 | |
| Continent | Europe |
|---|---|
| Region | Mediterranean Sea Southeastern Europe |
| Area | |
| • Total | 28,748 km2 (11,100 sq mi) |
| • Land | 97.7% |
| • Water | 2.3% |
| Coastline | 476 km (296 mi) |
| Borders |
|
| Highest point | Mount Korab 2,764 m (9,068 ft) |
| Lowest point | Adriatic Sea 0 m (0 ft) |
| Longest river | River of Drin 335 km (208 mi) |
| Largest lake | Lake of Shkodër 530 km2 (200 sq mi) |
Albania is a country insoutheastern Europe that lies along theAdriatic andIonian Seas, with a coastline spanning approximately 476 km (296 mi).[1] Situated on theBalkan Peninsula, it is one of the most mountainous countries inEurope. It is bounded byMontenegro to the northwest,Kosovo to the northeast,North Macedonia to the east andGreece to the southeast and south.[2]
Most of Albania rises into mountains and hills, tending to run the length of the country from north to south, as for instance theAlbanian Alps in the north, theSharr Mountains in the northeast, theSkanderbeg Mountains in the center, theKorab Mountains in the east, thePindus Mountains in the southeast, and theCeraunian Mountains in the southwest. Plains and plateaus extend in the west along theAlbanian Adriatic andIonian Sea Coast.
Some of the most considerable and oldest bodies offreshwater ofEurope can be found in Albania. The second largest lake ofSouthern Europe, theLake of Shkodër, is located in the northwest surrounded by the Albanian Alps and the Adriatic Sea.[3] And one of the oldest continuously existing lakes in the world, theLake of Ohrid, lies in the southeast,[4] while the highest tectonic lakes of theBalkan Peninsula, theLarge andSmall Lake of Prespa, are well hidden among high mountains in the southeast.
Rivers originate in the east of Albania and loop towards the west into the sea. They are encompassed by thedrainage basins of the Adriatic,Aegean andBlack Sea.[5] The longest river in the country, measured from its mouth to its source, is theDrin that starts at the confluence of its two headwaters, theBlack andWhite Drin, though also notable is theVjosë, one of the last intact large river systems in Europe.
For a small country, Albania is characterized for itsbiological diversity and abundance of contrastingecosystems andhabitats, defined in an area of 28,748 square kilometres (11,100 sq mi).[6] This great diversity derives from Albania's geographic location on the Mediterranean Sea, with typical climatic conditions, varied topography, as well as the wealth ofterrestrial andmarineecosystems providing a variety ofhabitats, each with its own typicalflora andfauna.[7]
There are 799Albanian protected areas covering a surface of 5,216.96 square kilometres (2,014.28 sq mi).[8] These include twostrict nature reserves, 14national parks, onemarine park, eight archaeological parks, 750natural monuments, 22 habitat/species management areas, fiveprotected landscapes, fourprotected landscapes, four managed resources areas, and fourramsar wetlands.[9][10] The national parks cover a surface area of 210,668.48 hectares (2,106.6848 km2) or roughly 13.65% of the overall territory.[11]
A total surface area of 28.748 square kilometres (11,100 sq mi), the country is located in the southeastern part of theAdriatic and the northeastern part of the Ionian Sea, both located within theMediterranean Sea. It has a length of borders of about 1,094 kilometres (680 mi), 657 kilometres (408 mi) of which are taken by terrestrial borders, 316 kilometres (196 mi) of shore borders, 48 kilometres (30 mi)river borders and 73 kilometres (45 mi) oflake borders.[12][13] Inland water surface is 1,350 square kilometres (520 sq mi), composed bynatural lakes 325 square kilometres (125 sq mi),coastal lagoons 130 square kilometres (50 sq mi),artificial lakes 174 square kilometres (67 sq mi) and rivers 721 kilometres (448 mi).[14]
The countries ofMontenegro (173 kilometres (107 mi)) andKosovo (114 kilometres (71 mi)) border the country in the north and northeast, respectively.[15] A significant portion of this border connects high points and follows mountain ridges through the largely inaccessibleAlbanian Alps. The eastern border is shared withNorth Macedonia, which stretches 151 kilometres (94 mi). This border is located at thetripoint between Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia passing through theSharr andKorab Mountains and continues until it reaches Lake Ohrid andLake Prespa.[16] The southern and southeastern border withGreece is 282 kilometres (175 mi) long.[15] The border is located at the tripoint border between Albania, North Macedonia, and Greece running across the Large andSmall Lake Prespa until it reaches the Ionian Sea at theStrait of Corfu.
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The most significant feature of Albania is possibly itsrelief, with numerous successivemountain ranges and its average altitude, more than 700 metresabove sea level.[17][18] Much of the mountains lie to the north, east and south of thewestern lowlands in thenorthern,eastern andsouthern mountain ranges.
TheAlbanian Alps extend over 90 kilometres through the north of Albania, traversing an area of 2,000 square kilometres. These mountains represent anextension of theDinaric Alps and no wider than 40 kilometres. They are deeply fragmented and often inaccessible.[19] It holds theMaja Jezercë, which is the highest point of the Dinarides and simultaneously the second highest point of Albania.[20]
TheKorab Mountains dominate the east of the country and expand 40 kilometres along the eastern border of the country, where peaks can clearly reach 2,500 metres. The mountains offer the country's most prominent peak atMount Korab, which is fragmented by many deep structural depressions. Another distinguishing feature remains the evidence of thelast ice age in form ofglacial lakes at relatively low altitudes.
One of the most remarkable features about the south of Albania is the presence of theCeraunian Mountains that cut across the landscape for nearly 100 kilometres. Thousand meter high mountains fall vertically into theMediterranean Sea constituting at least the first barrier to communication between the sea and the country's southern inland.
The country has a dense network ofrivers and streams characterized by a highflow rate.[21] They belong to thedrainage basins of theAdriatic,Aegean andBlack Sea. They mostly rise in the mountainous eastern half of the country and have theirmouths in the west along the coasts.[22] They are sustained from snowmelt of the snow-capped mountains or from the abundant precipitation that falls at loftier elevations.
Eight notable rivers, along with their numeroustributaries, make up the river system of the country. The longest river is theDrin, which flows for 285 kilometres (177 mi) within the country. Itscatchment area is one of the mostbiodiverse places in Europe and encompasses the lakes ofShkodër,Ohrid andPrespa.[23] Of particular concern represent the river ofVjosa as it is considered as the last remaining wild river in Europe.[24] The country's other rivers areFan,Ishëm,Erzen,Mat,Seman andShkumbin.
With more than 250lakes, the country is home to two of the largest lakes inSouthern Europe and one of the oldest in the World. The lakes of the country are predominantly ofkarstic orglacial origin.[25] The largest lake in Southern Europe is theLake of Shkodër geographically located in the north, shared with Montenegro.[26] One of the ancientest lakes in the world is theLake of Ohrid located in the southeast, shared with North Macedonia.[27][28] The highest positioned lakes in Southern Europe are theLarge andSmall Lake of Prespa in the southeast, shared with North Macedonia and Greece.
The country is also home to manylagoons of varied shape, size and structure.[29] They are primarily positioned along the coast in the west of the country and also in the southeast. They contribute to the overall productivity of the coastal waters by supporting a variety of habitats and ecosystems. The largest lagoon in the country is theLagoon of Karavasta located between the mouth of Shkumbin and Seman. Another significant lagoons are the lagoons ofPatoku,Narta,Kunë-Vain andButrint.[30]
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The proximity to theMediterranean Sea and the convergence of exceptionalclimatic,geological andhydrological conditions, have contributed for the development of a diversebiodiversity, making Albania one of thebiodiversity hotspots ofEurope.[31]
In terms ofphytogeography, the land area of Albania extends within theBoreal Kingdom, specifically within theIllyrian province of theCircumboreal Region. Its territory can be subdivided into four terrestrialecoregions of thePalearctic realm – theIllyrian,Balkan,Pindus andDinaric forests.[32]
In Albaniaforest cover is around 29.% of the total land area, equivalent to 788,900 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, up from 788,800 hectares (ha) in 1990. Of the naturally regenerating forest 11% was reported to beprimary forest (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 0% of the forest area was found within protected areas. For the year 2015, 97% of the forest area was reported to be underpublic ownership, 3%private ownership and 0% with ownership listed as other or unknown.[33][34]
The northern edge of the country has an affinity for those ofContinental Europe, while those of the southern edge refer to the affinity with that of theMediterranean Basin.[35] They are substantial because they provide shelter for a vast array ofrare andendangered species ofanimals, among others thebrown bear,Balkan lynx,grey wolf,golden jackal,Egyptian vulture andgolden eagle. Albania had a 2018Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 6.77/10, ranking it 64th globally out of 172 countries.[36]
TheMediterranean monk seal,short-beaked common dolphin andcommon bottlenose dolphin can frequently be seen in the coastal waters of the country. Outstanding is the presence of theDalmatian pelican, the rarestpelican in the world. The biodiversity of Albania is conserved in itsprotected areas, which provide protection to hundreds ofthreatened andendangered species.[8][37][10][11]
Numerous parts of Albania areprotected in accordance with a number of national and international designations due to theirnatural,historical orcultural value.[38] Protected areas belong to the most principal instruments ofconservation which in turn contributes effectively to the maintenance ofspecies,habitats andecosystems.
The country has currently fifteen designatednational parks, whereby one is specified as amarine park. Ranging from theAdriatic Sea and theIonian Sea to theAlbanian Alps and theCeraunian Mountains, they possess outstanding landscapes constituting habitats to thousands ofplant andanimal species.Butrint,Divjakë-Karavasta,Karaburun-Sazan,Llogara,Prespa,Shebenik-Jabllanicë,Theth andValbonë are among the most spectacular national parks of the country.
Albania has a combination of amediterranean climate and acontinental climate, with four distinctseasons.[39] The climatic conditions are highly variable and modified locally byaltitude andlatitude.[39] Itsclimate is strongly influenced by theMediterranean Sea in the west, and the mountains that raise in every corner around the country.
Its diverse regions have a remarkable range ofmicroclimates, with the weather system on the coasts contrasting with that prevailing in the interior. Moreover, the weather varies from the north and towards the south and the west to the east. Albania occupies the climate ranges fromtemperate climate on the coasts tocontinental climate in the interior.[40] The warmest areas of the country are at the coasts, which are characterized by a Mediterranean climate (Csa, Csb and Cfa) as defined by theKöppen climate classification. The highlands experiences an Oceanic climate. Winters in Albania are characteristically mild and wet while summers are warm and dry. The northern areas of country such as theAlbanian Alps experiences asubarctic climate with frequently very cold winters, and short, mild summers.
Thelowlands of Albania have mild winters, averaging about 7 °C (45 °F). The summer temperatures average 32 °C (90 °F), however, humidity is low. In the southern lowlands, specifically the areas on the Ionian sea, temperatures average about 5 °C (41 °F) in the winter and 30 °C (86 °F) during the summer.
The country is divided into fourphysiographic regions, theNorthern Mountain Range,Central Mountain Range,Southern Mountain Range andWestern Lowlands with two subdivisions corresponding roughly to theAlbanian Adriatic andIonian Sea Coast.[41]
Except for its sea coast in the west, thewestern lowlands are ringed by a great arc-shaped line of mountains spreading in the north, east and south. The predominantly flat and regular landscape ismorphologically characterized by the sea and rivers, in terms oftopography andsoil, and also in itsclimate andbiodiversity. The region experiences mild and short winters, with low rainfalls, and long hot and dry summers.[citation needed] It is mostly dominated by the extensiveMyzeqe plain, a largealluvial plain traversed by three main rivers, theShkumbin,Seman andVjosë.[42]
TheAlbanian Adriatic Sea Coast stretches from the mouth of the riverBuna near theLake of Shkodër in the north, across theGulf of Drin, to theBay of Vlorë in the south.[13] The twolargest coastal citiesDurrës andVlorë are located in the northern and the southern part of the region, respectively. The total length of thecoastline is approximately 274 kilometres (170 mi), mostly of which are taken up bysandy beaches,wetlands andalluvialdeposits, occurred byquaternary sediments of the main rivers of the country.
The coastline is lined with differenthabitats andecosystems, providing optimal conditions for a rich biodiversity. Of particular importance is the presence of numerous lagoons andponds, representing one of the wealthiest scenery of the country, in terms ofbiology. Likely, the lagoons ofKaravasta andNarta, in the immediate proximity to the sea, are among the most important ones in theMediterranean Sea.
While the Adriatic coast is relatively low, the Ionian coast is, with few exceptions, rugged and mountainous. TheAlbanian Ionian Sea Coast stretches from thePeninsula of Karaburun in the north, through theAlbanian Riviera, to theStraits of Corfu in the south.[13] Thelargest coastal citySarandë is located in the southern part of the region, while smaller villages includeBorsh,Dhermi,Himara,Qeparo,Piqeras, andLukovë.[43] The total length of thecoastline is approximately 172 kilometres (107 mi).
The most characteristic features of the coastline are theCeraunian Mountains, which extend nearly 100 kilometres (62 mi) along theAlbanian Riviera roughly in a southeast–northwest direction. The region is particularfertile and known for itscitrus fruits andviticulture, that has a long and special tradition in the region. The coastline is abundant indolomite from thetriassic period, thecarbonate rocks follows withlimestone from thejurassic period andbituminousschists,cretaceousporcelain andphosphate limestone.[44][13]
Thenorthern mountain range is the most mountainous region in the country and its physical geography and shape is distinguished by the convergence of two distinct geological regions, theAlbanian Alps and Mirdita Highlands.[45] A dominant feature of the region's landscape is the presence of severalu-shaped valleys, such as theValley of Valbonë, formed by the process ofglaciation.
The Albanian Alps are the southernmost extension of theDinaric Alps and simultaneously the highest and most imposing mountains of the country. Despite the fact that theice ages had relatively little geological influence on the alps, the southernmost glaciers ofEurope were recently discovered on the alps.[46]
The Albanian Alps are home to many important rivers ofWestern Balkans. The maindrainage basins of the Alps are those of theDrin andDanube Rivers.[47] Rivers on the Alps fall roughly into two categories, those that flow into theLim and those that enter theWhite Drin and meet theBlack Drin downstream at the Drin confluence. However, Drin dominates, draining most of the Alps with its tributaries and when measured from the source of the White Drin to the mouth of the Drin nearLezhë. But not all of the Drin flows near or parallel to the Alps. One Drin tributary is theValbona River, which drains into theAdriatic Sea, and its eastern tributary theGashi River.
The terrain of thecentral mountain range is predominantly mountainous and extremely fragmented carved into its present shape by theglaciers of the lastice age. The region is dominated by threemountain ranges, each running from north-northeast to south-southwest, roughly parallel to the eastern border of Albania.
TheKorab Mountains are certainly the most striking feature of the physical geography of the region. They hold the highest mountain of the country, theMount Korab.[48] The mountains extends over 40 kilometres and covers an area of 560 square kilometres.[49] Between the valleys ofShkumbin andDevoll rise the mountains that constitute to theValamara Mountains, while farther north stretches the connected mountain massifs ofShebenik andJabllanicë.[50]
The vast majority of the region'snatural lakes are located in the southern half of the region and most of them are the product of a long contiguous history. TheLake of Ohrid lie adjacent to the border shared withNorth Macedonia. It is one of the oldest continuously existing lakes in the world with a unique biodiversity. Further south, well hidden among high mountains, extend theLake of Prespa that is linked by a small channel with a sluice that separates the two lakes.
TheCeraunian Mountains, a coastalmountain range in southwestern Albania, stretches about 100 kilometres (62 mi) besides the Ionian Sea fromSarandë in south-east-northwest direction along theAlbanian Riviera toOrikum. The relief is varied, with many mountain passes, canyons, gorges, hills and other landforms. The mountains are characterized by housingBlack pines,Bulgarian firs,Bosnian pines andAsh trees. The mountain chain is home to many largemammals, includingbrown bears,grey wolves,lynx,golden eagles and others. The highest point on the chain isMaja e Çikës, that rises to an elevation of 2,045 metres (6,709 ft) above the Adriatic. From the peak, there is a view of the Albanian Riviera, the northern Ionian Islands as well as the Italian coast ofApulia andOtranto. The section has wide and long beaches, with a number of bays and headlands.
Stretching until theLlogara Pass at 1,027 metres (3,369 ft), the mountain chain gets separated into the Ceraunians in the west and the Akroceraunians (orReza e Kanalit) in the east within the Karaburun Peninsula.[52] The villages ofPalasë,Dhërmi,Vuno,Himarë,Qeparo,Borsh,Pilur,Kudhës andIlias are located on the Ceraunian range. The Llogara National Park covers an area of 10,100 square metres (109,000 sq ft).
TheKaraburun Peninsula is situated at the eastern side ofStrait of Otranto, where the Adriatic Sea meets the Ionian Sea. Its area is 62 square kilometres (24 sq mi), having a length of 16 kilometres (9.9 mi), and a width of only 5 kilometres (3.1 mi).[53] The Mesokanali is the narrow channel, that separates the peninsula from theSazan Island.Geologically, it is made up ofcarboniclimestone, dating back to theMesozoic period, while in the northwestern it is composed ofterrigenous sediment.[54] Furthermore, these formations have been continuously under the effect ofKarst and are exploited as marble. The relief of the peninsula comprises a number of hills with an average altitude of about 800 metres (2,600 ft) above the Adriatic. The highest summits are Maja eIlqës 733 metres (2,405 ft), Maja e Flamurit 826 metres (2,710 ft) and Maja Çadëri 839 metres (2,753 ft).[55]
The coastal landscape is characterized by a rough relief, that dips vertically into the Ionian Sea, it features several solitary peaks, large canyons, bays, caves and gulfs. Examples of typical landforms includeGjipe Canyon, Gjiri i Arushës, Gjiri i Dafinës,Gjiri i Gramës and so on. The geological evolution has formed also capes such as Haxhi Aliu, Galloveci and Kepi i Gjuhëzës, and other of 20 caves along the entire shoreline. The climate is Mediterranean, having hot summers and generally warm to cool, dry winters. Due to its climatic, hydrological and geological conditions, the area is characterized by its unique flora and fauna. Most of the territory consists of forests and is relatively well preserved, it includes many types of trees, such asMediterranean oak,Manna ash,Kermes oak, andField maple.[56]
Albania has 28.748 square kilometers area and the length of the borderline of the Republic of Albania is 1094 km, of which 657 km land border, 316 km of coastline, 48 km and 73 km through rivers dividing line through the lakes.
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece to the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north
In the North-Western part of the country, there is the Shkoder Lake, which is the largest in the Balkan Peninsula.
Situated on the shores of Lake Ohrid, the town of Ohrid is one of the oldest human settlements in Europe; Lake Ohrid is a superlative natural phenomenon, providing refuge for numerous endemic and relict freshwater species of flora and fauna dating from the tertiary period. As a deep and ancient lake of tectonic origin, Lake Ohrid has existed continuously for approximately two to three million years.
{{cite web}}:|archive-url= is malformed: timestamp (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)Although a small country, Albania has rich physical geography features. The variation of geomorphology, climate, biological diversity, rivers and lakes create favorable conditions. These features affected on human and their activities.
Approximately 30% of all European floras occur in Albania.
Some of the 30% of the European plant species, and 42% of the European mammals can be found in the country. Albania's variety of wetlands, lagoons and large lakes also provide critical winter habitat for migratory birds (1).
Angrenzende Länder – Griechenland 282 km
The highest peaks of Prokletije / Bjeshkët e Nemuna mountains are Maja Jezercë/ Jezerski (2694 m) in Albania.
Albanian rivers are characterized by a high flow rate; the total annual mean flow is 1308 m3s−1, which corresponds to an annual water volume of 41,250 km3.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)Karavasta lagoon represents the largest lagoon inAlbania and is among the biggest of the Adriatic basin; – Lezha lagoons extend on both sides of the Drini delta, Ceka lagoon in the southern part of river delta, Merxhanilagoon and Kenalla pond on its northern side; – Narta lagoon (Vlora) is situated at the southern Adriaticcoast; it is 42 km2 in size and has a depth of 0.3 to 1.0 m.: – Butrinti lagoon is 16.3 km2 in size with a mean depth of14 m and a maximal depth of 21 m. It is situated in the southern part at the Ionian Sea.
The territory of Albania can be divided into four ecoregions: Dinaric Alpine (mixed forests in the far north). Balcanic (mixed forest in the north-east). Pindus mountain (mixed forests covering the central and southeast mountains). Illyrian deciduous (forest covering the rest of the country).
The Alps have a width of 60 km and a length of 64 km and occupy an area of about 2020 km2 .
The number of glacial ponds in this area is rare for the European mainland and can only be compared to the Alps.
At 2764 meters Korab peak is one of only two summits in Europe which are the highest point for more than one country.
Korab is a very rugged mountain massif that consists mainly of shale and limestone of the Palaeozoic era with bloc structures.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)The Karaburun Peninsula covers a surface of 62 km2; It is 16 km long and 3–5 km wide
From the geological point of view it is made up of carbonic limestone of Kretac era, while in the northwestern part of it, Bay of Shën Jani, it is composed of terigenic deposits.
The relief comprises a number of hills. The average altitude from the sea levels 800 m with a number of peaks. The highest peaks are the so-called Maja e Ilqes (733 m), Maja e Flamurit (826 m) and Çadëri (839 m).
The most important trees in this type of forest are Quercus ilex, Fraxinus ornus, Quercus coccifera, Acer campestre, which form dense tree layer (cover 80 – 90 % in very well developed stands, height 8–10 m ).
