Albanian News

A Fantastic Albanian Story

Like the rest attest various archaeological, Albania was inhabited since prehistoric times.
The progenitors of Albanians are illiri, protagonists in the political world of the Mediterranean and that distinguished historians, remember as “tigers of war” to enhance their value. Around 1000 a.c. They occupied the territory of Albania a kingdom.
Rome, which sought to extend its control the Adriatic, soon clashed with the Illyrian people, losing, it was reduced to slavery and saw its territory be divided into many small units.

Of them recently began a tragic series of barbaric raids and Serb cancellarono from history that most of the local population, assimilating.

In later centuries, the country - where the inhabitants were already known as “Albanians” in describing the descendants of illiri - was the scene of heated rivalry for its possession by the Venetians, Swabians, Bulgarians… until, in 1389, the invading Turks sopraggiunsero .
During the Ottoman advanced, the Albanians resisted united under the leadership of the famous national hero, known as Skanderbeg (Gjergj Kastrioti), which fought successfully leading the insurgency. And ‘at this time that’ emblem of the family Kastrioti, with the black eagle with two heads (once to the west, towards the East) in the red, became Albanian national flag.

But when the hero died, the Albanians were overwhelmed by the Turks and this contributed to the ruin of the country’s economy and the decline of local culture, with the destruction of cities, works of art and the conversion of most of the population Islamism.

More jobs came to the outbreak of the First World War between the various European countries, also the occupied Italy Albania.

Between the two wars, the country continued to be the most backward of Europe in 1938, 80% of the population living on agriculture, missing the entire university education and health care, the average age of life was 38 years.

In 1939 the Albania was occupied by troops of Mussolini (which contributed greatly to the building of its current capital, Tirana. Fact, walking around the city centre, including the architectural style of the palaces recalls that much of the buildings erected in Rome during the Fascist period).
Against its troops, the Albanians opposed a heroic resistance under the leadership of Enver Hoxa who helped found the Albanian Communist Party in 1945 and proclaimed the Republic with the task of bringing the country out of centuries of obscurantism.

In what way? Hoxa abolished private property and the ability to profess a faith pursuing a strong propaganda that made ateista of ‘Albania was the only one to completely atheistic world; towers were killed and churches, some were converted into stables or gyms; not allowed more than print any book or magazine and gave life to the terrible state police with espionage tasks for fear of possible invaders, filled the territory of concrete bunkers, which Albania is still crowded, dilapidated shelters today of nomads and animals.

His successor was initiated a rapprochement with the West in 1990 and returned religious freedom, also Catholic.
The first Albanian government, however, led by Sali Berisha, adopted a series of measures determined that a sharp rise in unemployment.
The country, very rich in gold, mercury and green, faced serious economic problems, social and environmental many people moved from areas in mountainous interior (where life was organized on the basis of the “Kanun”, a set of rules oral recalling some ‘the law of Taglione “) to urban centres or their suburbs (Tirana, Durres, Vlora…) dealing, often misused, the land where they built their homes, often lacking water , sewerage and electricity, using rivers and streams for the landfilling of waste, contributing to a series of problems related to their health and the environment.

There are families who come from very poor areas, isolated and not accustomed to living that have established themselves in a situation in which endures the absence of the state of law and jobs.
Communication between families of different provenance has always presented difficult and old and new rivalries have helped create very compact groups of immigrants arrived from the same areas of origin, and others, strongly fighting among themselves.
Generally, the Albanian family is a family made up of many members (from 5 to 7 people) or because their children are usually many (annual growth rate = Albania: 1.9% / / Italy: 0.2%) , and because the grandparents live with the family of his son.

In the’90s, the poorest of the population and exasperated has begun to take the road of hope of finding more luck and new job opportunities.
During this period are the first arrivals of immigrants on our Albanian Adriatic coast: scenes of death and despair accompanying memories of cross ribs on often overworked men and children. In some ways a reality now exceeded, for others, historical facts can not be forgotten that have left deep wounds incredible.