Albania is a country
in Southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo
to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south
and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the west and on the Ionian
Sea to the southwest. It is less than 72 km from Italy, across the Strait of
Otranto which links the Adriatic Sea to the Ionian Sea. Albania is a member of
the UN, NATO, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Council
of Europe, World Trade Organization, Organization of Islamic Cooperation and
one of the founding members of the Union for the Mediterranean.
The modern-day territory of Albania was at various points in
history part of the Roman provinces of Dalmatia, Macedonia, and Moesia
Superior. The modern Republic became independent after the collapse of the
Ottoman Empire in Europe following the Balkan Wars. Albanians had for almost
five centuries been at the heart of a sprawling empire in which they enjoyed a
privileged position as administrators and generals and in the diffusion of
Ottoman culture throughout the European, Arabian and African continents.
Albania became independent in 1912, becoming a Principality, Republic, and
Kingdom until being invaded, during World War II, by Fascist Italy in 1939, and
invaded again by Nazi Germany in 1943. In 1944, Albania was liberated and a
socialist People's Republic was established under the leadership of Enver Hoxha
and the Party of Labor. In 1991, the Socialist republic was dissolved and the
Republic of Albania was established.
