Vlorë County (Albanian pronunciation:[vlɔɽ(ə)];Albanian:Qarku i Vlorës) is one of the12 counties ofAlbania with the city ofVlorë being the county capital. The county spans 2,706 square kilometres (1,045 sq mi) and has a total population of 146,681 people as of 2023.[2] It borders the counties ofFier andGjirokastër, as well as theAdriatic andIonian Sea.Greece borders Vlorë to the south.
Vlorë is geographically a very mountainous county. The county stretches along theAdriatic Sea and especially theIonian Sea, forming theAlbanian Riviera. The county has a coastline of 244 kilometres (152 mi).[3] Thecoasts on the west can be very steep and rocky with greenpanoramic vistas and high mountains in the hinterland, including theCeraunian Mountains. The highest natural point isÇikë, at 2,044 metres (6,706 ft). The northwest of the county is mostly located on the peninsula ofKaraburun, with a rough relief, steep cliffs, bays and rocky beaches.
With about than 146,000 inhabitants in 2023, Vlorë is the seventh most populous county within Albania, and the third most populous within theSouthern Region.Albanians constitute the ethnic majority of the county, including the capital.Greeks,Aromanians, and a fewRoma also are present in the ethnic composition of the county.
During Roman antiquity, the city ofVlorë, the homonymous county capital, was known asAulón (Ancient Greek:Αυλών,Latin:Aulona, meaning channel or glen in Greek, and possibly a translation of another indigenous name).[4][5] The city was mentioned for the first time byPtolemy (2nd century CE) among the towns of the IllyrianTaulantii.[6]
The coastal area of Vlorë was one of thoseIllyrian sites that had experienced pre-urban activity beginning from the 11th–10th centuries BCE.[7] In classical antiquity theBay of Vlorë constituted the southern limit of the Illyrian coast.[8][9][10][11] The coastal area of the Bay was settled byAncient Greekcolonists, who traditionally foundedOricum,Thronion andAulon.[12][13][14] The latter city, however, dates to the Roman period.[6][15] but a large fortified port-town that was inhabited from the 6th century BCE to the 2nd century AD is placed, now partially submerged, inTriport, northwest of present-day Vlorë.[7][15][16] Illyrians were found in the hinterland of the Bay.[17][10][11] TheCeraunian Mountains represented a natural border betweenIllyria andEpirus.[8][10][9] The area to the south of the mountains was inhabited by theEpirote tribe of theChaonians.[8][18] On the Epirote coast the Ancient Greeks developed the town ofSarandë, which they referred to asOnchesmos (or Anchiasmos).[19][20][21] Onchesmos flourished as the port of the Chaonian capital ofPhoenice (modern-dayFiniq).[22][23] Another Chaonian settlement was Chimera,[24] identified withHimarë,[25]
In the Middle Ages, the region was part of theByzantine Empire, while during the Slavic invasion there is evidence that Byzantine rule was maintained in the area.[26]
In 1204 the region became part of theDespotate of Epirus, but later returned to the Byzantine Empire. In 1335 Albanian tribes were in possession of the area between Berat and the bay of Vlorë,[27] while in 1345 after the Serbian invasion an independentprincipality was formed in Vlorë.
In the middle of the 14th century the aristocratic Delvina family ruled Delvinë, and in 1354 Mehmet Ali Pasha Delvina was testified as the owner of the castle and the city.
TheOttoman Empire captured the region in 1417, while in 1432, Albanian rebels freed Vlorë and expelled the Ottomans from the area.[28][29] As part of theOttoman Empire, The region became asanjak centre inRumelia Eyalet under the nameAvlonya.
After World War II, with Albania ruled by aCommunist Party, the port was leased out to theSoviet Union for use as a submarine base. During 1960 and 1961 it served as a theater in the aftermath of the decision ofEnver Hoxha to denounceNikita Khrushchev's reforms. In April 1961 the Soviet Union, resenting being pushed out after considerable investment in the naval facilities atPasha Liman Base, threatened to occupy the region with Soviet troops, and cut off all Soviet economic, military and technical aid to Albania.
Vlorë is one of the twelvecounties of Albania located in the east, south and southwest of theSouthern Region. The county lies betweenlatitudes 41° N, andlongitudes 20° E. It measures an area of 2,706 km2 (1,045 sq mi) placing it the fifth largest in Albania and the third largest in the Southern Region, behindKorçë County andGjirokastër County.[30] It is bordered by the counties ofFier to the north andGjirokastër to the east, the country ofGreece to the south and theAdriatic Sea in the northwest, as well as theIonian Sea in the west.
In Vlorë, there are five islands, notably theKsamil Islands. The combined areas of the four Ksamil islands measure only 7.1hectares (17.5 acres), and forms part of the largerButrint National Park.[32]
Sazan Island is located strategically between theStrait of Otranto and the entrance to theBay of Vlorë and has an area of 5.7 km2 (2.2 sq mi) with no civil population. In addition to being the largest island in Albania, it is a military facility and sometimes in clear weather it may be seen by eye from the coast ofSalento,Italy. More than half of the island's surrounding marine area forms part of theKaraburun-Sazan National Marine Park.[33]Stillo Island is rocky and sparsely vegetated. It has an area of half an hectare, with an approximate length of 80 meters and a width of 100 meters. It is located in theIonian Sea, 200 meters off the coast of Cape Stillo.Tongo Island is a rocky island, its waters rich in aquatic life. The island is situated about 300 metres (984 feet) off the Greek coast. It has an area of 2.5 hectares (6.2 acres). The Zvërnec Islands are two islands located inNarta Lagoon. Thelarger island is nearly completely covered with tall pine trees and is connected to the mainland by a 270m long wooden bridge. It is 430 metres (1,410 ft) in length and 300 metres (980 ft) in width. It has an area of around 8.8 hectares (22 acres). The smaller island has a smaller vegetation, being 230 metres (750 ft) in length and 100 metres (330 ft) in width, with an area of little more than 1 hectare (2.5 acres).
According to the 2023 census, Vlorë has a diverse religious makeup, with notable populations of Muslims, Orthodox Christians, and non-religious individuals. With 57.3% of the population identifying with a religion, it stands out as the county with the lowest religious identification in Albania.
Between the 2011 and 2023 censuses in Vlorë, the religious landscape underwent significant changes. The share of the population identifying asMuslim declined notably, dropping from 42.1% to 31.9%, while adherence toBektashism rose substantially from 1.1% to 6.3%. The proportion ofCatholic Christians decreased from 1.9% to 1.1%, whereasOrthodox Christians saw an increase from 13.7% to 17.6%.Evangelical Christians also experienced modest growth, rising from 0.06% to 0.3%.
Theirreligious population in Vlorë saw one of the most significant increases in the country. The share ofatheists grew from 6.0% to 8.3%, and those identifying asbelievers without denomination rose markedly from 11.0% to 21.7%. With a combined 30.0% identifying as irreligious in 2023, Vlorë ranks first in Albania for the highest proportion of non-religious individuals. Meanwhile, the proportion of individuals in the "Not stated/other" category decreased from 24.0% to 12.5%.[37]
Population of Vlorë according to religious group according to the (2011–2023)
The most densely populated areas are the coastal cities ofVlorë,Sarandë andHimarë, while vast regions, such as the highlands, are very sparsely populated.
Cruisetourism is an important segment of the tourism sector inSarandë.
Vlorë County has the second highest human development after Tirana County, and has a High Human Development Rating within Albania.
The county remains a major seaport and commercial centre, with a significantfishing andindustrial sector. The city ofVlorë is the economic hub of the county. The surrounding region of the city is mainly agricultural and pastoral; a large producer ofpetroleum,natural gas,bitumen andsalt. Vlorë has grown in importance as an agricultural center with large-scale planting ofolive andcitrus fruit trees, and as a center of the food processing, oil and bitumen export industries.
According to the World Bank, Vlorë has made significant steps in the ease of starting a business in 2016. It ranks seventh among 22 cities inSoutheastern Europe,[38] being placed higher than the capitalTirana,Belgrade andSarajevo.
Tourism has become a major industry in recent years, with many hotels, recreational centers, and vast beaches. InSarandë, tourism is the main driver of the economy. It is a significant tourist destination on theIonian Sea, and by far one of the most popular destinations inAlbania. Vlorë County is considered a prosperous region, one with varied attractions, plants and mountains, rivers and lakes, springs and virgin beaches, citrus plantations, olive groves and vineyards, pastures and woods, fish and shellfish farming and desirable hunting places.
In short, Vlorë County's location is advantageous in terms of development of tourism. Sarandë's stony beaches are respectable, and there are plenty of sights in and around town, including the ancient archaeological site ofButrint and the hypnoticBlue Eye Spring.
^google book reference: Placenames of the World: Origins and Meanings of the Names for 6,600 Countries, Cities, Territories, Natural Features, and Historic Sites By Adrian Room Published by McFarland, 2005,ISBN978-0-7864-2248-7, 433 pages.
^Strabo,The Geography, Book VII, Chapter 7.5: "...these mountains one comes to Onchesmus, another harbor, opposite which lie the western extremities of Corcyraea."
^Bowden, William.Epirus Vetus: The Archaeology of a Late Antique Province. London: Duckworth, 2003,ISBN0-7156-3116-0, p. 14. "Anchiasmos (Onchesmos)"
^Hodges, Richard.Saranda - Ancient Onchesmos: A Short History and Guide. Butrint Foundation, 2007.ISBN99943-943-6-3
^Talbert, Richard J.A. and Bagnall, Roger S.Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World, 2000, p. 815. "harbor, cape or town in Epirus between Onchesmos and Bouthroton."
^Eidinow, Esther.Oracles, Curses, and Risk Among the Ancient Greeks. Oxford University Press, 2007.ISBN0-19-927778-8 "Onchesmos was the principal port of Phoinike, the capital of Chaonia,..."
^An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis: An Investigation Conducted by The Copenhagen Polis Centre for the Danish National Research Foundation by Mogens Herman Hansen, 2005, page 340.
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Malkin, Irad (2001). "Greek Ambiguities: Between "Ancient Hellas" and "Barbarian Epirus"". In Malkin, Irad (ed.).Ancient Perceptions of Greek Ethnicity. Center for Hellenic Studies colloquia. Vol. 5. Center for Hellenic Studies, Trustees for Harvard University. pp. 187–212.ISBN978-0-674-00662-1.
Volpe, Giuliano; Disantarosa, Giacomo; Leone, Danilo; Turchiano, Maria (2014). "Porti, approdi e itinerari dell'Albania meridionale dall'Antichità al Medioevo. Il 'Progetto Liburna'".Ricerche Archeologiche in Albania. Aracne:287–326.doi:10.4399/978885487245516 (inactive 1 November 2024).ISBN978-88-548-7245-5.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link)
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