HISTORY OF ALBANIA LONELY PLANET TRAVEL INFORMATION LONELY PLANET TRAVEL GUIDES HI THERE COOKIES IMPROVE YOUR EXPERIENCE YOU CAN UPDATE SETTINGS PRIVACY POLICY LINK AT THE BOTTOM NO WORRIES LEARN GO TO CONTENT SEARCH BOX GLOBAL SITE NAVIGATION SEARCH BEYOND DESTINATIONS AFRICA ANTARCTICA ASIA AUSTRALIA PACIFIC CARIBBEAN CENTRAL AMERICA EUROPE MIDDLE EAST NORTH AMERICA SOUTH AMERICA INSURANCE HOTELS FLIGHTS ADVENTURE TOURS SIGHTSEEING TOURS AIRPORT CAR RENTAL SHOP SIGN CLOSE ALBANIA OVERVIEW THINGS TO DO TIPS ALBANIANS CALL COUNTRY SHQIPERIA TRACE ROOTS THE ANCIENT LANGUAGE RARE SURVIVOR THE ROMAN SLAVIC EUROPEAN ODDITY ILLYRIANS THE WESTERN BALKANS THE 2ND MILLENNIUM SUBSTANTIAL FORTIFIED MASTERED SILVER COPPER MINING ADEPT SAILING THE GREEKS THE 7TH COLONIES EPIDAMNOS APOLLONIA TRADED TRIBAL 4TH CENTURY BC ILLYRIAN KINGDOM ARDIAEI CONFLICT SENT FLEET QUEEN TEUTA 229 BC LONG WAR ROMAN CONTROL ENTIRE BALKAN AREA 167 BC ILLYRIA PEACE AGRICULTURAL TRADITIONS CENTURIES OVER TIME GODS NEW CHRISTIAN FAITH EMPEROR CONSTANTINE TRADE ROUTE ROME VIA EGNATIA PORT THE ROMAN EMPIRE DIVIDED AD 395 FELL EASTERN EMPIRE THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE BYZANTINE JUSTIN INVASIONS PEOPLES OSTROGOTHS ANNEXED SERBIA THE TURKS IN 13 THE WHOLE REGION OPEN OTTOMAN THE VENETIANS COASTAL THE NATIONAL HERO SKANDERBEG ALBANIAN RESISTANCE CASTLE KRUJA BATTLES SULTAN THE CONQUEROR DEATH ONLY A MATTER OF TIME THE OTTOMANS TAKING THE COUNTRY 26 YEARS CONSTANTINOPLE 400 YEARS OTTOMAN RULE MUSLIM CITIZENS JANISSARY CHRISTIAN HOUSEHOLDS HAD TO GIVE UP SONS CONVERT TO ISLAM SERVE EMBRACED THE ALBANIAN LEAGUE AUTONOMY DOWN TURKISH ARMY PROCLAMATION OF INDEPENDENCE THE FORMATION OF PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT ISMAIL QEMALI VLORA ACHIEVEMENTS COMPROMISED CEDED THE GREAT POWERS TRIED INSTALL YOUNG GERMAN PRINCE WILHELM RULER THE RUMP NEVER ACCEPTED AFTER SIX SUCCESSION ARMIES ITALY THE CAPITAL DURRES LESS REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENT ORTHODOX PRIEST FAN NOLI HELPED THE INTERIOR AHMED BEY ZOGU NORTHERN HIMSELF KING ZOGU COLLABORATION BACKFIRED APRIL 1939 MUSSOLINI INVASION OF ALBANIA ZOGU FLED BRITAIN HIS YOUNG WIFE GERALDINE NEWBORN GOLD LOOTED TREASURY RENT FLOOR RITZ NOVEMBER 1941 COMMUNIST PARTY ENVER POSITION THE COMMUNISTS THE RESISTANCE ITALIANS TYING RISE COMMUNISM FIGHTING DIED JANUARY 1946 REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA PRESIDENT BROKE RELATIONS YUGOSLAV FEDERATION ALLIED ITSELF USSR ECONOMIC PLANS RISING THE USA ATTEMPT OVERTHROW COLLABORATED THE USSR KHRUSHCHEV SUBMARINE BASE BREAKING DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH REPUBLIC EXPERIENCED CULTURAL REVOLUTION WORKERS SUDDENLY REMOTE AREAS YOUNGER CADRES LEADING COLLECTIVISATION AGRICULTURE ORGANISED RELIGION THE SOVIET INVASION OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA LEFT THE WARSAW PACT DEFENCE POLICY CONCRETE BUNKERS THE COMMUNIST AUTHORITIES PROGRESS MALARIAL SWAMPS THE CENTRAL BUILDING HYDROELECTRIC RAISING LITERACY LEVEL LAYING RAILWAY LINES MAO ZEDONG CHANGES CHINA UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP ECONOMY DEVASTATED FOOD SHORTAGES TOP POST ASSOCIATE RAMIZ ALIA HALF SYSTEM INCREASINGLY FALLING APART PEOPLE LONGER WORK THE COLLECTIVE INDUSTRIES FAIL SPARE PARTS THE PARTY LEADERSHIP PROMISED PARALYSED INSPIRED ELSEWHERE EASTERN REFUGE WESTERN EMBASSIES BRIEF CONFRONTATION THE POLICE SIGURIMI BOARD SHIPS BRINDISI POLITICAL ASYLUM STUDENT DEMONSTRATIONS IN THE GOVERNMENT OPPOSITION PARTIES THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY BY HEART SURGEON SALI BERISHA THE PROMISE FREE ELECTIONS INDEPENDENT TRADE ANNOUNCED REFORM PROGRAMME PARTY THE ELECTION DATE NONEXISTENT CRISIS THE ITALIAN BEGUN VIEW EVENTUALLY ELECTIONS COMMUNIST THE RESIGNATION PARLIAMENT IN SEPTEMBER ALIA HOUSE ARREST CRITICAL DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT IN AUGUST THE LEADER THE SOCIALIST PARTY FATOS NANO ARRESTED CORRUPTION THIS TIME SWITCHED COMMUNIST REGIME HUGE SMUGGLING RACKET SPRANG STOLEN COLLECTIVE FARMS CONVERTED MARIJUANA PORT OF VLORA MAJOR CROSSING POINT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS THE MIDDLE EAST POPULATION SHIFT BROKEN UP RECLAIMED LANDOWNERS THE PEASANTS AS PEOPLE ABLE MOVE TO THE CITY INTERNAL EXILES DRIVEN DEVELOPED PRIVATE THOUGHT SAVINGS TOTAL MORE THAN US VICTORIOUS SOCIALIST PARTY NANO PRISON DEGREE SECURITY INVESTOR THE NEW WAVE TOWNS WORKING POPULATION EMPLOYED MINE FACTORY DESTITUTE SPRING REFUGEES NEIGHBOURING KOSOVO SERBIAN TREMENDOUS STRAIN THE NET IN FACT INTERNATIONAL AID MONEY THE SERVICE SECTOR INFLATION DECLINED KIND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS INFRASTRUCTURE GENERAL ELECTION SAW RETURN OF BERISHA DEMOCRATIC PARTY ALBANIAN POLITICS HAS TO DONE ENSURE ELECTRICITY SHORTAGES PLAGUE HOPES HIGH NATO MEMBERSHIP INVITATION THE EU CLUB REMAINS ELUSIVE TO GO WEATHER GETTING THERE PRACTICAL STUDY INFORMATION HISTORY MAKE IT SHOP TRAVEL GUIDES CHEAP FLIGHTS TRAVEL INSURANCE ADVERTISEMENT FEELING TABLE LOOKING RIGHT BOOKS SITEMAP NEWSLETTER SIGN GUIDEBOOK PURCHASE EMAIL SELECT AUSTRALIA UNITED KINGDOM UNITED STATES AFGHANISTAN ALAND ISLANDS ALGERIA AMERICAN SAMOA ANDORRA ANGOLA ANGUILLA BARBUDA ARGENTINA ARMENIA ARUBA AUSTRIA AZERBAIJAN BAHAMAS BAHRAIN BANGLADESH BARBADOS BELARUS BELGIUM BELIZE BENIN BERMUDA BHUTAN BOL