ABSTRACT
Albania is regarded as the smallest and least developed state in Europe. The mountainous nature of the country has tended to inhibit development and the population is split between two main ethno-linguistic groups, separated by the Shkumbin River. To the north are the Ghegs and to the south, the Tosks. The country has its own language and is the only predominantly Muslim state in Europe. The replacement of the former socialist system, this event brought the country to the edge of anarchy. Rebels seized control of the southern third of the country and the government called for external support. The southern rebellion ended and, in early 1998, national attention turned to Kosovo, the population of which was, before the ethnic cleansing in the first half of 1999, predominantly Albanian. Thus, Albania is more than ever a focal point for potential geopolitical activity in the Balkans.
