Albania is mostly mountainous, with the first alpine regions forming towards the end of the Jurassic period. During the Cenozoic era, the malformation of the Albanides accelerated, causing the subterranean landscape to take its present form. The average altitude of the country is , more than twice that of Europe. Its highest summits are situated in the Accursed Mountains and the eastern mountain range, with Korab being the highest peak, at above sea level.
The country's geography is unique due to its location and varied relief, with landscapes ranging from mediterranean in the west to a more continental influence and mountainous terrain in the interior and east. Such combination of plains, hills and mountains has resulted in a diverse range of geographical features, extending horizontally and vertically. However, this complexity has made regionalisation challenging, as different authors have used alternating criteria and methods. In the 1920s, Herbert Louis proposed a scheme that divided Albania into two large regions: Inner Albania and Coastal Albania, each with specific subdivisions. His scheme was widely used until 1964, when it was to be replaced by Pandi Geço's proposed scheme which divided the country into four physiographic regions, listed as follows: Albanian Alps, Central Mountain Region, Southern Mountain Region, Coastal Lowlands and its hills. By 1990, Geço's scheme was improved through further research and consideration of ecological concerns, recapping all regions into 67 constituent subunits.
The earliest written accounts on the mountains of Albania can be attributed to German geographer Kurt Hassert, who explored the northern region of the country in June 1897, carrying out his first expedition to Mount Cukal.
In 1926, British mountaineer C. M. Sleeman surveyed the mountains of northern Albania and his observations later appeared in the 42nd edition of the Alpine Journal.
Franciscan friar Bernardin Palaj penned a collection of memoirs that pay tribute to Albania's mountainous landscapes, highlighting their natural beauty, cultural significance and influence on the traditions and character of the Albanian people.
Distaptur Editions published in 1941 a mountain guidebook titled "Montagne d'Albania", authored by renowned Italian alpinist Piero Ghiglione and printed by the "Geographical Institute De Agostini of Novara". The guidebook includes a study of the rhapsodes of Albanian mountains by Nicola Lo Russo Attoma and contains 117 pages, featuring 60 black and white illustrations from photographs taken by Ghiglione.
The first post-war mountaineering expedition in Albania was organized by the Committee of Physical Culture and Sports that took place on Tomorr in late July 1949. A second expedition the following year was attended by Minella Kapo, a representative of the committee's leadership and an experienced mountaineering instructor, who witnessed the renaming of the main summit from Çuka e Tomorrit to Çuka Partizani. According to mountaineering expert Aleksandër Bojaxhi, the designation of this peak and others that followed was decided not by party officials but by sports forums and even mountaineers themselves.
Mountain database, PeakVisor, identifies 230 peaks exceeding 2,000 meters (including 6 ultra; 20 ribu) and a further 856 peaks above 1,000 meters, though such figures may be inconclusive. Moreover, many listed peak names contain grammatical errors or non-standard exonyms and are incorrectly mapped.
The peaks listed below are arranged by their massifs. Occasionally, the highest peak of the massif is listed instead, if it holds greater notability. The remaining mountains on the list are important landmarks of biodiversity, history, culture and economic impact.
Main peaks (+2,000 m)
No.Image Mountain Range Height Prominence IsolationMap1 Korab, ribu Korab 2 Jezercë, ribu Accursed Mountains 3 Grykat e Hapëta Accursed Mountains 4 Popluka Accursed Mountains 5 Radohina Accursed Mountains 6 Mali i Hekurave Accursed Mountains 7 Brijasi Accursed Mountains 8 Kollata ShkëlzenKollatë 9 Shniku Accursed Mountains 10 Gusani Accursed Mountains 11 Gavni Accursed Mountains 12 Maja e Rosit Accursed Mountains 13 Gramozribu Morava Highlands 14 Maja e Vishnjës Accursed Mountains 15 Gjallica Korab 16 Papingu, ribu TrebeshinëDhëmbelNemërçkë 17 Peçmara Accursed Mountains 18 Maja e Bojës Accursed Mountains 19 Maja e Langojve Accursed Mountains 20 Qetat e Harushës Accursed Mountains 21 Çuka Partizaniribu TomorrKulmakMiçan 22 Maja e Boshit Accursed Mountains 23 Shkëlzen ShkëlzenKollatë 24 Maja e Thatë ShkëlzenKollatë 25 Bogiçaj Accursed Mountains 26 Maja e Pikëllimësribu Koritnik 27 Valamara, ribu ShpatPolisiLenie 28 Deshat Korab 29 Trekufiri Accursed Mountains 30 Maja e Kakisë Accursed Mountains 31 Ostrovicëribu OstrovicëBofnjë 32 Grama Korab 33 Alshina Accursed Mountains 34 Pllaja e Pusitribu Mali i ThatëRakicëLlapisht 35 Shebenikribu ShebenikJabllanicëBelicë 36 Jabllanicë ShebenikJabllanicëBelicë 37 Mali i Dejësribu Lura Highlands 38 Biga e Gimajve MaranajBiga e Gimajve 39 Maja e Harapit Accursed Mountains 40 Vajusha Accursed Mountains 41 Pallavërca Accursed Mountains 42 Trojan Vermosh Highlands 43 Kallabaku Shishtavec Plateau 44 Kulmak TomorrKulmakMiçan 45 Lunxhëriribu ShëndelliLunxhëriBureto 46 Serakol Shishtavec Plateau 47 Maja e Gjarprit Accursed Mountains 48 Guri i Topit ShpatPolisiLenie 49 Këndrevica, ribu Kurvelesh Highlands 50 Kunora e Lurës Lura Highlands 51 Balgjajribu Lura Highlands 52 Guri i Zi ShpatPolisiLenie 53 Dhëmbel TrebeshinëDhëmbelNemërçkë 54 Kolesjan Shishtavec Plateau 55 Maja e Çikës, ribu Ceraunian Mountains 56 Badarosha Morava Highlands 57 Runja Lura Highlands 58 Maja e Qorres Ceraunian Mountains 59 Lenie ShpatPolisiLenie 60 Mali i Lopës Martanesh Highlands △ majë/a=peak; mal/i=mountain
Main peaks (+1,000 m)
No.Image Mountain Range Height Prominence IsolationMap1 Munellaribu Pukë–Mirditë Highlands 2 Pashtrikribu Has Highlands 3 Arithi Pukë–Mirditë Highlands 4 Polisi ShpatPolisiLenie 5 Mali i Zepësribu Pukë–Mirditë Highlands 6 Rungajë Korçë Basin 7 Trebeshinëribu TrebeshinëDhëmbelNemërçkë 8 Kaptina e Martaneshit Martanesh Highlands 9 Lungara Ceraunian Mountains 10 Maja e Lucës Delvinë Basin 11 Mali i Shpatit ShpatPolisiLenie 12 Mali me Gropa Skanderbeg Mountains 13 Ujeza Accursed Mountains 14 Murganaribu Mali i GjerëStugarë 15 Shëndelli ShëndelliLunxhëriBureto 16 Mali i Gjerë Mali i GjerëStugarë 17 Bureto ShëndelliLunxhëriBureto 18 Veleçik Accursed Mountains 19 Mali i Skënderbeut Skanderbeg Mountains 20 Goliku TrebeshinëDhëmbelNemërçkë 21 Cukal CukalBiga e Gimajve 22 Krrabi Pukë–Mirditë Highlands 23 Guri i Muzhaqit Çermenikë Highlands 24 Qelqëz Dangëllia Highlands 25 Dajti Skanderbeg Mountains 26 Mali i Shejtit Pukë–Mirditë Highlands 27 Miçan TomorrKulmakMiçan 28 Maranaj MaranajBiga e Gimajve 29 Postenan MelesinPostenan 30 Kokojka Dangëllia Highlands 31 Guri i Capit Morava Highlands 32 Rrëza e Kanalit Ceraunian Mountains 33 Guri i Kamjes Gora Highlands 34 Mali i Krujës Skanderbeg Mountains 35 Melesin MelesinPostenan 36 Shpirag Mallakastër Hills 37 Mali i Velës Skanderbeg Mountains 38 Mali i Konjakut Ceraunian Mountains △ majë/a=peak; mal/i=mountain
See also
Protected areas of Albania Geography of Albania
References