Albanian Ionian Sea Coast

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Albanian Ionian Sea Coast
Gjipe
Albanian Ionian Sea Coast is located in Europe
Albanian Ionian Sea Coast
Albanian Ionian Sea Coast
Coordinates: 39°44′50″N 19°58′51″E / 39.74722°N 19.98083°E / 39.74722; 19.98083
LocationIonian Sea in Albania
Balkan Peninsula
Dimensions
 • Length172 kilometres (107 mi)

The Albanian Ionian Sea Coast (Albanian pronunciation:

Lake of Butrint, where the Strait of Corfu separates the country from Greece
.

Albania is located in

rocky and sandy coasts and a unique marine life.[1]

The Ionian Sea is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea positioned south of the Adriatic Sea, which extend from Sicily up to the Strait of Otranto between Salento and Bay of Vlorë. It is surrounded by Italy in the west, Greece and Albania in the east. Though considered by ancient authors to be part of the Adriatic Sea, the Ionian Sea is at present seen as a separate body of water.

Traditionally, the region represents the most valuable tourist resource for the country, especially due to the unspoilt

ancient civilizations.[2]

The region is populated by more than 50.000 people with the

Himara, Qeparo, Borsh, Lukovë, Vuno and Ksamil
.

The Albanian Ionian Sea Coast is known for its diverse landscapes, unique traditions, and its influence on

Albanian iso-polyphony which was recognised as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.[3]

Environment

The Albanian Riviera as seen from the Llogara Pass at the Ceraunians within the Llogara National Park.

Geography

See also: Geography of Albania
Ksamil
in the south of the coastline.

The country of

Skanderbeg Mountains
in the center.

Being positioned in the

western lowlands consists mostly of coastal lowlands and plains. The Albanian Ionian Sea Coast is known for its rugged natural beauty, with rocky highlands and a great marine life, while the Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast
consist of sandy beaches and shallow coastal waters.

Topographical map of the Albanian Riviera.

The coastline covers an extensive part of the Ceraunian Mountains, which extends parallel immediately along the Ionian Sea, starting at

Lake Butrint that was formed during the quaternary
period.

Maja e Çikës inside the Ceraunian Mountains as seen from the beach of Dhërmi
.

In terms of

bituminous schists, cretaceous porcelain and phosphate limestone.[5]

The coastline is dominated by several long straight and rocky

Porto Palermo in the center. Sarandë
is the largest city in the region and has wide beaches and a sheltered harbour.

The climate of the coastline is considerably influenced by the sea and mountains. Under the Köppen climate classification, the coastline experiences mostly a moderately hot and sunny mediterranean climate under influences of the continental climate. The mediterranean climate is typical of the coastal areas with considerable differences in temperature and rainfall between the seasons. The mountainous areas have a typical mountainous climate with frequent snow during winter.

Biodiversity

See also: Biodiversity of Albania
The egyptian vulture thrives in the traditional rural landscapes of the coastline.[6]

The diversity, in terms of

circumboreal region within the boreal kingdom. It falls completely within the illyrian deciduous forests terrestrial ecoregion of the Palearctic Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome
.

The

mixed and conifer forests but also coastal woods.[7] The forests, at loftier elevations, contain various pine, oak, beech and fir species such as black pine, silver fir, ash trees and the mount tabor oak, which is exceptionally rare and classified as endangered.[8][9] The seagrasses are dominated by posidonia oceanica, halophila stipulacea and cymodocea nodosa
that are mostly to be found in the shallow waters which, however, can extend to more than 30 metres in the depth.

The

grey wolf
is only present in winter.

short-beaked common dolphin, striped dolphin, while the common bottlenose dolphin may be observed all around the coast of Albania.[7] Three primary species of sea turtles have been discovered such as the loggerhead sea, green sea and leatherback sea turtle.[12][13]

The bays along the coastline provide habitats for many important species, among them three types of endangered sea turtles.[14]

Although not very large in size, the coastline is home to numerous species of

sea cliffs provides excellent breeding conditions for the endangered egyptian vulture and golden eagle.[16] The short-toed snake eagle is frequently to be found in open habitats with scattered trees, meadows
, forest and rocky slopes.

parks and protected areas
in the coastline that reflect the great value and importance of the region.

The

Sazan Island in the north. Its terrain is dominated by a variety of landscape formations and most notable by the mountains of the peninsula which belongs to the Ceraunian Mountains. It is host to a diverse marine
and terrestrial life attracting thousands of tourists all year around.

Butrint National Park is slightly smaller and is located in the extreme south of the country close to the border between Albania and Greece. The surroundings of Butrint are not only home to numerous globally threatened species, but offers also a rich cultural history. It comprises an extraordinary diversity of habitats, ecosystems and wildlife. Although Lake Butrint was further recognised as a wetland of international importance by designation under the Ramsar Convention.[17]

The

Maja e Çikës, part of the Ceraunian Mountains
, is located at the center of the park and is surrounded by dense forest which provide an exceptional view of nature and sea, bird watching, various peaks and animals. The park is covered with limestone and mountainous terrains providing various geological features.

Economy

Tourism

See also: Tourism in Albania
Butrint is one of the most important archaeological sites in Albania.

Tourism is considered one of the largest industries in the economy of Albania.[18] It has significantly increased since following the fall of communism in the country.[19] The country has a rich historical and cultural heritage and natural beauty varying from clear turquoise waters fringed by sandy and rocky beaches to contrasting mountainous interior.

The Albanian Ionian Sea Coast has a great cultural and architectural heritage, expressed in the region's churches, monasteries, mosques, citadels, castles, villages and so on, found in the main cities but also in smaller villages scattered alongside the region. The sunny, hot climate, landscape scenery, delicious cuisine, vast history and the diverse architecture attract many tourists from Albania and other countries.

The tourist season peaks in the summer months, although people visit the region all year round. The Albanian Riviera has been repeatedly recognized as the country's best and popular coast by several prestigious papers and organizations for its natural beauties. The Port of Sarandë is port for a wide variety of cruise lines offering trips to exciting destinations around the coast. The majority of cruise lines anchoring at the port includes ships from MSC, Holland America, P&O, Oceania, Regent Seven Seas and so on.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Albanian Ionian Sea Coast.

References

  1. ISBN 9783319113852
    .
  2. ^ UNESCO World Heritage Site. "Butrint". whc.unesco.org.
  3. ^ UNESCO Intangible cultural heritage. "Albanian folk iso-polyphony". ich.unesco.org.
  4. S2CID 970244
    .
  5. ^ "SOME CONSIDERATIONS ON SEAWATER-FRESHWATER RELATIONSHIP IN ALBANIAN COASTAL AREA" (PDF). igme.es. Tirana. pp. 1–12.
  6. IUCN Red List (5 December 2013). "Save the Egyptian Vulture on the Balkans"
    . iucnredlist.org.
  7. ^ a b c Ministria e Mjedisit, Pyjeve dhe Administrimit të Ujrave. "Protected area gap assessment, marine biodiversity and legislation on marine protected areas" (PDF). undp.org. Tirana. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-02. Retrieved 2018-07-01.
  8. ^ "Protected area gap assessment, marine biodiversity and legislation on marine protected areas" (PDF). undp.org. p. 102. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-02. Retrieved 2018-07-01.
  9. ^ Agjencia Kombetare e Zonave te Mbrojtura. "Ishujt e Ksamilit". akzm.gov.al (in Albanian). p. 1. Archived from the original on 2017-04-24. Retrieved 2018-07-01.
  10. ^ United Nations Environment Programme. "REGIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE CONSERVATION OF MONK SEALS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN (2014-2019)" (PDF). rac-spa.org. p. 11.
  11. ^ "DISTRIBUTION OF MAMMALS IN ALBANIA". italian-journal-of-mammalogy.it. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-09-23.
  12. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T3897A119333622.en
    . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  13. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T6494A43526147.en
    . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  14. ^ Ministria e Mjedisit, Pyjeve dhe Administrimit të Ujrave. "Protected area gap assessment, marine biodiversity and legislation on marine protected areas" (PDF). undp.org. Tirana. p. 103.
  15. ^ "BUTRINT NATIONAL PARK MANAGEMENT PLAN" (PDF). academia.edu. pp. 43–74.
  16. ^ BirdLife International. "Vlora Bay, Karaburun Peninsula and Cika mountain". datazone.birdlife.org.
  17. ^ Ramsar (August 4, 2010). "The list of wetlands of international importance" (PDF) (in English and Spanish). Ramsar. p. 5. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
  18. ^ "TOURISM AND EMPLOYMENT IN ALBANIA – IS THERE A STRONG CORRELATION?" (PDF). asecu.gr. pp. 1–9.
  19. ^ Eglantina Hysa - Epoka University. "INFLUENCE OF TOURISM SECTOR IN ALBANIAN GDP: ESTIMATION USING MULTIPLE REGRESSION METHOD" (PDF). researchgate.net. Tirana. pp. 1–6.
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