World War II until his death in 1985. In 1991 many of the bunkers were demolished and the steel reinforcement used for new construction.

All apartments are privately owned – whereas during communist times everything was state owned. After 1991 all apartments were available for purchase with credit given for rent paid in past. Ilea, our local guide, bought his apartment for $300!

Mayor of Tirana (Edi Rama) painted Soviet era buildings with bright colors – arrows depict way out of Tirana. He is now three times elected Prime Minister of Albania and chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania.