Korçë County
Korçë County
Qarku i Korçës (Albanian) | |
|---|---|
 Leminot Reservoir | |
 Flag  Emblem | |
.svg) Map of Albania with Korçë County highlighted | |
| Coordinates: 40°40′N 20°48′E / 40.667°N 20.800°E | |
| Country |  Albania |
| Seat | Korçë |
| Subdivisions | |
| Government | |
| • Council chairman | Erjon Nexhipi (PS)[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 3,711 km2 (1,433 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 1st |
| Population (2023[2]) | |
• Total | 173,091 |
| • Rank | 5th |
| • Density | 47/km2 (120/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| HDI (2022) | 0.785 high · 5th |
| NUTS Code | AL034 |
| Website | www |
Korçë County (Albanian: Qarku Korçë), officially the County of Korçë (Albanian: Qarku i Korçës), is a county in the Southern Region of the Republic of Albania. It is the largest by area and the fifth most populous of the twelve counties, with more than 173,000 people within an area of 3,711 km2 (1,433 sq mi). The county borders on North Macedonia to the northeast and Greece to the southeast, the counties of Elbasan to the northwest, Berat to the west and Gjirokastër to the southwest. It is divided into six municipalities, Korçë, Devoll, Kolonjë, Maliq, Pogradec and Pustec, with all of whom incorporate thirty-seven administrative units.[3]
Geography
[edit]Protected areas
[edit]The Ministry of Tourism and Environment manages numerous natural sites and protected areas in Korçë County.[4] In conjunction with numerous national natural sites and areas, the National Agency of Protected Areas has the Fir of Drenovë National Park and Prespa National Park under its administration. The UNESCO Ohrid-Prespa Transboundary Biosphere Reserve is also encompassed in the county.
Demographics
[edit].jpg)
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 176,997 | — |
| 1960 | 192,630 | +8.8% |
| 1969 | 228,675 | +18.7% |
| 1979 | 267,378 | +16.9% |
| 1989 | 311,448 | +16.5% |
| 2001 | 265,182 | −14.9% |
| 2011 | 220,357 | −16.9% |
| 2023 | 173,091 | −21.4% |
| Source: [5][6] | ||
Most of the region's inhabitants are ethnic Albanians, but there are also important communities of Greeks (especially in the South), Macedonians (especially in the East), Aromanians (more concentrated in Western parts) and Roma. With regards to religion, the region is home to a large Muslim majority (many of whom are Bektashis) and a significant Orthodox Christian minority. According to the last national census from 2023, the county has 173,091 inhabitants. Ethnic groups in the county include Albanians, Greeks, Macedonians, Montenegrins, Aromanians, Romani, Egyptians.
Religion
[edit]Between the 2011 and 2023 censuses in Korçë, there were notable shifts in religious affiliation. The Muslim population decreased significantly from 59.0% to 49.0%, while Bektashism more than doubled, rising from 2.1% to 4.6%. The Catholic Christian population declined from 1.1% to 0.6%, and Orthodox Christians saw a slight decrease from 16.3% to 16.2%. Evangelical Christians tripled their share, rising from 0.3% to 0.9%.
There was a substantial increase in the irreligious population: atheists nearly doubled their share, rising from 1.8% to 3.5%, and those identifying as believers without denomination grew significantly from 6.8% to 11.6%. Meanwhile, the "Not stated/other" category saw a slight increase, rising from 12.6% to 13.4%.[7]
| Religion group | Census 2011 | Census 2023 (Revised Source) | Difference (2023−2011) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | |
| Muslim | 129,964 | 59.0% | 84,859 | 49.0% | -45,105 | -10.0% |
| Bektashi | 4,558 | 2.1% | 7,910 | 4.6% | +3,352 | +2.5% |
| Total Muslim | 134,522 | 61.1% | 92,769 | 53.6% | -41,753 | -7.5% |
| Catholic Christian | 2,492 | 1.1% | 1,084 | 0.6% | -1,408 | -0.5% |
| Orthodox Christian | 35,814 | 16.3% | 28,003 | 16.2% | -7,811 | -0.1% |
| Evangelical | 660 | 0.3% | 1,546 | 0.9% | +886 | +0.6% |
| Total Christian* | 39,088 | 17.7% | 30,979 | 17.9% | -8,109 | +0.2% |
| Atheists | 4,007 | 1.8% | 6,088 | 3.5% | +2,081 | +1.7% |
| Believers without denomination | 15,078 | 6.8% | 20,007 | 11.6% | +4,929 | +4.8% |
| Total Non-religious | 19,085 | 8.7% | 26,095 | 15.1% | +7,010 | +6.4% |
| Not stated / other** | 27,662 | 12.6% | 23,248 | 13.4% | -4,414 | +0.8% |
| TOTAL | 220,357 | 100% | 173,091 | 100% | -47,266 | – |
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ "KESHILLI i QARKUT KORCE".
- ^ "Main Results of the Population and Housing Census 2023" (PDF). INSTAT.
- ^ "Law nr. 115/2014" (PDF) (in Albanian). pp. 6372–6373. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
- ^ "Databazë e Burimeve Turistike–Qarku Korçë" (PDF) (in Albanian). Ministria e Turizmit dhe Mjedisit. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
- ^ "Division of Albania".
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Institute of Statistics Albania.
- ^ "Population statistics of Eastern Europe & former USSR". pop-stat.mashke.org. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
