Albania is a beautiful country located on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. It is bordered to the north by Montenegro and Serbia. To the east of Albania is Macedonia and to the south is the country of Greece. Albania is a small country and is about the size of the state of Maryland. It is composed of two major regions: a mountainous highland region constituting 70% of the land area and western coastal lowland region that contains nearly all of the countries agricultural land and is the most densely populated part of Albania. The capital city of Tirana is the largest and most populous city in Albania. The country mostly has a continental climate with cold winters and hot summers. Albania has a very rich blend of religions and cultures. The main ethnic group, however, is Albanian. Other minorities include Greeks, Serbs, Macedonians, Bulgarians, Roma (Gypsies), Vlach, and Italians. The dominant language is Albanian, with two distinct dialects, Gheg and Tosk. Many Albanians are also fluent in English, Greek and Italian.
