Counties of Albania

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Updates: 

FIPS Publication Change Notice No. 9, affecting FIPS PUB 10-4, was issued on 2004-10-01. It assigns FIPS codes to the twelve new counties. They are shown in the table below.

ISO 3166-2 Newsletter number I-6, dated 2004-03-08, shows a change in terminology. Formerly, the top-level subdivisions of Albania were called prefectures, or prefekturë in Albanian. According to the new document, they should be called counties (qark). (However, the statistics bureau's "Albania in Figures" uses the term prefekturat, or prefectures in English.) ISO's format indicates that it considers the districts as the primary subdivisions of Albania, and the counties are regarded just as groupings of districts.

ISO 3166-2 Newsletter Number I-2 was published on 2002-05-21. It lists the new counties, assigns ISO codes to them, and changes two district names and one district code. Laē (ISO code LA) was changed to Kurbin (KB), and Malėsia e Madhe was changed to Malėsi e Madhe.

The results of the Albanian census of 2001-04 have been released, and are shown below.

In mid-1991, the number of rrethe (districts) in Albania was increased from 26 to 36. This was done by splitting ten districts into two smaller districts each. In 1993, twelve counties were defined, each one consisting of two to four districts. Apparently their competency was limited at first, but expanded in 1995. The primary subdivisions table below shows the counties.

Country overview: 

Short nameALBANIA
ISO codeAL
FIPS codeAL
LanguageAlbanian (sq)
Time zone+1 ~
CapitalTirana

 

Albania was still part of Turkey at the beginning of the 20th century. It declared its independence in 1912. The country went through several forms of government, including occupation during the World Wars, until it became a republic on 1946-01-11.

Other names of country: 

  1. Albanian: Shqipėria, Republika e Shqipėrisė (formal)
  2. Danish: Albanien
  3. Dutch: Albaniė, Republiek Albaniė (formal)
  4. English: Republic of Albania (formal)
  5. Finnish: Albania
  6. French: Albanie f
  7. German: Albanien n
  8. Icelandic: Albanķa
  9. Italian: Albania f
  10. Norwegian: Albania, Republikken Albania (formal)
  11. Portuguese: Albānia, Repśblica f da Albānia f (formal)
  12. Spanish: Albania f
  13. Swedish: Albanien
  14. Turkish: Arnavutluk

Origin of name: 

Ancient inhabitants were called Albanoi by Ptolemy. Shqipėria is Albanian for "land of the men of the eagle".

Primary subdivisions: 

Albania is divided into twelve qarqe (sing. qark: counties, or regions).

CountyHASCISOFIPSPopulationArea(km.²)Area(mi.²)DistrictsCapital
BeratAL.BE1AL40193,8551,802696Berat, Kuēovė, SkraparBerat
DibėrAL.DB9AL41191,0352,507968Bulqizė, Dibėr, MatPeshkopi
DurrėsAL.DU2AL42247,345827319Durrės, KrujėDurrės
ElbasanAL.EB3AL43366,1373,2781,266Elbasan, Gramsh, Librazhd, PeqinElbasan
FierAL.FI4AL44384,3861,887729Fier, Lushnjė, MallakastėrFier
GjirokastėrAL.GK5AL45114,2932,8831,113Gjirokastėr, Pėrmet, TepelenėGjirokastėr
KorēėAL.KE6AL46266,3223,7111,433Devoll, Kolonjė, Korēė, PogradecKorēė
KukėsAL.KK7AL47112,0502,373916Has, Kukės, TropojėKukės
LezhėAL.LZ8AL48159,7921,581610Kurbin, Lezhė, MirditėLezhė
ShkodėrAL.SD10AL49257,0183,5621,375Malesia e Madhe, Pukė, ShkodėrShkodėr
TiranėAL.TI11AL50601,5651,586612Kavajė, TiranėTiranė
VlorėAL.VR12AL51193,3612,7061,045Delvinė, Sarandė, VlorėVlorė
12 counties3,087,15928,70311,082
  • HASC: Hierarchical administrative subdivision codes.
  • ISO: County codes from ISO 3166-2. For full identification in a global context,
    prefix "AL-" to the code (ex: AL-4 represents Fier).
  • FIPS: Codes from FIPS PUB 10-4.
  • Population: 2001-04 census. Populations and areas of counties were calculated
    by adding the component districts.
  • Districts: The districts that are part of this county.

Further subdivisions:

See the Communes of Albania page.

Underneath the counties there are 36 rrethe (districts). Under them there are about 3000 smaller divisions called lokalitet (pl. lokaliteteve).

Territorial extent: 

Vlorė includes Saseno (Sazan) Island.

Origins of names: 

  1. Durrės: from Ancient Greek dyrrachion, possibly meaning dangerous cliffs
  2. Elbasan: Turkish el: the people, basan: dominating (originally a fortress)
  3. Korēė: South Slavic gorica: small mountain
  4. Tiranė: from Ancient Greek Tyrrenos: Etruscans; or, named after Tehran, Iran, to commemorate a victory
  5. Vlorė: from Ancient Greek aulon: narrow passage, strait

Change history: 

  1. 1912-11-28: Albania, consisting of the vilayet of Scutari and parts of Monastir and Yanina, declared independence from Turkey.
  2. 1923: Albania acquired a strip of territory in the south from Greece.
  3. ~1925: Albania had the following ten prefectures, further subdivided into 57 districts. Dibėr was later renamed Peshkopi, and Kukės renamed Kosovo.
PrefecturePop-1930Pop-1945Area(km.²)CapitalBecame
Berat142,616126,9133,666BeratBerat, Fier, Lushnjė, Skrapar
Dibėr86,99283,6772,151PeshkopijėDibėr, Mat
Durrės77,890104,4881,550DurrėsDurrės, Krujė
Elbasan111,422111,2863,539ElbasanElbasan, Gramsh, Librazhd
Gjinokastėr143,926121,2534,125GjinokastėrGjirokastėr, Pėrmet, Sarandė, Tepelenė
Korēė147,536149,4333,750KorēėKolonjė, Korēė, Pogradec
Kukės49,08149,3442,038KukėsKukės, Tropojė
Shkodėr132,336157,6655,560ScutariLezhė, Mirditė, Pukė, Shkodėr
Tirana57,80893,216911TiranaTiranė
Vlonė53,461115,0801,448VlonėVlorė
1,003,0681,112,35528,738
  • Pop-1930: 1930 census.
  • Pop-1945: 1945 census.
  • Became: Districts formed from this prefecture in 1958.
  1. 1949: A new set of subdivisions was implemented. No details available.
  2. 1953: The ten prefectures were restored.
  3. 1958-1959: The ten prefectures were re-organized into 26 rrethet (singular, rreth: districts).
  4. ~1978: Ersekė renamed Kolonjė.
  5. ~1991-06: Bulqizė district split from Dibėr; Delvinė district split from Sarandė; Devoll district split from Korēė; Has district split from Kukės; Kavajė district split from Durrės; Kuēovė district split from Berat; Laē district split from Krujė; Malesia e Madhe district split from Shkodėr; Mallakastėr district split from Fier; Peqin district split from Elbasan. The FIPS standard, which had previously listed Tiranė district and Tiranė qytet (municipality) as separate entities, merged them into one. I don't have any other sources that indicate that Tiranė was ever split in this way.
  6. 1993: Twelve qark (counties, or regions) were created, each one consisting of two to four districts. Apparently their competency was limited at first, but expanded in 1995.
  7. 1998-11-28: Albania's new Constitution took effect. It specified that the districts would be replaced as administrative units by the regions. The communes and municipalities would remain as secondary subdivisions. This provision was not implemented immediately.
  8. 1998-12-15: ISO 3166-2 published, superseding ISO/DIS 3166-2 (draft standard). Code for Peqin district changed from PG to PQ; for Tepelenë, from SP to TE; for Tropojë, from BC to TP. This change fixed an error in the draft standard, where the same code PG had been assigned to two districts.
  9. 1999-03-01: FIPS PUB 10-4 Change Notice 2 issued. It assigned FIPS codes from AL29 to AL38 to the ten districts created in 1991, and AL39 to Tiranė municipality (not shown in other sources). The other FIPS codes listed below were unchanged.
  10. ~1999: Name of Laç district changed to Kurbin. This change was reported in Change Notice 4 to FIPS PUB 10-4, dated 2000-02-25. In ISO 3166-2 Newsletter Number I-2, dated 2002-05-21, the name change is reported and the corresponding code is changed from LA to KB.
  11. The districts were then as listed here:
DistrictISOFIPSPopulationArea(km.²)Capital
BeratBRAL01128,410915Berat
BulqizëBUAL2942,985718Bulqizë
DelvinëDLAL3010,859367Delvinë
DevollDVAL3134,744429Bilisht
DibërDIAL0286,144761Peshkopi
DurrësDRAL03182,988455Durrës
ElbasanELAL04224,9741,290Elbasan
FierFRAL05200,154850Fier
GjirokastërGJAL0655,9911,137Gjirokastër
GramshGRAL0735,723695Gramsh
HasHAAL3219,842374Krumë
KavajëKAAL3378,415393Kavajë
KolonjëERAL0817,179805Ersekë
KorçëKOAL09143,4991,752Korçë
KrujëKRAL1064,357372Krujë
KuçovëKCAL3435,571112Kuçovë
KukësKUAL1164,054956Kukës
KurbinKBAL3554,519235Laç
LezhëLEAL1268,218479Lezhë
LibrazhdLBAL1372,5201,102Librazhd
LushnjëLUAL14144,351712Lushnjë
Malesia e MadheMMAL3636,770897Koplik
MallakastërMKAL3739,881325Ballsh
MatMTAL1561,9061,028Burrel
MirditëMRAL1637,055867Rrëshen
PeqinPQAL3832,920191Peqin
PërmetPRAL1725,837929Përmet
PogradecPGAL1870,900725Pogradec
PukëPUAL1934,4541,034Pukë
SarandëSRAL2035,235730Sarandë
ShkodërSHAL21185,7941,631Shkodër
SkraparSKAL2229,874775Çorovodë
TepelenëTEAL2332,465817Tepelenë
TiranëTRAL28523,1501,193Tiranë
TropojëTPAL2628,1541,043Bajram Curri
VlorëVLAL27147,2671,609Vlorë
36 districts3,087,15928,703
  • ISO: District codes from ISO 3166-2. For full identification in a global
    context, prefix "AL-" to the code (ex: AL-SK represents Skrapar).
  • FIPS: Codes from FIPS PUB 10-4, a U.S. government standard.
  • Population: 2001-04 census.

Other names of subdivisions: 

The Italian names are often used by Western Europeans in general.

  1. Dibėr: Dibra, Dibrė (variant)
  2. Durrės: Durresi, Durrsi (variant); Durazzo (Italian)
  3. Gjirokastėr: Gjinokastėr (variant); Argirocastro (Italian); Argyrocastro, Argyrokastron (Greek)
  4. Kolonjė: Ersekė (obsolete); Kolonja (variant)
  5. Korēė: Coriza, Corizza, Koritsa, Koritza (Italian); Korēa (variant); Kortscha (German)
  6. Kukės: Kosova, Kossovo (obsolete)
  7. Lezhė: Alessio (Italian); Lezha (variant)
  8. Lushnjė: Lushenjė, Lushnja (variant)
  9. Shkodėr: Escśtari (Portuguese-obsolete); Shkodra, Skodėr (variant); Scutari (Italian)
  10. Tiranė: Tiran (Turkish); Tirana (Italian)
  11. Vlorė: Vlona, Vlora, Vlonė (variant); Valona (Italian)

Population history:

District1960c1970c1973e1978e1982e1988a
Berat85,000115,000124,300140,600154,000173,700
Dibrė78,00099,000106,800122,000134,800148,200
Durrės127,000169,000182,400202,000217,000242,500
Elbasan105,000142,000154,700187,700208,000238,600
Fier112,000158,000171,500195,000212,000239,700
Gjirokastėr44,00051,00053,50057,10060,30065,500
Gramsh20,00027,00029,40034,50038,00043,800
Kolonjė17,00019,00019,20021,00022,30024,600
Korēė139,000168,000175,400187,500199,000213,200
Krujė43,00069,00075,60084,60093,000105,300
Kukės48,00065,00071,40075,40086,00099,400
Lezhė27,00037,00040,50048,20053,00061,100
Librazhd36,00044,00048,50056,30063,00070,800
Lushnjė66,00091,00094,100106,400115,400132,200
Mat39,00050,00053,50060,60067,00075,900
Mirditė17,00027,00029,40040,50045,00049,700
Pėrmet27,00030,00031,70034,10036,40039,400
Pogradec36,00046,00049,30056,50062,00070,500
Pukė23,00029,00032,80040,10045,00048,200
Sarandė48,00062,00066,50072,00076,70086,600
Shkodėr128,000167,000178,500191,400206,200233,000
Skrapar20,00028,00030,80037,80042,00045,800
Tepelenė26,00035,00037,80041,60045,20049,100
Tiranė194,000254,000272,000286,200310,000363,100
Tropojė21,00028,00030,50036,40039,80044,200
Vlorė101,000126,000133,500144,900155,000174,000
1,627,0002,136,0002,293,6002,560,4002,786,1003,138,100
  • Key: a = average population for the year; c = census; e = official estimate
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