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Ethnic Groups, Language, Religion, Education
Ethnic Groups Albanians are among the most ancient ethnic groups in southeastern Europe. Their ancestors, the Illyrians, were an Indo-European people who settled in the Balkans long before the Greeks. Modern-day Albania consists almost exclusively of ethnic Albanians, who call themselves Shqipetars (Sons of the Eagle). Only about 2 percent of Albania’s residents are of non-Albanian heritage, most of whom are Greek. About 2.2 million ethnic Albanians live outside the republic in Kosovo (a region in Serbia), the western FYROM, and southern Montenegro. Albanians are divided by the Shkumbin River into two major dialect groups: the Ghegs in the north and the Tosks in the south. The Ghegs, who make up two-thirds of Albanians, are less intermarried with non-Albanians than the Tosks, who throughout history were more often subjected to foreign rule and other foreign influences. In the past, the Ghegs were organized in clans and the Tosks in a semifeudal society, but the Communists largely erased both types of organization. Before World War II the Ghegs dominated Albanian politics, but after the war many Tosks came to power because the new Communist government drew most of its support from Tosks. Language The official language is Albanian. Because Albanian evolved from the extinct Illyrian language, it is the only modern representative of a distinct branch of the Indo-European language family. Tosks and Ghegs speak different dialects of Albanian, but both groups can understand each other. Tosk became the official standard dialect under the Communists and remains so today. Religion With 65 percent of its population Muslim, Albania is Europe’s only predominantly Islamic state. Orthodox Christians, living mostly in southern Albania, make up 20 percent of the population, and Roman Catholics, mainly in the north, make up another 13 percent. Religious divisions in Albania are not significant, and religious tolerance is such that members of the same family sometimes belong to different religions. Most Muslim Albanians are traditional Sunnites, but about one-fourth belong to the Bektashi sect, a tolerant, unorthodox order. The Communist government outlawed all religions in 1967, making Albania the world’s first officially atheist country. Places of worship were closed, church property was confiscated, religious services were banned, and religious practitioners were persecuted. The ban on religion was lifted in 1990. Many churches and mosques have been rebuilt or reopened, and a growing number of people express religious beliefs. Education Illiteracy in Albania, which had long been widespread, was dramatically lowered by the Communists; by the 1990s illiteracy affected an estimated 10 percent of the population. Education is compulsory for children from 6 to 14 years old. In 1990, 96 percent of all school-age children attended primary school and 70 percent attended secondary school. Several universities, including the University of Tiranë (founded in 1957), operate in Albania. The Communists encouraged education for women, and by 1990, women made up 45 percent of secondary school students (compared to 40 percent in 1970) and 50 percent of higher education students (compared to 33 percent in 1970). Under Communist rule, education was also used to indoctrinate students with Communist beliefs. Before entering college students were required to work for one year; after finishing their studies, another year of work and military training was required. After Communism collapsed, reforms removed politics and ideology from schools, although schools continue to receive large subsidies from the state. Work and military requirements were also dropped. |