{{about|Albanians as an ethnic group|demographic information|Demographics of Albania}}
{{pp-semi-protect|small=yes}}
{{Infobox Ethnic group
|group = Albanians<br/>''Shqiptarë''
|image =
|caption =
|pop = Approximately 8 million
|region1 = {{flagcountry|Albania}}
|pop1 = 3,500,000
|ref1 = {{lower|<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/al.html]</ref>}}
|region2 = {{flagcountry|Serbia}}
|pop2 = 2,000,000 (est.)
|ref2 = {{lower|<ref>Kosovo Government estimates 2005 - [http://www.ks-gov.net/esk/esk/pdf/english/general/kosovo_figures_05.pdf]</ref><ref>Serbian Government 2003 census - [http://webrzs.statserb.sr.gov.yu/axd/en/Zip/CensusBook1.pdf]</ref><ref>https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rb.html</ref>}}
|region4 = {{flagicon|Republic of Macedonia}}&nbsp;[[Republic of Macedonia|Rep.&nbsp;Macedonia]]
|pop4 = 509,083
|ref4 = {{lower|<ref>Republic of Macedonia 2002 census - [http://www.stat.gov.mk/pdf/kniga_13.pdf]</ref><ref>https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mk.html</ref>}}
|region5 = {{flagcountry|Greece}}
|pop5 = 443,550 (2001)
|ref5 = {{lower|<ref>[http://www.migrantsingreece.org/transpartner/Tables.pdf]</ref>}}
|region6 = {{flagcountry|Montenegro}}
|pop6 = 31,163 (2007)
|ref6 = {{lower|<ref>Yugoslavian Federation 2003 census - [http://www.monstat.cg.yu/Popis/Popis01a.zip]</ref>}}
|region11 = {{flagcountry|United Kingdom}}
|pop11 = 200,000
|ref11 =
|region7 = {{flagcountry|Italy}}
|pop7 = 238,000
|ref7 =
|region8 = {{flagcountry|United States}}
|pop8 = 114,000
|ref8 = {{lower|<ref>United States 2000 census - [http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/QTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=01000US&-qr_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U_QTP13&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U]</ref>}}
|region9 = {{flagcountry|Canada}}
|pop9 = 16,135
|ref9 = <ref>[http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/standard/themes/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?Temporal=2001&PID=62911&APATH=3&GID=431515&METH=1&PTYPE=55440&THEME=44&FOCUS=0&AID=0&PLACENAME=0&PROVINCE=0&SEARCH=0&GC=0&GK=0&VID=0&FL=0&RL=0&FREE=0 statcan.ca]</ref>
|region10 = {{flagcountry|Sweden}}
|pop10 = 35,000
|ref10 = {{lower|<ref>http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/9808/27/telegram/inrikes48.html]</ref><ref>[http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allianspartiet#Allianspartiet]</ref>}}
|region27 = {{flagcountry|Denmark}}
|pop27 = 8,000
|ref27 =
|region12 = {{flagcountry|France}}
|pop12 = 20,000
|ref12 =
|region13 = {{flagcountry|Switzerland}}
|pop13 = 40,000
|ref13 = {{lower|<ref>speakers of Albanian as first language as of 2000: see [[Demographics of Switzerland]]</ref>}}
|region14 = {{flagcountry|Germany}}
|pop14 = 100,000
|ref14 = {{lower|<ref>Federal Republic of Germany - [http://www.destatis.de/basis/e/bevoe/bevoetab10.htm]</ref>}}
|region15 = {{flagcountry|Netherlands}}
|pop15 = 105,706
|ref15 =
|region16 = {{flagcountry|Russia}}
|pop16 = 1,200
|ref16 =
|region17 = {{flagcountry|Slovenia}}
|pop17 = 6,200
|ref17 = {{lower|<ref>[[Slovenia]]</ref>}}
|region18 = {{flagcountry|Croatia}}
|pop18 = 15,082
|ref18 = {{lower|<ref>[[Demographics of Croatia]] - 2001 census</ref>}}
|region19 = {{flagcountry|Romania}}
|pop19 = 10,000
|ref19 =
|region20 = {{flagcountry|Norway}}
|pop20 = 7,000
|ref20 =
|region21 = {{flagcountry|Belgium}}
|pop21 = 5,000
|ref21 =
|region22 = {{flagcountry|Australia}}
|pop22 = 20,000
|ref22 =
|region23 = {{flagcountry|Austria}}
|pop23 = 20,000
|ref23 =
|region24 = {{flagcountry|South Africa}}
|pop24 = 2,000
|ref24 =
|region25 = {{flagcountry|Egypt}}
|pop25 = 5,000
|ref25 =
|region26 = {{flagicon|Bosnia and Herzegovina}}&nbsp;[[Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnia/Herz.]]
|pop26 = 15,000
|ref26 =
|region28 = {{flagcountry|Luxembourg}}
|pop28 = 4,802
|ref28 =
|region29 = {{flagcountry|Ukraine}}
|pop29 = 3,300
|ref29 =
|region30 = {{flagcountry|Finland}}
|pop30 = 5,000
|ref30 = {{lower|<ref>http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=TRE</ref><ref>BBC News [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/special_report/1998/11/98/crossing_continents/374751.stm]</ref>}}
|languages = [[Albanian language|Albanian]]
|religions = mostly [[Sunni|Sunni Muslims]], but also large amounts of [[Bektashi|Bektashi Muslims]], [[Albanian Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christians]], [[Roman Catholic|Catholic Christians]], other.
}}
{{albanians}}

'''Albanians''' ([[Albanian language|Albanian]]: ''Shqiptarët'') are defined as an [[ethnic group]], in the sense of sharing a common Albanian culture, speaking the [[Albanian language]] as a mother tongue and being of Albanian descent.
Albanian popular tradition traces its historical heritage to the [[Illyrian]] people that once inhabited the western parts of the [[Balkans|Balkan Peninsula]]. Scholars are divided on the matter, some supporting the Illyrian-Albanian connection. These fierce, warlike tribes all sharing a dominant common language and culture had settled into the north western Balkans including modern Albania as early as the seventh century B.C.

About half of Albanians live in [[Albania]], with the second largest group living in the [[United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo|UN administered]] [[Serbia]]n province of [[Kosovo]] and the [[Republic of Macedonia]]. There are also Albanian minorities and immigrant communities in a number of other countries.

==History of the term==
{{see|Origin of the Albanians|Albania (toponym)}}
Albanians are often claimed as the descendants of the ancient [[Illyrians]], or alternatively derived of [[Thracian]] or [[Dacian]] stock, or from a mixture of these. The name ''Albanian'' itself was first mentioned in the 2nd century [[BCE]] by [[Polybius]] (''Arbanios, Arbanitai'' with their city ''Arbon''), the 1st century [[Common Era|CE]] by [[Pliny the Elder|Pliny]] (''Olbonensis''), and the 2nd century [[Common Era|CE]] by geographer and astronomer [[Ptolemy]] (''Albanoi''), as one of the important Illyrian tribes situated where is now Central Albania with Albanopolis as their main city.
[[Image:ClassicalBalkans1849.jpg|thumb|left|210px|Albani (Albanoi), tribe in ancient Illyria, from Alexander G. Findlay's ''Classical Atlas to Illustrate Ancient Geography,'' New York, 1849]] The ethnonym applied to the people now known as Albanians is first attested from the 11th century (e.g. [[Anna Komnene]], ''[[Alexiad]]'' 4.8.4), the first reference to a ''{{lang|la|lingua albanesca}}'' dates to the later 13th century.

Due to the high rate of migration of various ethnic groups throughout the [[Balkans]] in the last two decades, exact figures are difficult to obtain. A tenuous breakdown of Albanians by location is as follows:

===Europe===
Approximately 7 million Albanians are to be found within the Balkan peninsula with only about half this number residing in [[Albania]] and the other divided between [[Serbia]] (of which 1,9 million in the province of [[Kosovo]]) [[Montenegro]], the [[Republic of Macedonia]], [[Greece]] and to a much smaller extent [[Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnia]], [[Croatia]], [[Slovenia]] and [[Romania]].

Albanians in [[Greece]], because of historical migration, are divided into different groupings. The first are the [[Arvanites]], descendants of ethnic Albanian immigrants from the 11th to the 15th century that have intermingled and have largely assimilated the dominant Greek population and generally do not self-identify as Albanians. A second one are [[Albanians in Greece|Albanian nationals]] who migrated during the 1990s, mainly as illegal immigrants. According to the [http://www.statistics.gr/gr_tables/S1101_SAP_3_TB_DC_01_10_Y.pdf 2001 census], there were 445,000 holders of Albanian citizenship in Greece. The [[Watson Institute]] raised this number to 600,000 in 2004 [http://www.watsoninstitute.org/bjwa/archive/11.1/Essays/Barjarba.pdf].

Also an unknown number of Orthodox [[Cham Albanians]] reside in the Greek region of [[Epirus (region)|Epirus]] ([[Albanian language|Albanian]]: ''Çamëria''). There were thought to be a population of around 19,000 Muslim Chams before the end of [[World War II]] who left Greece for Albania and in 1945. The exact reasons for their departure vary depending on source. (According to Greek sources, it was to avoid the impending military court sentences, a consequence of their collaboration with the Italian/German occupying forces. Albanian sources claim they were forcefully expelled by the [[Ethnikos Dimokratikos Ellinikos Syndesmos|EDES]] troops of the Greek resistance for having collaborated with the Italian/German occupying forces.)

Whereas approximately 1 million are dispersed throughout the rest of Europe, most of these in the [[United Kingdom]], [[Germany]], [[Switzerland]], [[Sweden]], [[Italy]] (the majority having arrived since 1991, but also older populations of [[Arbëreshë]]), [[Austria]] and [[France]].

===Rest of the world===
[[Americas]]: In the [[United States]] the number reaches 114,000 according to the latest [http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/c2kbr-35.pdf 2000 US Census], while in [[Canada]] approximately 15,000 as of the 2001 census. [[Oceania]]: In [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]] 12,000 in total. [[Africa]]: In [[Egypt]] there are 18,000 Albanians, mostly Tosk speakers. Many are descendants of the soldiers of [[Muhammad Ali of Egypt|Mehmet Ali]]. A large part of the former nobility of Egypt was Albanian in origin. A small community also resides in [[South Africa]].

==Kosovo and Republic of Macedonia==
Both the Province of [[Kosovo]] and the western regions of the [[Republic of Macedonia]] have in recent years seen armed movements ([[Kosovo Liberation Army]], [[UCPMB]], [[Macedonian NLA]]) aiming either for independence, greater autonomy, or increased political rights. Further clashes were also reported in the [[Preševo Valley]] during the period between 2000 to 2001 (in the lead-up to the Macedonian conflict).

The fate of Kosovo remains uncertain owing to the reluctance of the Albanian majority in the province to accept the restoration of Serbian sovereignty and the reluctance of the [[United Nations]] and NATO to separate the territory from the [[Republic of Serbia]] in accordance with [[:Wikisource:UN Security Council Resolution 1244|UN Security Council Resolution 1244]] from 1999.

The conflict in the Republic of Macedonia seems to have calmed down. It was resolved by the Macedonian government giving the Albanian minority a greater role in the government and the right to use the [[Albanian language]] in areas where the Albanians form a majority.

It is worth mentioning here that rights to use the [[Albanian language]] in education and government were given and guaranteed by the Constitution of [[SFRY]] and were widely utilized in Serbia, Macedonia, and in Montenegro long before [[Dissolution of Yugoslavia]]. The only thing that changed in that matter is that before NATO intervention in 1999, there were information services and news ("Dnevnik") broadcasted in [[Albanian language]] on the Serbian National Radio and Television, RTS.

==Religion==
{{main|Religion in Albania}}

===Development of Modern Albanian Religious Affiliation===
The original culture continued until the Roman and Byzantine Empires crowned [[Christianity]] as official religion of the regime, thus suffusing [[Paganism]], until both were later overshadowed by [[Islam]], which kept the scepter of the major religion during the period of [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] Turkish rule from the 15th century until year 1912. [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Eastern Orthodox Christianity]], [[Roman Catholicism]] and [[Paganism]] kept being practiced in a lower scale. During the 20th century the [[monarchy]] and later the [[totalitarian state]] followed a systematic [[State atheism|dereligionization]] of the nation and the national culture. This policy was mainly applied and felt within the borders of the present Albanian state, thus producing a [[nonreligious]] majority in the population. All forms of [[Christianity]], [[Islam]] and other religious practices were prohibited except for old non-institutional [[Pagan]] practices in the rural areas which were seen as identifying with the national culture. As a result of this the current Albanian state has also brought pagan festivals to life, like the lunar [[Spring Day|Spring]] festival ([[Albanian language|Albanian]]: ''Dita e Verës'') held yearly on [[March 14]] in the city of [[Elbasan]], which is a national holiday.

Most Albanians are [[Muslims]]<ref>''[[The World Factbook]]'' - [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/al.html Albania]</ref><ref>''[[BBC]]'' - [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4385768.stm#albania Muslims in Europe: Country guide: Albania]</ref> ([[Sunni Muslims]] and [[Bektashi]]s). It is estimated that 70% of Albanians in the Republic of Albania are Muslim, 90% in the Province of Kosovo and 99% in the Republic of Macedonia are believed to be Muslim.(CIA Factbook 2007). Although there are also [[Albanian Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christians]] (predominantly in Southern Albania, bordering [[Greece]]) and [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] (predominantly in Northern Albania, bordering the [[Republic of Montenegro]]). After 1992 an influx of foreign missionaries has brought more religious diversity with groupings such as [[Jehova Witnesses]], [[Mormons]], [[Hindus]], [[Bahá'í Faith|Bahá'í]], [[Scientologists]], a variety of [[Christian]] denominations and many others. This rich blend of religions has rarely caused religious strife and fanaticism and people of different religions freely intermarry. For part of its history, Albania has also had a Jewish community. Some of the members of the Jewish community were saved by a group of Albanians during the Nazi occupation, [http://www.juedisches-archiv-chfrank.de/kehilot/albania/alban-resc.htm] they left for Israel circa 1990-1992.

All over the World, an estimated 78% of the Albanians are Muslims, 14% are Ortodox Christians and 8% are Roman Catholics. The estimation is not accounting the fact that abb. 1/4 of the Albanians are "lost", because of the assimilation, in Turkey{{Fact|date=December 2007}}.

==Other terms used==
{{Indo-European topics}}
The Albanians are and have been referred to by other terms as well. Some of them are:
*[[Arbëreshë|Arbër]], [[Arbëreshë|Arbën]], [[Arbëreshë]]; the old native term denoting ancient and medieval Albanians and sharing the same root with the latter. At the time the country was called Arbër ([[Gheg]]: Arbën) and Arbëria ([[Gheg]]: Arbënia). This term is still used for the Albanians that migrated to Italy during the Middle Ages.
*[[Arnauts]]; old term used mainly from Turks and by extension by European authors during the Ottoman Empire. A derivate of Arbër, Albanian.
*[[Skipetar]]s; the historical rendering of the ethnonym Shqiptar, or Shqyptar by French, Austrian and German authors, mainly during the 18th-20th century.

===Misnaming===
Because of confounding nationality with religious affiliation many authors from Byzantine times have also called and registered Albanians with the following names:
*[[Latins]]; term used during the Middle Ages from Venetian and other European authors to denote Albanians of Catholic faith mainly in the Northern regions up to the 19th century.
*[[Greeks]]; old term used generically from Byzantine times up to the 20th century by other European authors to denote Albanians of Orthodox faith in the Southern regions, as also those migrating, during the Ottoman Occupation, from Epirus and Peloponnese to Italy. Toponyms reflecting this historical misnaming began being corrected in Italy during the 1930s.
*[[Serbs]]; old term as above, used by authors to denote Albanians of Orthodox faith in the Northern regions up to the 19th century.
*[[Turk (disambiguation)|Turks]]; old term used by ecclesiastical writings and embraced by other European authors to denote Albanians of Muslim faith, and generally all Albanian legions of the Ottoman army.Also called Turkalbanians.
*[[Epirotes]]; old term widely used during the Middle Ages by local and foreign authors.

==Historical individuals==
Prominent individuals from Albania have included the defender of Albania during the mid-15th century [[Skenderbeg]], the writer [[Ismail Kadare]], the painter [[Ibrahim Kodra]], the composer [[Simon Gjoni]], the [[Nobel Prize]] winner [[Ferid Murad]], the Olympic athlete [[Klodiana Shala]], the [[Roman Catholic]] missionary [[Mother Teresa]] and [[Pope Clement XI]].Other well known individuals include the prime minister of the [[Ottoman Empire]] [[Ferhat Pasha]] and [[Mehemet Ali (Egypt)|Mehemet Ali]] the [[viceroy]] of [[Egypt]]. [[John Belushi]] and his brother [[Jim Belushi]] were of Albanian parents who immigrated in the USA after WWII. Also the American actress [[Eliza Dushku]] is born of an Albanian father and a half-Danish mother.

== Notes and references ==
{{reflist}}

==Reading==
[[Edith Durham]], ''[http://www.peacelink.nu/Boker/Durham/Durham.html The Burden of the Balkans]'' (1905)

{{Ethnic Albanians}}

== See also ==
{{columns |width=49%
|col1 =
*''[[Albanoi]]''
* [[Demographics of Albania]]
* [[History of Albania]]
* [[Cham Albanians]]
* [[Arvanites]]
|col2 =
* [[Mandritsa]]
* [[Kosovo war]]
* [[List of Albanians]]
* [[List of Albanian-Americans]]
}}

==External links==
*[http://www.arnavutweb.info Albanians in Turkey]
*[http://www.albca.com/aclis Albanian Canadian League Information Service (ACLIS)]
*[http://www.usip.org/pubs/specialreports/sr77.html Albanians in the Balkans] [[U.S. Institute of Peace]] Report, November 2001

[[Category:Albanian people|*]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Europe]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Albania]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Kosovo]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in the Republic of Macedonia]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Montenegro]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Serbia]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Greece]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Italy]]
[[Category:Indo-European peoples]]

[[an:Pueblo albanés]]
[[bs:Albanci]]
[[bg:Албанци]]
[[cv:Албансем]]
[[cs:Albánci]]
[[cy:Albaniaid]]
[[de:Albaner]]
[[et:Albaanlased]]
[[hr:Albanci]]
[[lv:Albāņi]]
[[lt:Albanai]]
[[mk:Албанци]]
[[nl:Albanezen]]
[[ja:アルバニア人]]
[[no:Albanere]]
[[pl:Albańczycy]]
[[ru:Албанцы]]
[[sq:Shqiptarët]]
[[sl:Albanci]]
[[sr:Албанци]]
[[sh:Albanci]]
[[fi:Albaanit]]
[[sv:Albaner]]
[[tr:Arnavutlar]]
[[uk:Албанці]]