On November 28^st, we celebrate the Independence Day of Albania! We wish a great day of celebration to our amazing Nobel team members from Albania!

We invite you to discover below some fun and interesting facts about this beautiful country.

Did you know that?

• Called also the Flag Day, the 28th of November is celebrated among more than 4.5 million Albanians living in the Balkans, and at least 2.5 million living in the large Albanian diaspora abroad.
• On November 28^th 1912, leaders from all Albanian inhabited lands in the Balkans gathered in the southern city of Vlora to declare their independence and the creation of the Albanian nation state.
• If you are a history buff, you can visit the city of Vlora, where you will find the 17-meter-high Independence Monument at Flag Square.
• Albanians celebrate 2 days in a row as Liberation Day in Albania is commemorated on November 29^th, the day when the country was liberated back in 1944.
• Albanians celebrate in many ways: singing patriotic songs, camaraderie, cooking on the wood-burning stove, and sharing local raki (an alcohol drink).
• The flag of Albania is a red flag with a silhouetted black double-headed eagle in the center. The red stands for bravery, strength, valor and bloodshed, while the eagle represents the sovereign state of Albania. The flag was established as the national flag of Albania when the country gained its independence.
• Albania has 13 small islands with some of the best beaches in Europe. The pristine beaches of the south coast attract a high number of tourists every year.
• In the north of the country, you can find the Accursed Mountains, also known as the Albanian Alps.
• Albania has many archaeological and UNESCO protected sites, some examples being the towns of Butrint and Apollonia or the enchanting hamlets of Berat, Gijrokaster, and Korça, which look like they came straight out of a fairy tale.
• There are more Albanians now living outside the country than within its territories. The people living near the borders of Albania in neighbor countries are also Albanians, making Albania the only country in the world that is “surrounded by itself”.
• The most common religion in Albania is Islam, with the second most common religion being Christianity. There are also many irreligious Albanians.
• Albania is the world’s largest hydroelectricity producer with 100% of the country’s energy being hydroelectric. Albania is also among the leading chromium producing and exporting countries in the world.
• Albania has over 750,000 bunkers spread out across the land and some of them can be visited at the Bunk’art Museum, located in the outskirts of Tirana, Albania’s capital city.
• There is a city in Albania (Shkodër) with no traffic lights at all.
• Despite its many known wonders and touristic attractions, Albania is still an unexplored country with hidden gems everywhere. If you plan to visit the country, you can rely on Albanians to be some of the friendliest people in the whole world. If you can’t find a street or if you need any kind of information, they will love to help you.
• Besa is an honor code that Albanians are very strict about, being of prime importance in personal and social conduct. It’s usually translated as “faith” or “oath” and it means “to keep the promise” and “word of honor”. Derived from besa, the names “Besnik” for men and “Besa” for women continue to be very popular names among Albanians.
• Albania prides itself on the delicious local cuisine. Dishes like byrek (a flaky, savory pastry filled with a mixture of salty cheese, milk, and egg), pita (a type of flatbread), yogurt sauce, sandwiches, olives and cheese are only some of the traditional Albanian foods. The country has one of the best street food scenes in Europe, but if you prefer to sit at a table, do not be worried, Tirana has plenty of great restaurants as well.
• You can’t say you have been to Albania without sipping a coffee in one of the several cafés of Tirana. Drinking coffee it’s a way of life there.
• Mother Teresa is the most famous Albanian in the world. She founded the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic religious congregation, and spent most of her life in the Indian town of Calcutta, where she helped people in need, as well as children. In 2016 in Saint Peter’s Square, Vatican City, Pope Francis canonized Mother Teresa.
• Ismail Kadare is the most famous writer, novelist and poet of contemporary Albania. He wrote several masterpieces, including “Chronicles in Stone”, which was a novel set in his birthplace of Gjirokastër, one of the most beautiful towns in Albania and the Balkans.
• George Kastrioti Skanderbeg is the national hero of Albania. He was an Albanian nobleman and military commander who served the Ottoman Empire, the Republic of Venice and the Kingdom of Naples.
• Ferid Murad, born in the United States to an Albanian immigrant father and an American mother, became a pharmacologist and a physician and won a Nobel Prize in 1998.
• Inva Mula is undoubtedly the most famous lyric soprano from Albania and one of the most important singers of her talent in Europe.
• Eliza Dushku is an American actress and model of Albanian descend known for her television role in the famous TV-series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and its spin-off series “Angel”.
• John and Jim Belushi, the most famous duo of brother actors of Hollywood, have Albanian origins.
• Worldwide famous singers Dua Lipa, Rita Ora and Bebe Rexha are also of Albanian origin.  

Special thanks to our Nobel Country Ambassador Elton Myftaraj,who was kind enough toshare with us interesting facts and beautiful photos of Albania, as well as some personal thoughts:

“I am proud being from Albania mainly because we place a large value on families and our ethnic heritage. In fact, we honor a traditional code called besa, which translates to “keep the promise.” It is believed that observing besa, which includes family honor and hospitality, is the foundation for a successful life.” – Elton Myftaraj (Nobel Country Ambassador from Albania)