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Shkreli is a historical
Albanian tribe The Albanian tribes () form a historical mode of social organization (''farefisní'') in Albania and the southwestern Balkans characterized by a common culture, often common patrilineal kinship ties and shared social ties. The ''fis'' ( sq-defini ...
and region in the
Malësia Malësia e Madhe ("Great Highlands"), known simply as Malësia (, ), is a historical and ethnographic region in northern Albania and eastern central Montenegro corresponding to the highlands of the geographical subdivision of the Malësi e Madhe ...
Madhe region of northern
Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
and is majority
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
. With the expansion of the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
, part of the tribe migrated to Rugova in Western
Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
beginning around 1700, after which they continued to migrate into the Lower
Pešter The Pešter Plateau (), or simply Pešter ( sr-Cyrl, Пештер, ) is a karst plateau in southwestern Serbia, in the Raška (or Sandžak) region. It lies at an altitude of , with the highest point (''Kuljarski vrh'') at 1,492 meters. The terr ...
and
Sandžak Sandžak (Serbian Cyrillic: ; ) is a historical and geo-political region in the Balkans, located in the southwestern part of Serbia and the eastern part of Montenegro. The Bosnian/ Serbian term ''Sandžak'' derives from the Sanjak of Novi Paza ...
regions (today in
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
and
Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...
). The part of the Shkreli tribe that migrated to Kosovo converted to
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
in the 18th century and maintained the
Albanian language Albanian (Endonym and exonym, endonym: , , or ) is an Indo-European languages, Indo-European language and the only surviving representative of the Albanoid, Albanoid branch, which belongs to the Paleo-Balkan languages, Paleo-Balkan group. It ...
as their mother tongue. Some members of the Shkreli within the Pešter region and in Sandžak (known as Škrijelj/) converted to Islam and became Slavophones by the 20th century, which as of today they now self-identify as part of the
Bosniak The Bosniaks (, Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia (region), Bosnia, today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and who sha ...
ethnicity, although in the Pešter plateau they partly utilized the Albanian language until the middle of the 20th century. The Shkreli in Albania and Montenegro are predominantly Catholic. The Shkreli tribe's patron saint is St. Nicholas (Shënkoll).


Name

Various theories have been proposed for the etymology of the name ''Shkreli''. It first appears as a patronymic and village name in 1416 in its present location. It has been spelled as Scirelli, Screlli, Strelli, Scrielli (1703) and Scarglieli (1614) in Latin. An older, unproven historically, etymology links it to Saint Charles (''Shën Kërli'' in Albanian), who is hypothesized to have been the patron saint of an old church in the area. In reality, the name of the region was given to it by the kin community, which apart from Shkreli appears throughout northern Albania in the Middle Ages. Another, more linguistically based approach links the name to '' shkrelë'', a word used in
Gheg Albanian Gheg or Geg (Gheg Albanian: ''gegnisht'', Standard ) is one of the two major varieties of Albanian, the other being Tosk. The geographic dividing line between the two varieties is the Shkumbin River, which winds its way through central Alba ...
for big corn leaves. Corn is one of the few crops that are cultivated extensively in the available arable land of the Shkreli. The people of the region are called ''Shkrelë''. Those in the
Sandžak Sandžak (Serbian Cyrillic: ; ) is a historical and geo-political region in the Balkans, located in the southwestern part of Serbia and the eastern part of Montenegro. The Bosnian/ Serbian term ''Sandžak'' derives from the Sanjak of Novi Paza ...
region who have been Slavicized use the surname ''Škrijelj''.


Geography

Shkreli is situated in
Malësi e Madhe District Malësi e Madhe District (), commonly known as Malësia, was one of the 36 districts of Albania, which were dissolved in July 2000 and replaced by 12 newly created counties. It had a population of 36,770 in 2001, and an area of . It is in the ...
, north of the city of Shkodra in the protected area of the Shkreli Regional Nature Park in the valley of ''Prroni i Thatë'' (Dry Creek). It forms part of the
Shkrel Shkrel is a former municipality in the Shkodër County, northwestern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Malësi e Madhe Malësi e Madhe () is a municipality in Shkodër County, in northwest ...
municipal unit. To the north it borders
Boga Boga is a common name for fishes and may refer to: *''Haemulon vittata'' *''Haemulon vittatum'' *''Leporinus obtusidens'' Boga may also refer to: * Boga (soft drink), a Tunisian brand of soft drinks * BOGA, the Bern Botanical Gardens in Switzer ...
, to the south
Lohja Lohja (; ) is a town in Finland, located in the southern interior of the country. Lohja is situated in the western part of the Uusimaa region. The population of Lohja is approximately . It is the most populous Municipalities of Finland, munici ...
and to the west Kastrati. To the east of Shkreli are the slopes of the Northern Mountain Range. Shkreli comprises four villages
Vrith Vrith is a settlement in the former Shkrel municipality, Shkodër County, northern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Malësi e Madhe Malësi e Madhe () is a municipality in Shkodër County, in north ...
,
Bzhetë Bzhetë (also known as Bërzhetë) is a settlement in the former Shkrel municipality, Shkodër County, northern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Malësi e Madhe Malësi e Madhe () is a municipality ...
,
Zagorë Zagorë ( /zagoɹə/) is a settlement in the former Shkrel municipality of Shkodër County in the north of Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Malësi e Madhe Malësi e Madhe () is a municipality in S ...
,
Dedaj Dedaj is a settlement in the former Shkrel Municipality, Shkodër County, northern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Malësi e Madhe Malësi e Madhe () is a municipality in Shkodër County, in nort ...
. These four villages also have additional settlements in Grishaj,
Vuç-Kurtaj Vuç-Kurtaj is a settlement in the former Shkrel municipality, Shkodër County, northern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Malësi e Madhe Malësi e Madhe () is a municipality in Shkodër County, in ...
, Sterkuj, Çekëdedaj, Xhaj, Makaj and Ducaj that are linked to them. A small settlement named Shkrel also exists in the
Bushat Bushat is a village and a former municipality in the Shkodër County, northwestern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Vau i Dejës. The population at the 2011 census was 14,149. Geography Bu ...
municipal unit. Outside of Albania, people who trace their origin to Shkreli are found in particular in
Ulcinj Ulcinj () is a town in the Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro and the capital of Ulcinj Municipality. It has an urban population of 11,488. As one of the oldest settlements in the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic coast, it was founded in 5th ...
,
Sandžak Sandžak (Serbian Cyrillic: ; ) is a historical and geo-political region in the Balkans, located in the southwestern part of Serbia and the eastern part of Montenegro. The Bosnian/ Serbian term ''Sandžak'' derives from the Sanjak of Novi Paza ...
and the nearby
Region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
in western
Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
. The Montenegro-Kosovo borderlands are marked by many micro-toponyms like ''Škrijeljska Hajla'' and ''Škrijeljska Reka'' that are linked to Shkreli.


History


Origins

By oral tradition, the first Shkreli to settle in this region of Albania was Lek Shkreli, who had four sons: Vrith, Ded, Buzhet and Zog/Zag, hence the names of the four main villages of Shkrel: Vrith, Dedaj, Bzheta and Zagora. Vrith was the oldest of the sons, his family grew largest, and its people are Bajraktar of Shkreli. Deda, Leka’s second son, had three sons: Çek Deda, Pap Deda and Vulet Deda. Buzheta, his third son had three sons as well: Preknici, Duci and Prekduci. Leke’s fourth son, Zogu, only had two sons: Andrea and Jusuf/Joseph (this son said to be islamized). When the Shkreli tribe arrived in this region of Albania they found a population that was already there and this population was admitted into the tribe; they are called “Anas”: # Xhaj in Xhaj # Vukaj or Vukelaj in Preknicaj # Kolajt in Zagorë # Baushi or Kapllajt in Dedaj # Luizi in Grykën e Lugjeve # Tuçajt who live in Leskovac Oral traditions and fragmentary stories were collected and interpreted by writers who travelled in the region in the 19th century and early 20th century about the origins of Shkreli. French consul in Shkodra, Hyacinthe Hecquard in his 1858 ''Histoire et description de la haute Albanie ou Guégarie'' notes that Shkreli descend from an old
Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
family in the region of
Pejë Peja or Peć, ), is the fifth most populous city in Kosovo and serves as the seat of the Peja Municipality and the District of Peja. It is located in the Rugova region on the eastern section of the Accursed Mountains along the Peja's Lumbardh ...
, whose chief was called ''Kerli'' (Carl). Sixty years later,
Edith Durham Edith Durham, (8 December 1863 – 15 November 1944) was a British artist, anthropologist and writer who is best known for her anthropological accounts of life in Albania in the early 20th century. Her advocacy on behalf of the Albanian cause a ...
who travelled in the region wrote in ''High Albania'' (1908) that she recorded a story in Shkreli that they came from an unknown region of ''Bosnia''. In her 1928 book ''Some tribal origins, laws, and customs of the Balkans'' she also notes that this even must have happened around 1600.
Baron Nopcsa Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knight, ...
, a well-known scholar of the Albanian ''fis'' system, noted that the mention of an unknown region of ''Bosnia'' could well mean an area of the
Sanjak of Novi Pazar The Sanjak of Novi Pazar (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Novopazarski sandžak, Новопазарски санџак; ) was an Ottoman sanjak (second-level administrative unit) that was created in 1865. It was reorganized in 1880 and 1902. The Ottoman rule ...
or adjacent to it. This region until the late 19th century was administratively part of the
Eyalet of Bosnia The Eyalet of Bosnia (; By Gábor Ágoston, Bruce Alan Masters ; ), was an eyalet (administrative division, also known as a ''beylerbeylik'') of the Ottoman Empire, mostly based on the territory of the present-day state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. ...
. Indeed, Albanian pastoral communities from the Plav area used to move their herds in Bosnia during the winter months and then move back in the spring and summer months to their natural grazing lands. In the decades that followed analysis of recorded historical material, linguistics and comparative anthropology have provided more historically-grounded accounts. A particularly important work in this respect was the publication of the cadaster of Shkodër of 1416-7 in 1942 and the subsequent registry of names of the cadaster in 1945 by Fulvio Cordignano. The full document was translated into Albanian in 1977. It is the first known historical document that mentions Shkreli both as a settlement and as a family name in 1416. The village of Shkreli appears in the cadaster of Shkodra as a small settlement of eight households headed by a Vlash Shkreli. In 1416, Shkreli appears as a tribe in the process of formation as the village name is also the surname of most of its households, an indication of the kin organization of the settlement. The fact that about half of the households who bore the surname ''Shkreli'' lived outside of the settlement points to the fact that Shkreli in 1416 was closer to being a ''bashkësi'' (tribe based on kinship relations but with no communal territorial control) than a ''fis'' (a kin community that is also identified with a given communal territory).


Ottoman

In 1613, the Ottomans launched a campaign against the rebel tribes of Montenegro. In response, the tribes of the
Vasojevići The Vasojevići (Montenegrin language, Montenegrin and sr-Cyrl, Васојевићи, ) is a historical Tribes of Montenegro#Brda, highland tribe (''pleme'') and region of Montenegro, in the area of the Brda (Montenegro), Brda. It is the largest ...
, Kuči,
Bjelopavlići Bjelopavlići ( cyrl, Бјелопавлићи, ; ) is a historical tribe (pleme) of Albanians, Albanian origin and a valley in the region of the Brda (Montenegro), Brda, in Montenegro, around the city of Danilovgrad. Geography The ''Bjelopavl ...
, Piperi, Kastrati,
Kelmendi Kelmendi is a historical Albanian tribes, Albanian tribe (''fis'') and region in Malësia (Kelmend (municipality), Kelmend municipality) and eastern Montenegro (parts of Gusinje Municipality). It is located in the upper valley of the Cem (river), ...
, Shkreli and Hoti formed a political and military union known as “The Union of the Mountains” or “The Albanian Mountains” . The leaders swore an oath of ''besa'' to resist with all their might any upcoming Ottoman expeditions, thereby protecting their self-government and disallowing the establishment of the authority of the Ottoman Spahis in the northern highlands. Their uprising had a liberating character. With the aim of getting rid of the Ottomans from the Albanian territories ''Scarglieli'' was mentioned by
Mariano Bolizza Mariano Bolizza or Marin Bolica (1603 – 27 November 1643) was a nobleman and writer from Cattaro (known today as Kotor). Biography Bolizza was born in Kotor, at the time part of the Republic of Venice (now Montenegro). He studied at the Uni ...
in 1614, being part of the
Sanjak of Scutari The Sanjak of Scutari or Sanjak of Shkodra (; ; or ''İşkodra Sancağı'') was one of the sanjaks of the Ottoman Empire. It was established after the Ottoman Empire acquired Shkodra after the siege of Shkodra in 1478–9. It was part of th ...
. It was Roman Catholic, had 20 houses, and 43 men at arms commanded by Gjon Poruba. In the late Ottoman period, the tribe of Shkreli consisted of 180 Muslim and 320 Catholic households. In 1901, in a study conducted by Italian Antonio Baldacci, Shkreli has 4,500 Catholic and 750 Muslim citizens. In years 1916–1918 Franz Seiner observed Shkreli had 415 houses, 2,680 individuals: 2,300 Catholics and 388 Muslims. During the Ottoman Empire, the Shkreli tribe was in constant warfare with the Empire and enjoyed intermittent autonomy from the Porte. Years at war 1614, 1621, 1645 (which won them autonomy until 1700), 1803-1817,1834-1840, 1871 war with Turks of Shkodra over mistreatment of local Catholic population of city, Albanian revolts in 1910–1911, etc. Shkreli tribe participated in the League of Prizren 1878-1881 represented by Bajraktar Marash Dashi. During the
Albanian revolt of 1911 The Malissori uprising or the Albanian revolt of 1911 was one of many Albanians, Albanian revolts in the Ottoman Empire and lasted from 24 March 1911 until 4 August 1911 in the region of Malësia (also spelled Malissori). Background The main ...
on 23 June Albanian tribesmen and other revolutionaries gathered in Montenegro and drafted the
Greçë Memorandum The Greçë Memorandum () or the Red Book () was a memorandum with twelve requests for the establishment of an autonomous Albanian province within the Ottoman Empire. The Memorandum was jointly written by Ismail Kemal and Luigj Gurakuqi. Request ...
demanding Albanian sociopolitical and linguistic rights with four of the signatories being from Shkreli. In later negotiations with the Ottomans, an amnesty was granted to the tribesmen with promises by the government to build one to two primary schools in the
nahiye A nāḥiyah ( , plural ''nawāḥī'' ), also nahiyeh, nahiya or nahia, is a regional or local type of administrative division that usually consists of a number of villages or sometimes smaller towns. In Tajikistan, it is a second-level divisi ...
of Shkreli and pay the wages of teachers allocated to them. Before converting to
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
in the 18th century, most of the Kosovo part of tribe professed
Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
. The descendants of this tribe in Kosovo have also maintained the
Albanian language Albanian (Endonym and exonym, endonym: , , or ) is an Indo-European languages, Indo-European language and the only surviving representative of the Albanoid, Albanoid branch, which belongs to the Paleo-Balkan languages, Paleo-Balkan group. It ...
as their mother tongue. A majority of the Shkreli tribe is Catholic, speaks Albanian and they live in Albania (Shkrel-Shkodër-Lezha-Velipoj) and Montenegro (Ulcinj). The Tribes Patron Saint is St. Nicholas and feast day is celebrated on May 9.


Emigration

During history parts of the tribe emigrated from Albania to different locations: the Montenegro seaside, to Sandžak and to the Rugova highlands (located in northwestern Kosovo near
Peja Peja or Peć, ), is the fifth most populous city in Kosovo and serves as the seat of the Peja Municipality and the District of Peja. It is located in the Rugova region on the eastern section of the Accursed Mountains along the Peja's Lumbar ...
). Some of the Rugova Shkrelis moved to the territory of
Rožaje Rožaje ( Bosnian: ''Rožaje''; , ; , ) is a town located in the Northern Region of Montenegro, situated along the Ibar river. The town is the cultural center of the Bosniaks in Montenegro. As of 2023, the town has a population of 13,608 inhabi ...
and
Tutin Tutin may refer to: Places *Tutin, Serbia, town in Serbia Surname * Arthur Tutin (1907–1961), English footballer *Dorothy Tutin (1930–2001), English actress *Mary Tutin, maiden name of Mary Gillick (1881–1965), English sculptor *Tom Tutin ...
in 1700, after the
Great Serb Migration The Great Migrations of the Serbs (), also known as the Great Exoduses of the Serbs, were two migrations of Serbs from various territories under the rule of the Ottoman Empire to the Kingdom of Hungary under the Habsburg monarchy. The First ...
. They founded the village named Škrijelje as they continued residing in Sandžak, by appropriating the
yat Yat or jat (Ѣ ѣ; italics: ''Ѣ ѣ'') is the thirty-second letter of the Early Cyrillic alphabet, old Cyrillic alphabet. It is usually Romanization, romanized as E with a haček: ''Ě ě''. There is also another version of y ...
vowel from the
Slavic languages The Slavic languages, also known as the Slavonic languages, are Indo-European languages spoken primarily by the Slavs, Slavic peoples and their descendants. They are thought to descend from a proto-language called Proto-Slavic language, Proto- ...
, the surname deviated from Shkreli to Škrijelj. Later in the century they populated the Lower Pešter region and the city of
Novi Pazar Novi Pazar ( sr-cyr, Нови Пазар) is a List of cities in Serbia, city located in the Raška District of southwestern Serbia. As of the 2022 census, the urban area has 71,462 inhabitants, while the city administrative area has 106,720 inha ...
. Shkrelis continued to migrate from Rugova to the territory of
Pešter The Pešter Plateau (), or simply Pešter ( sr-Cyrl, Пештер, ) is a karst plateau in southwestern Serbia, in the Raška (or Sandžak) region. It lies at an altitude of , with the highest point (''Kuljarski vrh'') at 1,492 meters. The terr ...
until the 19th century. The vast majority of Shkreli were assimilated by the Slavic population in the Sandžak region. However, in the villages of
Boroštica Boroštica (; ) is a village in the municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to ...
,
Ugao Ugao ( sr-cyr, Угао; ) is a village located in the municipality of Sjenica, southwestern Serbia. According to the 2011 census, the village has a population of 545 inhabitants. Ugao is one of three Albanian villages (Boroštica, Doliće and Ug ...
, Doliće and Gradac at the Upper
Pešter The Pešter Plateau (), or simply Pešter ( sr-Cyrl, Пештер, ) is a karst plateau in southwestern Serbia, in the Raška (or Sandžak) region. It lies at an altitude of , with the highest point (''Kuljarski vrh'') at 1,492 meters. The terr ...
plateau, they managed to maintain the original Albanian language until today. Some of the Shkrelis also migrated to Ulcinj and its surrounding villages on the coast and along the Buna river. The Shkrelis of Ulcinj are all Albanian and Roman Catholic. Here, they all have the surnames Shkreli, Shkrela, Shkrelja, Skrela, and Skrelja. Those from the Ulcinj Shkrelis have always and still maintain close relations with Albania’s Shkrelis and have always intermarried despite living on opposite borders and are still part of the same Bajrak. After the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and especially with the beginning of the
Yugoslav Wars The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related#Naimark, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place from 1991 to 2001 in what had been the Socialist Federal Republic of ...
, they began migrating to Western Europe, the United States, and Australia. Most of the Shkrelis that are from Albania proper do not carry Shkreli as a surname. It is only the ones that emigrated from the mountains that carry Shkreli as surnames. Today, people bearing the surname Shkreli (or Škrijelj) live in the following locations: *
Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...
:
Bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar ** Chocolate bar * Protein bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...
,
Petnjica Municipality Petnjica Municipality ( Montenegrin: Opština Petnjica / Општина Петњица) is one of the municipalities of Montenegro. The municipality is located in northern Montenegro. The center is Petnjica. The Petnjica Municipality was created i ...
(also in the village of Dašča Rijeka, Javorovo and Murovac),
Bijelo Polje Bijelo Polje (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Бијело Поље, ) is a town located in the Northern Montenegro, Northern Region of Montenegro, situated along Lim (river), Lim River. It has an urban population of 12,900 (2011 census). It is the ad ...
(also in the village of Ćosoviće),
Herceg Novi Herceg Novi (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Херцег Нови, ) is a town in Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro located at the Western entrance to the Bay of Kotor and at the foot of Mount Orjen. It is the administrative center of ...
,
Nikšić Nikšić (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Никшић, ), is the second largest city in Montenegro, with a total population of 32,046 (2023 census) located in the west of the country, in the centre of the spacious Nikšić field at the foot of Trebjesa ...
,
Podgorica Podgorica ( cnr-Cyrl, Подгорица; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Montenegro, largest city of Montenegro. The city is just north of Lake Skadar and close to coastal destinations on the Adriatic Sea. Histor ...
,
Rožaje Rožaje ( Bosnian: ''Rožaje''; , ; , ) is a town located in the Northern Region of Montenegro, situated along the Ibar river. The town is the cultural center of the Bosniaks in Montenegro. As of 2023, the town has a population of 13,608 inhabi ...
,
Tivat Tivat (Serbo-Croatian: Tivat/Тиват, ) is a town in Coastal region of Montenegro, located in the Bay of Kotor. , its population was 9,367. Tivat is the centre of Tivat Municipality, which is the smallest municipality by area in Montenegro. ...
and
Ulcinj Ulcinj () is a town in the Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro and the capital of Ulcinj Municipality. It has an urban population of 11,488. As one of the oldest settlements in the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic coast, it was founded in 5th ...
and surrounding villages. *
Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
:
Gjakova Gjakova or Đakovica, ) and Đakovica ( sr-Cyrl, Ђаковица, ) is the sixth largest city of Kosovo and seat of the Gjakova Municipality and the District of Gjakova, Gjakova District. According to the 2024 census, the municipality of Gjakov ...
, Mitrovica,
Peja Peja or Peć, ), is the fifth most populous city in Kosovo and serves as the seat of the Peja Municipality and the District of Peja. It is located in the Rugova region on the eastern section of the Accursed Mountains along the Peja's Lumbar ...
and
Pristina Pristina or Prishtina ( , ), . is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and District of Pristina, district. In antiquity, the area of Pristina was part of the Dardanian Kingdo ...
. *
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
:
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
,
Novi Pazar Novi Pazar ( sr-cyr, Нови Пазар) is a List of cities in Serbia, city located in the Raška District of southwestern Serbia. As of the 2022 census, the urban area has 71,462 inhabitants, while the city administrative area has 106,720 inha ...
(also in the villages of Požega and Rajčinoviće),
Sjenica Sjenica ( sr-cyr, Сјеница, ) is a town and municipality located in the Zlatibor District of southwestern Serbia, on the vast Sjenica- Pešter plateau and geographically located in the central part of Sandžak. The population of the municip ...
(also in the villages of Bioc, Kamešnica,
Međugor Međugor is a village in the municipality of Sjenica, Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map ...
and Ugao),
Temerin Temerin ( sr-Cyrl, Темерин; , ) is a town and municipality located in the South Bačka District of the autonomous province of Vojvodina in Serbia. The town has a population of 17,998, while the municipality has a population of 25,780 (2022 ...
and
Tutin Tutin may refer to: Places *Tutin, Serbia, town in Serbia Surname * Arthur Tutin (1907–1961), English footballer *Dorothy Tutin (1930–2001), English actress *Mary Tutin, maiden name of Mary Gillick (1881–1965), English sculptor *Tom Tutin ...
(also in the villages of Boroštica, Crnoča, Gradac, Ljeskova, Naboje, Šaronje and Škrijelje). *
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
:
Mostar Mostar () is a city and the administrative centre of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the historical capital of Herzegovina. Mostar is situated on the Neretva Riv ...
,
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
and
Zenica Zenica ( ; ) is a city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and an administrative and economic center of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Zenica-Doboj Canton. It is located in the Bosna (river), Bosna river valley, about north of Sarajevo. The ...
. *
North Macedonia North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the n ...
:
Skopje Skopje ( , ; ; , sq-definite, Shkupi) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It lies in the northern part of the country, in the Skopje Basin, Skopje Valley along the Vardar River, and is the political, economic, and cultura ...
(also in the villages of Batinci, Dračevo, Indžikovo, Ljuboš, Ljubin, Kjojlija, Konjare,
Petrovec Petrovec may refer to: * Petrovec, North Macedonia, a village near Skopje * Petrovec Municipality, a municipality in the Republic of Macedonia * Báčsky Petrovec, Slovak name of Bački Petrovac, a town in Serbia * Petrovec, Croatia, a village ...
, Ržaničino),
Veles Veles may refer to: *Veles (god), a Slavic god *Veles Municipality, in North Macedonia *Veles, North Macedonia, a city, seat of the municipality, formerly called Titov Veles *Veles Bastion, Stribog Mountains on Brabant Island, Antarctica *Veles, s ...
(also in the villages of Crkvino and Gradsko),
Prilep Prilep ( ) is the List of cities in North Macedonia, fourth-largest city in North Macedonia. According to 2021 census, it had a population of 63,308. Name The name of Prilep appeared first as ''Πρίλαπος'' in Greek (''Prilapos'') in 1 ...
(also in the villages of Desovo, Lažani and Žitoše) and
Tetovo Tetovo (, ; , sq-definite, Tetova) is a city in the northwestern part of North Macedonia, built on the foothills of Šar Mountain and divided by the Pena (river), Pena River. The municipality of Tetovo covers an area of at above sea level, wit ...
*
Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
:
Sisak Sisak (; also known by other alternative names) is a city in central Croatia, spanning the confluence of the Kupa, Sava and Odra rivers, southeast of the Croatian capital Zagreb, and is usually considered to be where the Posavina (Sava basin ...
,
Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enter ...
and
Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
*
Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
:
Ljubljana {{Infobox settlement , name = Ljubljana , official_name = , settlement_type = Capital city , image_skyline = {{multiple image , border = infobox , perrow = 1/2/2/1 , total_widt ...
*
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
:
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
,
Ankara Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...
,
İzmit İzmit () is a municipality and the capital Districts of Turkey, district of Kocaeli Province, Turkey. Its area is 480 km2, and its population is 376,056 (2022). The capital of Kocaeli Province, it is located at the Gulf of İzmit in the Sea ...
,
İzmir İzmir is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara. It is on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, and is the capital of İzmir Province. In 2024, the city of İzmir had ...
,
Eskişehir Eskişehir ( , ; from 'old' and 'city') is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. The urban population of the city is 821 315 (Odunpazari + Tebebasi), with a metropolitan population of 921 630. The city is l ...
and
Sakarya Sakarya may refer to: Places * Sakarya (continent), a small continent 90 million years ago * Sakarya, Ardanuç, a village in Artvin Province, Turkey * Sakarya, Polatlı, a village in Ankara Province, Turkey * Sakarya gas field, in the Black Sea * ...
(their surnames are changed into Şenyel, Albayrak, Bayrak, Büyükbayrak, Esen (Šemsović), Sancak, Yener and Yenibayrak). * Russia:
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
*
Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's extent varies depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the Western half of the ancient Mediterranean ...
: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy,
Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
,
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
, Sweden and Switzerland. * United States:
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
(especially in the Bronx. Westchester county, Putnam county,
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
),
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
and its surrounding suburbs. * Australia


Notable people

*
Martin Shkreli Martin Shkreli (; born March 17, 1983) is an American investor, businessman and financial criminal. Shkreli is the co-founder of the hedge funds Elea Capital, MSMB Capital Management, and MSMB Healthcare, the co-founder and former CEO of pharm ...
, American businessman, hedge fund manager, and former convicted felo

*
Lesh Shkreli Lesh Shkreli (born January 6, 1957) is a retired Montenegrin-American soccer forward who played in Yugoslavia, Greece and the United States. He led the American Indoor Soccer Association in scoring in 1984-1985, earning MVP honors. Shkreli is A ...
, Montenegrin-American
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
of Albanian origin *
Azem Shkreli Azem Shkreli (; 10 February 1938 – 27 May 1997) was an Albanian writer, poet, director and producer. He was head of the Kosovo Writers' Association, president of the Association of Writers of Yugoslavia, manager of the National Theatre of Kosovo ...
, Albanian writer *
Paulina Shkreli Paulina Shkreli (1922 – 30 May 2000), also known as Lina Shkreli, was an Albanian teacher from Kosovo, who laid the foundations of Albanian education in Kosovo during 1941–1944. Biography Born in Mitrovica in 1922, in the well-known famil ...
, Albanian teacher and anti-communist * Ahmedin Shkreli, Serbian politician * Demir Shkreli, Montenegrin footballer * Elvedin Shkreli, Serbian footballer


See also

* Hajla e Shkrelit


References

{{Reflist Surnames Malësia Tribes of Albania History of Sandžak