Albania

Until the other day, I knew next to absolutely nothing about Albania. If threatened by an ogre brandishing a flaming stick, I could have possibly conjured up a basic idea of the country's geographical placement. Having met people from Albania before, I could have spoken briefly on the ubiquity of automatic weapons and organized crime. That's about it.

As part of my recent plan to read a book about every country in the world (see below), I cracked open a library copy of "Biografi" the other day, by New Zealand author Lloyd Jones. The book details Jones' efforts to track down Petar Shapallo, an Albanian dentist that, sometime during the reign of Enver Hoxha (leader from 1944 to 1985, previously leader of the anti-fascist resistance), was forced to act as the dictator's "stunt double." This unassuming dentist, through no fault of his own, was made to undergo plastic surgery so as to look like Hoxha. His family was killed, as were all those who played a role in his transformation (plastic surgeons, tailors, etc.). For twenty years, this man was kept in captivity, leaving his plush cell only for occasional public appearances. This nightmare only ended in 1985, when Hoxha finally died. Shapallo was sent off back into the world armed with a map and little else.

Shortly after Hoxha's death, the Albanian government opened its previously closed borders, allowing its citizens to emigrate if they wished. The cowed and frightened Albanians slowly trickled toward the borders and the embassies until overcoming their fear. At this point, the trickle became a deluge and the embassies and ports and border passes were swarmed with Albanians desperate to escape their country.

Joining them was Shapallo, who snuck over the fence of the German embassy, hoping to emigrate to Germany. Unfortunately, he ended up getting the shit beaten out of him, on account of everyone thought that he was the ghost of Hoxha, coming to punish them for abandoning their country.

At this point, Shapallo told his story to a government official, and the story eventually was passed around the world until it finally graced the pages of the New Yorker Magazine. Jones read a small blurb about Shapallo (in the "Talk of the Town" section of the magazine), and, his curiousity piqued, headed off to Albania to track down the now-missing Shapallo.



Jones eventually does find Shapallo, now an old man. His face is disfigured, by his own hand (to destroy his similarity to the now deceased dictator) and he suffers from a number of ailments. Both before and after finding Shapallo, Jones travels around the country, and his vivid descriptions of the ruined Albania of the early 90's are heartbreaking.

Enjoying only a nominal democracy, and still reeling from the destruction that was Hoxha's leadership, the people are without food or basic necessities. Riots occur outside breadshops and people routinely starve or die from lack of medicine. Entire towns have been abandoned, and the eerie bunkers of the the militaristic past still fill the countryside. It is a sobering image.



Now, as for some basic facts about the country--

It is difficult to say the important religions of the nation, as all religion was outlawed during the communist dictatorship of Hoxha. According to Wikipedia, "Albania has been proclaimed as the only officially atheist country in the world, claiming the religion to be Albanianism."

Geographically, the country is bordered by Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Greece. Italy lies just across the Adriatic Sea. Albania has two distinct coastlines, one on the Adriatic Sea, and the other on the Ionian Sea.

The Capital City is Tirana.

Curious fact: Nodding your head in Albania means "NO", not "YES".

That's all for now. Next up: Algeria.