22 Facts About Albanians

Albanians are an ethnic group native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, culture, history and language.

Ethnogenesis of the Albanians and their language is a matter of debate among historians and ethnologists.

Thereafter, Albanians attained significant positions and culturally contributed to the broader Muslim world.

In neighbouring Yugoslavia, Albanians underwent periods of discrimination that concluded with the breakup of Yugoslavia and eventually Kosovar independence.

Albanians referred to the "Albanoi" as having taken part in a revolt against the Byzantine Empire in 1043, and to the "Arbanitai" as subjects of the Duke of Dyrrachium .

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Grujic dated it to the early 11th century and, if this and the identification of the Arbanasi as Albanians are correct, it would be the earliest written document referring to the Balkan Albanians as a people or language group.

The development of Komani-Kruja is significant for the study of the transition between the classical antiquity population of Albania to the medieval Albanians who were attested in historical records in the 11th century.

Albanians'storically known as the Arber or Arben by the 11th century and onwards, they traditionally inhabited the mountainous area to the west of Lake Ochrida and the upper valley of the River Shkumbin.

Albanians's forces, led by Philippe Chinard, captured Durres, Berat, Vlore, Spinarizza, their surroundings and the southern coastline of Albania from Vlore to Butrint.

Albanians were recruited all over Europe as a light cavalry known as stratioti.

Albanians's unequal fight against them won the esteem of Europe and financial and military aid from the Papacy and Naples, Venice and Ragusa.

Since the Albanians were seen as strategically important, they made up a significant proportion of the Ottoman military and bureaucracy.

Albanians gained control of the pashaliks of Elbasan, Delvina, Berat and Vlore.

Albanians had poor or often no schools or other institutions in place to protect and preserve their cultural heritage.

Albanians experienced a period of several beneficial political and economic changes.

Approximately 5 million Albanians are geographically distributed across the Balkan Peninsula with about half this number living in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Montenegro as well as to a more lesser extent in Croatia and Serbia.

The vast majority of the Albanians are chiefly concentrated around the municipalities of Tetovo and Gostivar in the northwestern region, Struga and Debar in the southwestern region as well as around the capital of Skopje in the central region.

Cham Albanians were a group that formerly inhabited a region of Epirus known as Chameria, nowadays Thesprotia in northwestern Greece.

Many ethnic Albanians have been naturalised as Greek nationals, others have self-declared as Greek since arrival and a considerable number live and work across both countries seasonally hence the number of Albanians in the country has often fluctuated.

Albanians have been present in Arab countries such as Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, and for about five centuries as a legacy of Ottoman Turkish rule.

Traditional cuisine of the Albanians is diverse and has been greatly influenced by traditions and their varied environment in the Balkans and turbulent history throughout the course of the centuries.

Albanians have represented other countries in the contest: Anna Oxa for Italy in 1989, Adrian Gaxha for North Macedonia in 2008, Ermal Meta for Italy in 2018, Eleni Foureira for Cyprus in 2018, as well as Gjon Muharremaj for Switzerland in 2020 and 2021.