| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 30,978(2023 census)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Ulcinj Municipality (73.53%) Tuzi Municipality (62.55%) Gusinje Municipality (34.38%) Plav Municipality (9.43%) Rožaje Municipality (5.07%) | |
| Languages | |
| Albanian (Gheg),Montenegrin | |
| Religion | |
| Sunni Islam majority (73.75%) Roman Catholic minority (26.25%) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Albanians,Arbëreshë,Arbanasi,Arvanites,Souliotes |
| Part ofa series on |
| Albanians |
|---|
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Native communities Diaspora
Subgroups |
Albanians in Montenegro (Albanian:Shqiptarët e Malit të Zi;Montenegrin:Албанци у Црној Гори,romanized: Albanci u Crnoj Gori) are ethnicAlbanians who constitute 4.97% of Montenegro's total population.[1] They are the largest non-Slavic ethnic group in Montenegro.
Albanians are particularly concentrated in southeastern and eastern Montenegro alongside the border withAlbania in the following municipalities includingUlcinj (73.5% of total population),Tuzi (62.6%),Gusinje (34.4%),Plav (9.4%), andRožaje (5.1%).[1][2]
The largest Montenegrin town with significant Albanian population isUlcinj, where theAlbanian National Council is located. In 2022,Dritan Abazović became the first ethnic Albanian to hold the office ofPrime Minister of Montenegro.
Albanians in Montenegro are concentrated along the Albania-Montenegro border in areas that were incorporated in Montenegro after theCongress of Berlin (1878) and theBalkan Wars (1912-13). Coastally, they live in theUlcinj (Ulqin) andBar (Tivar) municipalities which formed part ofVenetian Albania. Within the Municipality of Bar, Albanians are also found in the regions ofKrajë,Mërkot andShestan.Albanian tribes and regions are located in the transboundary mountainous region ofMalësia inTuzi Municipality, south of Montenegrin capitalPodgorica, as well as historically populating much of theBrda region, including as theZeta andBjelopavlići plain. Albanian communities in the past were also found inOld Herzegovina,Old Montenegro and theLittoral. In eastern and northeastern Montenegro, Albanians are concentrated in municipalities ofPlav (Plavë) andGusinje (Gucia) and a smaller community is located inRožaje Municipality (Rozhajë).[3] The Slavic dialect of Gusinje and Plav shows very high structural influence from Albanian. Its uniqueness in terms of language contact between Albanian and Slavic is explained by the fact that most Slavic-speakers in today's Plav and Gusinje are ofAlbanian origin.[4]
In the past Albanians were present in significant numbers inBar,Podgorica,Spuž,Nikšić,Kolašin as well as inŽabljak. These communities were largely expelled in different waves during the late 19th century.[5][6]
A mixture of Slavic and Albanian speakers made up the Muslim population ofSandžak (today divided between Serbia and Montenegro) at the end of the nineteenth century. Many Albanian speakers gradually migrated or were relocated to Kosovo and Macedonia, leaving a primarily Slavic-speaking population in the rest of the region (except in a southeastern corner of Sandžak that ended up as a part of Kosovo).[7]
A number of placenames in Montenegro are considered to be ultimately derived from or through Albanian. Some cases include:
A number of microtoponyms and names of clans in Old Montenegro are originally derived fromAlbanian onomastics, such as Gjin, Gjon, Progon, Lesh, Mal and others, with some of them being:Đinov Do village in Cuce,Đinovo Brdo in Cetinje,Đinova Glavica in Pješivci, the village ofĐinovići in Kosijeri, theĐonovići brotherhood in Brčeli of Crmnica,Lješanska nahija, along with its villagesLiješnje,Štitari,Goljemadi andProgonovići, the village ofLješev Stup and the toponymMalošin do in Bjelice, the village ofArbanas in Ceklin.[19][20]
The name of theLabeatae tribe, first attested in the 2nd century BCE, is formed by theLab- particle which is frequently found in the southernIllyrian onomastic area and the common Illyrian suffix-at(ae). TheLab- particle represents ametathesis fromAlb- >Lab-, which itself could be related to the appearance of the ethnonym of theAlbanians in the same area.[21]
A document believed to be from 1202, mentions a ruler named Vladislav who gave theVranjina Monastery land and other concessions, among which was forbidding Albanians from using these lands for grazing or settling. A 1220 document issued by the nun Jelena,[who?] bestows the Vranjina monastery certain gifts, and forbids the usage of church land by nobility, be they Serbs, Latins, Albanians or Vlachs.[22] VariousAlbanian pastoral migrant communities (katun), which included groups like theMataruge,Mugoša,Macure,Maine,Malonsići,Kriči and possibly theLužani, starting around the 12th and 13th centuries immigrated across theZeta, settling in Montenegro and as far as the Neretva river.[23][24] Albaniankatuns are documented in the Tara region in 1278.[25] In the area of modernCeklin the settlement ofArbanas is mentioned in 1296 in a letter by KingMilutin.[26] In the same year a document issued byStefan Milutin gives the Kuči village of Orahovo and 100 sheep to the Vranjina Monastery. In it Milutin also orders the locals, be they Slavs, Latins, Albanians or Vlachs to pay a tribute to it of 100perpers.[27]
In the Middle Ages, Albanians in present-day Montenegro lived in the highlands ofMalësia-Brda (both terms meanhighlands), aroundLake Scodra and coastally in the area known asAlbania Veneta.Tuzi, a key Albanian settlement today, is mentioned in 1330 in theDečani chrysobulls as part of the Albanian (arbanas)katun (semi-nomadic pastoral community) of Llesh Tuzi (Ljesa Tuzi in the original), in an area stretching southwards from modernTuzi Municipality along theLake Skadar to a village near modernKoplik. This katund included many communities that later formed their own separate communities:Reçi and his sons,Matagushi,Bushati and his sons, Pjetër Suma and Pjetër Kuçi, first known ancestor ofKuči.[28] In the 1330 chrysobulls, theHoti tribe is mentioned for first time inHotina Gora (mountains of Hoti) in the Plav and Gusinje regions on theLim river basin.[29] Among the people ofLužani, Albanian anthroponyms such asGjon,Lesh,Progon andMuriq are mentioned in the 1330 Dečani chrysobulls.[30]
A certain Nicholas Zakarija is first mentioned in 1385 as aBalšić family commander and governor of Budva in 1363.[31] This is considered the first attestation of a member of the noble AlbanianZaharia family.[32] After more than twenty years of loyalty, Nicholas Zakarija revolted in 1386 and became ruler of Budva. However, by 1389Đurađ II Balšić had recaptured the city.[31]
Beginning in the 15th century, a period ofAlbanian piracy occurred lasting until the 19th century. Thesepirates were based mainly inUlcinj, but were also found inBar.[33] During this period,Albanian pirates plundered and raided ships, including bothVenetian andOttoman vessels, disrupting theMediterranean economy and forcing the Ottoman and European powers to intervene. Some of the pirate leaders from Ulcinj, such asLika Ceni andHadji Alia, were well known during this period. The Porte had such a problem with the Albanian pirates that they were given the "name-i hümayun" ("imperial letters"),[34] bilateral agreements to settle armed conflicts.[35] The pirates of Ulcinj, known inItalian aslupi di mare Dulcignotti (Alb.ujqit detarë Ulqinakë, 'Ulcinian sea wolves'),[36] were considered the most dangerous pirates in theAdriatic.[37]
In the Middle Ages, the areas ofCrmnica (Kuqeva) andMrkojevići (Mërkoti) shows a strong symbiosis of Slavic and Albanian populations.[14] In the second half of 15th century, the Slavic anthroponymy of Crmnica and Mrkojević was frequently followed by the Albanian suffix-za. This phenomenon doesn't appear in such widespread form in any other area of Montenegro. It has been interpreted as the result of gradual, centuries-long adoption of Slavic culture by an Albanian-speaking population.[38] The Mrkojevići in particular may present a case of an Albanian-speaking population shifting to a Slavic-speaking one.[39] In 1496Đurađ Crnojević mentions the noblemanRadovan Lъšević (Lješević) in the area ofLješanska nahija, while its inhabitants asLьšnane (Lešnane).[15]
Meshari (Albanian for "Missal") the oldest published book in Albanian was written byGjon Buzuku, a Catholic Albanian cleric in 1555. Gjon Buzuku was born in the village of Livari in Krajina (Krajë in Albanian) in theBar region.[40]
In 1565 the Kelmendi rose up against the Ottomans and appear to have done so together with the Kuči and Piperi.[41][42] In 1597, the tribes of the Kelmendi, Kuči, Piperi and Bjelopavlići and theNikšiči rose in rebellion, headed under the latters leader, voivodaGrdan.[43]
In 1613, the Ottomans launched a campaign against the rebel tribes of Montenegro. In response, the tribes of the Vasojevići, Kuči, Bjelopavlići, Piperi, Kastrati, Kelmendi, Shkreli andi Hoti formed a political and military union known as “The Union of the Mountains” or “The Albanian Mountains” . The leaders swore an oath ofbesa to resist with all their might any upcoming Ottoman expeditions, thereby protecting their self-government and disallowing the establishment of the authority of the Ottoman Spahis in the northern highlands. Their uprising had a liberating character. With the aim of getting rid of the Ottomans from the Albanian territories[44][45]
In the 1614Convention of Kuçi, 44 leaders mostly from northern Albania and Montenegro took part to organize an insurrection against the Ottomans and ask for assistance by the Papacy.[46][47] That same year, the Kelmendi along with the tribes of Kuči, Piperi and Bjelopavlići, sent a letter to the kings ofSpain andFrance claiming they were independent from Ottoman rule and did not pay tribute to the empire.[48][49]
In 1658, the seven tribes of Kuči, Vasojevići, Bratonožići, Piperi, Klimenti, Hoti and Gruda allied themselves with theRepublic of Venice, establishing the so-called "Seven-fold banner" or "alaj-barjak", against the Ottomans.[50]
AFranciscan report of the 17th century illustrates the final stages of the acculturation of some Albanian tribes in Brda. Its author writes that the Bratonožići (Bratonishi), Piperi (Pipri), Bjelopavlići (Palabardhi) and Kuči (Kuçi):" nulla di meno essegno quasi tutti del rito serviano, e di lingua Illrica ponno piu presto dirsi Schiavoni, ch' Albanesi" (since almost all of them use the Serbian rite and the Illyric (Slavic) language, soon they should be called Slavs, rather than Albanians)[51]
In 1685 theMainjani tribe participated in theBattle of Vrtijeljka on the side of the Venetians. The battle resulted in defeat.[52] The news of the battle was recorded in Rome on 27 May 1685: "two courageous leaders, one named Bajo, friend of captain Janko, and the other, captain Vuković the Arbanas, died"; the source states that the defeat was due to betrayal of Montenegrins in the battle.[53]
In 1688 the tribes ofKuçi,Kelmendi andPipri rose up and captured the town ofMedun, defeating 2 Ottoman counter-assaults and capturing many supplies in the process before retreating.[54]
In 1700, after theGreat Serb Migration, theKelmendi andKuçi and other tribes like theShkreli of Rugova established themselves in the region ofRožaje and the neighboring town of Tutin in Serbia. TheShala,Krasniqi, andGashi also moved in the region.[55][56][57]
TheArbanasi people in theZadar region are thought to have hailed from the Catholic Albanian inhabitants of the region ofShestan, specifically from the villages of Briska (Brisk), Šestan (Shestan), Livari (Ljare), and Podi (Pod) having settled the Zadar area in 1726–27 and 1733 on the decision of ArchbishopVicko Zmajević of Zadar, in order to repopulate the land.[58]
A period of Albanian semi-independence started in the 1750s with the Independent Albanian Pashas. In 1754 the autonomous Albanian Pashalik ofBushati family would be established with center the city ofShkodra calledPashalik of Shkodra.The Bushati family initially dominated the Shkodër region through a network of alliances with various highland tribes.Kara Mahmud Bushati attempted to establish a de juro independent principality and expand the lands under his control by playing off Austria and Russia against the Sublime Porte. In 1785, Kara Mahmud's forces attackedMontenegrin territory, and Austria offered to recognize him as the ruler of all Albania if he would ally himself withVienna against the Sublime Porte. Seizing an opportunity, Kara Mahmud sent the sultan the heads of an Austrian delegation in 1788, and the Ottomans appointed him governor of Shkodër. When he attempted to wrest land from Montenegro in 1796, however, he was defeated and killed by an ambush in northern Montenegro. At its peak during the reign ofKara Mahmud Bushati the pashalik encompassed much of Albania, most of Kosovo, western Macedonia, southeastern Serbia and most of Montenegro.[59][60] The pashalik was dissolved in 1831.
British authorRebecca West visited the town of Kolašin in the 1930s where she learned that in the 18th century, Catholic Albanians and Orthodox Montenegrins lived in peace. In 1858, however, several Montenegrin tribes attacked the town and killed all inhabitants who kept their Albanian identity or who were Muslim.[61]
On October 26, 1851, the Arnaut chieftain Gjonlek fromNikšić was traveling with 200 Arnauts, given the task of defending Ottoman Albanian interests. They were attacked by Montenegrin forces from Gacko. On November 11, 1851, Montenegrin forces numbering 30 crossed theMorača river and attacked the Albanian Ottoman citadel, under Selim Aga, with 27 men. Five were killed and four wounded while Selim Aga pulled back, wounded, into his house. The next morning, he returned to counter the Montenegrins. The Pasha of Scutari immediately began gathering troops.[62]
In 1877, Nikšić was annexed by the Montenegrins in accordance with the Treaty of Berlin.[63][64] American authorWilliam James Stillman (1828–1901) who traveled in the region at the time writes in his biography of the Montenegrin forces who, on the orders of the Prince, began to bomb the Studenica fortress in Nikšić with artillery. Around 20 Albanian nizams were inside the fortress who resisted and when the walls breached, they surrendered and asked Stillman if they were going to be decapitated. An Albanian accompanying Stillman translated his words saying they were not going to be killed in which the Albanians celebrated.[65] Shortly after the treaty, the Montenegrin prince began expelling the Albanians from Nikšić,Žabljak andKolašin who then fled toTurkey,Kosovo (Pristina)[6] andMacedonia.[66] The Montenegrin forces also robbed the Albanians before the expulsion.[67] After the fall of Nikšić,Prince Nicholas I wrote a poem of the victory.[68]After theterritorial expansion of Montenegro towards the Ottoman territories in 1878, Albanians for the first time became citizens of that country. Albanians that obtained Montenegrin citizenship were Muslims and Catholics, and lived in the cities ofBar andUlcinj, including their surroundings, in the bank of riverBojana and shore ofLake Skadar, as well as inZatrijebač.[69]
On the eve of conflict between Montenegro and the Ottomans (1876–1878), a substantial Albanian population resided in the Sanjak of İşkodra.[70] In the Montenegrin-Ottoman war that ensued, strong resistance in the towns ofPodgorica (majority Muslim at the time, with a substantial portion being Albanian) andSpuž toward Montenegrin forces was followed by the expulsion of their Albanian and Slavic Muslim populations who resettled inShkodër.[71] These populations resettled in Shkodër city and its environs.[72][73] A smaller Albanian population formed of the wealthy elite voluntarily left and resettled in Shkodër after Ulcinj's incorporation into Montenegro in 1880.[73][72]
On January 31, 1879, Montenegrin teacher Šćepan Martinović informed the government ofCetinje that the Muslims of Nikšić desired a school.[74] The Ottomans had opened schools in Nikšić, among other neighboring regions, in the 17th and 18th century.[75]
In 1879, Zenel Ahmet Demushi of the Geghyseni tribe, fought with 40 members of the family against Montenegrin forces led by Marko Miljanov in Nikšić .[76] The conflict intensified in 1880 when the Albanian irregulars fought under Ali Pash Gucia against the Montenegrin forces led by the brother of Marko Miljanov, Teodor Miljanov, the battle lasting five hours, according to letters written by two local Albanians fromShkodër who participated in the battle.[77]
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TheBattles for Plav and Gusinje were armed conflicts between thePrincipality of Montenegro and Ottoman irregular armies (pro-Ottoman AlbanianLeague of Prizren) that broke out following the decision of theCongress of Berlin (1878) that the territories of Plav and Gusinje (part of formerScutari Vilayet) be ceded to Montenegro. The conflicts took place in this territory between 9 October 1879 and 8 January 1880. The following battles were fought: theVelika attacks (9 October–22 November 1879), theBattle of Novšiće (4 December 1879) and theBattle of Murino (8 January 1880). Some of the participants in the battles became distinguished such asJakup Ferri of Plav, whose actions in 1879 made him a hero of Albanian folk poetry together withAli Pasha Gucia.[78]
In 1880 abattle was fought between the Ottoman forces of Dervish Pasha and Albanian irregulars at the region of Kodra e Kuqe, close to Ulcinj. The area of Ulcinj had been handed over to Montenegro by the Ottomans after the Albanians previously fought against the annexions of Hoti and Grude.[79] The Great powers instead pressured the Ottomans to hand over the area of Ulcinj, but also here the Albanians refused. Eventually the Great powers forced the Ottomans to take actions against the League of Prizren, ending the resistance and successfully handing over the town of Ulcinj to Montenegro.[80][81]
In 1899, the government in Montenegro arrested Albanians in Nikšić andDanilovgrad out of fear that the Malesori would attack theYoung Turks in the region, and the captives were held for more than six months in prison.[82]
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The Bulgarian foreign ministry compiled a report about the fivekazas (districts) of the sanjak of the Novi Pazar in 1901–02. According to the Bulgarian report, the kazas ofAkova andKolašin were almost entirely populated byAlbanians.In the kaza of Akovo there were 47 Albanian villages which had 1,266 households, whereas Serbs lived in 11 villages which had 216 households.[83] The town of Akova (Bijelo Polje) had 100 Albanian and Serb households.The kaza of Kolašin had 27 Albanian villages with 732 households and 5 Serb villages with 75 households. The administrative centre of the kaza,Šahovići, had 25 Albanian households.[84]
On March 24, 1911, anAlbanian uprising broke out in Malësia. During one of its battles, theBattle of Deçiq (6 April), theAlbanian flag was raised for the first time in possibly over 400 years in the Deçiq mountain near Tuzi. It was raised byDed Gjo Luli on the peak of Bratila after victory was secured. The phrase "Tash o vllazën do t’ju takojë të shihni atë që për 450 vjet se ka pa kush" (Now brothers you have earned the right to see that which has been unseen for 450 years) has been attributed to Ded Gjo Luli by later memoirs of those who were present when he raised the flag.[85] It was one of three banners brought toMalësia by Palokë Traboini, student in Austria. The other two banners were used by Ujka ofGruda and Prelë Luca ofTriepshi.[86]
On 11 May, Shefqet Turgut Pasha issued a general proclamation which declared martial law and offered an amnesty for all rebels (except for Malësor chieftains) if they immediately return to their homes.[87] After Ottoman troops entered the area Tocci fled the empire abandoning his activities.[87] Three days later, he ordered his troops to again seize Dečić.[88] Sixty Albanian chieftains rejected Turgut Pasha's proclamation on their meeting inPodgorica on 18 May.[89] After almost a month of intense fightings rebels were trapped and their only choices were either to die fighting, to surrender or to flee to Montenegro.[90] Most of the rebels chose to flee to Montenegro which became a base for large number of rebels determined to attack the Ottoman Empire.[91] Ismail Kemal Bey and Tiranli Cemal bey traveled from Italy to Montenegro at the end of May and met the rebels to convince them to adopt the nationalistic agenda which they eventually did.[92][93]
After the battle, at the initiative Ismail Qemali[94] the assembly of the tribal leaders of the revolt was held in a village in Montenegro (Gerče) on 23 June 1911 to adopt the "Gërçe Memorandum"[95]) with their requests both toOttoman Empire and Europe (in particular to the Great Britain).[96] This memorandum was signed by 22 Albanian chieftains, four from each tribe of Hoti, Grude and Shkrel, five fromKastrati, three from Klementi and two from Shale.[97]
ThePlav–Gusinje massacres occurred between late 1912 and March 1913 in the areas of the modern Plav and Gusinje municipalities and adjacent areas. More than 1,800 locals, mostly Muslim Albanians from these two regions were killed and 12,000 were forced to convert to Orthodoxy by the military administration put in charge of these regions by the Kingdom of Montenegro which had annexed them during the First Balkan War.[98][99]
After theBalkan Wars, new territories inhabited by Albanians became part of Montenegro. Montenegro then gained a part ofMalesija, respectivelyHoti andGruda, withTuzi as center,Plav,Gusinje,Rugovo,Peja andGjakova.[69] During World War I, Albanian immigrants from Nikšić who had been expelled to Cetinje sent a letter toIsa Boletini saying that they risked starving if he did not send them money for food.[100]
On May 26, 1913, a delegation from the chief families of Hoti, Gruda, Kelmendi, Shkreli and Kastrati met AdmiralCecil Burney of the international fleet and petitioned against the annexation of Hoti and Gruda by Montenegro. The delegation warned that hostilities would resume if those areas didn't remain "entirely Albanian".[101]
DuringWorld War I, local AlbanianqadiBajram Balota organised a force of irregulars in the territory held by Austria-Hungary in Montenegro aroundBerane andRožaje, with his soldiers and allies persecuting and killing Orthodox Montenegrins. His movement was dissolved following a defeat by Austro-Hungarian soldiers on June 18, 1918.r[102]
The entry of the Montenegrin army in 1912-13 and the Yugoslav army after 1919 in Plav-Gusinje was accompanied by repressive policies against the local population. An Albanian revolt, which later came to be known as thePlav rebellion rose up in the Rožaje, Plav and Gusinje districts, fighting against the inclusion ofSandžak in theKingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.[103][104][105] As a result, during the Serbian army's second occupation ofRožaje, which took place in 1918–1919, seven hundred Albanian citizens were slaughtered in Rožaje. In 1919, Serb forces attacked Albanian populations in Plav and Gusinje, which had appealed to the British government for protection. About 450 local civilians were killed after the uprising was quelled.[106] These events resulted in a large influx of Albanians migrating toAlbania.[107][108]
With the creation of theKingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes afterWorld War I, Albanians in Montenegro became discriminated. The position would improve somewhat inTito's Yugoslavia. In the mid-twentieth century, 20,000 Albanians lived in Montenegro and their number would grow by the end of the century. By the end of the 20th century the number of Albanians began to fall as a result of immigration.[69]
During the Second World War,Chetnik forces based in Montenegro conducted a series of ethnic cleansing operations against Muslims in theBihor region. In May 1943, an estimated 5400 Albanian men, women and children in Bihor were massacred by Chetnik forces underPavle Đurišić.[109] The notables of the region then published a memorandum and declared themselves to be Albanians. The memorandum was sent to Prime MinisterEkrem Libohova whom they asked to intervene so the region could be united to the Albanian kingdom.[110] That same year saw the creation of theSS-police "self-defence" regiment Sandžak, being formed by joining threebattalions of Albanian collaborationist troops with one battalion of theSandžak Muslim militia.[111][112] Its leader wasSulejman Pačariz,[113] an Islamic cleric ofAlbanian origin.[114]
The spring of 1945 saw themassacre of an unknown number of mostly ethnic Albanians from Kosovo Yugoslav Partisans in late March or early April 1945 in Bar, a municipality in Montenegro, at the end of World War II. Yugoslav sources put the number of victims at 400[115] while Albanian sources put the figure at 2,000 killed in Bar alone.[116] According to Croatian historianLjubica Štefan, the Partisans killed 1,600 Albanians in Bar on 1 April after an incident at a fountain.[117] There are also accounts claiming that the victims included young boys.[118] After the massacre, the site was immediately covered in concrete by the Yugoslav communist regime and built an airport on top of the mass grave.[118]
On 26 November 2019,an earthquake struck Albania. In Montenegro, Albanians from Ulcinj were involved in a major relief effort sending items such as food, blankets, diapers and baby milk through a local humanitarian organisationAmaneti and in Tuzi through fundraising efforts.[119]
As of 2022, Albanians from Montenegro have been represented by numerous Albanian-American associations, namely theAlbanian-American Association of Ulqin; who, through community and humanitarian initiatives, have been able to be beacon for all Albanians with heritage in Montenegro.
Albanians in Montenegro are settled in the southeastern and eastern parts of the country.Ulcinj Municipality, consisting ofUlcinj (Albanian: Ulqin) with the surroundings and Ana e Malit region, along with the newly formedTuzi Municipality, are the only municipalities where Albanians are the majority (74% and 63% of the populations respectively). A large number of Albanians also live in the following regions:Bar (Tivar) andSkadarska Krajina (Krajë) inBar Municipality (1,919 Albanians or 4% of the population),Gusinje (Guci) inGusinje Municipality (1,352 or 34%),Plav (Plavë) inPlav Municipality (853 or 9%) andRožaje (Rozhajë) inRožaje Municipality (1,176 or 5%).[1]
The largest Albanian settlement isUlcinj, followed byTuzi.
Of the 24municipalities in the country, two have an ethnic Albanian majority.
| Emblem | Municipality | Area km2 (sq mi) | Settlements | Population(2023) | Mayor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | % | |||||
 | Ulcinj Ulqin | 255 km2 (98 sq mi) | 41 | 15,078 | 73.53% | Genci Nimanbegu (FORCA) |
 | Tuzi Tuz | 236 km2 (91 sq mi) | 37 | 8,119 | 62.55% | Nik Gjeloshaj (AA) |
| — | 2 | — | 78 | 23,197 | — | — |
The Albanians in Montenegro areGhegs.
The historical Albanian tribes which exist in Montenegro up to the modern era are:Hoti,Gruda, andKoja e Kuçit.[120]
Other Albanian tribes also existed in the past, but either formed other tribes or assimilated into the neighbouring Slavic population. Examples includeMataruge andŠpanje inOld Herzegovina,Kriči in the region ofMojkovac,Kryethi andPamalioti around the city of Ulcinj,Mahine aboveBudva,Goljemadi inOld Montenegro, as well as tribes who inhabited the Brda area, includingBytadosi,Bukumiri,Malonšići,Macure,Mataguzi,Drekalovići,Kakarriqi,Mugoša,Rogami,Kuçi,Piperi,Bratonožići,Vasojevići andBjelopavlići, the latter five now identifying as Slavic. TheCeklin tribal community are of partial Albanian origin, with the two founding brotherhoods sharing descent matrilineally from Piperi while being patrilineally from the Kelmendi (Gornjaci) and Piperi (Donjaci).[121] TheLužani, were inhabitants of the upper Zeta valley, among whom common Albanian anthroponyms were also found. They were at least partly of Albanian origin with Hrabrak suggesting that they might have been recent immigrants from Albania.[24] Certain scholars such as Tea Mayhew and Marie-Janine Calic also consider thePaštrovići to have been anAlbanian tribe.[122][123] The tribe of theRiđani appear to have been predominantly aromanized people, nevertheless Albanian names also appear among them, as was the case with one of their leaders, katunarŠimrak.[124] The name of theNikšići, appears to have developed from the diminutiveAlbanianNiksh plus the Slavic suffixić.[125]
Montenegrin Albanian culture in this region is closely related to the culture of Albanians in Albania, and the city ofShkodër in particular. Their Albanian language dialect isGheg as of Albanians in NorthernAlbania.
According to the 2003 census, 73.86% of Albanians living in Montenegro were Muslim and 26.13% wereRoman Catholic.[126] The religious life of Muslim Albanians is organized by theIslamic Community of Montenegro, comprising not only Albanians, but also other Muslim minorities in Montenegro.[127] Catholic Albanians, generally living inŠestani,Malesija, and some in the Bar and Ulcinj municipalities, are members ofRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Bar, whose members are mainly Albanians, but which also includes a small number of Slavs. The current archbishop,Rrok Gjonlleshaj, is an ethnic Albanian.[127]
During the Middle Ages, Eastern Orthodox Albanians also inhabited Montenegro, with some examples including the Mahine near Budva, which had as its gathering place thePodmaine monastery, and theMataguži south of Podgorica whose leaders in 1468 donated to theVranjina Monastery a land area between Rijeka Plavnica and Karabež on the shores of Lake Skadar.[128]
Albanians in Montenegro speak theGheg Albanian dialect, namely the northwestern variant, while according to the 2011 Census, there are 32,671 native speakers of theAlbanian language (or 5.27% of the population).[129]
According to Article 13 of theConstitution of Montenegro, Albanian language (alongsideSerbian,Bosnian andCroatian) is a language in official use, officially recognized as minority language.[130]
Thelahuta is used byAlbanians of Montenegro for the singing of epic songs orAlbanian Songs of the Frontier Warriors. This practice was especially common inMalësia, although it was also practiced among other regions such as Sandžak with the bardAvdo Međedović.[131]Yahya bey Dukagjini, one of the best-knowndiwan poets of the 16th century, was anAlbanian fromPljevlja.
The government of Montenegro provides Albanian-language education in the local primary and secondary schools. There is one department in theUniversity of Montenegro, located inPodgorica, offered in Albanian, namelyteacher education.[69]
Early 20th century political figures which had significant activity in the Albanian community in Montenegro areIsmail Nikoçi, mayor of Gusinje andAgan Koja, imam of Plav. Nikoçi fought against the annexation of Plav-Gusinje by Yugoslavia in 1919 raised awareness for the rights of the Albanian refugees which left the area. Koja who became more prominent after Nikoçi's assassination led a group ofkachaks who fought against the Yugoslav army in the Albanian-Yugoslav borderlands.Cafo Beg Ulqini was elected as the first Albanian born Mayor ofUlcinj where he held office for two decades prior to his appointment to Regent of the Albanian Kingdom in 1944.[132] The leader of the Kaçak movement in Rozaje, Kolašin and Bihor wasJusuf Mehonja, a member of theCommittee of Kosovo, among others such as Husein Boshko, Feriz Sallku and Rek Bisheva.[133][page needed][134]
The first political party created by Albanians in this country is theDemocratic League in Montenegro, founded by Mehmet Bardhi in 1990. Most Albanians support the country's integration into theEU: during the2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, in Ulcinj Municipality, where Albanians at that time accounted over 72% of the population, 88.50% of voters voted for an independent Montenegro. Overall, the vote of the Albanian minority secured the country's secession fromSerbia and Montenegro.[135]
In 2008, theAlbanian National Council (Albanian:Këshilli Kombëtar i Shqiptarëve,abb. KKSH) was established to represent the political interests of the Albanian community. The current chairman of the KKSH is Faik Nika.
In 2022,Dritan Abazović became the first ethnic Albanian to hold the office of Prime Minister of Montenegro.
Most of the ethnic Albanians that live outside the country are Ghegs, although there is a small Tosk population clustered around the shores of lakes Presp and Ohrid in the south of Macedonia.
Više naučnika se slaže da su se u XII i XIII veku, a i kasnije, „ arbanaške stočarske grupe " doseljavale preko Zete sve do Neretve ( plemena Mataruge, Mugoše, Macure, Maine, Malončići, Lužani, Kričci, Burmazi, Žurovići, Mirilovići i dr.)
Često je, međutim, to prethodno stanovništvo bilo arbanaškog porekla (Mataruge, Mugoše, Macure, Lužani, Kričci). Ipak, i kod tog starijeg sloja treba pretpostaviti da je reč o doseljenicima iz današnje Albanije. Ima više dokaza da su se u XII XIII veku i kasnije arbanaške stočarske grupe preko Zete doseljavale sve do Neretve.
Zna se da je na Tari 1278. bilo „ arbanaških skupina " . ( Tokom XIV veka je „ arbanaški katun " asimilovan od strane brojnijih Vlaha, koji su bili u procesu sloveniziranja . )
Dulcigno, dool-chen'yo, Montenegro, a small seaport town on the Adriatic. The in- habitants, formerly notorious under the name of Dulcignottes, as the most dangerous pirates of the Adriatic, are now engaged in commerce or in the fisheries of the river Bojana. Pop. 5,102.
On the other hand, there are some areas, particularly in Montenegro, where Albanian-speaking populations have shifted to Slavic-speaking ones, such as the tribes of Piperi and Kuči, the Slavic Muslim populations in Plav/Plavë and Gusinje/Gucia, and perhaps with the Mrković.
Në mënyrë domethënëse, një tekst françeskan i shek. XVII, pasi pohon se fi set e Piperve, Bratonishëve, Bjelopavliqëve e Kuçëve ishin shqiptare, shton se: "megjithatë, duke qenë se thuajse që të gjithë ata ndjekin ritin serbian (ortodoks) dhe përdorin gjuhën ilirike (sllave), shumë shpejt do mund të quhen më shumë Sllavë, se sa Shqiptarë...Ma favellando delle quattro popolationi de Piperi, Brattonisi, Bielopaulouicchi e Cuechi, liquali et il loro gran ualore nell'armi danno segno di esser de sangue Albanese e a tale dalli Albanesi sono tenuti
Translation:Den 26 Oktober 1851 tilldrog sig nemligen, att Arnaut-chefen Gjulek från Niksic, hvilken skulle försvara landet mot Montenegrinerna och hålla själv staden i lydnad, hade med 200 arnauter, dem han hemtat till förstärkning från Mostar, blifvit överfallen af en stark Montenegrinsk Ceta i trakten af Gatsko.
On October 26, 1851, Arnaut commander Gjulek of Niksic, who would defend the country against the Montenegrin and keep the city in obedience, had agreed, with 200 arnauts, which he had taken to reinforce Mostar, to have been attacked by a strong Montenegrin Ceta in the neighborhood of Gatsko.
118/5000 the process of expelling Albanians from their lands in Koloshin, Niksic Field, Zabjak and elsewhere.
Montenegrin army violence and property theft forced them to flee from Kolasin, Niksic, Shpuza, ...
government called upon Shefqet Turgut Pasha...on 11 May he proclaimed martial law...On the third day however, the impatient general ordered his troops to seize the important hill of Dečić overlooking Tuzi.
In they Podgorica declarationof 18 May sixty Albanian chiefs rejected Turgut's demands...
During the month of intense fighting...By the end of June the Catholic insurgents jointed by the powerful Mirdite clans, were trapped...They had but three choices left to them: to surrender, to die where they were or to flee across the border into Montenegro.
Most chose the last option. Once again became a haven for large body of insurgent forces determined to make war on Ottoman Empire.
The memorandum adopted at a general assembly in Gerçë a month later doubtless bears the penmanship of Ismail Qemali, who arrived in Montenegro from Italy at the end of May.
Meanwhile Ismail Kemal and Tiranli Cemal Bey personally visited rebellious Malisors in Montenegro to encourage them to accept a nationalistic program.... The Ghegs of Iskodra had embraced nationalistic program.
У то време стигао je у Црну Гору албански нрвак Исмаил Кемал Bej да би се састао са главарима побушених Малисора. На н>егову инищцативу дошло je до састанка побунэених Малисора у селу Герче у Црно) Гори.
The Gerche memorandum, referred to often as "The Red Book" because of the color of its covers
Twenty two Albanians signed the memorandum, including four each from the fises of Grude, Hoti and Skrel; five from Kastrati; three from Klement, and two from Shale
Легију „Кремплер", састављени од три батаљона албанских квислиншких трупа и муслиманске фашистичке милиције у Санџаку.
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