Central Albania

Central Albania (Albanian: Shqipëria Qendrore) is a subdivision of Albania as defined by the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS). It is one of the three classified NUTS-2 statistical regions of Albania. The region incorporates the central parts of the country including the capital Tirana, and encompasses an area of 4,967 km² (1,918 sq mi). It incorporates the counties of Tirana, and Elbasan. With a population of nearly one million, it is the most populated of the all the regions in Albania.

Central Albania Shqipëria Qendrore
Region
Tirana, the capital and seat of the Government of Albania
Interactive map of Central Albania
Country	Albania
Area [1]
• Total	4,967 km2 (1,918 sq mi)
Population  (2023)[2]
• Total	991,093
• Density	199.5/km2 (516.8/sq mi)
GDP [3][4]
• Total	€7.647 billion (2023)
NUTS code	AL02
HDI (2022)	0.818[5] high

Central Albania (yellow) in Albania

Classification

The country of Albania is organized into 12 counties for administrative purposes.^[6] The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) organizes the country into three broader level sub-divisions.^[7][8] These are classified as a NUTS-2 statistical regions of Albania, and incorporate one or more counties within it.^[9][10] The regions form the NUTS-3 territorial units under them.^[11]

Geography

Central Albania incorporates the central parts of the country around the capital city of Tirana, encompassing an area of 4,967 km² (1,918 sq mi).^[1] The region is located in Southeastern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea.^[12] It shares an international land border with Struga Municipality of North Macedonia. It is bordered by the counties of Dibër and Durres of North Albania to the north, and Berat, Fier and Korce of South Albania to the south.^[13][14][15]

The western part of the region consists of a narrow coast which reaches a maximum width of 50 km (31 mi) in the Elbasan county. It is made up of marshlands, and eroded low lying scrublands often with no vegetation. Moving towards the west, the elevation increases gradually, and consists of arable lands suitable for agriculture. These lands extend towards the foothills of the central uplands called Çermenikë, which consist of small hills with average elevation ranging between 305–915 m (1,001–3,002 ft). The western part of the region lies on a faultline, and is in a seismically active zone.^[16]

The Albanian rivers that pass through the region flow from east to west due to the topography of the land. Due to its closeness to the sea, the western lowlands experience warm and humid summers, and milder winters. The precipitation increases while moving eastwards, with the central highlands experiencing the greatest rainfall.^[16]

Sub-regions

Central Albania consists of two counties: Tirana County and Elbasan County.^[17]

List

County	Seat	Municipalities	Area[1]	Population (2023)[2]	Emblem	Geographic coordinates
Elbasan	Elbasan	Belsh, Cërrik, Elbasan, Gramsh, Librazhd, Peqin, Prrenjas	3,314 km2 (1,280 sq mi)	232,580		41°6′N 20°8′E
Tirana	Tiranë	Kamëz, Kavajë, Rrogozhinë, Tirana, Vorë	1,653 km2 (638 sq mi)	758,513		41°6′N 20°8′E

Demographics

Historical population
Year Pop. ±% 1989 806,725 —     2001 960,635 +19.1%	Year Pop. ±% 2011 1,045,192 +8.8% 2023 991,093 −5.2%
Source: [18]

With a population of nearly one million, it is the most populated of the all the regions in Albania.^[6] The population consists of 448,003 males and 543,090 females.^[2] With a GRDP of €7.647 billion, the region contributes to more than 50% of the country's GDP.^[3]

See also

• Northern Albania (Ghegeria)
• Southern Albania (Toskeria)