37 Facts About Albania Most People Get Wrong

Albania has more Mercedes-Benz cars per capita than almost any country in the world.

Mother Teresa was of Albanian descent, born to Albanian parents in Skopje.

Albania was the world's first officially atheist state under communism (1967-1991).

The Albanian language is a linguistic isolate, it has no close relatives.

Albania's coastline, the Albanian Riviera, is one of Europe's last undiscovered beach destinations, with turquoise Ionian waters, ancient ruins, and clifftop villages.

Albania's Berat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is known as the City of a Thousand Windows for its Ottoman-era white-washed houses cascading down hillsides above a medieval castle.

Under communist dictator Enver Hoxha, Albania built over 170,000 concrete bunkers across the country between 1967 and 1986, roughly one for every 10 citizens; they still dot the landscape today.

Enver Hoxha ruled Albania from 1944 to 1985, one of the longest-lasting communist regimes in the world; he aligned with Stalin, then Mao, then isolated Albania entirely from the outside world.

During WWII, Albania was the only European country to end the war with more Jews than it started with because Albanians sheltered Jewish refugees under the concept of besa (oath of protection).

Albania's Lake Ohrid, shared with North Macedonia, is 3-5 million years old and has 17 endemic fish species found nowhere else on Earth.

After the fall of communism, over 800,000 Albanians, a quarter of the population, emigrated within a decade, primarily to Italy, Greece, and the United States.

The 1997 Albanian financial crisis, triggered by the collapse of pyramid investment schemes that had absorbed most of the country's savings, led to near-anarchy and over 2,000 deaths.

The ancient city of Butrint is one of the most important archaeological sites in the Mediterranean, inhabited for over 2,500 years by Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and Venetians.

The Albanian Alps (Accursed Mountains) in the north are among the most dramatic and least-visited mountain ranges in Europe, with peaks reaching 2,700 meters.

The Kanun of Leke Dukagjini, a 15th-century customary law code still followed in remote Albanian highlands, regulates blood feuds, hospitality, and honor in detail.

Albanian is one of the oldest languages in Europe and the sole surviving descendant of Illyrian, the language of ancient peoples who lived in the Balkans before the Romans.

Albania is one of the fastest-developing tourist destinations in Europe; visitor numbers grew from under 500,000 in 2000 to over 10 million in 2023.

Saranda on the Albanian Riviera sits directly opposite the Greek island of Corfu; the two are visible from each other on clear days.

Albanian organized crime networks that emerged after 1990 have become some of the most powerful in Europe, controlling significant portions of the continent's cocaine trade.

Albania applied for EU membership in 2009, received candidate status in 2014, and began accession negotiations in 2022, one of Europe's most active integration processes.

Albania has one of Europe's youngest populations, with a median age of approximately 34 years.

The Skrapar Canyons carved by the Osumi River are among the deepest gorges in the Balkans and almost completely unknown to tourists.

Albania's communist past left an extraordinary museum of Stalinist architecture in Tirana, including the pyramid-shaped National Museum of History (once dedicated to Enver Hoxha) and vast socialist realist murals.

The Ionian and Adriatic Seas meet off Albania's coast, creating some of the finest fishing grounds in the Mediterranean.

Albania's bektashi order of Sufi Islam has its world headquarters in Tirana, making Albania the global center of this mystical Islamic tradition.

The Albanian diaspora, including large communities in Italy (500,000) and Greece (600,000), sends remittances that have been a major driver of Albania's economic recovery since 1991.

Albania is located in Southeast Europe, Europe, with its capital city in Tirana.

The population of Albania is approximately 2.8M, spread across 28,748 km² of territory.

Albania has a population density of 98/km²: a moderate density for its region.

Albania has a coastline of 476 km, giving it access to maritime trade, fishing and coastal tourism.

Albania shares land borders with 3 countries: Montenegro, North Macedonia, Greece.

The official language of Albania is Albanian.

Albania uses the Lek (L) as its official currency.

Albania gained independence in 1912, establishing itself as a sovereign nation in Southeast Europe.

The total GDP of Albania is $18.2B, with a GDP per capita of $6,490, classifying it as a lower-middle-income economy.

Albania has a mediterranean coast, continental inland climate, with the best time to visit being June–September.

Albania is considered a Budget destination for travellers, with meals averaging $4–8.

🏘️ Berat Old City

UNESCO 'City of a Thousand Windows' with Ottoman houses climbing a hillside

🏰 Gjirokastër

A UNESCO stone city with a magnificent Ottoman-era castle overlooking the valley

🏖️ Albanian Riviera

Pristine turquoise beaches along the Ionian coast, one of Europe's hidden gems

🏛️ Butrint

Ancient UNESCO city-state with Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Venetian layers of history