1. Republic of Albania Know Your Community- Know Your
World
2. Albania is Southeastern Europe in a region known as the
Western Balkans. It is bordered by the Adriatic and Ionian Seas to
the west. The terrain is mostly mountains and hills, with small
plains along the coast. It is slightly smaller in area than
Maryland.
3. Country Quick Facts Full name: Republic of Albania
Population: about 3 million (July 2014) Capital: Tirana Largest
city: Tirana Official language: Albanian Major religion: Muslim-
56.7% Life expectancy: male- 75.33, female- 80.86 Monetary unit:
Albanian Lek Main exports: machinery and equipment, foodstuffs,
textiles, chemicals GNI per capita: $10,400
4. Albanian history in brief Records trace their evolution from
the ancient Illyrians Ruled by Romans for 600 years beginning in
229 BC Economy flourished during the Middle Ages Attacked by many
foreign powers Conquered by Ottoman Turks in 1388 and didn'tt gain
independence until 1912 Occupied by Germany during WWII Became
communist Peoples Republic of Albania in 1941 and very isolated
from the rest of the world 1992 became a democratic nation and
religion was legalized Albanian Rebellion in 1997 due to economy
crisis
5. Albanian National History Museum, Tirana, Albania
6. Language HELLO: Prshndetje GOODBYE: Mirupafshim YES: Po NO:
Jo THANK YOU: Falemenderit YOURE WELCOME: S'ka prse! PLEASE: Ju
lutem I LOVE YOU: T dua HOW ARE YOU: Si je?
7. Government President: Bujar Nishani Prime Minister: Edi Rama
Edi Rama Bujar Nishani Parliamentary democracy Voting age: 18 years
old
8. Current issues Human trafficking Poverty- especially women
and children and those in rural areas Low employment Corruption
Political instability Exploitation of environment and natural
resources Illegal drug trade Ethnic tensions with neighboring
Serbia: Albania recognizes former region of Serbia, Kosovo, as an
independent state
9. Economy Still suffering the effects of their transition from
a centralized economy, during their isolationist times, to a
capitalist economy One of the poorest countries in Europe
Agricultural sector is half the employment but only one-fifth of
the GDP Low foreign direct investment Currently has candidate
status for the European Union Working to improve roads and
railroads for trade Rich in mineral resources like Tirana
11. Anna Maria Haruni From Tirana, Albania University student
at American University in Bulgaria In May 2015, she came to the
United States for the first time to spend her summer doing work and
travel in Cape Cod and strengthening her English language skills
Anna Maria with her first Barbie doll
12. middle School in Albania as told by anna maria Public
schools are better than private ones in Albania No buses to get to
school because the distances are not far enough, Anna Maria was a 5
minute walk from school No lockers- have to carry around all their
books and notebooks, which is very heavy 32-40 in a class Girls
take turns cleaning the classroom, pick up trash and put up chairs
School finishes between 1-2pm Go home, eat, watch T.V., and study
Play in the neighborhood, volleyball or football (soccer) Spend
most their time in the neighborhood, where everyone knows each
other and grown up with each other, divided by age group Anna Maria
enjoyed her time in middle school and had lots of fun with the kids
she grew up
13. life of a kid in Albania Game with rocks and a game with
buttons, which they would collect for the game; hide and seek;
color game Parks dont have things like seesaws or swings; theyre
plain No one outside from 2-5pm because its sleeping/nap/rest time;
even grocery stores would close Many little girls play with Barbie
dolls, make their clothes or exchange them with friends Ice cream
when its hot out just like in the US Common to see 30 kids outside
playing with balls and ropes in the neighborhood and being very
loud
14. High school in Albania In 9th grade, students take two
important exams in math and Albanian literature (all the
information your learned over the 9 years); they take 2 hours and
students are really nervous about them (they are like placement
tests for high school) Take 5-6 subjects in high school and start
getting a GPA Two weeks before the big exams they have a mini-prom
for the students where they dress up and dance; the students love
it! Around 9th grade students start spending a lot of time
socializing at coffee shops
15. National Holidays and festivals Independence Day: November
28th, most important holiday to commemorate the end of Ottoman
control Mother Teresa Day: October 19th, to show theyre proud of
her legacy Gjirokastr National Folklore Festival: an artistic music
festival that takes place every 5 years and is considered the most
important event in Albanian culture; promotes the traditional
music, dress, and dance (pictured right) Summer Festival: on March
14th and commemorates the end of winter and the rebirth of
nature
16. Traditional Clothing https://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=3SKAz5fG7R8
17. Fun facts Shqiperia (Albanian in the native language) means
the land of eagles, which explains the double-headed eagle on their
flag There are 750,000 bunkers scattered around Albania that were
built to protect from foreign invaders; they serve as a dark
reminder of their 50 years of isolation in the 20th century
Skanderberg is an Albanian national hero; he fought the Ottomans in
the 15th century and there are many statues and places named after
him around the country Southern town of Berat is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site because of the Ottoman influence that remains today
Tourism on the popular beach resorts on the coast Albanias National
Airport is named after Mother Teresa, who was ethnically Albanian,
and Albanians are very proud that she shares their heritage
18. Berat, Albania, UNESCO Site (right) Albanian Mountains and
bunkers (below) Crowded beach in Durres, Albania (above)