Macedonians of Albania

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Macedonians and Torbeshi of Albania
Flag of the Macedonian dominated district of Pustec.
Total population

4,697 (by language 2001)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Liqenas (Pustec), Gora,

Korçë (Gorica), Pogradec
Languages
Macedonian
Religions
Predominantly Eastern Orthodox and Muslim
Related ethnic groups
Other ethnic Macedonians

Part of a series of articles on
Macedonians
(ethnic group)

Culture
Language · Literature · Art
Music · Cinema · Folklore
Costume · Cuisine · Symbols

Religion
Macedonian Orthodox Church
Roman Catholicism
Greek Catholicism
Islam · Judaism
Protestants · Baptists

History
National Awakening
Ilinden Uprising
National Liberation War
National Liberation Front
Republic of Macedonia

By region or country
Republic of Macedonia
Greece · Albania · Bulgaria
Diaspora
Serbia · Slovenia · Croatia
Australia · Canada · USA
Sweden · Romania
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Subgroups
Aegean Macedonians
Torbeš

Other Articles
List of Macedonians
Macedonism · Holidays
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Ethnic Macedonians of Albania are an officially recognized ethnic minority in Albania[2][3]. In the 1989 census, 4,697[4] people declared themselves ethnic Macedonians. Albania is the only country bordering Republic of Macedonia where an "Ethnic Macedonian minority" is recognised.[5][6] Ethnic Macedonian organizations allege that the government undercounts their number and that they are politically under-represented - there are no ethnic Macedonians in the Albanian parliament.[7] Some say that there has been disagreement among the Slav-speaking Albanian citizens about their being members of a Macedonian nation as a significant percentage of their number are Torbeš.

Contents

[edit] Areas inhabitated by Macedonians

Most Macedonians live in the Mala Prespa and Golo Brdo area. The region is located west of Lake Ohrid and Prespa and forms the western most part of Macedonia including areas of the Korçë, Pogradec and Devoll districts (sometimes considered to be a part of Aegean Macedonia). Many Macedonians can be found in the following villages: Lajthizë, Pustec, Zaroshka, Tserje, Šulin, Glubočani, Dolna Gorica, Bezmishti and Gorna Gorica.From the administrative point of view, the nine villages of the Macedonian minority constitute the Commune of Prespa. The center of this commune is the village of Pustec.[8] The villages of Progun, Rakitsko, Suec, Zagradec and Vrbnik are also Macedonian villages found in the Devoll District.

Many inhabitants of the Gora region are known as Torbeshi, whose number has been estimated at c. 40,000 - 120,000.[9] External estimates on the population of ethnic Macedonians in Albania include 10,000,[10] whereas ethnic Macedonian sources have claimed that there are 120,000 - 350,000 ethnic Macedonians in Albania [11][12] Despite high levels of emigration the Number of Macedonians in Albania has nearly doubled over the last 50 years, in 1950 there were 2,273 Macedonians in Albania, 1955 - 3,341, 1960 - 4,235, 1979, - 4,097 and in 1989 - 4,697.

[edit] Education

There is a general high school in Liqenas, one eight-year school in Dolna Gorica and six elementary schools in Djellas, Lajthize, Zaroshke, Gorna Gorica, Kallamas and Globočani. There are eight-year schools at the two biggest villages of the commune, Liqenas and Gorice e Madhe, where 20 percent of the texts are held at the mother tongue language. At the centre of the commune there is a high school as well. The history of the Macedonian people is a special subject at the school. All minority schools have twin partnerships with counterparts in Macedonia.[13] All the teaching personnel is local and with the proper education.[14]

[edit] Macedonian organizations

In September 1991 the "Bratska" Political Association of Macedonian in Albania (BPAMA) was established. Other Macedonian organizations include Macedonian Alliance for European Integration, Prespa, Mir (Peace), Bratstvo (Brotherhood) and the MED (Macedonian Aegean Society)[15].






[edit] Religion

The Macedonians in Albania are primarily Orthodox or Muslim. The Torbeshi are Muslim, they are primarily found in the Gora region. While the Macedonians found in the Prespa and Golo Brdo region are primarily Orthodox. The Community is currently in the process of building the first of many Macedonian Orthodox Churches [16][17]. The Church 'St. Michael the Archangel' was started in the early 2000s. A new church is that of Saint Mary for which a considerable funding has been given by the Macedonian Orthodox Church.[18]

[edit] Macedonian media

The local radio of Korçë broadcasts the Fote Nikola (Macedonian: Фоте Никола) program which comprises of news bulletins and songs in Macedonian for the Macedonian minority in Albania for half an hour each day. The local TV station has also released programs from Macedonia [19]. On November 7, 2002 the first private Macedonian language radio station was set up. It is known as Radio Prespa.[20] Many Macedonian language newspapers have been launched but most have failed due to finanial reasons, the only Macedonian journal is the quarterly Prespa newspaper[21].


[edit] Representation in Government

At present there is no Macedonian in the Albanian Parliament. But many of the Local Government representatives are Macedonian. The mayor of Pustec/Liqenas is Edmond Vangjel Themelko according to 2007 local elections. He is a Macedonian. There are Macedonians represented in the districts of Звезда (Zvezda) and Горна Горица (Gorna Gorica).[22]

[edit] Notable Macedonians from Albania

  • Edmond Temelko - Mayor of the Pustec Commune, Politician and Ethnic Macedonian activist
  • Spase Ilinden - Macedonian language Writer and Poet
  • Kimet Fetahu - Doctor and Professor
  • Nikola Berovski
  • Sterjo Spase - Writer

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] Multimedia

[edit] References

  1. ^ 1989 census LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT AND DECENTRALIZATION: CASE OF ALBANIA. HISTORY, REFORMES AND CHALLENGES
  2. ^ OSCE INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVATION MISSION
  3. ^ Council of Europe 2004-2008
  4. ^ Artan Hoxha and Alma Gurraj, "Local Self-Government and Decentralization: Case of Albania. History, Reforms and Challenges". In: Local Self Government and Decentralization in South - East Europe. Proceedings of the workshop held in Zagreb, Croatia. 6 April 2001. Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Zagreb Office, Zagreb 2001, pp 194-224
  5. ^ OSCE MINORITIES IN ALBANIA
  6. ^ Report on National Minorities in Albania by Albanian govermant – 2001 page 17
  7. ^ Interview with Edmond Temelko, president of the Macedonian organization “Prespa” in Albania
  8. ^ Regarding the Macedonian population living in Prespa area (region of Kortcha). Their condition is described in positive terms and particular praise is given to the fact that all the villages of the area have classes in their mother tongue., source: Minority Rights in Albania, page 3 - Albanian Helsinki Committee, September 1999
  9. ^ M. Apostolov, "The Pomaks: A Religious Minority in The Balkans", (1996)
  10. ^ Landesinformationen: AlbINFO by albanien.ch
  11. ^ 2003 OSCE - Macedonian Minority in Albania
  12. ^ Jakim Sinadinovski, Macedonian Muslims, Then and Now
  13. ^ U.S.ENGLISH Foundation Official Language Research - Albania: Language in everyday life
  14. ^ http://www.ahc.org.al/deklarata/Report%20on%20the%20macedonian%20minority.pdf
  15. ^ The Macedonian Minority in Albania
  16. ^ Macedonians in Albania
  17. ^ Minority Rights in Albania, Albanian Helsinki Committee, September 1999
  18. ^ http://www.ahc.org.al/deklarata/Report%20on%20the%20macedonian%20minority.pdf
  19. ^ Under the direct auspices of the Albanian Helsinki Committee, from September 1999 to September 2000, an intensive work was carried out for the realization of the project “On the status of the minorities in the Republic of Albania”. This project was financed by the Finnish Foundation ‘KIOS’, “Finnish NGO Foundation for Human Rights”
  20. ^ U.S.ENGLISH Foundation Official Language Research - Albania: Language in everyday life
  21. ^ Macedonian Human Rights Movement International
  22. ^ Makedonski Icelenuchki Almanac '97, Matitsa na Icelenitsite od Makedonija; Skopje: 1997; p.60-61
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