Territory Of Albania Research Articles

Analysing Organised Crime in the Context of the Western Balkans Region, with a Research Perspective on the Territory of Albania

Organized crime creates a particularly negative social situation in the Western Balkans, which has a direct impact on the relationships that citizens have with their society. The analysis of several characteristics of organized crime and their consequences on young people, based on a review of the literature, constitutes the main research approach on which the conceptualization of the variables is based. The research follows the methodology of a cross-sectional descriptive study, which explores through scientific means how respondents (n=1,059) perceive organized crime in Albanian society. The collection of data through the structured questionnaire, analysed statistically, highlights the factors conducive to crime and the groups most exposed, as well as the dynamics linked to opposition to criminal acts, which support scientific conclusions to focus on the request for specific intervention.

ЂУРАЂ И ВУКАШИН АРБАНАС ОД КАРАШЕВА: ЦРТИЦЕ О ЈЕДНОЈ ПЛЕМИЋКОЈ ПОРОДИЦИ ИЗ 15. ВЕКА С ПРОСТОРА БАНАТА

The paper deals with the noble Arbanas family (Hungarian: Orbonász) of Carașova, whose members performed important administrative and military duties in the southern border areas of Hungary during the 15th century. The scarce source material allows us to follow only the basic outlines of their activities. The most prominent members of this family and the founders of its two branches were the brothers George and Vukašin Arbanas. In 1437, George kept the royal castle of Carașova in present-day Romanian Banat (Hungarian: Krassófő, Serbian: Karaševo) as an honour, which proves that he already had a significant position in the borderline Caraș (Krassó) County at that time. In the Hungarian and Romanian historiography, it is considered that the brothers originate from a Serbian noble family from the territory of Albania. It is interesting that two Serbian annals mention a certain Vukašin Zuprović as a prominent participant in the Hungarian campaign against the Ottomans in Serbia in 1437. The civil war in Hungary after the death of King Albert (1439) favoured the further rise of the Arbanas brothers. As a supporter of King Wladislas I and John Hunyadi, George reached the position of the count of Timiş (Temes) in 1441–1442. Vukašin was given a significant role in the management of Timiş County, as some kind of his brother’s representative. The offspring of George and Vukašin built their careers on the southern border of Hungary during the reign of Matthias Corvinus. In the late 1480s, George the Younger performed the duty of the captain or the ban of Belgrade, while Vukašin’s son Peter was the captain of the Haram castle on the Danube in Caraș County (1489).

Hydrogeological Aspects of the Municipal Water Supply of Albania: Situation and Problems

The municipal water supply, related mainly to the cities of Albania, began to develop in the second half of the 19th century and very intensively after 1945. Today, the reported mean water production for the cities, on average, is about 300 l/capita/d, including drinking and industrial water supplies. The territory of Albania has an uneven distribution of very heterogeneous aquifers conditioning often the difficulty of municipal water supply solutions. In this article, are analyzed and classified the hydrogeological aspects of the water supply sources of the settlements, which are summarized in five groups: (a) wells in alluvial intergranular aquifers; (b) karst springs; (c) wells in karst aquifers; (d) springs in fissured rocks; and (e) mixed water sources. For each group of the water supply sources, the main concerns regarding the quantity and quality problems are analyzed, facilitated by the description of a variety of representative examples of different situations. Based on the gained experience, important recommendations are given for the better understanding of hydrogeological aspects of water supply systems, related to the river water recharge areas, the seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers, and the high vulnerability of karst aquifers, as well as transboundary aquifers. However, the main problem of public water supply of Albania remains the poor management of water supply systems, which is reflected in the significant water losses, as well as the low public awareness of requests for sustainable use.

THE DIGITALIZATION OF HERITAGE USING THE EXAMPLE OF ROMAN PROVINCIAL EPIGRAPHIC MONUMENTS

The first part of the paper explains the meaning of epigraphic monuments, the types of monuments and their importance for understanding of the past. The focus is on the value of this type of archaeological remains in the context of Southeast Europe. The paper also explains why classical epigraphic monuments should be digitalized because they are often inadequately stored in museums and other institutions. When it comes to the region of Southeast Europe, the majority of monuments were discovered in Croatia, but in other countries, this type of monument represents a valuable part of the classical heritage. To preserve these monuments and ensure that they are further used for research purposes, under the guidance of the Commissione epigrafia e informatica (AIEGL), in 2003 it was decided to create an international network of epigraphic databases EAGLE (Electronic Archive of Greek and Latin Epigraphy). For twenty years, epigraphers have been directly or indirectly working on the digitalization of classical epigraphic monuments which is one of the largest and longest archaeological projects in the world. The largest number of monuments from Roman provinces have been digitalized in the databases Epigraphic Database Heidelberg, Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss / Slaby, Ubi Erat Lupa, Roman Inscriptions of Britain, and Hispania Epigraphica Online. When it comes to Roman provinces from South-eastern Europe, we should single out Epigraphic Database Heidelberg (EDH) and Epigraphic Database Clauss / Slaby (EDCS). Epigraphic Database Heidelberg stores 6838 inscriptions from Croatia, 855 inscriptions discovered in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1460 inscriptions from Serbia, 384 from the territory of Albania, 315 from Montenegro, 375 from Northern Macedonia and 1108 from Slovenia.

Are Mosses Used in Atmospheric Trace Metal Deposition Surveys Impacted by Their Substrate Soils? A National Study in Albania.

This research used moss biomonitoring to assess the atmospheric deposition of selected trace metals across the whole territory of Albania, a country of diverse lithology, and topography. Here, we assess three elements (Cr, Ni, and Co) that were identified in high concentrations compared to values reported by European moss surveys of 2010 and 2015. The possibility of element uptake by moss from substrate soils was assessed by analyzing moss and topsoil samples from the same areas. For this purpose, moss (Hypnum cupressiforme (Hedw.)) and topsoil samples were collected throughout Albania. Higher concentrations of elements in moss were found in areas of very high element content in soil characterized by no/or thin humus layer and sparse vegetation that stimulates soil dust generation. To compensate for the natural variation of the elements and to show their anthropogenic variation, geochemical normalization was conducted as the ratio of Co, Cr, and Ni concentration data to be concentration. Associations between elements in moss and soil samples, investigated by Spearman-Rho correlation analysis, indicated strong and significant correlations (r > 0.81, p = 0.000) between elements' data in moss or soil, and weak or no correlations (r < 0.4, p > 0.05) between the same data of moss and soil. Factor analysis revealed two main factors that selectively affect the elements in moss and top soil samples. Findings from this research suggested negligible interactions between moss and substrate soils, with the exception of soils with high concentrations of elements.

Ecological factors affecting the spread of class Chilopoda of the group Myriapoda

Recently, the problem of preserving biodiversity on the planet has become increasingly relevant. Therefore, research on the ecological characteristics of organisms that play an important role in the functioning of biogeocoenoses is especially relevant. Chilipoda millipedes are one of these groups. Currently, many questions on the ecology of Chilopods, especially in the territory of Albania, remain unresolved. This motivates researchers to seek answers to these issues. The primary research aim is to analyse the specific features of the ecology of the Chilipoda millipedes inhabiting Vlora. The material used for the study was the author's collections of centipedes. Manual collection and soil sampling methods were used in the research. Determination of the taxonomic affiliation of centipedes was performed by examining the morphological features of centipedes under a stereoscopic microscope and further determining specimens with the help of determination keys. In the field under investigation, the Chilipoda fauna is represented by 6 species from 4 orders, 6 genera, and 5 families. Temperature and humidity have been shown to have a significant influence on the geographical distribution of chilopods: thus, the occurrence of centipedes in litter and the upper soil layer decreases significantly with the onset of drought. The character of flora plays a secondary role in the distribution of centipedes. It was established that soils with high content of humus and nitrogen are a favourable habitat for centipedes. The paper presents, for the first time for the Vlora region, data on the vertical distribution of S. coleoptrata along the soil profile. Scootigers preferred litter and did not migrate into the soil. Other representatives of Chilipoda were mainly found in the uppermost soil layer (0-10 cm), moreover Chilipoda were concentrated in the litter, and only a small part of them descended to a depth of 20 cm. The obtained results contribute to the knowledge of the ecological features of chilopods

Letter from Bishop Nicholai Velimirovich to Reverend Protopresbyter Stevan Dimitrijević on December 12, 1921

In the Provincial State Archives of Kosovo and Metohija, in the legacy of the distinguished professor and dean of the Orthodox Theological Faculty Archpriest Stevan Dimitrijević, a letter from the Bishop Nicholai (Velimirovich) of Ohrid was found, addressed to Dimitrijević on December 12, 1921. It reveals the Bishop’s thoughts on the God Worshiper movement [or God–Prayer movement — Bogomoljački pokret in Serbian], a brief mention of the disorderly situation in the bishopric entrusted to him, as well as his position that the armed incursions of the Serbian army into the territory of Albania, after the end of hostilities and after the end of the First World War, were wrong. Bishop Nicholai did not comment extensively on Church issues, even though he was the canonical bishop of certain church municipalities in Northern Albania. Although he informed both the state Serbian authorities and the higher ecclesiastical authorities of the Serbian Orthodox Church about the fact that he was prevented from pastoral work and service in the mentioned geographical area, he did not describe it in more detail, because, most likely, he later talked verbally with archpriest Dimitrijević about all the mentioned issues in Southern and Old Serbia.

АНТИЧНЫЕ ПОСЕЛЕНИЯ ГОРОДСКОГО ТИПА НИЗМЕННОГО КАРАБАХА

The archaeological research indicated a large number and significant density of settlements of different times on the territory of Azerbaijan, which is mainly due to the fact that there were all the necessary conditions for the emergence of settlements. The decisive condition for their emergence has always been the presence of certain material prerequisites for life, as well as the possibility of defending a given area. The analysis of archaeological materials draws a picture of life in the cities of Albania in the period of antiquity. These cities were administrative and trade and craft centers with developed money circulation. In the cities of Albania, such types of handicrafts as pottery, metallurgy and metalworking, jewelry, glass making, as well as weaving and leatherworking were developed. In their development, a significant role played the trade routes of that time passing through the territory of Albania, one of which was the waterway along the Kura River. Keywords: Albania, Karabakh, cities, base of column, defensive walls

Origin and spatial distribution of metals in moss samples in Albania: A hotspot of heavy metal contamination in Europe

This study presents the spatial distribution of 37 elements in 48 moss samples collected over the whole territory of Albania and provides information on sources and factors controlling the concentrations of elements in the moss. High variations of trace metals indicate that the concentrations of elements are affected by different factors. Relations between the elements in moss, geochemical interpretation of the data, and secondary effects such as redox conditions generated from local soil and/or long distance atmospheric transport of the pollutants are discussed. Zr normalized data, and the ratios of different elements are calculated to assess the origin of elements present in the current moss samples with respect to different geogenic and anthropogenic inputs. Factor analysis (FA) is used to identify the most probable sources of the elements. Four dominant factors are identified, i.e. natural contamination; dust emission from local mining operations; atmospheric transport of contaminants from local and long distance sources; and contributions from air borne marine salts.Mineral particle dust from local emission sources is classified as the most important factor affecting the atmospheric deposition of elements accumulated in the current moss samples. The open slag dumps of mining operation in Albania is probably the main factor contributing to high contents of Cr, Ni, Fe, Ti and Al in the moss. Enrichment factors (EF) were calculated to clarify whether the elements in the present moss samples mainly originate from atmospheric deposition and/or local substrate materials.

Features of Rural Settlements: Gjirokastra Region Case

Like other scholars of different disciplines, geographers have established their particular feature, through numerous studies. Proper studies, such as studies of the settlements and the degree of use of rural territories, are carried out even in the field of rural geography. The vast majority of settlements as well as most of human potential in the territory of Albania (about 58%) are located in the rural area. Geographical contributions to the study of rural settlements consist in high levels of information also in their dynamics related to time and space, necessary for decision-making institutions in the service of sustainable rural development. Support specialists in various fields, the role of geography are a priority in the study of rural areas settlements, on the basis of natural knowledge, socio-economic and diverse research methods. During the historical periods, depending on natural, political, socio-economic factors, the demographic and administrative organization of urban and rural areas in Albania have established their physiognomy and authenticity. The number, scope and functions of rural areas settlements have been the subject of study carried out by many authors who have analyzed not only nationally, but also regionally and locally. A particular case is the district of Gjirokastra, where the rural migration has brought about many negative effects. Administrative divisions have a direct impact on the number, size and rational distribution of settlements. During the previous regime, their network was transformed, not only in spatial terms, but also from the functional point of view and typology-wise. After 1989, political, economic and legal changes brought about the need to alter the old forms of governance and the performance of the administrative-territorial reform had a multilateral impact on the network of rural settlements. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2016.v5n3s1p269

Traditional food uses of wild plants among the Gorani of South Kosovo

A food ethnobotanical field study was conducted among the Gorani of South Kosovo, a small ethnic minority group that speaks a South-Slavic language and lives in the south of the country. We conducted forty-one semi-structured interviews in ten villages of the Kosovar Gora mountainous area and found that seventy-nine wild botanical and mycological taxa represent the complex mosaic of the food cultural heritage in this population. A large portion of the wild food plant reports refer to fermented wild fruit-based beverages and herbal teas, while the role of wild vegetables is restricted. A comparison of these data with those previously collected among the Gorani living in nearby villages within the territory of Albania, who were separated in 1925 from their relatives living in present-day Kosovo, shows that approximately one third of the wild food plant reports are the same. This finding demonstrates the complex nature of Kosovar Gorani ethnobotany, which could indicate the permanence of possible “original” Gorani wild plant uses (mainly including wild fruits-based beverages), as well as elements of cultural adaptation to Serbian and Bosniak ethnobotanies (mainly including a few herbal teas and mushrooms).

The Adaptation of the Albanian Legislation on Entry and Residence of Foreign Citizens within the Integration Process

In March 2013, Albania adopted a new law on foreigners which repealed the law of 2008. The aim of the new law is to guarantee the treatment of foreigners entering or seeking to enter, stay or work in the territory of Albania according to the criteria and norms of the European Union. The law in question brings innovation about travel documents when for the first time is recognized the group passport, a standard set by the European Union legislation. Also for the first time it establishes a residence permit for voluntary workers and researchers. Regarding the residence permits, there is a change to their labeling and in accordance with the EU legislation it is provided the blue card residence permit, which is issued to highly qualified workers. The new law also harmonizes the criteria for entry and stay in the territory of Albania with those of the Schengen Code. In this paper will be analyzed the European Union legislation on entry and residence of third-country nationals, which will be followed by the analyses of the provisions of the Albanian law of 2013 that discipline the entry and stay of foreigners in the territory of Albania, in order to identify the level of harmonization of it with the European Union legislation. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n2s2p87

The Values and the Problems of the Natural Heritage of the Region of Elbasan

Various studies, among them geographical ones, like the application of the new concepts on the Natural Heritage, since 1990, helped in the construction of the biodiversity protection strategy, which served as a basis for providing legal support conservation and management of Natural heritage for identifying and proposing new protected sites, which now accounts around 16% of the territory of Albania and are represented by the six categories of protected areas provided by the IUCN. Studies continue to expand about the protected areas and preparation of their management plans. In this context, particular importance have the studies of the natural heritage for particular regions of the country. Our article has the object of study of Natural Heritage of the region of Elbasan,concentrating mostly on the natural momuments of this region. This article makes evident this valuable asset emphasising in this way the scientific,echological, cultural,spiritual and turistics values of its sites:in the many problems of the protected areas and it analyses and proposes the aplication of better models in the managment with the porpose: the protection and regeneration of the values, their return in a source of scientific informaiton, in didactic laboratories and ecological and patriotc education notably in attractive turistic objects with the intantion of the stable development of the region. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n2p103

The Promotion of Multilingualism in Albania: The Role of Italian Language at School and in the Work-Place

Languages have a very significant role in society, in economy, in the working place and in the political relationships among different countries. Multilingualism is a key element nowadays that not only facilitates communication but helps to move between cultures. This article aims to present the situation of multilingualism in Albania with reference to the promotion of language skills in school and their role on employability in the labor market by focusing on the Italian language as one of the best known and most popular languages among European ones that are spoken in Albania.Reforms in the curricula of the education system in Albania are conceptualized according to the education strategies of the Council of Europe and of the EU – where Albania aims to become a member state- and focuses on the promotion of multilingualism and multiculturalist education among the new generation. It is in such context that the teaching and learning of community languages became part of the curricula starting from the very first classes in the elementary school and adding to two the number of languages that are taught in this phase of education in addition to the mother tongue. In the course of secondary education there is assigned an important role to foreign language which are part of the curricula and of the maturity exam; meanwhile their importance is clearly confirmed during university studies and graduate studies. The practice in job recruitment provides evidence that the knowledge of languages increases considerably the possibilities and chances of success for those aspiring to find work in both public and private sectors. Knowledge of a foreign language (preferably English) is now one of the key requirements for participation in all competitions and job applications. In addition, the knowledge of multiple languages is a credit to those who participate in these contests. Even in the private sector the knowledge of languages has become a necessity both in the context of communication and trade with foreign companies and suppliers, and in the area of the work carried out on behalf of foreign companies that conduct their business in Albania. In conclusion, there will be shown that the Italian language occupies an important place in the system of education and training, as well as having a central role in the labor market, especially in the private sector, while taking into account the considerable number of Italian companies present on the territory of Albania and the intensity of trade and cultural exchanges between these two countries, Albania and Italy. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2013.v2n9p130

Family Reunification in Albania: A Comparative Study in the Context of Albanian Integration in the EU

Family Reunification is a necessary way of making family life possible. It is a fundamental right and it is a social right. This article examines Albanian legislation on family reunification. The purpose of the Albanian new legislation is to create a complete legal framework according to the European Union rules on family reunification. The aim of this study is to analyze, under Migration and Asylum Legislation of the Republic of Albania, the procedures, the conditions and the beneficiaries of family reunification of migrants and refugees in the territory of Albania. It will analyze the definition of the family, the conditions of entry and stay and the rights conferred on family members. We argue that the issue of family reunification is not the heart of immigration policy. Albanian legislation is now presented more “in line” with the European standards even that the progress has been slower and less substantial than expected. Moreover, the level of protection of family life in these instruments should be significantly higher than the present one. Many flexible elements should be introduced to facilitate the process of family reunification and to force the protection of the rights of family members. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n6p681

Probabilistic seismic hazard assessment in Albania

Albania is situated in the Alpine-Mediterranean seismic belt and accommodates part of the deformation due to collision of the Adriatic microplate with the Eurasian plate. Albania has repeatedly been the site of historical earthquakes with considerable losses al even from moderate size events. The fact is attributed mainly to the poorquality of the construction in rural areas. During Albania's passing from an isolated and communist dictatorship to an open and democratic society in the beginning of 90's, a boom in the construction sector commenced which made imperative a modern seismic hazard assessment. In this work an evaluation of probabilistic seismic hazard in Albania is presented based on an updated seismicity catalogue.For this reason Albania has been subdivided in 8 seismogenic zones on the basis of seismotectonic criteria as well as on the spatial and temporal distribution of earthquake epicenters. The earthquake catalogue adopted contains 530 earthquakes with M ≥?4.5 for the time period A.D.58-2000. Values of Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) for different probability levels of exceedance are obtained for a grid of 10 km × 10 km cells over the territory of Albania. Respective maps are also constructed.

5520904 Calcium/oxyanion-containing particles with a polymerical alkoxy coating for use in medical diagnostic imaging

On November 30, 1967, a strong earthquake of magnitude M = 6.6 struck the Dibra region, eastern Albania, causing considerable loss of human life and grave material damage both in the territory of Albania and that of Yugoslavia.The object of this study is to describe the effects of this earthquake on landscape and buildings, as well as to define its macroseismic field. The study further deals with some features of the aftershocks of M ⩾ 4.0 distributed in time and space, the aftershock activity and the focal-mechanism solution of the main event.From the study of the macroseismic field of this earthquake and its fault, which extends over 10 km in a 40° northeasterly direction, from the distribution of aftershocks in space and the focal-mechanism solution of this earthquake, the conclusion has been reached that this event is connected with the Vlora—Dibra seismogenic belt.The authors have mentioned the existence of this traverse belt as early as 1969 (Sulstarova and Koçiaj, 1969). The existence of this belt is also shown by the chronological and geographical distribution of some strong earthquakes in Albania in the period 1800–1967 (their macroseismic field and the position of their epicentres), and by the focal-mechanism solutions of some of these earthquakes. The Vlora—Elbasan—Dibra transverse seismogenic belt continues for several hundred kilometres northeast and southwest beyond the territory of Albania.

The Dibra (Albania) earthquake of November 30, 1967

On November 30, 1967, a strong earthquake of magnitude M = 6.6 struck the Dibra region, eastern Albania, causing considerable loss of human life and grave material damage both in the territory of Albania and that of Yugoslavia. The object of this study is to describe the effects of this earthquake on landscape and buildings, as well as to define its macroseismic field. The study further deals with some features of the aftershocks of M ⩾ 4.0 distributed in time and space, the aftershock activity and the focal-mechanism solution of the main event. From the study of the macroseismic field of this earthquake and its fault, which extends over 10 km in a 40° northeasterly direction, from the distribution of aftershocks in space and the focal-mechanism solution of this earthquake, the conclusion has been reached that this event is connected with the Vlora—Dibra seismogenic belt. The authors have mentioned the existence of this traverse belt as early as 1969 (Sulstarova and Koçiaj, 1969). The existence of this belt is also shown by the chronological and geographical distribution of some strong earthquakes in Albania in the period 1800–1967 (their macroseismic field and the position of their epicentres), and by the focal-mechanism solutions of some of these earthquakes. The Vlora—Elbasan—Dibra transverse seismogenic belt continues for several hundred kilometres northeast and southwest beyond the territory of Albania.