Editing Albania (section)

== Administrative divisions ==
{{Main|Administrative divisions of Albania}}
{{See also|Counties of Albania|Regions of Albania|Municipalities of Albania|Communes of Albania|Villages of Albania}}

{{image frame |content={{Albania Labelled Map}} |caption=The [[counties of Albania]] are the first-level administrative units in Albania.}}

Albania is defined within a territorial area of {{convert|28748|km2|0|abbr=on}} in the [[Balkan Peninsula]]. It is informally divided into three regions, the [[Northern Albania|Northern]], [[Central Albania|Central]] and [[Southern Albania|Southern Region]]s. Since [[Albanian Declaration of Independence|its Declaration of Independence]] in 1912, Albania has reformed [[Administrative divisions of Albania#History|its internal organisation]] 21 times. Presently, the primary [[administrative divisions of Albania|administrative units]] are the twelve constituent [[counties of Albania|counties]] ({{lang|sq|{{linktext|qarqe|lang=sq}}/{{linktext|qarqet|lang=sq}}}}), which hold equal status under the law.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[Government of Albania]] |title=Reforma Administrativo-territoriale |url=https://www.parlament.al/download/studime_propozime_per_komisioni_p--r_reform--n_administrativo-territoriale/KRITERET-TEKNIKE-PROPOZIMI-PER-KOMISIONIN-28-PRILL-2014.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.parlament.al/download/studime_propozime_per_komisioni_p--r_reform--n_administrativo-territoriale/KRITERET-TEKNIKE-PROPOZIMI-PER-KOMISIONIN-28-PRILL-2014.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live |page=8 |language=sq}}</ref> Counties had previously been used in the 1950s and were recreated on 31 July 2000 to unify the 36 [[Districts of Albania|districts]] ({{lang|sq|{{linktext|rrathë|lang=sq}}/{{linktext|rrathët|lang=sq}}}}) of that time.<ref>{{cite web |title=A Brief History of the Administrative-territorial Organisation in Albania |url=http://www.reformaterritoriale.al/en/reform/history |website=reformaterritoriale.al |access-date=27 September 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170609225417/http://www.reformaterritoriale.al/en/reform/history |archive-date=9 June 2017}}</ref><ref name="terref">{{Cite web |url=http://www.reformaterritoriale.al/en/roadmap/history |title=A Brief History of the Administrative-territorial Organization in Albania |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524170836/http://www.reformaterritoriale.al/en/roadmap/history |archive-date=24 May 2015}}</ref> The largest county in Albania by population is [[Tirana County]] with over 800,000 people. The smallest county, by population, is [[Gjirokastër County]] with over 70,000 people. The largest county, by area, is [[Korçë County]] encompassing {{convert|3711|km²|sqmi}} of the southeast of Albania. The smallest county, by area, is [[Durrës County]] with an area of {{convert|766|km²|sqmi}} in the west of Albania.

The counties are made up of 61 second-level divisions known as [[municipalities of Albania|municipalities]] ({{lang|sq|{{linktext|bashki|lang=sq}}/{{linktext|bashkia|lang=sq}}}}).<ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[Fletorja Zyrtare e Republikës së Shqipërisë]] |title=STRATEGJIA NDËRSEKTORIALE PËR DECENTRALIZIMIN DHE QEVERISJEN VENDORE 2015–2020 |url=http://www.qbz.gov.al/botime/fletore_zyrtare/2015/PDF-2015/147-2015.pdf |page=9 |language=sq |access-date=23 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630232453/http://qbz.gov.al/botime/fletore_zyrtare/2015/PDF-2015/147-2015.pdf |archive-date=30 June 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The municipalities are the first level of local governance, responsible for local needs and [[Law enforcement in Albania|law enforcement]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.moi.gov.al/english/images/pdf/qeverisja_vendore.pdf |title=On the Organization and Functioning of the Local Government, Republic of Albania, 2000 |access-date=27 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100215175046/http://www.moi.gov.al/english/images/pdf/qeverisja_vendore.pdf |archive-date=15 February 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.shekulli.com.al/web/p.php?id=38109&kat=88 |title=Ndarja e re, mbeten 28 bashki, shkrihen komunat &#124; Shekulli Online |publisher=Shekulli.com.al |date=10 January 2014 |access-date=15 February 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140113102623/http://www.shekulli.com.al/web/p.php?id=38109&kat=88 |archive-date=13 January 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.reformaterritoriale.al/ |title=Reforma Territoriale – KRYESORE |publisher=Reformaterritoriale.al |access-date=15 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170514063154/http://www.reformaterritoriale.al/ |archive-date=14 May 2017}}</ref> They unified and simplified the previous system of [[urban municipalities of Albania|urban]] and [[rural municipalities of Albania|rural municipalities]] or [[Communes of Albania|communes]] ({{lang|sq|{{linktext|komuna|lang=sq}}/{{linktext|komunat|lang=sq}}}}) in 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.top-channel.tv/lajme/artikull.php?id=292404|title=Ndarja administrative, njësitë vendore në lagje dhe fshatra|access-date=7 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170925225940/http://top-channel.tv/lajme/artikull.php?id=292404|archive-date=25 September 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shekulli.com.al/web/p.php?id=38109&kat=88|title=Ndarja e re, mbeten 28 bashki, shkrihen komunat – Shekulli Online|publisher=Shekulli.com.al |access-date=23 July 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140113102623/http://www.shekulli.com.al/web/p.php?id=38109&kat=88 |archive-date=13 January 2014}}</ref> For smaller issues of [[local government]], the municipalities are organised into 373 [[administrative units of Albania|administrative units]] ({{lang|sq|njësia}}/{{lang|sq|njësitë administrative}}). There are also 2980 villages ({{lang|sq|{{linktext|fshatra|lang=sq}}/{{linktext|fshatrat|lang=sq}}}}), neighborhoods or wards ({{lang|sq|{{linktext|lagje|lang=sq}}/{{linktext|lagjet|lang=sq}}}}), and localities ({{lang|sq|{{linktext|lokalitete|lang=sq}}/{{linktext|lokalitetet|lang=sq}}}}) previously used as administrative units.

{| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:left; font-size:85%; margin:1em auto;"
|- style="font-size:100%; text-align:right;"
! style="width:25px;" | [[Coat of arms|Emblem]] !! style="width:100px;"| [[Counties of Albania|County]] !! style="width:87px;"| Capital !! style="width:75px;" | Area <br />(km<sup>2</sup>) !! style="width:70px;"| [[List of counties of Albania by population|Population]] (2020) !! style="width:70px;" | [[List of counties of Albania by Human Development Index|HDI]] (2019)
|-
! scope="row" style=text-align:center | [[File:Stema e Qarkut Berat.svg|17px|alt=Emblem of Berat County]]
| [[Berat County|Berat]] || [[Berat]] || style=text-align:right | 1,798 || style=text-align:right | 122,003 || style=text-align:right | 0.782
|-
! scope="row" style=text-align:center | [[File:ALB Qarku i Dibrës COA.png|17px|alt=Emblem of Dibër County]]
| [[Dibër County|Dibër]] || [[Peshkopi]] || style=text-align:right | 2,586 || style=text-align:right | 115,857 || style=text-align:right | 0.754
|-
! scope="row" style=text-align:center | [[File:Stema e Qarkut Durrës.svg|17px|alt=Emblem of Durrës County]]
| [[Durrës County|Durrës]] || [[Durrës]] || style=text-align:right | 766 || style=text-align:right | 290,697 || style=text-align:right | 0.802
|-
! scope="row" style=text-align:center | [[File:Stema e Qarkut Elbasan.svg|17px|alt=Emblem of Elbasan County]]
| [[Elbasan County|Elbasan]] || [[Elbasan]] || style=text-align:right | 3,199 || style=text-align:right | 270,074 || style=text-align:right | 0.784
|-
! scope="row" style=text-align:center | [[File:Stema e Qarkut Fier.svg|17px|alt=Emblem of Fier County]]
| [[Fier County|Fier]] || [[Fier]] || style=text-align:right | 1,890 || style=text-align:right | 289,889 || style=text-align:right | 0.767
|-
! scope="row" style=text-align:center | [[File:Stema e Qarkut Gjirokastër.svg|17px|alt=Emblem of Gjirokastër County]]
| [[Gjirokastër County|Gjirokastër]] || [[Gjirokastër]] || style=text-align:right | 2,884 || style=text-align:right | 59,381 || style=text-align:right | 0.794
|-
! scope="row" style=text-align:center | [[File:Stema e Qarkut Korçë.svg|17px|alt=Emblem of Korçë County]]
| [[Korçë County|Korçë]] || [[Korçë]] || style=text-align:right | 3,711 || style=text-align:right | 204,831 || style=text-align:right | 0.790
|-
! scope="row" style=text-align:center | [[File:Stema e Qarkut Kukës.svg|17px|alt=Emblem of Kukës County]]
| [[Kukës County|Kukës]] || [[Kukës]] || style=text-align:right | 2,374 || style=text-align:right | 75,428 || style=text-align:right | 0.749
|-
! scope="row" style=text-align:center | [[File:Stema e Qarkut Lezhë.svg|17px|alt=Emblem of Lezhë County]]
| [[Lezhë County|Lezhë]] || [[Lezhë]] || style=text-align:right | 1,620 || style=text-align:right | 122,700 || style=text-align:right | 0.769
|-
! scope="row" style=text-align:center | [[File:Stema e Qarkut Shkodër.svg|17px|alt=Emblem of Shkodër County]]
| [[Shkodër County|Shkodër]] || [[Shkodër]] || style=text-align:right | 3,562 || style=text-align:right | 200,007 || style=text-align:right | 0.784
|-
! scope="row" style=text-align:center | [[File:Stema e Qarkut Tiranë.svg|17px|alt=Emblem of Tirana County]]
| [[Tirana County|Tirana]] || [[Tirana]] || style=text-align:right | 1,652 || style=text-align:right | 906,166 || style=text-align:right | 0.820
|-
! scope="row" style=text-align:center | [[File:Stema e Qarkut Vlorë.svg|17px|alt=Emblem of Vlorë County]]
| [[Vlorë County|Vlorë]] || [[Vlorë]] || style=text-align:right | 2,706 || style=text-align:right | 188,922 || style=text-align:right | 0.802
|-
|-class="sortbottom"
| colspan=20 align="left" |References:<ref name="Population INSTAT">{{cite web |publisher=Instituti i Statistikës (INSTAT) |title=Popullsia në 1 Janar sipas qarqeve dhe gjinisë 2001 – 2020 |url=http://databaza.instat.gov.al/pxweb/sq/DST/START__DE/POP02/?rxid=d22d8b80-0683-490a-b7a8-09b7debdb5bb |access-date=22 July 2020 |language=sq |archive-date=10 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010005303/http://databaza.instat.gov.al/pxweb/sq/DST/START__DE/POP02/?rxid=d22d8b80-0683-490a-b7a8-09b7debdb5bb |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sub-national HDI – Area Database–Global Data Lab |url=https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/ |access-date=13 September 2018}}</ref>
|}
{{Clear}}