ABSTRACT
The Albanian coastline represents the western edge of the coastal lowland, which is the largest on the Balkan Peninsula's west coast. The coastline and beaches formed in these bays are characterized by rapid morphological development resulting in an ongoing westward growth of the coastal lowland. The lowland structural basement was characterized by tectonic uplifts, especially from the middle Quaternary, resulting in a westward coastline movement. The Adriatic coastline's westward advancement accelerated, as evidenced by the wide extension of Pleistocene-Holocene deposits which built the major part of this lowland. Geological profiles based on heavy mineral analysis show the coastline's progress and successive levels up to the present. The high Ionian coastline or the Albanian Riviera has quite different morphological features. The territory and number of the settlements grew, with settlements covering almost the whole of the western part of the Balkans, but mainly the Albanian coast.
