The Balkanista  

I’ve been living in this Balkan gem for almost four years, and during that time, I like to think I have amassed a bit of information about life, people, and the country. Here are a selection of interesting and slightly humorous observations and facts about Albania.

1. More Albanians are living outside the country than inside. The current population is around 2.8 million, a figure that is shrinking rapidly due to mass emigration and an aging, remaining population. Official government statistics say that there are more than 1.6 million living abroad, but this is actually likely to be much higher when you include children, second-generation individuals, and those who have left since the data was last updated in 2019. Hundreds of thousands fled following the fall of communism in 1990 and 1991, followed by more in 1997 as the country was on the brink of civil war. Tens of thousands leave each year looking for better jobs, salaries, and opportunities for their families- a sad, but true fact.
2. Albania has only been truly independent since the 90s. They were under Ottoman rule for almost 500 years, followed by Italians, almost the Germans, and the communists. But despite centuries of occupation, Albanians have remained true to their roots and have managed to keep a strong sense of national identity, language, culture, and history. Proudly patriotic, they are a prime example of an ancient people who, despite being conquered, retained an innate sense of Albanianism. As a result, there is nowhere quite like Albania, anywhere in the world. 
3. Every village, town, and city has its own unique set of traditions. These include songs, dances, food, clothing, and even differences in language and dialect. Much of this stems from tribal traditions dating back many years. It is also sometimes reflected in names that refer to the tribal name, which in term relates to the area the tribe inhabited. It’s fascinating to learn about each place, the similarities and differences, and the unique cultural identifiers.
4. Albania is multireligious and also non-religious at the same time. Much is written about how Albanians are religiously tolerant, but from what I’ve observed, they just don’t care. Some sources say it’s a majority Muslim country, but in reality, this isn’t true. While culturally and in terms of lineage they may have come from a Muslim family, the majority do not practice. Mos Albanians will happily celebrate Christian and Orthodox Easter and Christmas, Eid, Bajram, Norvuz, and a whole bunch of pagan festivals that date back longer than anyone can remember. Yes, they are tolerant, but they also would rather just get on with life than get hung up on religion. It’s a great attitude to have.
5. Albanians are tired of people talking about bunkers. During communism, the paranoid dictator Enver Hoxha set them to work, building hundreds of thousands of concrete bunkers to protect them and to use to fight off the enemy that never came. Much has been written about them and it’s a bit boring now. There are plenty of other interesting things to talk about on the topic of communism.
6. Speaking of which, there are still more than 5000 victims of communism missing. Communism was brutal in Albania and Enver Hoxha and his band of merry criminals and sociopaths, imprisoned, tortured, persecuted, abused, and murdered thousands upon thousands of innocent people. Today, there is no public memorial, no day of mourning or remembrance, and many families haven’t been compensated. Even more concerningly, there are thousands still missing, suspected to be in mass graves throughout the country. Time is running out for them and their families, yet no government seems to want to do much about it.
7. Albanians like to paint their house bright colors. I hear a lot of debate about why this happens or whether it’s tasteful or not, but I quite like it! You can expect to see bright pink, purple, green, orange, blue, and all shades of pastel, as you drive throughout the country, or within cities. Some apartments have murals painted on them with varying levels of aesthetic attraction, commissioned by politicians to try to cheer people up. Again, I think it’s quite endearing and it certainly gives the country a more unique feel!
8. Elderly Albanians are BLUNT. If you ever sit and chat with an elderly Albanian man or woman, get ready to be insulted. Your weight, haircut, makeup (if you wear it), life choices, clothes, plans, choice in a romantic partner, and general health. Also, be prepared to defend why you haven’t had kids/ why you aren’t having any more/ why you aren’t married, etc They will ask you a lot of questions and criticize the answers. Typically, they will offer a wealth of advice without any invitation and you can expect extremely blunt and straight-to-the-point observations. But it comes from a place of love and often, they are quite right!
9. There are only three formats for wifi passwords in the whole country. If you’re planning to visit Albania and are learning a couple of phrases before you visit, don’t worry about learning “what’s the wi-fi password”. Three and a half years of field research has taught me that there are only three formats; the previous year in numbers twice e.g. 20202020, the name of the bar plus last year in numbers e.g. Barparis2020, or the numbers one to nine e.g.123456789. If you don’t believe me, try it.
10. A set of ancient, feudal rules that Albanians swear they don’t abide by anymore but that still impact most of society, will keep all foreigners safe. The Kanun of Lek Dukagjini lays down very specific rules about honor and guests. Albanians are bound to welcome all guests, to treat them higher than their own family, to protect them, and to seek revenge on anyone that harms them while they are there. For a guest to be treated badly is something extremely shameful. This means you can expect a very warm welcome and a safe, happy stay in the country.
11. It’s pretty much the best country in the world. Ok, so I haven’t been to every country in the world, but after living here for 3.5 years, I don’t need to. Albania has everything you will ever need, and it will never stop amazing or surprising you!

/The Balkanista!