General
Located in southeastern Europe, Albania is part of the Balkans, a region stretching from Slovenia to Greece. The country stretches 340 km from north to south and 70 to 150 km from west to east. It covers an area of 28,748 km², a little less than Belgium and a little more than Brittany. Albania has 476 km of coastline. These are bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, with two subsets: the Adriatic Sea, with 60% of the coastline and Italy 70 km to the west; and the Ionian Sea, to the south, with the Greek island of Corfu just 2 km away. Albania shares 701 km of land borders with four countries: to the south and southeast with Greece (212 km), to the north with Montenegro (186 km), to the east with Northern Macedonia (181 km) and to the northwest with Kosovo (112 km). It also has 372 km of maritime borders with Italy (142 km), Greece (122 km) and Montenegro (108 km). Established in 1925, the borders are no longer the subject of official dispute. With a population of around 2.8 million, Albania has a density of 101 inhabitants per square kilometer. The population is declining, however, and is concentrated mainly in the capital, Tirana, and the nearby port of Durrës: this conurbation has a total population of over one million.
Mountains and plains
With an average altitude of 709 m, Albania is the5th most mountainous country in Europe after Switzerland (1,370 m), Montenegro (1,086 m), Austria (899 m) and Northern Macedonia (742 m). Here, as in Montenegro, the landscapes are striking with peaks and cliffs falling directly into the sea. There are three mountainous regions in the north, center and south. Near the lakes of Shkodra and Koman, the northern region is home to the Albanian Alps, a 90 km long chain on the borders of Kosovo and Montenegro which constitutes the southern part of the Dinaric Alps. Also called the "Cursed Mountains" (Bjeshkët e Nemuna), the Albanian Alps reach an altitude of 2,694 m at Maja Jezerca ("misty peak") and include the remote but beautiful Theth Valley. The central mountainous region is the largest and highest, covering both the center of the country, but also the east and southeast. It borders the Ohrid and Prespa lakes as well as the Pindus massif in Greece. There are five massifs. From north to south: Korab, Jabllanica, Shebenik, Valamara and Skanderbeg. Mount Korab, shared with North Macedonia, is the highest point of the two countries: 2 751 m of altitude. It is thesecond highest peak in the Balkans after Mount Musala (2,925 m) in Bulgaria. Five other peaks of the Korab massif exceed 2,000 m, including Maja e Moravës (2,718 m). The southern region includes three massifs: Nemërçka, Shëndelli and Ceraunian Mountains ("Mountains of Lightning" for the ancient Greeks). It goes from Pindus, in Greece, to the "Albanian Riviera" with the sumptuous Llogara pass overhanging the sea at 1,043 m altitude. Near Berat, there is also the famous Mount Tomorr (2,417 m), a place of legends and pilgrimages. The mountains occupy 70% of the territory, the large plains are rare and not very fertile. The largest is that of Myzeqe (1 350 km²), an ancient marshy area located around the site of Apollonia of Illyria. We must also mention the plain of Tirana (in the center), that of Torvioll (in the northeast) and the "plain" of Korça (in the south), which is actually a plateau, the city of Korça being the highest city in the country, at 850 m altitude.
Coastline and lakes
From Montenegro to the city of Vlora, the Adriatic coast is quite straight. The coastline consists of vast stretches of sand, deltas and wetlands. Durrës, the main merchant port, despite a significant marine pollution, has become a seaside resort that we strongly advise against swimming. Then, south of Vlora, after the only real island of the country, Sazan (5.7 km²), the coastal landscapes suddenly change. As soon as you pass the Llogara pass, the Ionian Sea cuts the coast into a multitude of small bays with translucent blue waters and villages perched high up. The landscapes, magnificent, evoke the nearby Greece. This "Albanian Riviera" is the most popular with the seaside resort of Saranda, the fantastic archeological site of Butrint and the sea links to Corfu. However, here again, one must beware of pollution, since in the absence of a sewage treatment plant, all wastewater is discharged into the sea. Albania shares the three most important lakes with its neighbors. In the north, on the border with Montenegro, Lake Shkdora is the largest in the Balkans: 14 km wide, 48 km long and up to 530 km² in winter. In the south-east, the Ohrid lake (358 km²), at the border with Northern Macedonia, is the most beautiful. It is also the deepest in Europe. Just next door, Lake Prespa (273 km²), shared with Greece and North Macedonia, is the highest in the country (853 m altitude). Albania also has many artificial lakes, including Lake Koman (13 km²), known for its boat trips.
Watercourse
In a country with such a tumultuous relief, no river is navigable, except for rafting in Përmet, on the Vjosa, and in Berat, on the Osum. But Albania's rivers and small streams draw beautiful mountain landscapes, also giving rise to rich wetlands near the northern coasts. Alas, this heritage has been devastated since the 1990s by pollution, deforestation and, above all, by the creation of a multitude of electric dams. In the north, the River Drin is the longest river in the country, measuring 335 km in length. It is formed by the Drin Blanc, which has its source in Kosovo, and the Drin Noir, which is fed by Lake Ohrid from Northern Macedonia. The two rivers meet near Kukës, in Albania. The river then divides towards Shkodra: the southern branch forms the main mouth with the Gulf of Drin, while the northern branch feeds Lake Shkodra. In the south, the Vjosa is thesecond longest river in the country (272 km) and one of the last remaining wild rivers in Europe. It has its source in the great Greek massif of Pindos. Stretching 80 km in length in the neighbouring country, notably in the sumptuous Vikos Gorge, the river then bears the name of Aoos. In Albania, it crosses the towns of Përmet and Tepelena before joining the Adriatic south of Vlora. Here too, the landscapes are superb. But a disastrous project plans to transform the river by building a huge hydroelectric power station near Përmet. The affair is making a lot of noise, since in 2019 the opponents of the dam received the support of the actor Leonardo DiCaprio. Albania has two other rivers in the central part, the Shkumbin (181 km) and the Seman (85 km). The latter is fed by two long and beautiful rivers, the Devoll and, above all, the Osum, which carves magnificent gorges near Berat.
Earthquakes
The most recent deadly earthquake in Albania took place on November 26, 2019, killing 52 people and injuring 3,000 in the Tirana-Durrës conurbation. With a magnitude of 6.4, it was felt as far away as Sarajevo. Albania is located in the highest seismic risk zone in Europe. It lies at the junction of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates, and in contact with the Adriatic microplate. The south-western Balkans has thus seen a number of major earthquakes over the past century: 200 deaths in Gjirokastra in 1920, 476 on the Greek island of Cephalonia (south of Corfu) in 1953, and the most devastating, in Northern Macedonia, with 1,070 deaths in Skopje in 1963. In Albania, the previous deadliest earthquake occurred in 1979, with 35 deaths in the Shkodra region and 101 in Montenegro. The death toll for the 2019 earthquake may seem high, but it is actually quite low given the population density in the Tirana-Durrës region. What's more, the vast majority of infrastructure withstood the main shock and the 1,300 aftershocks that followed. Almost all the buildings destroyed by the earthquake were those that did not comply with regulations, i.e., buildings of more than ten storeys (whereas the limit is set at five or six, with some exceptions) or whose owners had distorted the original structure. While corruption has been widely cited as the reason for these anomalies, it should be stressed that simple, effective anti-seismic building standards are generally well applied in Albania.
In the event of an earthquake. Here is the main advice given by embassies. Before leaving, prepare and keep at hand an "emergency kit": flashlight, batteries, first-aid kit, bottles of water, energy bars, water disinfectant tablets, means of payment, metal whistle, etc. During an earthquake, if you're in a building: stay inside, take shelter under a heavy piece of furniture (table, desk, bed) or, if not, move away from doors and windows, and crouch down along a wall. If you're in an elevator: press the buttons on each floor and get out as soon as you can. If you're on the street: stay outside, taking refuge in an open area away from buildings and crowds. If you're in a car: stop away from buildings and bridges without blocking the road, stay inside the vehicle, listen to the radio for instructions from the authorities, don't get out of your vehicle, and wait for help if wires have fallen on your car. If you are in a bus: remain seated until it stops, then take refuge in a protected area or remain seated, lean forward and protect your head.
