Albania: landmarks, animals & facts for kids

Albania is a small, mountainous country in southeastern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. It faces the Adriatic and Ionian Seas to the west, and its capital is Tirana. About 2.8 million people live there. Albania is known for its rugged mountains, sunny beaches, ancient ruins and its red flag with a black double-headed eagle. It is one of the smaller countries in Europe, yet it packs snowy peaks and warm beaches close together.

On My Earth Toy you can find the Clock Tower of Tirana, a stone tower about 35 metres tall that stands beside the Et'hem Bey Mosque near Skanderbeg Square. For a long time it was the tallest building in the city.

Geography and nature

Most of Albania is hills and mountains, with a narrow coastal plain along the sea. In the north rise the Albanian Alps, with deep valleys and stone villages. The south has the Albanian Riviera, where clear blue water meets rocky shores. Albania shares Lake Ohrid with North Macedonia; it is one of the oldest lakes in Europe. The Vjosa is one of the last big wild rivers in Europe that flows freely without dams for most of its length.

People, languages and culture

People in Albania speak Albanian, a language that forms its own branch of the Indo-European family, with no close relatives. Albanians call their country Shqipëria. Many families are Muslim, and others are Orthodox or Catholic Christians, and the country is known for getting along across religions. Meals often include grilled meats, fresh vegetables, cheese and byrek, a flaky pastry. Polyphonic folk singing from the south is listed by UNESCO as cultural heritage.

History in a nutshell

In ancient times the Illyrians lived here, and Greek and Roman cities such as Butrint were built on the coast. In the 1400s the hero Skanderbeg led resistance against the Ottoman Empire, which later ruled the area for over 400 years. Albania declared independence in 1912. After World War II it had a strict communist government that cut the country off from much of the world. Communism ended in the early 1990s, and Albania became a democracy.