Arnavutluk

Arnavutluk, known in English as Albania, is a country in Southeast Europe on the western Balkan Peninsula. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, North Macedonia to the east, Greece to the south, and has a coastline along the Adriatic and Ionian Seas to the west. The capital and largest city is Tirana. The official language is Albanian, with minority languages spoken in various regions. The population is around 2.8 million, and the area covers about 28,748 square kilometers. The currency is the lek (ALL). Arnavutluk operates as a unitary parliamentary republic; the president serves as head of state and the prime minister as head of government, with a unicameral legislature (Kuvendi).

History and politics: the region was inhabited by Illyrian tribes in ancient times and later became part of the Roman and Byzantine empires. Medieval Albanian principalities emerged, followed by several centuries of Ottoman rule until independence was proclaimed in 1912. The 20th century included a brief monarchy, occupation during World War II, and a long communist regime after 1944. Since the early 1990s, Arnavutluk has pursued democratic governance and a market economy. It joined NATO in 2009 and is a formal candidate for European Union membership, with ongoing reforms tied to accession negotiations.

Geography and culture: the terrain is largely mountainous, with the Albanian Alps in the north and fertile coastal plains along the west. Major rivers include the Drin and Vjosë; Lake Shkodër (Skadar) lies on the border with Montenegro. Notable cultural sites include the UNESCO-listed towns of Gjirokastër and Butrint. The society is religiously diverse, including Muslims, Catholics, and Orthodox Christians, and the country uses a Latin-based Albanian alphabet.