Konispol | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Emblem | |
.svg)  Konispol | |
| Coordinates:39°40′N20°11′E / 39.667°N 20.183°E /39.667; 20.183 | |
| Country |  Albania |
| County | Vlorë |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Ergest Duli (PS) |
| Area | |
| • Municipality | 226.26 km2 (87.36 sq mi) |
| • Administrative unit | 43.89 km2 (16.95 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 389 m (1,276 ft) |
| Population (2023[1]) | |
| • Municipality | 4,898 |
| • Municipality density | 21.65/km2 (56.07/sq mi) |
| • Administrative unit | 1,758 |
| • Administrative unit density | 40.05/km2 (103.7/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal Code | 9705 |
| Area Code | (0)891 |
| Website | www |
Konispol (Albaniandefinite form:Konispoli) is the southernmost town in Albania. It sits one kilometer away from theAlbanian-Greek border. The settlement is inhabited byCham Albanians.[3] Konispol is the modern centre of the Cham Albanian community in Albania. The main economic interests of Konispol areagriculture andviticulture.
The town is the seat of the southernmost administrative unit inAlbania, the Municipality of Konispol (Albanian:Bashkia Konispol). It was formed during the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities of Konispol,Markat andXarrë.[4] The total population is 8,245 (2011 census),[5] in a total area of 226.26 km2.[6] The population of the municipal unit as of the 2023 census is 1,758.[1]
The former Konispol municipal unit (pre-2015) consisted of the town Konispol and the village Çiflik.[7] The new larger municipality of Konispol contains settlements that are inhabited by Albanians who form the majority of the population,Aromanians,Greeks andRomani that live in the villages ofXarrë municipal unit.[3][8][9]
The name of the settlementKonispol is derived from коньць,konytsy and поля,polya,Slavic words forend andfield referring to the end of a field.[10]
Traces of human presence in Konispol can be found in the Kreçmoi Cave on the late period of the Middle Paleolithic era (40,000-30,000 years ago).[11][12][13]
The area was part of the ancient region ofEpirus and was inhabited byChaonian Epirotes.[14]
In 1943, Konispol was noted for being the battleground of a fierce conflict betweenGerman units, Cham collaborators from theThesprotia province in Greece of theNuri Dino battalion, and the communistAlbanian resistance.[15] On 8 October 8, 1943, a meeting of the Albanian and Greek communist resistance groups took place in the town.[16] Apart from recognising that Albanian and Greek minorities existed on either side of the border, due to disagreements between the communist movements, a separate headquarters for the communist resistance units of the Greek minority in Albania was planned.[16]
In 1992, sevencaves were discovered just north of the town with findings that dated from theUpper Paleolithic age to theIron Age.[17]
Konispol, due to its proximity to the Albanian-Greek borders, is part of theEuropean Union's Greece – Albania Neighbourhood Programme for improving the standard of living of the local population by promoting sustainable local development in the cross-border area between the two countries.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 2,676 | — |
| 2001 | 2,230 | −16.7% |
| 2011 | 2,123 | −4.8% |
| 2023 | 1,758 | −17.2% |
| Source:[18][1] | ||
The municipal seat Konispol,[8] along with the villages of Dishat, Vërvë, Shalës, Markat, Ninat, and Janjar, are populated by nativeCham Albanians.[3] The village of Xarrë is inhabited by an Orthodox Albanian majority, Muslim Albanian Chams (200) that arrived from northern Greece in the 1920s and 1940s, a combined population ofAromanians and Greeks (50) and some Romani.[3][8] Mursi is inhabited by an Orthodox Albanian majority, alongside a few Muslim Albanians and Greeks.[3][8][19] Çiflik is inhabited by Orthodox Albanians, Aromanians, Muslim Albanians and a few Greeks.[3] Shkallë is inhabited by an Aromanian majority, alongside a few Muslim Albanians and Greeks and also contains a few families of Muslim Romani originally fromFiliates, Greece who were expelled in 1944–1945.[3][9] Vrinë is a new village established during the communist period and is populated by Muslim Albanians (400), Orthodox Albanians (318) and Greeks (300).[3]
Konispol is:
Chaonian power thus ran from the northern end of the Gulf of Aulon (adjacent to Apollonia) to the southern end of the plain by Konispolis
In 1943 the first rapprochements had taken place between the Albanian and Greek communist resistance movements, and although no concrete statuses were defined, the minorities on both sides were recognized mutually for the first time.[35].; [35]Serious disagreements emerged, however, due to the convention of Konispol (8/10/1943) a separate headquarters for the Greek minority was planned
The municipalities of Albania are the country's administrative divisions consisting of local administrative units and their inclusive villages. | ||
| Berat County |  | |
| Dibër County | ||
| Durrës County | ||
| Elbasan County | ||
| Fier County | ||
| Gjirokastër County | ||
| Korçë County | ||
| Kukës County | ||
| Lezhë County | ||
| Shkodër County | ||
| Tiranë County | ||
| Vlorë County | ||
Subdivisions ofVlorë County | ||
|---|---|---|
County seat:Vlorë | ||
| Municipality ofDelvinë |  | |
| Municipality ofFiniq | ||
| Municipality ofHimarë | ||
| Municipality ofKonispol | ||
| Municipality ofSarandë | ||
| Municipality ofSelenicë | ||
| Municipality ofVlorë | ||
Subdivisions ofKonispol municipality | ||
|---|---|---|
Municipal seat:Konispol | ||
| Administrative unit ofKonispol |
|  |
| Administrative unit ofMarkat | ||
| Administrative unit ofXarrë | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
