Shirvan. In reality the Albani inhabited also the mountain
valleys and the land to the north towards Sarmatia, the modern
Daghestan (Pliny vi. 39). Dionysius of JIalicarnassus quotes
a tradition that the name arose from the alleged fact that
the people were the descendants of emigrants from Alba in
Italy, but it would seem that the race was of Lesghian (not
Georgian) descent. Strabo describes them as tall, well made,
and in character simple and honest; he says that payment
was in kind and that the people could not count beyond a
hundred. They worshipped the sun, and more particularly the
moon, the latter being perhaps identical with the great
Nature Goddess of Asia Minor(see GREAT MOTHER OF THE
GODS), and believed in soothsaying and the virtue of human
sacrifice. Old age was held in high honour, but it was
sacrilege to speak, or even to think, of the dead. The race
was nomadic, and lived on the abundant natural fruits of the
land. In Strabo's time they appear to have been ruled by
a single king, though previously there were twenty-six,
each one ruling over a community distinct only in point of
language. The Albani became known to the Romans during Pompey's
pursuit of Mithradates the Great (65 B.C.), against which
they are said to have opposed a force of 60,000 foot and 20,000
cavalry. Pompey exacted from them a nominal submission,
but their independence was not seriously affected by the
Romans. In the reign of Hadrian their territory was invaded
by the Alani (Th. Mommsen, Provinces ofthe Roman Empire,
Eng. trans., 1886), and later they fell under the Sassanid
rule. They were driven finally into Armenia by the Khazars,
and ceased to exist as a separate people. The district
subsequently suffered under the successive invasions of Huns,
Varangians (who captured the chief town Barda in the 10th
century) and Mongols. (See CAUCASIA, History; ARMENIA.)
ALBANIA, a portion of the Turkish empire extending along
the western littoral of the Balkan Peninsula from the
southern frontier of Montenegro to the northern confines of
Greece. Albania is perhaps the least-known region in Europe;
and though more than a hundred years have passed since Gibbon
described it as ``a country within sight of Italy, which
is less known than the interior of America,'' but little
progress has yet been made towards a scientific knowledge
of this interesting land and its inhabitants. The wild and
inaccessible character of the country, the fierce and lawless
disposition of the people, the difficulties presented by
their language and their complex social institutions, and the
inability of the Turkish authorities to afford a safe conduct
in the remoter districts, combine to render Albania almost
unknown to the foreign traveller, and many of its geographical
problems still remain unsolved. A portion of the Mirdite
region, the Mat district, the neighbourhood of Dibra, Jakova
and Ipek and other localities have never been thoroughly
explored. The northern boundary of Albania underwent some
alteration in consequence of the enlargement of Montenegro,
sanctioned by the Berlin Treaty (July 13, 1878); owing to
subsequent arrangements providing for the cession of Dulcigno
to Montenegro (November 25, 1880) in exchange for the districts
of Plava and Gusinye, restored to Turkey, the frontier-line
(finally settled December 1884) now ascends the Boyana from
its mouth to Lake Sass (Shas), thence passes northward. and
crossing Lake Scutari separates the district of Kutch Kraina
on the N. from the territories of the Gruda, Hot and Klement
tribes on the S.; leaving Gusinye and Plava to the S.E., it
turns to the N.W. on reaching the Mokra Planina, and then
follows the course of the Tara river. On the S., Albanian
territory was curtailed owing to the acquisition of the Arta
district by Greece (May 1881), the river Arta now forming the
frontier. On the E. the chains of Shar, Grammos and Pindus
constitute a kind of natural boundary, which does not,
however, coincide with ethnical limits nor with the Turkish
administrative divisions. North-eastern Albania forms part
of the Turkish vilayet of Kossovo; the northern highlands
are included in the vilayet of Shkodra (Scutari), the
eastern portion of central Albania belongs to the vilayet of
Monastir, and the southern districts are comprised in the
vilayet of Iannina. The boundaries of the three last-named
vilayets meet near Elbassan. The name Albania (in the Tosk
dialect Arberia, in the Gheg Arbenia), like Albania
in the Caucasus, Armenia, Albany in Britain, and Auvergne
(Arveniaj in France, is probably connected with the root
alb, alp, and signifies ``the white or snowy uplands.''
Physical Features.--The mountain system is extremely complex,
especially that of the northern region. On the E. the great
Shar range, extending in a south-westerly direction from
the neighbourhood of Prishtina to thatof Dibra, is continued
towards the S. by the ranges of Grammos and Pindus; the entire
chain, a prolongation of the Alpine systems of Bosnia and
Dalmatia, may be described as the backbone of the peninsula;
it forms the watershed between the Aegean and the Adriatic,
and culminates in the lofty peak of Liubotrn, near Kalkandele,
one of the highest summits in south-eastern Europe (8858
ft.). The country to the west of this natural barrier may be
divided geographically into three districts---northern, central
and southern Albania. The river Shkumb separates the northern
from the central district, the Viossa the central from the
southern. The highland region of northern Albania is divided
into two portions by the lower course of the Drin; the
mountains of the northern portion, the Bieska Malziis, extend
in a confused and broken series of ridges from Scutari to the
valleys of the Ibar and White Drin; they comprise the rocky
group of the Prokletia, or Accursed Mountains, with their
numerous ramifications, including Mount Velechik, inhabited
by the Kastiat and Shkrel tribes, Bukovik by the Hot, Golesh
by the Klement, Skulsen (7533 ft.), Baba Vrkh (about 7306
ft.), Maranay near Scutari, and the Bastrik range to the
east. South of the Drin is another complex mountain system,
including the highlands inhabited by the Mirdites and the Mat
tribe; among the principal summits are Deja Mazzukht, Mal-i
Vels, Kraba, Toli and Mnela. Central Albania differs from
the northern and southern regions in the more undulating and
less rugged character of its surface; it contains considerable
lowland tracts, such as the wide and fertile plain of Musseki,
traversed by the river Simen. The principal summit is Tomor
(7916 ft.), overhanging the town of Berat. Southern Albania,
again, is almost wholly mountainous, with the exception of
the plains of Iannina andarta; the most noteworthy feature is
the rugged range of the Tchika, or Khimara mountains, which
skirt the sea-coast from south-west to north-east, terminating
in the lofty promontory of Glossa (ancient Acroceraunia.)
Farther inland the Mishkeli range to the north-east of
Lake Iannina and the Nemertzika mountains run in a parallel
direction. In the extreme south, beyond the basin of the
Kalamas, the mountains of Sull and Olyzika form a separate
group. The rivers, as a rule, flow from east to west; owing
to the rapidity of their descent none are navigable except the
Boyana and Arta in their lower courses. The principal rivers
are the Boyana, issuing from Lake Scutari, and consequently
regarded as a continuation of the Montenegrin Moratcha,
the Drin, formed by the confluence of the White and Black
Drin, which, flowing respectively to the south and north
through a long valley at the foot of the Shar range, take
a westerly direction after their junction, the AIatia, the
Arzen, the Shkumb (ancient G:e:iusos), the Simen (Apsos),
formed by the junction of the Devol and Ergene, the Viossa
(Aous), which owing to the trend of the Khimara range
takes a north-westerly direction, the Ralamas (Thyamis)
and the Arta (Arachthos), flowing south into the Ambraciah
Gulf. A portion of the stream of the Drin has found its
way into the Boyana channel; the result has been a rise in
the level of Lake Scutari and the inundation of the adjacent
lowlands. A proposal to confine the Drin to its former
course by means of a dyke, and to ease the downflow of the
Boyana by a canal opening navigation to Lake Scutari, has
long been considered by the Turliish authorities. The great
lakes of Scutari (135 sq. m.) and Ochrida (107 sq. m.) are
among the most beautiful in Europe; the waters of Ochrida,
which find an outlet in the Black Drin, are of marvellous
clearness. Lake KIahk, south by east of Ochrida, is
drained by the Devol. The waters of the picturesque Lake
Iannina (24 sq. m.) find an issue by katabothra, or
underground channels, into the Ambracian Gulf. The lake of
Butrinto (Buthrotum) is near the sea-coast opposite Corfu.
Climate.---The climate is healthy in the uplands, though
subject to violent changes; in the valleys fever is very
prevalent, especially in the basins of the Boyana, the lower
Drin and the Simen. The winter is short, but exceedingly
cold; snow remains on the Prokletia and other mountains
till August, and sometimes throughout the year. The summer
temperature in the plains is that of southern Italy; in
the mountain districts it is high during the day, but falls
almost to freezing-point at night. The sea-coast is exposed
to the fierce bora, or north wind, during the spring.
Natural Products.--The mountains of Albania are said to be
rich in minerals, but this source of wealth remains practically
unexplored. Iron and coal are probably abundant, and silver-lead,
copper and antimony are believed to exist. Cold mines were
worked in antiquity in the Drin valley, and silver mines in
the Mirdite region were known to the Venetians in the middle
ages. At Selinitza, near Avlona, there is a remarkable
deposit of mineral pitch which was extensively worked in Roman
times; mining operations are still carried on here, but in a
somewhat primitive fashion. The splendid forests, of which
there are 70,000 acres in the vilayet of Scutari alone, are
undergoing a rapid process of destruction, as in other lands
under Turkish rule. The principal trees are the oak, the
valonia oak, the beech. ash, elm, plane, celtis, poplar and
walnut, which give way in the higher regions to the pine and
fir. The oak forests near Dibra, where charcoalmaking is a
considerable industry, and the beech-woods of the Prishtina
district, are especially remarkable. The sumach is largely
grown in the Mirdite district; its leaves are exported to
Trieste for use in tanneries and dyeworks. In 1898 the
export of valonia was estimated at L. 11,200, of sumach at
L. 2400. Of fruit-trees the white mulberry, cherry and wild
pear are plentiful; the chestnut and walnut are sometimes met
with, and the olive is grown in the lowland and maritime
districts. The exportation of olive oil in 1808 was valued at
L. 24,000. The greater part of the country is admirably
suited to viticulture, and wine of tolerable quality is
produced. Tobacco is grown extensively in southern Albania,
especially near Berat and in the upper valley of the
Viossa, but the quantity exported is small. The means of
subsistence are mainly provided by the cultivation of grain and
cattle-rearing. Notwithstanding the primitive condition of
agriculture, the deficiency of communications and the damage
caused by frequent inundations, Albania furnishes almost the
entire corn supplu of the Dalmatian coast and islands. Maize
is the favourite grain for home consumption, but considerable
