Day 3: Albania

[Tetro Kornbluth]

This series resumes after a brief interlude

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albania



Dialects of Albanian:


Never been quite clear to me how different Gheg and Tosk (not to mention the Italian and Greek dialects) are from each other.

Anyway, discuss Albania.

[Famous Mortimer]

I remember Albania was poised to legalize gay marriage. Both the Socialists and the Democrats were in favor, they were just waiting for a new election because one of the parties was boycotting the parliament for some reason. Now they've had a new election. What's the hold up?

[The Free North]

Europa Universalis 4 players understand the significance of this man

If only the Venetians had actually helped him, who knows what they could have done against the hated Turks.

[Sol]

My understanding of Gheg and Tosk (correct me if I'm wrong other peeps) is that they're quite different (moreso than RP and American English) but that they're still mutually intelligible.

[PJ]

The Republican Party has an Albanian wing, hilariously enough.

[Sol]

Frankly I have a strong fondness for Albania. It is my favorite country in the Balkans, by far.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

Frankly I have a strong fondness for Albania. It is my favorite country in the Balkans, by far.

Albania is an absolutely fascinating place. To study and be immersed in the Muslim-Eastern European-Communist-hangover cultural mix sounds awesome. They're also supposed to have some of the last remaining "true" wilderness in the Balkans. The ecological and climate diversity would be so much fun to explore. I would love to go.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

When Norman Wisdom died, a nation mourned. And that nation was Albania.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Say what you like about hoxha, he sure knew his bunkers.

[ingemann]

Albania is a interesting country even for the Balkans, I love the fact that their national hero was a Christian lord fighting Muslim invaders, it's not unknown for Albanian Muslim parent to get their children baptised, they celebrate their Catholic heritage, while hiding their Orthodox. While most of the Balkans seem to base much of their national identity on religion, the Albanians have decided to fully embrace a national identity based on language like western Europe. Albania is a one time deeply dysfunctional, but at the same time it have seen a much stability than most most Balkan countries.

[Nhoj]

Albania is a interesting country even for the Balkans, I love the fact that their national hero was a Christian lord fighting Muslim invaders, it's not unknown for Albanian Muslim parent to get their children baptised, they celebrate their Catholic heritage, while hiding their Orthodox. While most of the Balkans seem to base much of their national identity on religion, the Albanians have decided to fully embrace a national identity based on language like western Europe. Albania is a one time deeply dysfunctional, but at the same time it have seen a much stability than most most Balkan countries.

It did have a civil conflict in the late 90s. Caused by a pyramid scheme.

[Georg Ebner]

If You cannot detect any new cause for a BalcanCrisis: One of Albania's provinces is named "Diber", in reference to a town in - Macedonia! (Cf. Limburg in the Nederlands or Luxembourg in Belgium) ...

[Antonio the Sixth]

No mention of Mussolini's conquest and Italian colonial rule? That surely has helped screw things up.

[Famous Mortimer]

Albania: The only ex-Communist country where the Communist Party won the first elections after democracy was established.