Tirana County
Qarku i Tiranës (Albanian) | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Flag  Emblem | |
.svg) Map of Albania with Tirana County highlighted | |
| Coordinates: 41°15′N 19°45′E / 41.250°N 19.750°E | |
| Country |  Albania |
| Seat | Tirana |
| Subdivisions | 5 municipalities: |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Erion Veliaj |
| • Prefect | Afrim Qendro (PS)[1] |
| • Council chairman | Aldrin Dalipi (PS)[2] |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,652 km2 (638 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 10th |
| Population (2021[3]) | |
• Total | 912,190 |
| • Rank | 1st |
| • Density | 550/km2 (1,400/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| HDI (2021) | 0.822 very high · 1st of 12 |
| NUTS Code | AL022 |
| Website | qarkutirane |
Tirana County (Albanian: Qarku Tiranë), officially the County of Tirana (Albanian: Qarku i Tiranës), is a county in the Central Region of Albania. It is the tenth largest by area and the most populous of the twelve counties, with more than 912,000 people within an area of 1,652 km2 (638 sq mi). The county borders on the Adriatic Sea to the west, the counties of Durrës to the northwest, Dibër to the northeast, Elbasan to the east and Fier to the southwest. It is divided into five municipalities, Tirana, Kamëz, Kavajë, Rrogozhinë and Vorë, with all of whom incorporate twenty-nine administrative units.
Geographically, Tirana extends from the high and rugged Skanderbeg Mountains in the east to the flat shores of the Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast along the Mediterranean Sea. Due to its location and the close proximity to the Adriatic Sea, its climate is particularly influenced by a Mediterranean climate with four distinct seasons. Two of the country's fourteen National Parks are located in the county, with Dajti in the center and Divjakë-Karavasta in the southwest.
Historically, Tirana has been populated since Paleolithic times dating back 10,000 to 30,000 years ago. As argued by various archaeologists, the populated places are filled with Ancient Illyrian toponyms, as its precincts are some of the earliest regions in Albania to be inhabited. Nevertheless, the city of Tirana was established as a city centuries later in 1614 during the Ottoman occupation of Albania.
The capital of the county is Tirana, which is also the largest city by area and population in Albania. A gamma-world-city, it is the most influential economic and political center of the country.[4]
- ^ "Afrim Qendro zgjidhet prefekt i Tiranës". 18 November 2021.
- ^ "Këshilli i Qarkut Tiranë fillon punën në mandatin e ri". 13 July 2023.
- ^ "Population on 1st January by prefecture and sex" (PDF). INSTAT. 7 May 2021. p. 6.
- ^ "The World According to GaWC 2020". Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC). Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2020.