Albania (Republika e Shqiperise) is usually only well-known as one of the tumult-troubled countries of the Balkans the external world. That has historical how present causes. The Albanians had to oppose constantly strange Vormachtstreben and national subjugation. That has it militaryful and in relation to the foreign country become also distrustful to let.
The stalinistische policy of the Albanian leaders in the last four decades and the rough international climate in the time of the "cold war" did a remaining and led to anachronistischen isolation of Albania.
Since 1991 the country opens gradually and aims at a democratization. Thus also so far the weakly developed tourism received one Chance, which had to register losses during the Kosovo war naturally again. Nothing the defiance is worth it itself to prepare for a discovery travel into the "country of the eagle sons".
One calls eagle sons those Albanian often following Karl May and plays thereby on pride, the strength, the liberty will and those Boldness of these birds on, which are resident in the rauen mountains of Albania.
Already for centuries it ziert the coat of arms of the Albanian trunks, principalities and later the Albanian state: The doppelköpfige Eagle.
Albania, whose people belongs to the oldest ones in Europe, is a rather recent state. After the Albanian National hero Skanderbeg (birth name Gjergj Kastrioti) in 15. Jh. the Albanian principalities geeint and that Osmanen had successfully carried out nearly 25 years resistance, fell the country after its death (1468) under Turkish rule. This lasted longer than a half millenium and has many areas of life one Stamp pushed open. Only as the Osmani realm due to the Balkans wars, became independent Albania at the 28.November disintegrated 1912. This date becomes today still everyone Year with a national holiday honoured.
Of Albania history remained further eventful: It became in fact a half colony of Italy that the small country okkupierte in April 1939. Off September 1943 by the German armed forces occupied, knew itself Albania at the same time with the advance of the Red Army on the Balkans and through the fight of numerous partisan federations on 29 November 1944 release.
But the gap to remaining Europe, particularly the western, hardly more ger more inger. Crucially that choice of an allied one was always for Albania its attitude to Yugoslavia, from which it threatens itself felt. In the 40's one leaned first against Yugoslavia, but after Stalin 1948 with Tito had broken, recognized Enver Hoxha its chance, led pro-Soviet Kursein and switched its per-Yugoslav adversaries out. When then the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia approached again each other, it finally came 1961 to the break between Hoxha and Khrushchev. Afterwards there were nearly 30 years of no contacts between both states. The other Eastern Bloc countries, with exception of Romania, followed at that time "obvious" that-Soviet example, however reduced diplomatic relations held upright and developed, however in the modest Extent, the exchange of goods further.
Albania looked for and found a new allied one: China Mao' S. To that flirt with Peking, which supported its small "red lighthouse" in Europe over ten thousand kilometers away after forces, lasted straight in such a way are enough, until China began to overcome its isolation with regard to foreign policy and thereby also with the Albanian "ore enemy" Yugoslavia reconciled themselves. Thus Albania had since the second half of the 70's for the first time no more mainallied. Extremely more contradictionful, process accompanied by dramatic setbacks, that the democratization and the creation of free market conditions to the goal had, used 1991/92. Missing one democratic traditions, the catastrophic economic start conditions, corruption, Nepotism, the enormous development of the organized crime, gaping the far Shears between arm and realm, as well as untenable conceptions over the readiness and the fortune Western Europe and the USA to help and privately invest had particularly in the first half of the 90's Years led to resignation and apathy of a large part of the population.
After the decay that Pyramid systems, into those probably most Albanians their entire money had invested, the plundering of the weapon arsenals of the army and unrests like civil war found accomodation it in the summer 1997 to elections the protection of an international troop led from Italy and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Euro Observation, with which the democratic party lost the majority in parliament to the socialists. The life began to normalize itself again slowly, but continuing internal arguments and the events in and around Kosovo 1998/99 led again to enormous loads and setbacks. Only gradually always understand more humans that the intensive efforts of the international community, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Euro and the European Union, Albania from the economical to lead social and political crisis out and a load-carrying solution for Kosovo too find, which require active support of all Albanians.