No.1: Albania! The Name is the ancient Latin name of the country, it may be derived from the Illyrian tribe of Albani (Albanian: Albanët)
Albanians refer to themselves as shqiptarë – often taken to mean “sons of eagles” and to their country as Shqipëria “Land of Eagles”.
No.2: Albanian Lek is the official currency, but Euros and USD are widely accepted. During 2022 the approximate exchange rate was
1 € = 116 ALL
1$ = 112 ALL
No.3: The origin of Mother Teresa is from an Albanian family and in her honor the airport of the capital is called Tirana International Airport “Nene Tereza”. Also, the public hospital is called “Nene Tereza”. Her real name Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, she was born in 1910 in Skopje (todays capital of N. Macedonia)
No.4: Mother Tereza is the only Albanian who has won Nobel Prize in 1979 but, beside this prize she has won other 15 very important prizes.
No.5: In Albania there are no McDonalds, no Starbucks! We have very nice Turkish coffee, usually we prepare it in our houses for our guests, but in bar cafes everybody has expresso.
No.6: Albania has been 500 years occupied under Ottoman Empire. On the other hand, there have been 35 Ministers and Prime Ministers in the Ottoman rule, of Albanian origins.
No.7: Albanian National hero is Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg. He was born on 6th May 1405 and his parents were Gjon Kastrioti and Voisava Kastrioti. Gjergj was married to Donika Kastrioti (Andronika Arianiti) and had one son Gjon Kastrioti II. He led a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire in what is today Albania, North Macedonia, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serbia.
No.8: National Independence Day of Albania is on 28th November! In our history it is said that the last German left our country on 29th November so we celebrate both dates.
No.9: Albanian people go to celebrate their Independence Day in Istanbul the exact reason why they do so is not known yet, but we think is to show Turkish people we came to celebrate our independence in your home.
No.10: 60% of population form part of Islam: 1. Sunni Muslims, 2. Bektashi, 35% are Christians: 1. Roman Catholic, 2. Eastern Orthodox, 3. Evangelists. Some other are not declared or atheists. Albania is well known for its “Religious harmony and tolerance”. Marrages between people with different religions are allowed.
No.11: Xhubleta, a unique traditional costume 4000 years old, it is also known as mountain dress for women. Albanian Xhulbleta is in two colours: black for married women and black-white for girls, it weights around 15kg. Now it is under UNESCO protection and is considered a unique phenomenon in the artisanal craftsmanship.
No.12: Albanian language is one of the oldest in Europe, it has 36 letters and two dialects Geg and Tosk. Geg is spoken in the North and Tosk in the South of Albania. Standard Albanian is based on the Tosk dialect and the city which speaks standard Albanian language is considered Përmet.
No.13: Albanian relieve has 70% mountains, 27.7% hills and valleys, 2.3% water, coastline of 427km (Adriatic and Jon Sea)
No.14: Albania is a member of NATO but, not member of EU.
In 2009, Albania became a member of the NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Albania applied for EU membership in 28 April 2009 and was granted EU candidate status in June 2014. Hope we will be part of EU very soon.
No.15: The famous people like: Dua Lipa, Rita Ora, Bebe Rexha, Jim Belushi, Eliza Dushku have Albanian roots.
No.16: Albania has around 300 sunny days during a year. While being in Albania you can easily combine relaxing, sunbathing, enjoying great food in breath-taking view locations with sightseeing and visiting the most spectacular locations from the UNESCO heritage list. Albania is a four-season country so you can enjoy sunny days during your visit.
No.17: Albania’s flag is plain red with a black two-headed eagle in its centre. The red stands for bravery, strength, valour and bloodshed, while the Eagle represents the sovereign state of Albania. There are three theories about the two-headed eagle:
- The join of the south and the north to fight for the country
- Albania has been considered to be the bridge between the East and the West and has attacked by both sides and the two heads are symbol of looking form the attach may come
- The eagle, with its two heads, serves as that one token of identity inclusive enough to represent a diverse population of Muslims and Christians
The flag was established as the national flag of Albania when the country gained its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912.
No.18: Albania has been under Communist Leadership for around 50 years, from 1946 until 1976 completely closed from other countries. During this time period, the country was ruled by Enver Hoxha and the Party of Labour of Albania. Former President Ilir Meta called it the “North Korea of Europe” during an interview. The fall of communism was in 1991, the first multi-party elections in Socialist Albania took place on 31 March 1991 and on 29 April 1991was proclaimed The Republic of Albania.
No.19: Enver Hoxha has been the last dictator in Europe. He ruled of Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. Hoxha was born in Gjirokastër in 1908 and became a grammar school teacher in 1936. During his 41-year rule, his government rebuilt the country, which was left in ruins after World War II, building Albania’s first railway line, electrifying the country and leading Albania towards agricultural independence. He was married with Nexhmie Hoxha and they had two sons Ilir and Sokol and one daughter Pranvera.
No. 20: The last death penalty was carried out in 1995. June 25, 1992. In the early hours of the morning, the decision was made to hang the two brothers from Libofsha, Fier. Josif and Dritëbardh Çuko were hanged in the middle of the city of Fier. They killed 5 members of a family and that was called “Libofsha Massacre”.