Shkodër District
The circle Shkodra (Albanian: Rrethi i Shkodrës ) is one of the 36 administrative districts of Albania. The circle with an area of 1631 km ², the second largest in the country. It is located in northern Albania and part of the namesake Qark. It is named after the capital city of Shkodra. The population amounts to 166,050 inhabitants ( 2011 census ). The local authorities, however, indicate 248 480 inhabitants.
Geography
Because of its size, the nature of the circle Shkodra is extremely diverse. They can be divided into two main areas: From the beaches of the Adriatic Sea in the south to Shkodra behind the coastal plain pulls. The rest is mountain country that begins with hills and up to the highest peaks of the Albanian Alps in the north. extends. To the west the district of Shkodra to Montenegro.
Waters
Apart from the Adriatic Sea to the south west are further waters in parts the boundary of the circle: In the northeast of Shkodrasee is. The Buna, which connects the lake with the sea, forms during part of its course the border of the circle to Montenegro. The Drin turn, jammed to the Koman Lake and Liqen i Vaut të Dejës, in the southeast is the limit. The two right-hand tributaries of the Drin and Kir Shala drain the northern part of the county.
Level
The southwest of the district includes a large alluvial plain, which is crossed by Drin and Buna. The level starts at Lezha and runs along the eastern bank of flat Shkodrasees up to the Montenegrin border. But even this level coastal strip is repeatedly interrupted by surveys. Two handsome hill of height 400 m pull almost parallel to the coast of Lezha to Velipoja. On the southwestern shore of Shkodrasees the mountain rises Tarabosh ( 594 m). Local center in the area south of Shkodra is the village Bushat, a town with 14,093 inhabitants.
The banks of the Buna and Shkodrasse and the wetlands around Velipoja significant natural protected areas. Many train and waterfowl hold on here.
North Albanian Alps
The group includes those parts of the Western Alps, which are dehydrated to Drin (as opposed to Malësia e Madhe that is drained to Shkodrasee ). This is especially the valleys of the Church and the Shala. The extreme north of the district is high mountains. With increasing distance to the sea and the coastal plain, the landscape rises quickly to impressive heights. No 20 km northeast of Shkodra is the Maranaj with 1570 m. Various peaks in the eastern part of the county reach almost this amount, the Maja e Cukalit 30 km east of Shkodra even comes to 1723 m. Around the headwaters of the Shala River, the valley of Theth in the north of the circle, diverse Zweitausender collect. In the extreme north is the Jezerca ( 2694 m), the highest mountain in the northern Albanian Alps.
In Theth an area of 23.3 km ² is protected as a National Park. The U-shaped valley forms a unique high mountain landscape with several waterfalls. The park offers a refuge for lynx and other wildlife.
Population
As varied as the landscape is also the population in the county. The contrasts between the Shkodraner urban population, whose city has long been the largest and most important in the country, and the rural population out of the plane and out of the high mountains are and have always been very large. The mountains of Shkodra belong to an area that was formerly inhabited by very independent Albanian tribes. The administration of the Ottoman Empire was in this secluded mountain never gain a foothold, but also the Albanian state and has had trouble to be recognized by the mountain folk. Still belong archaic customs, the common law of Kanuns and vendetta to life especially in the mountains of northern Albania. The strong rural exodus since the fall of communism led many residents from the mountains in the suburbs of Shkodra. The community Rrethina that surrounds the center of Shkodra is, in the meantime grown to 22,545 inhabitants, about one-third of the population of Bashkia Shkodra. Some of them can also be difficult to adapt to the urban practices.
In Shkodra but also clashed religions, as in and around the city, the Catholic population of Albania centered. Around two-thirds of the population consider themselves to be Catholic. About a quarter are Muslim, a minority orthodox.
While the city was marked with its nearby environment long of different nationalities - in addition to the Albanians and Turks and Slavs - the population is very homogeneous today. About 1,000 Montenegrins living in villages in the area of Shkodra. A large number of Roma living in the city and at their edges.
History
The history of the region is of course influenced by that of the city. The Castle Hill Rozafa was already fixed by the Illyrians. The castle and its changing rulers have until modern times, determines the fate of the city.
Outside the city there are still some places that also had a historical significance, but which have not yet been sufficiently explored. Thus, the close location of the bridge of measurement on a hill east of Shkokdra castle of Drisht possibly one of the oldest settlements of Albania. And along the Buna existed in the pre- Ottoman period several small towns (REC, Dajc ) and churches ( Shirgj ).
On April 15, 1979, an earthquake with its epicenter near Ulcinj and a strength of 7.2 on the Richter scale northern Albania. There were 35 deaths to mourn. In particular, in the district of Shkodra very many houses were damaged or destroyed. The reconstruction was accomplished by the People's Republic without foreign aid. It was the second strong earthquake in the 20th century.
In January 2010, the whole level of Velipoja was flooded up to the mountains, after it had been raining hard and long and the discharge gates had to be opened at the dams on the Drin. Thousands of people had to be evacuated. Also in Shkodra standing water in the streets.
Economy
In Northern Albania, the economic situation in the transformation time was more difficult than in most other regions of Albania. Little has helped this unrest and lawlessness, which was more common in the north. Large parts of the circle are still completely almost completely cut off from all progress.
In Velipoja a rapidly growing tourist infrastructure is developed in the first years of the 21st century. The beach is popular with Albanians from the region. Still very timid are the approaches in Theth, where only a small hotel and some beds available for tourists with private persons available.
Of importance for the whole country are the hydropower plants in Koman and Vau Deja. A smaller power plant on the lower reaches of the drins builds the Austrian electricity company Verbund in Ashta.
Traffic
Thanks to the construction of the northern portion of the North / South Corridor (SH1 ) Shkodra is now well connected by road with the centers of the country. An expansion of the route continues north through the border town of Han i Hotit into neighboring Montenegro is also planned. In the late 1990s has also opened a border crossing between Ulcinj and Shkodra, the simplified exchange with the neighboring country and the Albanian minority in Montenegro.
The city is also connected to the railway network of Hekurudha e Shqipërisë: The only international connection via Shkodra to Podgorica in Montenegro. The importance of rail traffic, however, is still very low. Plans to also include passenger transportation between the two countries, have not yet been implemented until now.
The mountain regions of the circle are more or less cut off from the environment. The few roads are mostly impassable without four-wheel vehicle. In addition meter high snow comes in the winter, so many villages for months are not available. In the region along the Koman dam there are no roads. Residents use boats on the lake, when they want to leave their villages. Runs on the reservoir between Koman and Fierza daily also a car ferry for each direction, which opens up the secluded north-eastern Albania.