Gjirokastër County

Gjirokastër County Qarku Gjirokastër
County
Vjosë River
Seal
Location of Gjirokastër County within Albania.
Country	Albania
Municipalities	7
Villages	268
Established	2000
County Seat	Gjirokastër
Government
• Council Chairman	Armand Hilaj
Area
• Total	2,884 km^2 (1,114 sq mi)
Population (2011 census)
• Total	72,176
• Density	25/km^2 (65/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
NUTS Code	AL033

Gjirokastër County (Albanian: Qarku i Gjirokastrës) is one of the 12 counties of Albania. The population at the 2011 census was 72,176, in an area of 2884 km².^[1] Its capital is the city Gjirokastër.

Administrative divisions

Until 2000, Gjirokastër County was subdivided into three districts: Gjirokastër, Përmet, and Tepelenë. Since the 2015 local government reform, the county consists of the following 7 municipalities: Dropull, Gjirokastër, Këlcyrë, Libohovë, Memaliaj, Përmet and Tepelenë.^[2] Before 2015, it consisted of the following 32 municipalities:

• Antigonë
• Ballaban
• Buz
• Çarshovë
• Cepo
• Dishnicë
• Dropull i Poshtëm
• Dropull i Sipërm
• Frashër
• Fshat Memaliaj
• Gjirokastër
• Këlcyrë
• Krahës
• Kurvelesh
• Lazarat
• Libohovë
• Lopës
• Luftinjë
• Lunxhëri
• Memaliaj
• Odrie
• Përmet
• Petran
• Picar
• Pogon
• Qendër Libohovë
• Qendër Piskovë
• Qendër Tepelenë
• Qesarat
• Sukë
• Tepelenë
• Zagori

The municipalities consist of about 270 towns and villages in total. See Villages of Gjirokastër County for a structured list.

Demographics

Its population includes a substantial Greek minority.^[3][4] According to the last national census from 2011 this county has 72,176 inhabitants. Ethnic groups in the county include Albanians, Greeks, Montenegrins, Aromanians, Romani, Egyptians^[1]

Notable people

• Ali Pasha of Tepelenë
• Evangelos Zappas
• Ismail Kadare

References

1. 2011 census results
2. Law nr. 115/2014
3. http://mondediplo.com/maps/albanianmdv1999 The Albanians, a scattered people by Philippe Rekacewicz, Le Monde diplomatique, January 1999
4. "Country Studies US: Greeks and Other Minorities". Retrieved September 6, 2006.

Further Reading

• Kallivretakis, Leonidas (1995). "Η ελληνική κοινότητα της Αλβανίας υπό το πρίσμα της ιστορικής γεωγραφίας και δημογραφίας [The Greek Community of Albania in terms of historical geography and demography]". In Veremis, Thanos. Ο Ελληνισμός της Αλβανίας [The Greeks of Albania]. University of Athens. pp. 25–58. ISBN 9600800545.

External links

• Gjirokastra Region Travel Guide

Coordinates: 40°10′N 20°10′E / 40.167°N 20.167°E