Albanians

Albanians are an ethnic group indigenous to the Balkan Peninsula, sharing a common ancestry, language, history and cultural heritage. They constitute the majority population of Albania and Kosovo, and form significant communities in North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Greece, as well as smaller historical groups across Italy, Croatia, Bulgaria and Turkey. Albanian communities have also established a widespread global diaspora. The Albanian language, an independent branch of the Indo-European family, represents the sole surviving member of the ancient Paleo-Balkan linguistic continuum.

Origins and Early History

Most scholars consider Albanians to be descendants of western Paleo-Balkan peoples. A widely supported view holds that they derive at least partly from the ancient Illyrians, although the precise composition of their ethnogenesis remains the subject of academic debate. The earliest known mention of the ethnonym Albanoi appears in Ptolemy’s 2nd-century AD Geographia, describing a tribe inhabiting central Albania. A definitive reference to Albanians as an ethnic group surfaces in the 11th century in the writings of Byzantine chronicler Michael Attaleiates, who located them in the Theme of Dyrrhachium.
The Shkumbin River serves as a natural linguistic boundary, dividing the Gheg and Tosk dialects of Albanian. For centuries the region lay between the ecclesiastical spheres of Rome and Constantinople. Until the 8th century Albania was under the Bishop of Rome, after which church jurisdictions shifted to the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Following the East–West Schism, northern Albanians increasingly associated with Roman Catholicism, while southern Albanians aligned with Eastern Orthodoxy.
One of the earliest documented Albanian polities was the Principality of Arbanon, established in 1190 with its capital at Krujë. This principality laid the foundations for later regional states that emerged during the Middle Ages.

Medieval and Early Modern Migration

Albanian migration within and beyond the Balkans occurred in several important phases. From the 13th to the 18th centuries, groups moved to escape political instability, warfare or economic hardship. One of the most notable diasporic communities are the Arvanites of southern Greece, who settled there between the 13th and 16th centuries while retaining distinctive language and customs. Another group, the Arbëreshë of southern Italy and Sicily, arrived between the 11th and 16th centuries, forming enduring communities that preserve elements of medieval Albanian culture.
Smaller migration streams included Albanians settling in Romania from the late 16th century and, in the 18th century, into Dalmatia where they became known as the Arbanasi near Zadar. The Arbanasi trace their origins to villages around Lake Skadar, having migrated between 1726 and 1754. Their linguistic and cultural maintenance faced difficulties, particularly where assimilation with local populations occurred. Further Albanian communities took shape in Ukraine between 1811 and 1862, particularly in the Odessa and Zaporizhia regions, where multilingual environments fostered unique Balkan-derived dialects.

Ottoman Period and Political Developments

The Ottoman conquest of the Balkans in the 15th century brought Albanians into a long period of imperial rule. Despite this, Albanian resistance flourished under the leadership of Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg, whose League of Lezhë opposed Ottoman expansion for decades. Over time Islam spread among Albanians, providing new opportunities for social mobility. As a result, Albanians rose to prominence within the empire: numerous Ottoman officials, military commanders and more than a dozen grand viziers were of Albanian descent.
Several semi-autonomous Albanian pashaliks developed between the 18th and 19th centuries, including Scutari under Kara Mahmud Pasha, Ioannina under Ali Pasha, and Berat under Ahmet Kurt Pasha. Beyond the Balkans, the Albanian Muhammad Ali founded a dynasty that ruled Egypt and Sudan into the 20th century, with Albanians forming a notable minority in Egypt during that period.

National Awakening and the Modern Era

The 19th century saw the consolidation of Albanian cultural and national identity, culminating in the Albanian Renaissance. Intellectual and political movements promoted a unified language, national consciousness and educational reform. During the Balkan Wars, Albanians declared independence on 28 November 1912. The Treaty of Bucharest (1913) established the borders of the new Albanian state but left roughly half of the ethnic Albanian population outside its frontiers, particularly within territories controlled by Greece, Montenegro and Serbia.
After the Second World War Albania became a socialist state under Enver Hoxha, entering a prolonged period of isolation from Europe. In neighbouring Yugoslavia Albanians faced fluctuating conditions and periods of discrimination, eventually culminating in the Kosovo conflict and the declaration of Kosovo’s independence in 2008.

Albanians in Turkey and the Wider Diaspora

Although Turkey does not officially recognise Albanians as a minority, sizeable populations of Albanian descent live there. Around half a million people openly identify with Albanian heritage, while broader estimates—which include those who have undergone linguistic and cultural assimilation—range from approximately 1.3 to 5 million individuals, including descendants of migrants from Kosovo and other Balkan regions.
Albanian diasporic communities exist across Europe and beyond, including notable populations in Italy, Greece, Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia. These communities maintain varying degrees of linguistic and cultural continuity.

Culture and Religion

Albanian culture reflects a synthesis of Balkan, Mediterranean and wider historical influences. Traditional social organisation featured clan-based structures, especially among northern Ghegs. Across time Albanians have practised multiple religions, including Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Islam. Religious diversity has largely coexisted within a broader sense of shared ethnic identity.

Ethnonyms

The primary endonym used by Albanians is Shqiptar, with the country known as Shqipëri or Shqipëria. Classical and medieval sources employ various terms such as Albanoi (Greek), Arbanitai, Arbanenses and related forms. These were adopted into many European languages, giving rise to the modern exonyms: Albanians (English), Albanesi (Italian), Albaner (German), Alvanos (Greek), Arnavut (Turkish), Arbanasi (South Slavic) and Arbinesh (Aromanian).