10 Things you probably didn’t know about Albania

Did you know Albanians pronounce their country’s name differently? Read below to know more about this and various other facts you probably didn’t know about Albania.

Albania has seen all kinds of days in the past. Some glorious, some seriously hurting. However, the tables have turned now. After the country opened its arms to the entire world, people rushed to its doors to get a glimpse of what Albania had to offer. And it is surely not disappointing. Travelling to Albania is a must. And when you do that, make sure you carry these small pieces of facts with you!

1. Albania was in complete isolation for 45 years. It only opened its doors to the rest of the world in 1991.

2. Albania was termed to be the poorest country in the world at some point in history in 1991. Probably because of the complete isolation. However, it is not so now.

3. Although McDonald’s is a quite popular name with outlets in over 122 countries, its name is still unknown in Albania.

4. Most of the Albanian population lives outside the country. Perhaps because of the fall of the regime in 1991.

5. If you are a literature lover, you can find various instances of Albania in Lord Byron’s poems and letters. He discovered this land in the early 19th century with his best friend while on his Grand Tour of the Mediterranean. You can surely visit this destination for a brief essence of history.

6. Albania was the first country to declare itself as an atheist country in 1967 under the leadership of Dictator Enver Hoxha. The dictator was obsessed with his own strict line of communism. Only a few mosques and orthodox churches survive today as they are considered to be monuments.

7. The country has over 173,000 bunkers spread across various locations throughout the country. These were built by the former dictator in case any enemy government decided to invade. Today, these bunkers have become exciting tourist destinations.

8. The name of the nation, as locals call it in their mother tongue, is not Albania, it is Shqiperi. This translates to ‘The Land of Eagles’.

9. Albania had only 3000-7000 cars in a population of three million prior to 1991. On the contrary, one can find an enormous number of Mercedes in the country today.

10. Mother Teresa, a well-known figure who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her work to help the poor in Calcutta, India, was actually an Albanian. She was born in the then-Ottoman Empire, which is now the capital of Macedonia, Skopje.