Counties of Albania
CategoryUnitary State
LocationAlbania
Number12
Populations59,381 (Gjirokastër)–906,166 (Tiranë)
Areas766 km2 (296 sq mi) (Durrës)–3,711 km2 (1,433 sq mi) (Korçë)
Government
Subdivisions

Counties (Albanian: qarqe or qarqet), also sometimes known as prefectures (prefekturë), are the first-level administrative subdivisions of Albania, replacing the earlier districts. Since 2000, there have been 12 counties. Since 2015, they have been divided into 61 municipalities and 373 communes.

History

Since its Declaration of Independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, Albania has reorganized its internal administration 21 times. The primary division until the year 2000 was into districts (Albanian: rrethe), whose number, size, and importance varied over time.[1] They were organized into groups comprising 12 counties beginning in 1991.[1]

The current status of the counties[2] is based on the 1998 constitution and was carried out on 31 July 2000.[3] The former districts were abolished entirely and replaced with urban municipalities (bashki) and rural municipalities (komuna), which further oversaw villages (fshatra) in the countryside. This was revised in 2014, so that the 2015 local elections divided the counties into municipalities (bashki) at the regional level and administrative units (njësi administrative) for local government.

List

CountySeatMunicipalitiesNUTS-2AreaPopulation (2020)[4] Population Density

(per km2 in 2020)

Berat BeratBerat, Kuçovë, Poliçan, Skrapar, Ura VajguroreSouthern Region1,798 km2 (694 sq mi)122,003 37.9Emblem of Berat County40°44′N 19°59′E / 40.733°N 19.983°E / 40.733; 19.983 (Berat County)
Dibër PeshkopiBulqizë, Dibër, Klos, MatNorthern Region2,586 km2 (998 sq mi)115,857 44.8Emblem of Dibër County41°42′N 20°22′E / 41.700°N 20.367°E / 41.700; 20.367 (Dibër County)
Durrës DurrësDurrës, Krujë, ShijakNorthern Region766 km2 (296 sq mi)290,697 379.5Emblem of Durrës County41°23′N 19°30′E / 41.383°N 19.500°E / 41.383; 19.500 (Durrës County)
Elbasan ElbasanBelsh, Cërrik, Elbasan, Gramsh, Librazhd, Peqin, PrrenjasCentral Region3,199 km2 (1,235 sq mi)270,074 84.4Emblem of Elbasan County41°6′N 20°8′E / 41.100°N 20.133°E / 41.100; 20.133 (Elbasan County)
Fier FierDivjakë, Fier, Lushnjë, Mallakastër, Patos, RoskovecSouthern Region1,890 km2 (730 sq mi)289,889 153.4Emblem of Fier County44°46′N 19°37′E / 44.767°N 19.617°E / 44.767; 19.617 (Fier County)
Gjirokastër GjirokastërDropull, Gjirokastër, Këlcyrë, Libohovë, Memaliaj, Përmet, TepelenëSouthern Region2,884 km2 (1,114 sq mi)59,381 20.6Emblem of Gjirokastër County40°12′N 20°15′E / 40.200°N 20.250°E / 40.200; 20.250 (Gjirokastër County)
Korçë KorçëDevoll, Kolonjë, Korçë, Maliq, Pogradec, PustecSouthern Region3,711 km2 (1,433 sq mi)204,831 55.2Emblem of Korçë County40°40′N 20°48′E / 40.667°N 20.800°E / 40.667; 20.800 (Korçë County)
Kukës KukësHas, Kukës, TropojëNorthern Region2,374 km2 (917 sq mi)75,428 31.8Emblem of Kukës County42°7′N 20°25′E / 42.117°N 20.417°E / 42.117; 20.417 (Kukës County)
Lezhë LezhëKurbin, Lezhë, MirditëNorthern Region1,620 km2 (630 sq mi)122,700 75.7Emblem of Lezhë County41°49′N 19°41′E / 41.817°N 19.683°E / 41.817; 19.683 (Lezhë County)
Shkodër ShkodërFushë-Arrëz, Malësi e Madhe, Pukë, Shkodër, Vau i DejësNorthern Region3,562 km2 (1,375 sq mi)200,007 56.1Emblem of Shkodër County42°6′N 19°37′E / 42.100°N 19.617°E / 42.100; 19.617 (Shkodër County)
Tirana TiranaKamëz, Kavajë, Rrogozhinë, Tirana, VorëCentral Region1,652 km2 (638 sq mi)906,166 548.5Emblem of Tirana County41°6′N 20°8′E / 41.100°N 20.133°E / 41.100; 20.133 (Tirana County)
Vlorë VlorëDelvinë, Finiq, Himarë, Konispol, Sarandë, Selenicë, VlorëSouthern Region2,706 km2 (1,045 sq mi)188,922 69.8Emblem of Vlorë County40°30′N 19°37′E / 40.500°N 19.617°E / 40.500; 19.617 (Vlorë County)

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Counties of Albania.

References

  1. 1 2 A Brief History of the Administrative-territorial Organization in Albania Archived 2017-06-09 at the Wayback Machine, Ministry of State for Local Issues
  2. ↑ "Ligji për Vetëqeverisjen Vendore" (PDF). Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  3. ↑ "A Brief History of the Administrative-territorial Organization in Albania". reformaterritoriale.al. Archived from the original on 2017-06-09. Retrieved 2017-09-29.
  4. ↑ "Popullsia në 1 Janar sipas qarqeve dhe gjinisë 2001 - 2020" (in Albanian). Instituti i Statistikës (INSTAT). Archived from the original on 10 October 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
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