Berat County

The Berat County (Albanian Qarku i Beratit ) is one of twelve Qarks in Albania. It is located in the southern Albanian hinterland and has an area of 1,798 km ². The capital city and seat of the Council and prefect of Berat.

Geography

The Berat County consists of three subunits: the three circles Berat, Kuçova and Skrapar. Berat forms the historical and commercial center. The northern areas around Kuçova belong to the medium Albanian Myzeqe level, the rest is hills and mountains. From southeast to northwest, the region is drained by the Osum. With 2,415 m above sea level is the Tomorr one of the highest mountains in southern Albania, he is surrounded by the national park named after him and is also in Qark area.

To the northwest lies the Qark Elbasan, east of Qark Korca, south of the Qark Gjirokastra and west of the Qark Fier.

Population

The population of the Qarks was specified with 170 815 inhabitants in 2009; the preliminary results of the 2011 census but only with 140 963 inhabitants, which represents a decline of more than a quarter in ten years.

Islam ( Sunni and Bektashi ) and the Orthodox Christianity constitute the largest membership religions. Even atheism is widespread. Catholics more likely to form a small minority. For the Bektashi the region plays a special role: on August 15, they flock to tens of thousands to Mount Tomorr, which is sacred to them.

Politics and Administration

The Qark Council ( Alb. Këshilli i Qarkut ), located in Berat has 50 members. The majority belongs to the Socialist Party (PS ), which is also the Chairman of the Council with Pelivan Shatri.

For the 2009 and 2013 legislative sessions beginning of the Albanian Parliament, the Qark eight deputies of a total of 140