The electronic version of the book is created by http://www.enverhoxha.ru ALBANIA ALBANIA GENERAL INFORMATION «8 NËNTORI» PUBLISHING HOUSE TIRANA 1984 Prepared by the editorial board of the magazine «NEW ALBANIA» THE NATIONAL FLAG OF THE PSR OF ALBANIA THE EMBLEM OF THE PSR OF ALBANIA The map of the Balkans View of the centre of Tirana, the capital of the PSR of Albania In the foreground, the Museum of National History THE COUNTRY AND THE POPULATION THE COUNTRY AND THE POPULATION GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION The People’s Socialist Republic of Albania lies on the West side of the Balkan Peninsula. It is situated between latitude 39°38’ — 42°39’ North and longitude 19°16’ — 21°4’ East. To the North and Northeast Albania is bounded by Yugoslavia, and to the South and Southeast by Greece. To the West and Southwest it is bordered by the Adriatic and Ionian seas. The PSRA extends over an area of 28,748 square kilometres, while its population is 2,594,600 (January 1979). The Karaburun Peninsula in the Albanian territory lies at the shortest distance from the Appenine Peninsula (Strait of Otranto, 72 km in width). A series of valleys, which lie across the country, link its coasts not only with the in­ terior of the country, but also with the interior of the Balkan Peninsula. All these have led to the country being traversed from ancient times by several roads, including some of an interna­ tional character, such as Via Egnatia which connected Rome with Byzantium. Albania has a wide opening into two seas of the Mediterranean, which was the cradle of 7 the birth and development of European civiliza­ tion. Albania’s sea border is 470 km long. From ancient times a number of important cities flou­ rished along the sea coast of Albania. RELIEF Albania is mainly a mountainous country in which 76.6 per cent of the territory is mountains and hills, while the plains above 200 metres above sea-level occupy only 23.4 per cent of it. The average altitude of Albania (708 m) is about twice the average altitude of Europe. The mountains are not very high; the ma­ jority of them do not exceed 2,000 metres. The hills lie mainly in the western part of the terri­ tory. Their average height does not exceed 400 metres. The plains below 200 metres above sea- level are also in the western part of Albania. However, there are also some plains in the interior of the country, either in the form of valleys (the plains of Elbasan and Dropull), or in the form of depressions formed during the Quaternary (the Korça Plain). On the basis of the geological features of the territory and the structure of its relief, we distinguish four well-characterized natural re­ gions, namely, the Alps of Albania, the Central Mountain Region, the Southern Mountain Region and the Western Lowlands. Most of the Alps of Albania exceed 2,000 metres above sea-level (the highest mountain being that of Jezerca, 2,694 m). There is a stri­ king contrast between the pyramid-shaped moun­ tains and the deep valleys between them, which have the form of narrow gorges or deep hollows (the Theth gorge, the Boga hollow, and so on). Roads have been opened along the principal View of the Alps in Northern Albania 8 Landscape of Northern Albania Theth, situated in the region of the Northern Alps, is one of the most attractive tourist centres of Albania Sunset on the artificial lake Big navigable lakes were formed of the «Karl Marx» Hydropower station with the construction of hydro-power stations on the Mat river on the Drin river valleys leading to the heart of the Alps. From the point of view of nature, the Alps make up an important scenic region with typical alpine landscapes. Tall forests and alpine pasture lands make up the principal surface resources of this region. The Central Mountain Region, which lies between the valley of the Drin River in the North and the central Devoll and the lower Osum valleys in the South, is quite different. Its relief is less rugged. Like the Alps, the mountains of the Central Mountain Region, the highest being Mount Korab (2751 m), are also covered with dense forests, but because of some wider valleys, here agriculture is of greater importance than in Alpine region. It is characterized by its great underground riches with minerals like chromium, iron-nickel and copper. The Central Mountain Region is rich in larger lakes of tectonic origin (the Ohri and Prespa lakes) and in smaller glacial lakes (Lura, Martanesh and other lakes, etc.), as well as in impetuous streams which impart spe­ cial beauty to this region. The Southern Mountain Region, lying south of the Central Mountain Region, has a more regular tectonic form. Most of the ranges rise over 2,000 metres above sea-level, with some of them nearly 2,500 m high (the Paping Peak 2,489 m), but there are also valleys coming down to sea-level (the Delvina basin). Towards the West, the ranges of the Southern Mountain Region run right down to the Ionian coast, for­ ming the Albanian Riviera. In the western part of the territory, along the Adriatic seaboard, lie the Western Lowlands. This area extends over a distance of nearly 200 km from north to south and eastward up to 50 kilometres into the interior of the country. It is characterized by a slight slope. For this 9 reason the subsoil waters are near the surface The hills are now being increasingly covered and the rivers meander widely along shallow with olives, vineyards, citrus and fruit trees. courses. Along the seaboard there are many Thanks to the great work carried out under lagoons, sand belts and dunes. The sand belts the people’s state power, the Western Lowlands form beaches which extend for many kilometres region is now the granary of our country and the along the coast and are frequented more and most important region for industrial plants like more by the country’s working people (Durrës, cotton, sunflower and tobacco. Minerals, like pe­ Shëngjin, Velipoja, Vlora, Saranda, Seman, Di- troleum, bitumen and coal, as well as the geogra­ vjaka, Patok). Extensive pine forests have been phical position and communications, have favou­ planted along the sandy coastal strips which red industrial activity here. For these reasons the not only hinder the movement of sand, but have Western Lowlands is the most densely populated also formed big national parks of rare beauty. region in Albania. Before Liberation the lowlands of the Adria­ tic seaboard were covered with marshes and swamps and were little used for cultivation. THE CLIMATE Now they have been turned into arable land. The following comparisons will give a clear idea Albania is situated in the Mediterranean of the great work carried out in Albania for land climatic belt, with a hot dry summer, strong reclamation: the amount of earth shifted for this sunshine, a generally mild winter and abundant reclamation would have been sufficient for the rainfall. But because of the mountainous cha­ construction of a railway bed which would racter of the territory and especially of its many encircle the whole Albanian borders five times, divisions, the climate varies from region to re­ whereas the concrete used would have been suf­ gion. It is warmer in the western part of the ficient to build a wall 3 m high and 1 m wide territory which is mainly under the influence of which would encircle all the coastline of Albania the warm air masses from the sea. Here the (470 km). The construction of an extensive net­ winter is moderate with the temperature rarely work of irrigation canals and reservoirs has falling below zero. The summer is hot and, on some occasions, very hot (the maximum July solved the problem of irrigating the land under temperature recorded is 44°C). Whereas in the cultivation. Four hundred kilometres of protective eastern part of Albania, which is mainly under fences and dams have been built along the lower the influence of continental air masses, the winter section of the riverbeds, putting rivers under is cold. Minus temperatures in winter are fre­ control and avoiding floods. Lands have been quent and the minimum recorded is —26°C. The completely systematized, and to a person flying in summer is hot in the valleys, where the maxi­ a plane over the Albanian territory they give the mum July temperature is up to 35°C. impression of a colourful carpet in which the arti­ Rainfall in Albania is abundant (1,300 mm ficial reservoirs look like dazzling mirrors, while a year), 40 per cent of the yearly precipitation the many terraces on hillsides look like stairs falls in winter. Summer droughts are more pro­ which climb towards the sky. nounced towards the South-west. Most of the 10 11 the Mat and Bistrica rivers. The rivers of our precipitation is in the form of rain. As a rule, country are also of major importance for irriga­ snow falls in the interior of the territory and tion purposes. At present 55 per cent of the in the mountains. Because of the division of the land under cultivation is irrigated mainly with territory, the geographical distribution of rainfall the water from rivers and reservoirs. is unequal. Average annual rainfall is over 2,000 mm in the Alps in Northern Albania and 650-700 mm in the valleys of the interior. Typical THE LAKES of Albania is the small amount of clouds for most of the year, with the sky almost always clear.