Albania is located in southeastern Europe, west of Greece. It borders Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Greece. It covers only 28,748 square kilometers, making it one of the smallest countries in Europe. Albania is bordered on the west by the Adriatic Sea, so fishing is an important industry in the area.
Quick Facts
Population: 3.057 million
Ethnic Groups: Albanian (82.6%), Greek (0.9%), Other (1%), Unspecified (15.5%)
Languages: Albanian (98.8% – Official; derived from Tosk dialect), Greek (0.5%), Other (0.6%), Unspecified (0.1%)
Religions: Muslim (56.7%), Roman Catholic (10%), Orthodox (6.8%), Atheist (2.5%), Bektashi (2.1%), Other (5.7%), Unspecified (16.2%)
Capital: Tirana
CIA: The World Factbook — Last Updated December 29, 2019
Albanians in Canada
Albanian Population in Canada
36,185
Useful Links
Albania was almost entirely Christian in the 16th century, but government policy in the 17th century Islamized the country (for example, by offering tax incentives for converting to Islam). Albania had been under a Communist regime from 1944 until the early 1990s. During this time, religion was banned and in 1967 Albania was declared the first atheistic country in the world. The ban on religion was lifted in 1990, and since 1991, Albania has held peaceful, multiparty elections. Today, Albania is a secular state. Albanians enjoy religoius freedom, and there is a very high degree of religious tolerance today.
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- Mandryk, J. (2010). Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation (7th ed.). Colorado Springs: Biblica Publishing.
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- Statistics Canada. (2017, October 25). Data Tables, 2016 Census – Ethnic Origin (279), Single and Multiple Ethnic Origin Responses (3), Generation Status (4), Age (12) and Sex (3) for the Population in Private Households of Canada, Provinces and Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2016 Census – 25% Sample Data. Retrieved December 14, 2017, from http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/olc-cel/olc.action?objId=98-400-X2016187&objTy…