Pukë District
The circle Puka (Albanian: Rrethi i pukes ) is one of the 36 administrative districts of Albania. The circle with an area of 1.034 km ² belongs to Qark Shkodra. It has 18,474 inhabitants ( Volkszähling 2011). Local authorities, however, specify a value of approximately 34,000 inhabitants. It was named after the main town of Puka district.
Geography
The Puka district is located in the north of Albania in the mountains. The highest point reaches almost 2000 meters. The landscape is very rugged. Winter brings plenty of snow with it, blocking the main roads, and partly isolated villages often cut off for a long time from the outside world.
To the north are the two reservoirs Liqen i Vaut të Dejës and Koman Lake. They jam the Drin, Albania's longest river.
Population
The population is rural. Not even the main town of Puka has 5,000 inhabitants. Like all Albanian mountain regions is also Puka very poor. From only greater economic importance is the timber industry. Unemployment is above average by local standards. Many people migrate to the urban centers of Albania, so that the population is declining. The residents consider themselves largely to the Catholics. Only a third are Muslim.
Traffic
The circuit is connected to the west and south by old main lines, the SH5 and SH30 with central Albania. Perform further east on Kukes on Kosovo and northward into the circle Tropoja. Previously, these roads were of Shkodra and from the Mirdita the only connections to the Northeast of Albania and the Kosovo border. Today, the through traffic bypasses after the Kukes district south-east on the new highway Milot - Kukes.