How long was Albania isolated?

Enver Hoxha, the Albanian leader, who died in Tirana yesterday, kept his isolated mountain country rigidly cordoned off for four decades. Historically preyed on since Greek and Roman times, Albania maintained its independence under his defiantly Stalinist leadership.

When did Albania stop being communist?

The communist regime collapsed in 1990, and the former communist Party of Labour of Albania was routed in elections in March 1992, amid economic collapse and social unrest. The unstable economic situation led to an Albanian diaspora, mostly to Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Germany and North America during the 1990s.

Is Albania a member of the European Union?

Albania is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, UNESCO, NATO, WTO, COE, OSCE, and OIC. It is an official candidate for membership in the European Union. It is one of the founding members of the Energy Community, including the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation and Union for the Mediterranean .

What do Albanians consider themselves to be?

Albanians refer to themselves as shqiptarë —often taken to mean “sons of eagles,” though it may well refer to “those associated with the shqip (i.e., Albanian) language”—and to their country as Shqipëria. They generally consider themselves to be descendants of the ancient Illyrians, who lived in central Europe…

What is the history of Albania as a country?

Albania was declared independent in 1912, but the following year the demarcation of its boundaries by the great powers of Europe ( Austria-Hungary, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Russia) assigned about half its territory and people to neighbouring states. Ruled as a monarchy between the World Wars,…

What is the political system in Albania?

Ruled as a monarchy between the World Wars, Albania emerged from the violence of World War II as a communist state that fiercely protected its sovereignty and in which almost all aspects of life were controlled by the ruling party. But with the collapse of other communist regimes beginning in 1989, new social forces…