Counties of Albania

Counties of Albania
CategoryUnitary state
LocationRepublic of Albania
Number12
Populations59,381 (Gjirokastër) – 906,166 (Tiranë)
Areas766 km2 (296 sq mi) (Durrës)–3,711 km2 (1,433 sq mi) (Korçë)
Government
  • County government
    National government
Subdivisions
  • Municipalities

Counties (Albanian: qarqe or qarqet), also sometimes known as prefectures (prefektura or prefekturat), are the first-level administrative subdivisions of Albania, replacing the earlier districts. Since 2000, there have been 12 counties. Since 2015, they have been divided into 61 municipalities, 373 communes, and 2,972 villages.

History

Since its Declaration of Independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, Albania has reorganized its domestic administrative divisions 21 times. The primary division until mid-2000 was into districts (rrathë or rrathët), whose number, size, and importance varied over time.[1] They were organized into groups comprising 12 counties beginning in 1991.[1]

The current status of the counties[2] is based on the 1998 constitution and was implemented on 31 July 2000.[3] The former districts were abolished entirely and replaced with urban municipalities (bashki or bashkitë) and rural municipalities (komuna or komunat), which further oversaw villages (fshatra or fshatrat) in the countryside. This was revised in 2014, so that the 2015 local elections divided the counties into municipalities (bashki or bashkitë) at the regional level and administrative units (njësi administrative or njësitë administrative) for local government.

List

County Seat Municipalities NUTS-2 Area Population (2023)[4] Population density
(per km2 in 2023) 		Emblem Geographic coordinates
Berat Berat Berat, Kuçovë, Poliçan, Skrapar, Ura Vajgurore Southern Region 1,798 km2 (694 sq mi) 140,956 78.4 Emblem of Berat County 40°44′N 19°59′E / 40.733°N 19.983°E / 40.733; 19.983 (Berat County)
Dibër Peshkopi Bulqizë, Dibër, Klos, Mat Northern Region 2,586 km2 (998 sq mi) 107,178 41.4 Emblem of Dibër County 41°42′N 20°22′E / 41.700°N 20.367°E / 41.700; 20.367 (Dibër County)
Durrës Durrës Durrës, Krujë, Shijak Northern Region 766 km2 (296 sq mi) 226,863 296.2 Emblem of Durrës County 41°23′N 19°30′E / 41.383°N 19.500°E / 41.383; 19.500 (Durrës County)
Elbasan Elbasan Belsh, Cërrik, Elbasan, Gramsh, Librazhd, Peqin, Prrenjas Central Region 3,199 km2 (1,235 sq mi) 232,580 72.7 Emblem of Elbasan County 41°6′N 20°8′E / 41.100°N 20.133°E / 41.100; 20.133 (Elbasan County)
Fier Fier Divjakë, Fier, Lushnjë, Mallakastër, Patos, Roskovec Southern Region 1,890 km2 (730 sq mi) 240,377 127.2 Emblem of Fier County 44°46′N 19°37′E / 44.767°N 19.617°E / 44.767; 19.617 (Fier County)
Gjirokastër Gjirokastër Dropull, Gjirokastër, Këlcyrë, Libohovë, Memaliaj, Përmet, Tepelenë Southern Region 2,884 km2 (1,114 sq mi) 60,013 20.8 Emblem of Gjirokastër County 40°12′N 20°15′E / 40.200°N 20.250°E / 40.200; 20.250 (Gjirokastër County)
Korçë Korçë Devoll, Kolonjë, Korçë, Maliq, Pogradec, Pustec Southern Region 3,711 km2 (1,433 sq mi) 173,091 46.6 Emblem of Korçë County 40°40′N 20°48′E / 40.667°N 20.800°E / 40.667; 20.800 (Korçë County)
Kukës Kukës Has, Kukës, Tropojë Northern Region 2,374 km2 (917 sq mi) 61,998 26.1 Emblem of Kukës County 42°7′N 20°25′E / 42.117°N 20.417°E / 42.117; 20.417 (Kukës County)
Lezhë Lezhë Kurbin, Lezhë, Mirditë Northern Region 1,620 km2 (630 sq mi) 99,384 61.3 Emblem of Lezhë County 41°49′N 19°41′E / 41.817°N 19.683°E / 41.817; 19.683 (Lezhë County)
Shkodër Shkodër Fushë-Arrëz, Malësi e Madhe, Pukë, Shkodër, Vau i Dejës Northern Region 3,562 km2 (1,375 sq mi) 154,479 43.4 Emblem of Shkodër County 42°6′N 19°37′E / 42.100°N 19.617°E / 42.100; 19.617 (Shkodër County)
Tirana Tiranë Kamëz, Kavajë, Rrogozhinë, Tirana, Vorë Central Region 1,652 km2 (638 sq mi) 758,513 459.1 Emblem of Tirana County 41°6′N 20°8′E / 41.100°N 20.133°E / 41.100; 20.133 (Tirana County)
Vlorë Vlorë Delvinë, Finiq, Himarë, Konispol, Sarandë, Selenicë, Vlorë Southern Region 2,706 km2 (1,045 sq mi) 146,681 54.2 Emblem of Vlorë County 40°30′N 19°37′E / 40.500°N 19.617°E / 40.500; 19.617 (Vlorë County)

References: [4]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Counties of Albania.
  • List of counties of Albania by area
  • List of counties of Albania by Gross Domestic Product
  • List of counties of Albania by Human Development Index
  • List of counties of Albania by population
  • List of counties of Albania by population density

References

  1. ^ a b A Brief History of the Administrative-territorial Organization in Albania Archived 2017-06-09 at the Wayback Machine, Ministry of State for Local Issues
  2. ^ "Ligji për Vetëqeverisjen Vendore" (PDF). Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  3. ^ "A Brief History of the Administrative-territorial Organization in Albania". reformaterritoriale.al. Archived from the original on 2017-06-09. Retrieved 2017-09-29.
  4. ^ a b "Popullsia e Shqipërisë, 1 Janar 2025" (PDF) (in Albanian). Instituti i Statistikës (INSTAT). Retrieved 26 October 2025. County totals for 1 Jan 2023 on pp. 64–65.
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