Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

the Ottoman Turks from invading Albania.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Albania 65

 

About 39 percent of Albanians are Muslim.

Others are Eastern Orthodox,

Roman Catholic, or not religious.

Economy

The Albanian economy is one of the

poorest in Europe. More than half of the

workers are farmers. Albania’s chief

crops are vegetables, grains, melons, and

potatoes. Sheep, goats, cattle, and poultry

are the major livestock.

Albania manufactures textiles, glass

products, leather, iron, steel, and office

machinery. Its mines provide chromium

and copper. The southwestern part of

the country is rich in petroleum (oil)

and natural gas.

History

The Illyrians, ancient ancestors of the

Albanians, were likely the first people to

live in what is now Albania. The Gegs

were Illyrians who settled in the north.

The Tosks were Illyrians of the south.

The Romans invaded in the 100s BC. In

AD 395 the Roman Empire split into

two halves. Albania was in the eastern

part, the Byzantine Empire. Bulgaria

and Serbia later controlled the area.

In the late 1300s Albania became part of

the Islamic Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman

Turks ruled the country for almost

500 years. Albania gained its independence

in 1912.

In 1928 Albania’s president declared

himself King Zog I. After Italy invaded

Albania in April 1939, Zog fled the

country. Germany took over from 1943

to 1944.

In 1944 Communist leader Enver

Hoxha took over the Albanian government.

Hoxha led Albania for four

decades. During this period the Communist

country was cut off from the rest

of the world. After Hoxha’s death in

1985, Albania reopened relations with

many countries.

In 1998 and 1999 fighting broke out

between Serbs and Albanians living in

Kosovo. At the time, Kosovo was a province

of Serbia that bordered Albania,

and most of its residents were ethnic

Albanians. Many of them crossed into

Albania from Kosovo. Most of the refugees

returned to Kosovo after the fighting

ended, but some stayed in Albania.

In 2008, Albanians rejoiced when

Kosovo declared independence from

Serbia.

..More to explore

Balkan Peninsula • Byzantine Empire

• Communism • Islam • Kosovo

• Ottoman Empire • Tirane

Albanian women tend to their crops.

Facts About

ALBANIA

Population

(2008 estimate)

3,194,000

Area

11,082 sq mi

(28,703 sq km)

Capital

Tirane (Tirana)

Form of

government

Republic

Major cities

Tirane (Tirana),

Durres, Elbasan,

Shkoder

66 Albania BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

Albany

Population

(2000 census)

95,658; (2007

estimate)

94,172

Albany is the capital of the U.S. state of

New York. The city’s port on the Hudson

River has long been a major shipping

center. The port lies along a water

route that links the Great Lakes to the

Atlantic Ocean. State government also

plays a large role in Albany’s economy.

The first permanent settlement was

founded on the site in 1624. Later the

Dutch and then the English controlled

the village. The English named it

Albany in 1664. An important meeting

called the Albany Congress was held in

the city in 1754. At that meeting

Benjamin Franklin proposed a plan to

unite all the American Colonies under

one government. Albany became the

capital of New York in 1797. In the

early 1800s a railroad and the Erie

Canal were built through Albany. They

helped the city grow as a center of

transportation.

..More to explore

Albany Congress • Erie Canal

Albany Congress

The Albany Congress was a meeting

held in Albany, New York, in 1754. Representatives

of some of Great Britain’s

American Colonies met with members

of the Native American Iroquois Confederacy.

The main purpose of the meeting

was to discuss plans for the French

and IndianWar, which was just beginning.

But the meeting is now remembered

for its plan to unite the colonies.

The plan was written mostly by Benjamin

Franklin. It called for one government

for all the colonies. The leader was

The statehouse in Albany is the center of

New York State’s government.

In 1754 representatives of the American

Colonies put together a plan of union at the

Albany Congress. Benjamin Franklin published

a cartoon to show why he thought

the union was important.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Albany Congress 67

 

to be a president-general appointed by

the English king. The legislature was to

be appointed by the existing colonial

legislatures.

The congress passed the plan but it

never went into effect. Both the king

and the colonies thought it gave too

much power to the other side. However,

the plan served as a model when the

colonies united to form the United

States 22 years later.

#More to explore

Franklin, Benjamin • French and Indian

War

Albatross

Albatrosses are large ocean birds with

very long, narrow wings. They can fly

long distances with little effort. They

glide gracefully for hours, even in heavy

storms. However, these birds make

clumsy “crash” landings. They also

attract mates with funny-looking dances

and displays. For these reasons sailors

sometimes call them gooney birds.

There are more than 10 species, or

types, of albatross. They belong to the

family of birds called Diomedeidae.

Albatrosses are birds of the open sea.

They sleep on the surface of the water.

They have no need to visit land except