Southern Albania in the context of "Pindus Mountains"

The Pindus, also Pindos or Pindhos is a mountain range located in Northern Greece and Southern Albania. It is roughly 160 km (99 mi) long, with a maximum elevation of 2,637 metres (8,652 ft) (Mount Smolikas). Because it runs north to south along much of mainland Greece, the Pindus range is known colloquially as the spine of Greece. The mountain range stretches from near the Greek-Albanian border in southern Albania, entering the Epirus and Macedonia regions in northern Greece down to the north of the Peloponnese. Geologically, it is an extension of the Dinaric Alps, which dominate the western region of the Balkan Peninsula.

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 km (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.

Berat County (Albanian pronunciation: [beɽat]; Albanian: Qarku Berat), officially the County of Berat (Albanian: Qarku i Beratit), is a county in the Southern Region of the Republic of Albania. It is the ninth largest by area and the ninth most populous of the twelve counties, with around 140,956 people within an area of 1,798 km (694 sq mi). The county borders the counties of Elbasan to the north, Korçë to the east, Gjirokastër to the south and Fier to the west. It is divided into five municipalities, Berat, Dimal, Kuçovë, Poliçan and Skrapar, with all of whom incorporate twenty-five administrative units.

Fier County (Albanian pronunciation: [fieɽ]; Albanian: Qarku Fier), officially the County of Fier (Albanian: Qarku i Fierit), is a county in the Southern Region of the Republic of Albania. It is the eighth largest by area and the third most populous of the twelve counties, with about 240,000 people within an area of 1,890 km (730 sq mi). The county borders on the Adriatic Sea to the west, the counties of Tirana to the north, Elbasan to the northeast, Berat to the east, Gjirokastër to the southeast and Vlorë to the south. It is divided into six municipalities, Fier, Divjakë, Lushnjë, Mallakastër, Patos and Roskovec, all of whom incorporate 42 administrative units.

Gjirokastër (Albanian: [ɟiɾoˈkast:əɾ, -ra], Albanian definite form: Gjirokastra) is a city in southern Albania and the seat of Gjirokastër County and Gjirokastër Municipality. It is located in a valley between the Gjerë mountains and the Drino, at 300 metres above sea level. Its old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is overlooked by Gjirokastër Fortress, where the Gjirokastër National Folk Festival is held every five years. It is the birthplace of former Albanian communist leader Enver Hoxha, and author Ismail Kadare.

The city appears in the historical record dating back in 1336 by its medieval Greek name, Αργυρόκαστρο, Argyrókastro, as part of the Byzantine Empire. It first developed in the hill where the Gjirokastër Fortress is located. In this period, Gjirokastër was contested between the Despotate of Epirus and the Albanian clan of Zenebishi under Gjon Zenebishi who made it his capital in 1417. It was taken by the Ottomans in 1418, a year after's Gjon's death and it became the seat of the Sanjak of Albania. Throughout the Ottoman era, Gjirokastër was officially known in Ottoman Turkish as Ergiri and also Ergiri Kasrı. During the Ottoman period conversions to Islam and an influx of Muslim converts from the surrounding countryside made Gjirokastër go from being an overwhelmingly Christian city in the 16th century into one with a large Muslim population by the early 19th century. Gjirokastër also became a major religious centre for Bektashi Sufism.

Skrapar (Albanian definite form: Skrapari) is a municipality in Berat County, southern Albania. It was created in 2015 by the merger of the former municipalities Bogovë, Çepan, Çorovodë, Gjerbës, Leshnjë, Potom, Qendër Skrapar, Vendreshë and Zhepë. The seat of the municipality is the town Çorovodë. The total population is 12,403 (2011 census), in a total area of 832.04 km. It covers part of the area of the former Skrapar District, without the town Poliçan.

It is also roughly contiguous with the Albanian "ethnographic region" of Skrapar which is known for its folklore, its raki production, its high rate of those belonging to the Bektashi order and its scenic mountains.

Northern Albania (Albanian: Shqipëria Veriore) is one of the three NUTS-2 regions of Albania, along with Central Albania and Southern Albania (Toskeria). It consists of the counties of Dibër, Durrës, Kukës, Lezhë and Shkodër.

Historically and in ethnography, Northern Albania has been called Ghegeria (also spelled Gegeria; Albanian: Gegëria, Gheg Albanian: Gegnia), a name derived from a subgroup of Albanians known as the Ghegs.

Memaliaj is a town and a municipality in Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. It was formed at the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities Buz, Krahës, Luftinjë, Memaliaj, Memaliaj Fshat and Qesarat, that became municipal units. The seat of the municipality is the town Memaliaj. The total population is 10,657 (2011 census), in a total area of 372.30 square kilometres (143.75 sq mi). The population of the former municipality at the 2011 census was 2,647. It is entirely populated by Albanians, both Muslim Bektashis and Eastern Orthodox Christians. The dialect of Albanian spoken in the region is Tosk.