shtete

Shtete is an Albanian noun meaning states or countries. It is the plural form of shtet, with shteti being the singular definite form (the state). The indefinite plural is shtete, while the definite plural is shtetet. This grammatical pattern follows common Albanian noun inflection for masculine inanimate nouns.

In usage, shtete refers to political units with sovereignty or to the concept of the nation-state. It can denote individual countries in a general sense or be employed in legal, diplomatic, and historical contexts. For example, Shtetet e Bashkuara is the Albanian name for the United States, and ligjet e shteteve discusses laws of the states or jurisdictions within a federal system. The term is also used in broader discussions of international relations, state capacity, and governance.

The word shtet is native to Albanian and is widely used in formal and everyday language. In compound expressions and proper names, it often appears in reference to national or regional political entities, such as the European or global landscape of states. While related terms exist in other Balkan languages through historical contact, shtete remains the standard Albanian term for the plural of state.

See also sections on the Albanian language, political science terminology, and lists of sovereign states can provide additional context. Shtete functions as a basic, enduring building block in describing political geography and statehood within Albanian discourse.