Albania (Shqiperia, "land of the eagle") is a republic of the western Balkan peninsula of southeastern Europe, with a coastline on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas and a population of around 3.5 million on a largely mountainous and forested area of 28,747 sq. km. Tiranė is the capital, with 300,000 inhabitants: other principal cities are Durrės, Elbasan and Shkodėr, each with 100,000, Vlorė (90,000) and Korēė (80,000). Albania is Europe's poorest country, with half of the economically-active population still engaged in agriculture and a fifth said to be working abroad. Albanians, now a predominantly Muslim people thought to be descended largley from the area's ancient Illyrian population, also inhabit the neighboring Kosovo province of Serbia, western Macedonia and areas of Greece and Montenegro.
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