Množina: Albanias

A republic in southeastern Europe on the Adriatic coast of the Balkan Peninsula.
Country in SE Europe, bounded N by Yugoslavia, E by the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, S by Greece, and W and SW by the Adriatic Sea.
government
Under the 1991 interim constitution, Albania has a single-chamber legislature, the 140-member People's Assembly. It is elected every four years by universal suffrage by means of the two-ballot majority vote system. An executive president, who is also commander in chief of the armed forces and who is debarred from concurrently holding party office, is elected by the People's Assembly. A prime minister and council of ministers (cabinet), drawn from the majority grouping within the assembly, have day-to-day charge of government. Private property, freedom of worship and expression, and political pluralism are endorsed by the interim constitution.
history
In the ancient world the area was occupied by the Illyrians, later becoming a Roman province until the end of the 4th century AD. Albania then came under Byzantine rule, which lasted until 1347. There followed about 100 years of invasions by Bulgarians, Serbs, Venetians, and finally Turks, who arrived 1385 and, after the death of the nationalist leader Skanderbeg (George Castriota) (1403–1468), eventually made Albania part of the Ottoman Empire after the siege of Scutari 1478.
independence
Albania became independent 1912, after the First Balkan War, and a republic 1925. In 1928 President Ahmed Beg Zogu was proclaimed King Zog. Overrun by Italy and Germany 1939–44, Albania became a republic with a communist government 1946 after a guerrilla struggle led by Enver Hoxha.
the “Hoxha experiment”
At first closely allied with Yugoslavia, Albania backed the Soviet dictator Stalin in his 1948 dispute with the Yugoslav ruler Tito and developed close links with the USSR 1949–55, entering the trade organization Comecon 1949. Hoxha imposed a Stalinist system with rural collectivization, industrial nationalization, central planning, and one-party control. Mosques and churches were closed in an effort to create the “first atheist state”. Hoxha remained a committed Stalinist and in 1961 broke off diplomatic relations with the USSR and withdrew from Comecon. Choosing isolation and neutrality, Albania also severed diplomatic relations with China 1978. The “Hoxha experiment” left Albania with the lowest income per head of population in Europe. After Hoxha’s death 1985, there was a widening of external economic contacts and the number of countries with which Albania had formal diplomatic relations increased from 74 in 1978 to 111 in 1988.
open dissent
Opposition to the regime mounted during 1990. In early July unprecedented antigovernment street demonstrations erupted in Tiranë. Faced with a government crackdown, 5,000 demonstrators sought refuge in foreign embassies and were subsequently allowed to leave the country. Later the same month diplomatic relations with the USSR were restored and embassies reestablished.
end of one-party system
In Dec 1990, amid continuing protests in Tiranë and economic collapse, the Communist Party leadership authorized opposition parties and lifted the ban on religion. An opposition party was immediately formed by the Tiranë intelligentsia: the Democratic Party (DP), led by Sali Berisha. Elections to the People's Assembly due to be held Feb 1991 were postponed to give the new party time to organize, and in return the opposition agreed to a temporary wage freeze and ban on strikes.
civil unrest
A huge bronze statue of Hoxha in Tiranë was toppled by demonstrators Feb 1991, and there were riots in several other towns. Ramiz Alia, president since 1985, replaced the unpopular premier Adil Çarçani with Fatos Nano (1951– ), a reform economist. Alia also declared the imposition of presidential rule and tanks were moved into the streets of Tiranë. Fears of a right-wing coup prompted a flight of thousands of Albanians to Greece, Yugoslavia, and Italy. “Nonpolitical” refugees were sent back to Albania.
first multiparty elections
Diplomatic relations with the US and the UK, suspended since 1946, were restored March and May 1991 respectively. In Albania's first free multiparty elections, held March–April 1991, the ruling Party of Labour of Albania (PLA) captured 169 of the 250 seats in the new People's Assembly, securing the necessary two-thirds majority to make constitutional changes.
PLA support came predominantly from rural areas. In the major towns the DP polled strongly, convincingly defeating President Alia in the first round in a Tiranë constituency. The frustration of the opposition's supporters was vented in anticommunist rioting in Shkodër, with four persons being shot dead by police, including the local DP leader. The report of a commission blamed the security forces for these deaths and the Siqurimi (secret police) were replaced May 1991 by a new national Security Council.
economic problems
An interim constitution was adopted April 1991, with the country renamed the Republic of Albania and the PLA’s leading role abandoned. The People’s Assembly elected Ramiz Alia as both the new executive president of the republic, replacing the presidium, and commander in chief of the armed forces. In May 1991 Fatos Nano was reappointed prime minister, but resigned in June. The economy deteriorated rapidly: agricultural, industrial products, and exports were declining and unemployment stood at almost 40%. Nano was replaced by Ylli Bufi, heading a new, interim “government of national stability” with members from the opposition parties, including Gramoz Pashko (DP leader) as deputy premier. In June 1991 the PLA renamed itself the Socialist Party of Albania (PSS), with Fatos Nano elected as its chair. A land-privatization bill was passed to restore land to peasants dispossessed under communist rule in July, and from late summer Albania began to receive emergency aid from the European Community. Between Sept and De
c 1991 there were recurrent anticommunist demonstrations, bread riots, and protest strikes, prompted by deteriorating living conditions, and continued attempts by Albanians to leave the country.
first noncommunist leaders
The DP withdrew from the coalition government, claiming manipulation by former communists, and on 6 Dec 1991 Prime Minister Bufi resigned. President Alia appointed Vilson Ahmeti as Albania’s first noncommunist premier. The DP won 62% of the national vote in March 1992 elections and the newly formed parliament elected Sali Berisha, founder and leader of the DP, as the country’s president and granted him increased executive powers. Alexandr Meksi succeeded Ahmeti as prime minister. In July 1992 a ban was imposed on all “fascist, antinational, chauvinistic, racist, totalitarian, communist, Marxist-Leninist, Stalinist, or Enverist (following Enver Hoxha)” political organizations, and in Sept former president, Ramiz Alia, was charged with abuse of power and misuse of state funds. In 1993 the DP was renamed the Democratic Party of Albania (PSDS). In July 1994 Alia was found guilty and sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment. A new constitution, providing for increased presidential powers, was rejected in a referendum
Nov 1994.

Of or relating to Albania or its people or language or culture.

Množina: Albanians

1. A native or inhabitant of Albania.
2. The Indo-European language spoken by the people of Albania.
Person of Albanian culture from Albania and the surrounding area.
The Albanian language belongs to a separate group within the Indo-European family and has an estimated 3–4 million speakers. There are both Christian and Muslim Albanians, the latter having been converted by the Ottoman Turks. Albanians comprise the majority of Kosovo in Yugoslavia and are in conflict with the Serbs, for whom the province is historically and culturally significant.