Mallakastër
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Mallakastër ( sq-definite, Mallakastra) is a region and a municipality in
Fier County Fier County (; ), officially the County of Fier (), 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 ...
, southwestern
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 ...
. It was created in 2015 by the merger of the present municipalities Aranitas, Ballsh, Fratar, Greshicë, Hekal, Kutë, Ngraçan, Qendër Dukas and Selitë. The seat of the municipality is the town Ballsh. The total population is 27,062 (2011 census), in a total area of 329.37 km2. It is coterminous with the former Mallakastër District.


Name

The municipality takes its name from the Mallakastër hills.


Geography

The landscape consists of fields alternated with low hills. Their highest point is the hill Shëndëlli (712 m),Soviet military ma
K-34-124-Б
(1:50,000)
not to be confused with the much higher Mount Shëndelli further south.


Population

The people from this region are called ''Mallakastriotë''. The population is
Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
and Orthodox Christian. The region is a center of both the
Bektashi Bektashism (, ) is a tariqa, Sufi order of Islam that evolved in 13th-century western Anatolia and became widespread in the Ottoman Empire. It is named after the wali, ''walī'' "saint" Haji Bektash Veli, with adherents called Bektashis. The ...
order and the Halveti order (to a lesser extent). The region is known for its cultural traditions and has produced many brave fighters including Rrapo Hekali.


Economy

Mallakastër was an industrially important region for Albania since it has reserves of
natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...
and oil which make area a center of oil production and refining in Albania. Mallakastër is also known for its
agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
which produces a large variety of products.


Notable people

* Kadri Roshi, famous actor *
Mehmet Shehu Mehmet Ismail Shehu (January 10, 1913 – December 18, 1981) was an Albanian Communism, communist politician who served as the Prime Minister of Albania, Prime Minister of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania from 1954 to 1981. He was known ...
, communist politician * Rrapo Hekali, key figure in the Albanian revolt of 1847 * Liri Belishova, communist politician * Luftar Paja * Ismail Klosi * Ramiz Aranitasi * Bilbil Klosi, lawyer and judge * Ardian Klosi, writer and historian


References

Historical regions in Albania Municipalities in Fier County Administrative units of Mallakastër Albanian ethnographic regions {{Fier-geo-stub