Albanians

The Albanians (Albanian: Shqiptarët) is a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and Kosovo, who speak Albanian language as their mother tongue. They also form a significant minority in North Macedonia.^[66]

Albanians

Shqiptarët
Total population
c. 7 to 10 million[1][2][3][4][5]
Regions with significant populations
Albania 2,551,006 (2021)[6]  Kosovo 1,797,856 (2021)[7]
Other regions
Southern Europe  Italy 970,000[8][9][10]  Greece 500,000–600,000[11][12][13][14][15][16][17]  North Macedonia 446,245[18]  Montenegro 30,439[19]  Serbia 61,687[20]  Croatia 17,513[21]  Slovenia 6,186[22]  Spain 3,998[23]  Portugal 99c[24]
Northern Europe  United Kingdom 70,000–100,000[25]  Sweden 54,000[26]  Norway 19,891c[27]  Finland 10,391[28][29]  Denmark 8,223[30]  Ireland 953–2,133[31][32]
Central Europe and Baltics  Romania 10,000[33]  Ukraine 5,000[34]  Czech Republic 1,512[35]  Latvia 17 - 31[36][37]
Western Europe  Germany 200,000–300,000[38][39][40]   Switzerland 200,000[41][42]  Austria 28,212[43]  France 27,200 (2019)[44]  Netherlands 12,969c[45]  Belgium 5,600–30,000[46][47]  Luxembourg 2,155c[48]
Americas  United States 194,028[49]  Argentina 50,000[50]  Canada 39,055c[51]  Colombia 348[52]  Cuba 101[53]  Panama 9[54]
Oceania  Australia 11,315[55]  New Zealand 243[56]
Asia and Africa  Turkey 500,000–6,000,000 b[57][58][59]  Egypt 18,000[58]  Qatar 1,200[60]  Cyprus 275[61]  South Africa 268[62]  United Arab Emirates 200–300[63]
Languages
Albanian
Religion
Majority: Islam Sunni[a] · Bektashi · Non-denominational Minority: Christianity Catholicism[b] (Latin Church · Eastern Rites Albanian Greek-Catholic Church · Italo-Albanian Church) · Eastern Orthodoxy[c] (Albanian Orthodox Church · Albanian American Orthodox Church) · Protestantism (Albanian Protestant Church · Kosovan Protestant Church) Other: Irreligion
a 502,546 Albanian citizens, an additional 43,751 Kosovo Albanians, 260,000 Arbëreshë people and 169,644 Albanians who have acquired the Italian citizenship[8][9][64][65] b Albanians are not recognized as a minority in Turkey. However approximately 500,000 people are reported to profess an Albanian identity. Of those with full or partial Albanian ancestry and others who have adopted Turkish language, culture and identity their number is estimated at 1,300,000–5,000,000 many whom do not speak Albanian.[58] c The estimation contains Kosovo Albanians.

Albanians share a common ancestry, culture and history, the majority of ethnic Albanians are Muslim while a significant minority of them profess other religions such as Bektashi, and Catholics and Orthodox Christianity. Their National Hero is Skanderbeg. In the Ottoman Empire, Albanian Men were mostly represented in high ranks, like Muhammad Ali Pasha or Ali Pasha and the Köprülü family. The Albanian Dynasty House of Zogu, was founded by King Zog I of Albania.Muslim Albanian boys get circumcised with a sünnet-ceremony, this was taken at the time of the Ottoman Empire^[67]