Albania has been inhabited since ancient times. The prehistoric evidence discovered dates back to the period of the middle and late paleolithic, 100,000 - 10,000 years ago. There is also evidence of a number of settlements with a rich culture in the neolithic times, 6,000 - 2000 vears before Christ.
Albanians are immediate descendants of the Illyrians. Illyrians were formed as an indigenous ethnos on the
basis of an even more ancient population, identified with the Pellasgos, who merged with the Indo-European population who, settled in the Balkan Peninsula at the end of the Neolithis and the beginning of the Bronze Age. Illyria stretched over the western part of the Balkan, in the north as far as the banks of the Sava and Danube, in the east to, the Morava and Vardar Rivers, which separated it from the Thrace, and in
the south and southeast to, the Pindi Mountain Range, which separated it from the Greeks and Macedonians. The name Illyr first referred only to the southern regions, and later came to describe the territories in all of the western Balkan. Illyrians are mentioned by Herodotus in written resources dating from the 5th century before Christ. Detached Illyrian settlements are found on the furthermost coast of the Adriatic (tribes of Mesape, Japige), in Greece and as far as Asia Minor, Troja (the Dardans mentioned in IIomer's epics).
By the end of the 5"' century before Christ, Illvrians entered the road of slave-ownership order and civillan life. Two centuries before this, however, Greek settlements had been set up on the Albanian coast and their inhabitants had merged with the indigenous Illyrians. The largest settlements were Epidamn, Dyrrah, Apolliana, Buthrint, Schodra, Lissus.
In the 4'1' and 3~'' centuries before Christ, the Illyrian state was strengthened by such outstanding figures as Kings Bardhyl, Agron, Teuta, Gent, Monun and Mytyl. The Illyrian state fought against Roman invasion until 168 BC, when Rome conquered Illyria and spread its culture. With the division of the Roman Empire (AD 395) Illyria became part of the Byzantine Empire. Its borders were invaded by the Goths and Havars among other marauding tribes. In the course of the 4th - 7th centuries, the Slavs invaded parts of the north and east Illvria. In spite ~,f the losses they incurred, the compact population of the provinces of Epirus, Prevalitania and Dardania (present Kosovo) managed to cope with the Slav invasion. In the 6th and 7th centuries, as a result of the influence of the cultures of old Illyrians and other cultures, there occurred a new process: the creation of a population now recognized by the new ethnical name of Arber and of the culture of early Albanians. At various times during the Middle Ages, Albania was under the Byzantine as well as Bulgarian, Venetian, Norman, Anjuin and Serb rule.
In 1272 Charles the First of Anju invaded Durres and proclaimed the Kingdom of Arberia. The first Medieval Albanian state, called the State of Arber with Kruja as its capital, was established in the 13th century. In the 14''' century we observe the establishment of state Albanian principalities of Balshaj, Topiaj, Muzakaj, Arianitas, Zenebishta, Shpataj, etc. In the 15th century, the national hero of Albania, George Castriot Scanderbeg (1405-1468) managed to unite the forces of the country into a single state. For 25 years Scanderbeg fought with unprecedented courage against the Turkish conquest. Ten years following his death, Albania became part of the Ottoman Empire. In the 19th century, two large Pashallek districts were created in the framework of this Empire. The Pashallek of Bushatilinj in the north and the Pashallek of Ali Pashe Tepelena in the south.
The 19th century was the century of the National Revival of Albania. In 1878 the Albanian League of Prizren was established with self-governing state attributes and to face attacks by Serb invaders.
On November 28, 1912, Albania was proclaimed an independent state and the national flag was hoisted by Ismail Qemali in Vlora. From 1912 to date Albanian state has continuously been a member of the constellation of world countries. From 1928 to 1939 the Albanian state was a monarchy with Zog the First as its king.
On April 7, 1939, fascist Italy invaded Albania. The great anti-fascist national liberation war thus started. Albanian people ranked themselves at the side of the anti-fascist coalition along with the USA, Britain and the USSR.
On November 29, 1944, the partisan anti-fascist forces liberated Albania. The new communist regime established a single party rule and in the course of 50 years it undertook considerable developments in the field of agriculture, industry popular education, infringing, however, human rights and freedoms.
In 1991 the communist regime was toppled and a democratic pluralist regime was established. Now Albania is a parliamentary republic. It has signed the main documents to become member of European institutions such as the Helsinki and Paris Charters and that of Partnership for Peace with NATO.
In respect of the political historv of Albanians, it should be stressed that in 1913 the Great Powers of Europe divided the Albanian nation into two parts. From that year, called black by Albanians, Kosovo, half of the nation (3 million Albanians), has remained under Serb rule.