Albania, country located in southeastern Europe on the western Balkan Peninsula, bordered by the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. It declared independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, after centuries of foreign rule. The name “Albania” is believed to derive from the ancient Illyrian tribe *Albanoi*, and the country is called *Shqipëri* in the Albanian language, meaning “Land of the Eagles.” Albania has a rich cultural history influenced by Illyrian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman civilizations. After decades of isolation under a communist regime in the 20th century, Albania transitioned to a democratic system in the early 1990s. The capital is Tirana.