Comprehensive information and links about Albania Vlorë

Vlorë ) is the second largest port city of Albania, after Durrës, with a population of about 85,000 (2003 estimate). It is located in southwestern Albania, facing the Adriatic Sea, in the District of Vlorë and County of Vlorë at 40°28′N 19°29′E.

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History

Vlorë is one of the oldest cities of Albania. It was founded in the 6th century BC as a Greek colony named Aulōn, one of three such colonies on the coast of Illyria. The city was an important port of the Roman Empire, becoming an episcopal see in the 5th century, and played a central role in the conflicts between the Norman Kingdom of Sicily and the Byzantine Empire during the 11th and 12th centuries.

Serbia captured Vlorë in 1345 and it passed to the Ottoman Empire in 1464. Ismail Qemali declared Albania's independence in Vlorë on November 28th, 1912, during the First Balkan War. The city became Albania's first capital but was invaded by Italy in 1914 and occupied until 1920. Italy again invaded Vlorë in 1939, following which Nazi Germany occupied the city until 1944.

During World War II, the island of Sazan in Vlorë Bay became the site of a German and Italian submarine base and naval installations; these were heavily bombed by the Allies. After the war, the Soviet Union made use of the rebuilt installations to provide a Soviet naval base on the Adriatic, from which it withdrew following a breakdown of relations between the two countrues in 1961.

In 1997, Vlorë was the center of popular riots after the collapse of several fraudulent investment schemes that led to the downfall of the Sali Berisha administration, and almost precipitated the country into a civil war.

Economy

Vlorë remains a major seaport and commercial centre, with a significant fishing and industrial sector. The surrounding region produces petroleum, natural gas, bitumen and salt. The city is also the location of important installations of the Albanian Navy.

Tourism has become a major industry in recent years, with many hotels, recreational centers, and vast beaches.