rajonet

Rajonet is an Albanian noun meaning "the regions." It is the definite plural form of the word for region and is used to refer to geographic areas within a country, or to cultural or administrative subregions described in discourse, media, or scholarship. Rajonet is not typically treated as a formal administrative layer in government documents; instead, it functions as a generic term for broad geographic zones, especially in descriptive writing or analysis.

Usage and scope: In Albania, the official administrative structure consists of counties (qarqe) and municipalities (bashki). The term rajonet can appear in descriptive texts, regional studies, maps, journalism, and cultural writing when referring to areas defined by geography, language, economy, or shared characteristics rather than by law. In Albanian-speaking communities outside Albania, such as parts of Kosovo or North Macedonia, rajonet may be used similarly to denote regional zones or cultural regions in discussion and study.

Etymology and related ideas: The term rajonet represents a native Albanian formation used to express the concept of regional divisions. Its precise meaning is shaped by context and can range from broad cultural or linguistic regions to more narrowly defined geographic areas used in research or storytelling. Because it conveys a flexible sense of territory rather than a fixed administrative status, rajonet often appears in discussions of regional identity, history, and geography.