Albanians

The Albanian people are both an ethnic group and a country that are indigenous to the Balkan Peninsula. They are united by their shared Albanian heritage, culture, history, and language. They make their primary homes in the countries of Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia, in addition to those of Croatia, Greece, Italy, and Turkey. In addition to this, they make up a sizable diaspora that is spread out over Europe, the Americas, and Oceania in the form of several communities.

The roots of Albanians may be traced back to Paleo-Balkanic times. There is much disagreement among historians and ethnologists on whether or not their roots can be definitively traced back to the Illyrians, the Tracians, or any other Paleo-Balkan group. Michael Attaleiates, a chronicler who worked in the 11th century, is credited with making the first specific reference to Albanians as an ethnic group when he described them as having lived in the theme of Dyrrhachium.

The Shkumbin River serves as a rough linguistic boundary between the Gheg and Tosk dialects of the Albanian language. Up to the eighth century A.D., the Bishop of Rome was responsible for overseeing the Christian religion in Albania. Following that, the dioceses of Albania were moved under the control of the patriarchate of Constantinople. After the Great Schism in 1054, the northern region progressively became connected with Roman Catholicism, while the southern region eventually became identified with Eastern Orthodox Christianity. In 1190, the Albanians who lived to the west of Lake Ochrida and in the upper basin of the Shkumbin River created the Principality of Arbanon with Kruj as its seat.

The movement of Albanian people beginning in the Middle Ages, first throughout Southern Europe and then later across the rest of Europe and the New World, is the origin of the Albanian diaspora. Large numbers of people left their homes between the 13th and 18th centuries in order to escape different types of social, economic, or political troubles. Between the 13th and 16th centuries, one people group known as the Arvanites established a settlement in southern Greece. Between the 11th and 16th centuries AD, a different people group known as the Arbreshi established themselves in Southern Italy and all across Sicily. During the 18th century, smaller communities such as the Arbanasi established themselves in regions of southern Ukraine and southern Croatia.

Albanians are generally credited as having gained both spiritual and intellectual vigour throughout the 19th century, which is often credited with leading to the cultural advancements that ultimately led to the Albanian Renaissance. In 1912, in the midst of the Balkan Wars, the Albanian people made the declaration of independence for their nation. The demarcation of the new Albanian state was established following the Treaty of Bucharest, and as a result, approximately half of the ethnic Albanian population was left outside of its borders, divided between Greece, Montenegro, and Serbia. This occurred as a direct result of the demarcation of the new Albanian state. Albania was ruled by a communist regime under Enver Hoxha from the end of World War II until the Revolutions of 1991, during which time it was essentially cut off from the rest of Europe. This period of time saw Albania's isolation from the rest of the continent. In the neighbouring country of Yugoslavia, Albanians were subjected to periods of discrimination and systematic tyranny. These ordeals culminated in the conflict in Kosovo, which led to the ultimate independence of Kosovo.