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Islam is the most common religion in Albania, ... Three ethnic groups, Albanians, Greeks, and Aromanians, account for the vast majority of Albania's Orthodox believers.
The Albanians [d] are an ethnic group native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, culture, history and language. [67] They are the main ethnic group of Albania and Kosovo, and they also live in the neighboring countries of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Greece, and Serbia, as well as in Italy, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Turkey.
Albania is a fairly ethnically and linguistically homogeneous country, with ethnic Albanians forming 91% of the total population in the country. The total population residing in Albania in September 2023 was 2,402,113 according to the most recent INSTAT census.
From the early days of interwar Albania and due to Albania's heterogeneous religious makeup, Albania's political leadership defined Albania as without an official religion. [46] Muslim Albanians at that time formed around 70% of the total population of 800,000 and Albania was the only Muslim country in Europe. [46]
The Albanians are also one of Europe's ethnic groups with the highest number of common ancestors within their own ethnic group even though they share ancestors with other ethnic groups. [ 4 ] Albanian is an Indo-European language [ 5 ] and the only surviving representative of its own branch , which belongs to the Paleo-Balkan group , having its ...
Albanian Sunni Muslim clergy however views the conversion of Albanians as a voluntary process, while sidelining religious controversies associated with the Ottoman era. [103] Sufi Islam in Albania interprets the Ottoman era as promoting a distorted form of Islam that was corrupted within a Sunni Ottoman polity that persecuted them. [105]
The amendments criticized do not include jailing or forced declaration of ethnicity or religion; only a fine is envisioned which can be overthrown by court. [15] [16] Greek representatives form part of the Albanian parliament and the government has invited Albanian Greeks to register, as the only way to improve their status. [17]
The Ghegs (also spelled Gegs; Albanian: Gegët) are one of the two main ethnic subgroups of Albanians, alongside the Tosks. [1] These groups are distinguished by their cultural, dialectal, social, and religious characteristics, which contribute to the diversity within the Albanian population.