Counties of Albania explained

Counties of Albania
Category:Unitary state
Current Number:12
Population Range:59,381 (Gjirokastër) – 906,166 (Tiranë)
Area Range:766sqkm (Durrës)–3711sqkm (Korçë)
Government:County government
National government

Counties (Albanian: {{linktext|qarqe|lang=sq or Albanian: {{linktext|qarqet|lang=sq), also sometimes known as prefectures (Albanian: {{linktext|prefekturë|lang=sq), 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, 373 communes, and 2,972 villages.

History

Since its Declaration of Independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, Albania has reorganized its domestic administrative divisions 21 times. The primary division until mid-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 implemented on 31 July 2000.[3] The former districts were abolished entirely and replaced with urban municipalities (Albanian: bashki) and rural municipalities (Albanian: komuna), which further oversaw villages (Albanian: fshatra) in the countryside. This was revised in 2014, so that the 2015 local elections divided the counties into municipalities (Albanian: bashki) at the regional level and administrative units (Albanian: njësi administrative) for local government.

List

CountySeatMunicipalitiesNUTS-2AreaPopulation (2020)[4] Population density
(per km2 in 2020)
EmblemGeographic coordinates
BeratBeratBerat, Kuçovë, Poliçan, Skrapar, Ura VajguroreSouthern Region1798km2122,00337.9align=center
DibërPeshkopiBulqizë, Dibër, Klos, MatNorthern Region2586km2115,85744.8align=center
DurrësDurrësDurrës, Krujë, ShijakNorthern Region766km2290,697379.5align=center
ElbasanElbasanBelsh, Cërrik, Elbasan, Gramsh, Librazhd, Peqin, PrrenjasCentral Region3199km2270,07484.4align=center
FierFierDivjakë, Fier, Lushnjë, Mallakastër, Patos, RoskovecSouthern Region1890km2289,889153.4align=center
GjirokastërGjirokastërDropull, Gjirokastër, Këlcyrë, Libohovë, Memaliaj, Përmet, TepelenëSouthern Region2884km259,38120.6align=center
KorçëKorçëDevoll, Kolonjë, Korçë, Maliq, Pogradec, PustecSouthern Region3711km2204,83155.2align=center
KukësKukësHas, Kukës, TropojëNorthern Region2374km275,42831.8align=center
LezhëLezhëKurbin, Lezhë, MirditëNorthern Region1620km2122,70075.7align=center
ShkodërShkodërFushë-Arrëz, Malësi e Madhe, Pukë, Shkodër, Vau i DejësNorthern Region3562km2200,00756.1align=center
TiranaTiranaKamëz, Kavajë, Rrogozhinë, Tirana, VorëCentral Region1652km2906,166548.5align=center
VlorëVlorëDelvinë, Finiq, Himarë, Konispol, Sarandë, Selenicë, VlorëSouthern Region2706km2188,92269.8align=center

See also

Notes and References

  1. http://www.reformaterritoriale.al/en/reform/history A Brief History of the Administrative-territorial Organization in Albania
  2. Web site: Ligji për Vetëqeverisjen Vendore . 3 November 2020.
  3. Web site: A Brief History of the Administrative-territorial Organization in Albania. reformaterritoriale.al. en. 2017-09-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20170609225417/http://www.reformaterritoriale.al/en/reform/history. 2017-06-09. dead.
  4. Web site: Instituti i Statistikës (INSTAT) . Popullsia në 1 Janar sipas qarqeve dhe gjinisë 2001 - 2020 . 22 July 2020 . sq . 10 October 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211010005303/http://databaza.instat.gov.al/pxweb/sq/DST/START__DE/POP02/?rxid=d22d8b80-0683-490a-b7a8-09b7debdb5bb . dead .