[28 november] Happy Independence Day Albania!

Day 3,660, 20:49 Published in Albania Romania by VampireA
Albania


General information


Population : 2.8 milion people (137th in the World,35th in Europe)
Total Area : 28,748 km^2 (140th in the World,35th in Europe)
Official languages : Albanian
Official currency : Lek(ALL)
Capital : Tirana
Population density : 98 people/km^2 (110th in the World,21st in Europe)
Top 5 biggest cities : Tirana, Durrës, Vlorë, Shkodër, Elbasan

Albania is a unitary parliamentary constitutional republic in which the President serves as the head of state and the Prime Minister as the head of government. The country is divided into 12 counties. The counties are the country's primary administrative divisions and further subdivided into 61 municipalities.



National sport : Football



National animal : Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)



National Plant : Red poppy (Papaver rhoeas)



National Tree : Olive tree (Olea europaea)




The significance of the 28th of November


The Albanian Declaration of Independence is the declaration of independence of Albania from the Ottoman Empire. Independent Albania was proclaimed in Vlorë on 28 November 1912. Immediately after that, the eighty-three leaders Assembly of Vlorë formed the first Government of Albania which was led by Ismail Qemali and the Council of Elders, Pleqësia.


*Coat of arms



The DRAGONS are coming !
Bolla/Bullar


The Bolla (also known as Bullar in South Albania), is a type of demonic-serpent like Dragon from Albanian mythology and folklore with a long, coiled, serpentine body, four legs, small wings, and silver, faceted eyes. This dragon sleeps throughout the whole year, only to wake on Saint George's Day, where it peers into the world until it sees a human. It devours the person, then closes its eyes and sleeps again. This is explained in the legend of Saint George. When he fought and vanquished the dragon, Saint George cursed the beast so that it be forever blind and only open its eyes on his day only. Bolla can change into a Kulshedra should it live many years without being seen by a human.

The Kulshedra] is widely considered to be a storm demon and is often depicted as a dragon in Albanian Folktales. It can appear as a dragon-like creature with a long tail, nine heads, spines down its back, and covered in red hair, or a female who is typically old with breasts that hang down to the ground. Both its milk and urine are poisonous. The Kulshedra is believed to cause drought and other water-related issues for humanity such as torrents, tempests, shortages, big storms, flooding, or other natural disasters. Often to placate it, a human sacrifice must be made. The Kulshedra is often depicted as a female in many Albanian beliefs. The male form, called Kulshedër, acts as a devil.

Hope it was also interesting for you .. cause yeah, it is a DRAGON !







Top 8 visited places by tourists

*Because I had no help from local albanians, I will make my top 8.

Albanian Riviera




The Albanian Riviera is perhaps the most popular place in the country for tourists to visit. The riviera has a growing reputation as an important music location, with many international music festivals – including Turtle Fest and Soundwave Albania – having taken place here.



Tirana



*Skanderbeg Square


Et'hem Bey Mosque



The capital city of Albania, Tirana will be the starting point for many people exploring the best places in Albania.The city is home to few must-see tourist locations, but the 18th-century Et’hem Bey mosque is well worth a visit.
Tirana’s people, like the vast majority of Albanian locals, are exceptionally friendly and the city is supremely affordable, with surprisingly excellent food and drinks both very cheap.
Skanderbeg Square is one of Tirana’s most important places and this is where the National Historical Museum can be found too.At the heart of Skanderbeg Square – and therefore the heart of Tirana – is a statue of the historic Albanian national hero Skanderbeg.



Llogara Pass




The Llogara Pass is one of Albania’s most famous places, with the road providing one of the most spectacular drives in the whole world. Located in the middle of the Llogara National Park, the road travels to over 1,000 metres above sea level and the scenery will take your breath away. At the top of the pass there is a good range of restaurants, which are ideal places to enjoy some of the most stunning sights in Albania.



Berat






*Kalaja castle

Berat is in the middle of Albania and it is believed to be one of the country’s oldest towns. Berat is often known by its nickname – the City of a Thousand Windows – due to its mix of Ottoman and Albanian architecture. Berat’s main tourist site is the 140th century castle, Kalaja, which is still home to hundreds of people. Formerly among the most important Albanian cities of the Ottoman Empire, Berat was added to the list of Unesco World Heritage sites in 2008.



Theth
*Grunas Waterfall

Away from Albania’s biggest cities, in the north of the country, is Theth. Located high in the Albanian Alps, Theth is a designated area of outstanding natural beauty and it is easy to see why. Theth National Park is perhaps the most beautiful place in all of Albania, with its Grunas Waterfall and the Lock-in Tower both extremely popular with visitors.
The mountain peaks of Thethi, Boga, Razma and Vermoshi provide an unforgettable experience of Albania in its most natural state.Hikers and nature lovers will find Theth to be one of the best places to visit during a trip to Albania.



Gjirokastra






A Unesco city, Gjirokastra is without a doubt one of the best places to visit in Albania. Unique Ottoman period architecture – with houses designed like small castles – can be found all over Gjirokastra, which has a military museum and art gallery in its amazing castle that dominates the skyline. A folklore festival also takes place in Gjirokastra’s castle every five years – the last one was in 2015. Visiting the old Ottoman bazaar in Gjirokastra should be on the agenda for anyone visiting this part of the country.





Ksamil Islands









The highlight of the Albanian Riviera is perhaps the Ksamil Islands, a remote group of three small islands located just off the coast, accessible only by boat from the small town of Ksamil. Part of the larger Butrint National Park, the Ksamil Islands are a fantastic example of Albania at its most untouched and unspoiled.




Shkodra






The largest town in the north of Albania, Shkodra is often considered the cultural capital of the country. This is because it hosts events such as Carnival, Lake Day, the Children’s Festival and Shkodra Jazz Fest, while it is also home to a famous historic castle notable for its important role during the First Balkan War.
Shkodra has a simply gorgeous lake, while the medieval citadel of Drisht is only a few miles away. The famous Migjeni theatre is in Shkodra as well, along with an ace market that is well worth visiting. Shkodra’s Malazeze cuisine is perhaps Albania’s best too.









Inventions Albania gave to the world


*Poplar Airplane!
By Hasan Masurica in 1899





*Anti rust paint!






*Anti cancer vaccine!
By Shuajp Kraja








Famous people from Albania

Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu - also known as Mother Teresa, she received a number of honours, including the 1962 Ramon Magsaysay Peace Prize and 1979 Nobel Peace Prize. She was canonised (recognised by the church as a saint) on 4 September 2016, and the anniversary of her death (5 September) is her feast day.
(1910-1997)

Ismail Kadare - is an Albanian novelist, poet, essayist and playwright. He has been a leading literary figure in Albania since the 1960s. He focused on poetry until the publication of his first novel, The General of the Dead Army, which made him famous inside and outside of Albania. In 1996, he became a lifetime member of the Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques of France.
(born 1936)

Inva Mula - an Albanian opera lyric soprano. She began her soprano career at a very early age. Her father (Avni Mula) and mother (Nina Mula) were also opera singers. She is also widely known in popular culture for providing the voice of the Diva Plavalaguna in the film The Fifth Element.
(born 1963)

Ferid Murad - is a physician and pharmacologist, and a co-winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
(born 1936)

Petro Janura - was a main personality of the Albanian language, literature, and folklore in Yugoslavia during '50s-mid '80s. A writer, journalist, folklorist, pedagogue, literary critic, and researcher, he is remembered as the founder of the Albanian language Catedra of the University of Skopje, and editor-in-chief of Skopje-based periodicals as Flaka e vëllazërimit (Flame of brotherhood), and Jehona (The echo).
(1911-1983)








Traditional food


Fëgesë




Green and red peppers, along with skinned tomatoes and onions are cooked down with cottage cheese and spices. The end product is a thick dip, which when accompanied with some bread is actually quite filling.


Tavë Kosi





Lamb is baked in an earthenware dish with eggs and yogurt. The end result is a quiche-like dish, with tender meat and a light, creamy egg topping.


Freshly Caught Shrimp




Being located right on the Ionian Sea, it comes as no surprise that fresh seafood is popular with tourists and locals in Saranda. The fishermen sell their catch early in the morning right along the pedestrian promenade, so if you want to take a peek at the fish on offer, head there around 9:00 and check it out. Dining seaside while feasting on freshly caught shrimp is a must.

Perime Në Scarë



Grilled vegetables are a popular appetizer or accompaniment not only in Albanian food, but all of the eastern Balkans. Typically, eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, onions and peppers are the vegetables of choice, and oftentimes cheese will be crumbled on top.

Speca me Glizë



Yellow, orange or red peppers are stuffed with rice, cottage cheese and spices, before being baked in the oven. This was one of our favourite Albanian foods, as it was bursting with flavour, and was a healthy choice.


Traditional deserts

Byrek Mangalemi



This is a delicious savoury pie. Topping a thin crust is a fluffy mix of pumpkin, potato, cottage cheese and a hint of lemon.

Shëndetli



This honey nut cake is a typical Albanian dessert, and is also a very popular one. It’s made with all of the usual cake suspects – baking soda, flour, sugar, eggs – but what sets it apart is the addition of honey and walnuts.

Traditional drinks

Raki



Konjak Skënderbeu











Interesting facts about Albania:

*wanted to share more interesting facts seeing I also discovered them on my own.


1.More Albanians live outside of Albania than within the country. Somewhere between 7-10 milion people are estimated.
2.“Shqipëri” is the name given to Albania by its people.
3.The village of Lazarat is the “cannabis capital of Albania.” The village makes the country the largest exporter of cannabis in Europe.
4.One could say that Albania is a country of mountains. The country is covered by 70% mountains within its territory.
5.An international airport in Albania—Nene Tereza—is named after Mother Teresa.
6.In 1995, drivers in the Albanian city of Shkodra refused to pay a new traffic-light tax on the grounds that their city had no traffic lights.
7.In 2011 Albania was ranked the sixth in the world in terms of the highest literacy levels.
8.Albania has never won a medal at the Olympics.
9.Albanians nod their head up and down to mean ‘no’, and shake it from side to side for ‘yes’.
10.The oldest lake in Europe is found in Albania, shared at the border with FYROM. The lake, known as Ohrid, is one of the world’s ancient lakes. A variety of unique plants and animal species, as well as living fossils, are found at the lake. The lake is protected by UNESCO due to its heritage.








My 5 words when I hear about Albania:
#Eagle,#Shqipëri,#Raki,#CheapVacations,#Mountains


What are your 5?




Having to make it from 0 , only with my research (and a little help from some friends), it was pretty challenging and I hope you enjoy it. I will share with you the albanian motto :
”Ti Shqipëri Më Jep Nder, Më jep Emrin Shqipëtar”
”You, Albania, give me honor, give me the name Albanian”


Waiting for feedback , comments , opinions and if there is anyone that thinks I missed something , I could do something better or just wants to help me with this project , PM me !

Special thanks to Kariky for the spacers !!



Hope you enjoyed and see you next time!

P.S. Article 27/74!








P.S.2. Don't forget to push the flags !