The poorest people in Europe, a people who were oppressed by the dictator Hoxha (if that is how you spell it) and have now some sort of freedom but are very poor and underprivileged!

The episode of Cheers where Coach was going to school to get his High school diploma. He was having a hard time remembering stuff so someone suggested that he make words to songs to help him remember. He sang (to the tune of "When the Saints Go Marching In") Albania, Albania it borders on the Adriatic.

Where Mother Teresa was born.

Well you know I always have a strange reaction to words and the first thing that comes to mind is a white horse with strange speckly spots splattered on it.

Bunkers. They manufactured mobile bunkers. Mobile in a way that they could be transported.

Mountains and the Eagle on their flag.

Intimidating looking men trying to clean my windscreen when I'm stopped at traffic lights

Being of my self.

Being of my self.

Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg, Tosk and Geg, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Macedonia, Nora Istrefi and the fact that I still don't speak Albanian. Lots of Albanians that I met during my life, and a book written by Karl May known as "Through the land of the Shiptars".

Albanian one of the oldest people of Europe, they early descendent are the Illyrians, with a language that is unique in his type, part not of the roman language or other categories, their first organized state was Epirus state, with king Pirro, they were part of Great Alexander army, after the death of Pirro, they was submitted by Romans, became part of the byzantine empire (during this time starts the eastern invasion slaves), after this became part of ottoman empire, during the world war I and II, invaded by Austro-Hungarian, Italian , German, (during all this invasion armed revolts take place all over the place time after time , terminating with autonomies, independent kingdoms (Skanderbeg state, Ali pasha state) or even defeats overrun by massacres ), and after the second war Albania become the actual state, with a great part of Albanian territories out of the new state borders, like Kosovo, region in Montenegro (Ulqin), other territories in north Greece and west Macedonian, in all these places there are still cities or village where the Albanian is the major people and the spoken language is Albanian. After the dictator communism regime, the country was a poor nation with one of the greatest army of Europe counting on an enormous number of soldiers bunkers tanks and other military equipment, even submarine and MIG plane, and the people flee in Europe America or Canada, but now things have changed Albanian is taking his place in Europe, economically, military, and cultural way.

old mercedeses. bunkers. donkeys. mountains. breathtakingly beautiful coastline. world before the internet. hoxha. eagles.

But, however that may be, it is generally recognized today that the Albanians are the most ancient race in southesatern Europe . All indications point to the fact that they are descendants of the earliest Aryan immigrants who were represented in historical times by the kindred Illyrians, Macedonians and Epirots. According to the opinion of most ethnologists and linguists, the Illyrians formed the core of pre-Hellenic, Tyrrhenopelasgian population, which inhabited the southern portion of the Peninsula and extended its limits to Thrace and Italy . The Illyrians were also Pelasgians, but in a wider sense. Moreover it is believed that of these cognate races, which are described by the ancient Greek writers as "barbarous" and "non-Hellenic," the Illyrians were the progenitors of the Ghegs, or Northern Albanians, and the Epirots the progenitors of the Tosks, or Southern Albanians. This general opinion is borne out the statement of Strabo that the Via Egnatia or ®gitana, which he describes as forming the boundary between the Illyrians and the Epirots, practically corresponds with the course of river Shkumbini, which now seperates the Ghegs from the Tosks. The same geographer states that Epirots were also called Pelasgians. The Pelasgian Zeus, whose memory survives even today in the appellation of God as "Zot" by the modern Albanians, was worshiped at Dodona , where the most famous oracle of ancient times was situated. According to Herodotus the neighborhood of the sanctuary was called Pelasgia.

The Albanians: An Ethnic History from Prehistoric Times to the Present By Edwin E. Jacques The Albanians By Edwin E. Jacques However, archeology, linguistics and popular traditions reflected in our earliest chronicles all confirm the Pelasgian origin of the Albanian people and ... Many Albanians, who are descended from the Illyrians and Pelasgians, trace their roots to Achilles and other heroes of the siege of Troy, and claim Alexander the Great as their own. During twelve consecutive periods of foreign domination, the ethnic identity of the Albanians has been constantly threatened, first by the Eastern and Western empires of Christendom, then by the Ottoman Turks, and most recently by Soviet and Chinese communists. Present-day Albania is located between the former Yugoslavia and Greece on the western shore of the Balkan peninsula , and is the least known European country. As the last Turkish province in Europe it was tightly closed to foreigners over the centuries, and until recently the country was even more isolated by its postwar Communist regime. Historically described as mysterious and xenophobic, the people and the country are both little known to most westerners-but are destined to enter the world's consciousness situated as they are in the midst of explosive Balkanconflicts.,With the employment of Albanian, French, Italian and many other documentary sources, the roots of Albanian civilization, the struggle of the Albanians to maintain their cultural and linguistic integrity, the impact of foreign influence on the country, and its recent move toward democracy are all detailed here. http://books.google.com/books?id=IJ2s9sQ9bGkC&dq=Many+Albanians,+who+are+descended+from+the+Illyrians+and+Pelasgians,+trace+their+roots+to+Achilles+and+other+heroes+of+the+siege+of+Troy,+and+claim+Alexander+the+Great&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=YIIMPgfUHE&sig=kPvK4GZvj5X0xYPmGs2lXGNJ6KA&hl=en&ei=VoiISqykDYeMtgfflNjnDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9#v=onepage&q=&f=false

My country is neighboored with Albania and lots of albania ppl live betwwen us. Most ppl here thinks that albania ppl are thiefs, bad, dirty, and other things like these. My opinion is that albania has very very poor and some very very rich ppl. But the problem is that the rich one doesnt help the others. They are not bad ppl. They are just ''worn''. they need help not hate from the others.

bunkers

I just think of Albania. I have no special thoughts about it either way.