Golden Eagle
The golden eagle is Albania's national symbol and appears on the country's flag as a double-headed black eagle, a design Albanians have used for centuries to represent their fierce independence.
Flag of Albania
Field Report
Albania is a small mountainous country tucked along the Adriatic Sea in southeastern Europe, bordered by Greece, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Montenegro — you can find it by looking at the bottom of Italy across a narrow strip of water called the Strait of Otranto. Most of its nearly three million people are descended from an ancient group called the Illyrians and speak a language unlike any other in the world. For much of the twentieth century Albanians were cut off from the rest of the world under a harsh communist government, and today many Albanians are still searching for hope and meaning, making it a place where prayers and the gospel are deeply needed.
From the Field Notebook
Golden Eagle
The golden eagle is Albania's national symbol and appears on the country's flag as a double-headed black eagle, a design Albanians have used for centuries to represent their fierce independence.
Dalmatian Pelican
Lake Shkodër in northern Albania is home to one of Europe's largest Dalmatian pelicans, enormous white birds with curly feathers that can have a wingspan wider than a grown man's arm span.
Balkan Lynx
The extremely rare Balkan lynx, one of the most endangered wild cats in the world, quietly roams the mountain forests of Albania and is found in almost no other place on earth.
Byrek
Byrek is a flaky, layered pastry filled with spinach, cheese, or meat that Albanians eat for breakfast or as a quick snack from bakeries on nearly every street corner.
Tavë Kosi
Tavë kosi is Albania's beloved national dish — slow-baked lamb mixed with a thick, tangy yogurt and egg sauce that gets golden and bubbly in the oven.
Trilece
Trilece is a soft sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk and topped with caramel, so moist and rich that it practically melts the moment you take a bite.
Albania is one of the smallest countries in Europe, roughly the size of the state of Maryland, yet it is packed with jagged mountain ranges, ancient ruins, and a coastline along both the Adriatic and Ionian seas.
Albanians have a unique custom called 'Besa,' a centuries-old code of honor that means keeping your word no matter the cost — during World War II, many Albanian families risked their lives to hide Jewish refugees because of Besa.
In Albania, nodding your head up and down means 'no,' and shaking it side to side means 'yes' — the opposite of what most people around the world do, which trips up nearly every visitor.
The Albanian language, called Shqip, is one of the oldest and most unique languages in Europe — it does not belong to any other language family and has been spoken in the region for at least three thousand years.
For nearly fifty years, from 1944 to 1991, Albania was ruled by a communist dictator who made it illegal to practice any religion and declared the country the world's first officially atheist state, destroying or closing hundreds of churches and mosques.
Daily Life
80
Years life expectancy
98%
Can read and write
95%
Kids go to school
Missions Field Report
Albania is home to 10 distinct people groups — 2 of them haven’t yet heard about Jesus.
About half of Albania's people follow Islam (54.5%). Less than 1% of people in Albania are Evangelical Christians.
What People Believe
Unreached People Groups
These are communities of people who haven’t had the chance to hear about Jesus yet. They need missionaries — and they need kids like you to pray for them.
Gorani
34,000 people
Egyptian, Balkan
2,800 people
Prayer Journal
Tick each one as you pray. God hears every word.