- King Of Albania
The modern state of Albania has twice been a monarchy. The first time was after it was declared independent in 1912. (The Angevin Kingdom of Albania did not encompass the entirety of the modern state.) Under the independence settlement imposed by the Great Powers, the country was styled a principality, and its ruler, William of Wied, was given the title of "sovereign prince." However, these styles were only used outside the country.
- Hashim Thaci
Hashim Thaci , 39, was sworn in as Kosovo's prime minister on January 9th, 2008, nearly two months after his Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) won the November 17th parliamentary elections, marking its first victory at the polls since the 1998-1999 conflict in the province. He replaced Agim Ceku in the post. Thaci vowed to quickly steer Kosovo to independence from Serbia and to ensure that the rights of all minority groups living in the province will be respected.
- Sali Berisha
(born October 15, 1944) is the Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania. He was also the president of Albania from 1992 to 1997. Berisha was born in Vicidol, a village near the Kosovo border, in Albania's mountainous northeastern Tropojë region. He studied medicine at the University of Tirana, graduating in (1967). After advanced studies in Paris (France) in the 80s, he conducted a research program on hemodynamics.
- Ibrahim Rugova
Ibrahim Rugova was the first President of Kosovo and of its leading political party, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). During the many conflicts in Kosovo, Rugova was regarded as a moderate ethnic Albanian leader, and later by some as "Father of the Nation.
- Enver Hoxha
was the leader of Albania from the end of World War II until his death in 1985, as the First Secretary of the Communist Albanian Party of Labour. He was also Prime Minister of Albania from 1944 to 1954 and the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1946 to 1953. Hoxha's rule was characterized by isolation from the rest of Europe and his proclaimed firm adherence to Anti-Revisionism, which has been dubbed "Hoxhaism".
- Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa (born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, was a Roman Catholic nun who founded the Missionaries of Charity and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her humanitarian work. For over forty years, she ministered to the needs of the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying of Calcutta (Kolkata). As the Missionaries of Charity grew under Mother's leadership, they expanded their ministry to other countries.
- Fatmir Sejdiu
Fatmir Sejdiu is the 2nd and current President of Kosovo, a Serbian province under UN administration since the 1999 Kosovo War. He was born in the small village of Pakaštica near Podujevo, in Kosovo, Yugoslavia (now Serbia). Sejdiu was an influential parliamentarian in the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), the party of former Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova. He was elected President by the Kosovo Assembly after Rugova died from lung cancer in early 2006.
- Nora Istrefi
Nora Istrefi is an Albanian singer.
- Adelina Ismajli
Adelina Ismajli was born on 14 December, 1979 in Priština, Kosovo, Yugoslavia (now Serbia). She is one the most popular female Albanian pop artists throughout Albania, Kosovo, the Republic of Macedonia and in the ethnic Albanian villages of Malësia (in Montenegro). Ismajli is best known for her controversial and politically charged songs and lyrics, …
- Leonora Jakupi
Leonora Jakupi was born on 3 March, 1978 in Srbica (Skënderaj), Kosovo, Yugoslavia, and is an ethnic Albanian singer. She is one of the most popular commercial singers among ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro. Today Leonora lives in Kosovo's capital Priština. She lost her father during the Kosovo war (1998-1999); he was killed by the Yugoslav security forces.
- Bamir Topi
Bamir Topi is an Albanian politician and currently a candidate in the 2007 Albanian presidential election. He is the head of the parliamentary group of the Democratic Party and the Honorary President of KF Tirana.
- Ismail Kadare
Ismail Kadare (born January 28, 1936) is a world-renowned Albanian writer. In 1992, he was awarded the Prix mondial Cino Del Duca; in 2005, he won the inaugural Booker International Prize. He has divided his time between France and Albania since 1990.
- Lorik Cana
Lorik Cana is an Albanian footballer. A midfielder, 1.85m tall and weighing 77kg, he plays for the Albania national football team and Olympique de Marseille of France at club level. He holds Albanian, French and Swiss citizenship.
- Edi Rama
Edi Rama is the leader of the Socialist Party of Albania and Mayor of Tirana. He won the World Mayor Award 2004 and was included in Time Magazine's European Heroes 2005 list.
- Alfred Moisiu
(born December 1, 1929, in Shkodër) has been President of Albania since July 24, 2002. His father was Spiro Moisiu, an ex-fascist officer who led the Tomori Division of the Italian Army in the invasion of Greece. Since his father shifted sides to the communists in the course of the war, in 1946 he was sent to the Soviet Union as a student. In 1948 he graduated from the military engineering school in Saint Petersburg (then Leningrad).
- Jozefina Topalli
Jozefina Çoba Topalli is an Albanian politician and the current Speaker of the Assembly of Albania and vice-president of the Democratic Party of Albania. Jozefina was born in Shkodra and has been a member of the national legislature since 1997. She graduated from Luigj Gurakuqi University in Shkodra with double-major in mathematics and law.
- Igli Tare
Igli Tare (born 25 July, 1973 in Vlore, Albania) is an Albanian football player. After playing one professional season in his home country for KF Partizani, Tare moved first to Germany, where he played for several teams, including Karlsruher SC and 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the Bundesliga. He currently plays for Italian club S.S. Lazio, after having first played in the country for Serie A teams Brescia Calcio and Bologna F.C. 1909.
- Veton Surroi
Veton Surroi (born July 17, 1961) is a popular Kosovar Albanian publicist and politician. Surroi is the founder and leader of the ORA reformist political party, and is a member of Kosovo parliament since 2004. Veton Surroi in 1997 established one of the biggest Kosovar Albanian daily newspapers "Koha Ditore" and was the editor-in-chief for a number of years before deciding to enter Kosovar politics.
- Ilir Meta
Ilir Meta (born 1969) was the prime minister of Albania from 29 October 1999 to 22 February 2002, replacing Pandeli Majko in this position. Before he was the leader of Euro-socialists (FRESSH) in Albania. In 2003 he served as the Foreign Minister and vice prime minister of Albania. In 2004 he quit the Socialist Party of Albania, and created his own political party, the Socialist Movement for Integration.
- Ismail Qemali
Ismail Qemali (January 16, 1844-January 24, 1919) was a distinguished leader of the Albanian national movement, founder of the modern Albanian state and the first prime minister of Albania. He was born in Vlora to a noble family. Having finished the primary education in his hometown, and the gymnasium "Zosimea" in Janina, …
- Qemal Stafa
Qemal Stafa (born 20 March 1920 - died 5 May 1942) was a founding member of the Albanian Communist Party, and the leader of its youth section. He was very active in the Albanian National Liberation Movement during the World War II. He was assasinated at the outskirts of Tirana by the Italian Fascist forces, who had occupied Albania.
- Skanderbeg
George Kastrioti (born Gjergj Kastrioti, Greek:"Γεώργιος Καστριώτης", May 6 (disputed), 1405 - January 17 1468), better known as Skanderbeg, is one of the most prominent historical figures in the history of Albania and the Albanian people. He is also known as the Dragon of Albania and is the national hero of the Albanians. He is remembered for his struggle against the Ottoman Empire, through the work of his first biographer, …
- Anjeza Shahini
Anjeza Shahini is an Albanian singer, born on the 4 May 1987, who in 2004 represented Albania in its first appearance in the Eurovision Song Contest, with the song "The Image Of You", original title "Imazhi Yt", "(the image of you)"
- Mariza Ikonomi
Mariza Ikonomi is an Albanian composer and singer admired for her versatility in composing various genres and for her sweet soprano voice. ‘’Piano e Vjetër’’, ‘’Zjarrin do ta gjej’’ and ‘’Mbi urë’’ are some of her most appreciable works.
- Pandeli Majko
Pandeli Majko (born in 1967 in Tirana) was Prime Minister of Albania from 1998-1999 and for a short time in 2002. He is a member of the Parliament of Albania.
- Agim Çeku
Agim Çeku (born 29 October 1960 in the village of Cuska Peć, in Kosovo, at the time part of Yugoslavia) is the Prime Minister of Kosovo. Çeku is ethnically Albanian and is a former commander of the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC). He served as an officer in the Croatian army during the war against the breakaway Republic of Serbian Krajina, the Kosovo Liberation Army during the 1999 Kosovo War, and then commanded the KPC after the war.
- Eli Fara
Eli Fara is an Albanian folk music singer with a widespread following among Albanian-speaking people.
- Frederik Ndoci
Frederik Ndoci is an Albanian singer, who will represent his country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, with the song "Balada e Gurit" (Ballad of Stone). Before winning the Festivali i Këngës 45, he also won the 28th edition, along with Manjola Nallbani & Viktor Tahiraj. He performs "Balada e Gurit" together with his wife, Aida Ndoci. *Photo of Frederik & Aida Ndoci
- Bajram Curri
Bajram Curri was an ethnic Albanian nationalist from Kosovo. Curri was born in Đakovica, in the Rumelia Province of the Ottoman Empire. While what is now Albania and Kosovo were under Ottoman control, Curri represented the interests of the Albanians. He successfully fought in 1912 against the Young Turks. During the First World War he started a guerrilla unit, part of the Kachak movement.
- Ali Pasha
Ali Pasha of Tepelen or of Yannina, the "Lion of Yannina",, and Turkish: "Tepedelenli Ali Paşa", and Aromanian: "Ali Pãshelu".
- Inva Mula
Inva Mula is an opera singer born in Tirana, Albania. She is perhaps best-known to the American pop culture as the soprano voice behind the Diva (the very tall, blue space alien singing Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor) in the film "The Fifth Element" (where she is credited as Inva Mulla Tchako). She comes from an artistic family and began her opera career at a very early age. Her father, Avni Mula, is a famous Albanian singer and composer.
- Valon Behrami
Valon Behrami (born 19 April 1985 in Kosovska Mitrovica, Kosovo, Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia) is a Swiss midfielder currently playing professional football for S.S. Lazio of Italian Serie A. Born in Kosovo to Albanian parents, Behrami moved to Stabio, a village in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, due to war when he was only a child, and he then obtained the Swiss nationality. Behrami started playing football in Swiss sides FC Stabio, FC Chiasso and FC Lugano.
- Ervin Skela
Ervin Skela is an Albanian footballer currently playing for Energie Cottbus.
- Besart Berisha
Besart Berisha is a Kosovar Albanian footballer. A striker, 1.84m tall and weighing 77kg, he plays for the Albania national football team and Burnley F.C. of the English Football League Championship at club level.
- Isa Boletini
Isa Boletini (1864-1916), "Hero of Kosovo", was a prominent Albanian nationalist who fought for the remaining of Kosovo within Albania. Isa was born in Boletin, a village in the Mitrovica region. Isa joined the Albanian Prizren League forces when he was only 17, and fought in the battle of Slivova against the Ottoman Empire. Later, Boletini became a major figure of Albanian resistance against Ottoman Empire and Serbia & Montenegro.
- Rexhep Meidani
Rexhep Qemal Meidani is an Albanian politician. He graduated from the University of Tirana (1966), Faculty of Natural Sciences, Branch Physics, as well as successfully accomplished the postgraduate studies in the University of Caen (France) (1974). With regard to the professional area, Mr. Meidani worked as professor, chair of the department and later as the dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences (1966 - 1996). During this time span, Mr.
- Jahmir Hyka
Jahmir Hyka (born 8 March 1988) is an Albanian football midfielder currently playing for Olympiacos, and the Albanian national team. He signed for Olympiacos club in January 2007 from Rosenborg. At only 168cm and 57kg he has been nicknamed the Albanian Maradona.
- Altin Lala
Altin Lala (born November 18, 1975) is an Albanian footballer, currently playing for German Bundesliga team Hannover 96. The defensive midfielder began his football career as a youth at Dinamo Tirana before moving to Germany with the third flight side Borussia Fulda in January 1994. In July 1998, he joined newly-promoted 2.Bundesliga team Hannover 96; making his debut on July 30, 1998, in a 1-0 victory over Karlsruher SC. Here, …
- Ramiz Alia
Ramiz Alia (born October 18, 1925) was the leader of Albania from 1985 to 1992. He had been designated as successor by Enver Hoxha and took power after Hoxha died. Alia was born in 1925 and had joined the Albanian communist movement before he was twenty years old. He had risen rapidly under Hoxha's patronage and by 1961 was a full member of the ruling Political Bureau (Politburo) of the Albanian Party of Labor (APL).
- Gjergj Fishta
Gjergj Fishta