Albania Flags

The Albanian flag consists of a silhouetted black double-headed eagle on a red background. It is officially known as Flamuri Kombëtar but bears the nickname flamur e Skënderbeut (the flag of Skanderbeg). The first version of the Albanian flag was adopted on November 28, 1443. The current version was made the official flag on 7 April 1992. There have been several variants of the Albanian flag, but nearly all featured the double-headed eagle.

The red color on the flag represents valor, bravery and the strength of the Albanian people. The double-headed eagle represents the sovereignty of Albania. The double-headed eagle is also found in the country's coat of arms.

The current version of the Albanian flag can be traced to the 15^th century when Prince George Kastrioti (Skanderbeg) raised his flag in defiance of the Ottoman Empire. His kingdom resisted the Empire’s rule until he died in 1468. The flag he raised bore a black eagle on a red background. In the late 19^th century, Albanian Immigrants Faik Konitsa who lived in Belgium and Querim Panarity who resided in the U.S popularized Skanderbeg and revived the flag as a symbol of unity among Albanians. On November 28, 1912, Albania proclaimed independence from the Ottoman empire and the flag became popular among Albanians although several other variants were also unofficially used. On April 7, 1992 the flag was officially adopted as the national flag.

All previous versions of the Albanian flags consisted of the black eagle on a red background. However, the difference was brought about by deformations of the double-headed eagle. Between 1920-1925 the eagle had yellow beaks and feet. Between 1928–1939 the flag had a crown on top of the eagle. The longest serving flag of modern Albania consisted of the two-headed eagle on a red background and a five-sided star on the upper part - it lasted between 1946–1992 before it was replaced by the current flag.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Tirana
Languages	Albanian 98.8% (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek 0.5%, other 0.6% (including Macedonian, Romani, Vlach, Turkish, Italian, and Serbo-Croatian), unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)
Ethnic Groups	Albanian 82.6%, Greek 0.9%, other 1% (including Vlach, Romani, Macedonian, Montenegrin, and Egyptian), unspecified 15.5% (2011 est.)
Religion	Muslim 56.7%, Roman Catholic 10%, Orthodox 6.8%, atheist 2.5%, Bektashi (a Sufi order) 2.1%, other 5.7%, unspecified 16.2%
Government	Parliamentary republic
Independance	28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)
Area	28,748.00 km²
Water Area	1,350.00 km²
Land Area	27,398.00 km²
Population	3,038,594.00 A fairly even distribution, with somewhat higher concentrations of people in the western and central parts of the country
Location	Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece to the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north
No. Bordering Countries	4
Bordering Countries	Greece 212 km, Kosovo 112 km, Macedonia 181 km, Montenegro 186 km
GDP(PPP)	$33,900,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$11,900.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are Italy, Kosovo, the USA, China, and Greece.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are apparel and clothing, asphalt, and metals.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are Italy, China, and Greece.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, and textiles.
Climate	Mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter
Terrain	Mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast
Learn More	Albania

Albania Flags

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