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THE COUNTRY OF ALBANIA |
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Read about the country of Albania in this section. Or perhaps, more accurately, how I found the country during my work and travels over there. To sum it up, it's very different from England or Western Europe, but completely fascinating to explore and learn about. |
Albania is a small country located in South Eastern Europe, on the Western side of the Balkan Peninsula. The west coast of Albania faces onto the Adriatic Sea to wards the East Coast of Italy. Albanians refer to their country as 'Shqiperi', which literally means 'Land of Eagles'. The Albanians refer to their language as 'Shqip'. The capitol of Albania is Tirana, a view of which can be seen below. The population of Albania is around 4 million people.
Because of its location, Albania has a Mediterranean climate, which means hot dry summers and mild, wet winters. The photograph below was taken on the outskirts of Tirana at the end of May 2000, and shows the hot, dry and dusty conditions that typically prevail in the capitol city at that time of the year.
The next two pictures are typical views of Tirana. The majority of the population seems to be housed in flats of the type in this picture. What is not clear from this or any of the other photographs is the extent of the pollution that exists in Tirana. Most of this seems to emanate from the somewhat ancient motor vehicles that tend to use the roads. Combine this with generally very still weather conditions and dust from the roads, pavements and building works, and the result is a fairly oppressive atmosphere. The Albanians don't seem to worry about it though.
I have included the next photograph as it provides a good example of the development work that is ongoing in Tirana at the moment. When I first visited the country in May 2000, the road below was basically a dirt track (though all the buildings were present). Cars could only just travel down the track, and had to fight for the small amount of track that was passable. When I visited again in October, the track had been renovated into the road shown below. Car aficionados will note that there are at least four Mercedes in this picture - the Albanians love Mercedes cars, and will go to great lengths (not all legal) to get hold of one.
In recent years, Albania has suffered many problems. However, the developments that are currently taking place (the road above being but one example) make one feel that the country is heading in the right direction. I was told that money has been found to build 50 new schools through Albania, one of which was under construction next to the hotel in which I stayed (Albanian children currently attend school on a rota system - some attend in the mornings, while others attend in the afternoons). Housing and building developments are proceeding at such a pace that one can almost see the boundaries of Tirana expanding each time one visits the country.