Malësi e Madhe District
The circle Malësia e Madhe (Albanian: Rrethi i Malësisë së Madhe ) is one of the 36 administrative districts of Albania. The circle with an area of 897 km ² is the northernmost tip of the Albanian state. He is a member of Qark Shkodra. He has 30 823 inhabitants ( 2011 census ). The local authorities, however, specify a number from 54 522 inhabitants. Capital is Koplik, a small town of about 11,000 inhabitants located 20 km north of Shkodra.
Geography
The circle Malësia e Madhe is the northernmost district of Albania. He is - apart from the level Mbishkodra ( About Shkodra ) with Koplik place on the banks of Shkodrasees - entirely in the high mountains of the Albanian Alps. In the west side of the lake and is bordered in the north of the county to Montenegro.
The area of the circuit is not identical to the label of the region Malësia e Madhe but includes only the central areas. It begins at the foot of the mountains on the eastern edge of the Shkodrasees. From the few kilometers wide level Mbishkodra the circle over the mountains of the Albanian Alps drawn to the east up to the center. The approximately twelve kilometers of inaccessible karst block Bjeshkët e Nemuna with five peaks that are higher than 2500 m, lies on the eastern edge of the circle. The valley of the Shala east of it to the place Theth and Jezerca, with 2693 m the highest peak of the Albanian Alps no longer belong to the circle. The highest point within the circle is the 2568 m high Radohima.
South of Vermosh, along the north western boundary runs in a deep valley of Cem ( Serbian: Cijevna / Цијевна ), a tributary of the Morača. The valley can be reached by Koplik of i only Han Hotit and a pass that leads into the deep canyon of the river. The places Tamara and Selca on the valley floor are among the largest villages in the Albanian Alps.
Northernmost village of the district and is Vermosh Albania, located in the valley of the Lumi i Vermoshit, the source of the river Lim. This is the only valley in Albania, which is drained into the Black Sea. The pass Qafa Bordolecit connects it to the valley of the Cem and the rest of Albania. In winter it is often only be reached from the near Plav in Montenegro.
South of Cem runs approximately parallel to the valley of the Cem Perroi i Thate ( Dry creek ), which usually results in no water and flows Koplik in the Shkodrasee, with the village of Boga at about 1000 meters height.
Traffic
When Han i Hotit a border crossing to Montenegro for cars and railroad. Long, this was the only connection to Montenegro and during the communist regime, the most important border crossing Albania. During the Yugoslav wars, the border was closed but long - lived in the region at that time many of the fuel - smuggling - and then the new border crossing won west of Shkodra in the direction of Ulcinj in importance.
The railway line along the Shkodrasees was in the 1990 silent majority. The rails were illegally partially dismantled and sold as scrap metal. 18 years after the opening of the line in 1985, it was taken in 2003 for the second time again. The introduction of passenger trains between Montenegro and Albania is intended to early 2007 but not yet realized.
The road from Shkodra along the lake through the circle to Han i Hotit is also in development. The main compounds in the mountain valleys are now gradually paved.