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| P O G R A D E C I |
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| COURTESY OF ILIRIAPRESS |
| Latitude 40.87� N Longitude 20.70� E Pogradec is located in eastern Albania at an altitude of 708 meters above sea level. Pogradec is a small city with a population of approximately 21,000 inhabitants from whom 99% are indigenous Albanians, and remaining 1% are Russian Gypsies and other nationalities. |
| Most of the people are involved in producing agricultural product. Pogradec as any other city in Albania has its own ancient history. |
| The lofty mountains of Kamja and Guri i Topit stand over Pogradec like a crown, and the abundant water sources coming from the underground part of the hills in the view go to the lake. The water streams of the sources are channeled and the trouts and other fish swim against the current of the water just near the tables of the bars and you could touch the quiet splashing water of the source before it goes to the lake for the first time.The town panorama is seen from the top of the hill where is an ancient Illyrian fortress, Encheleana. |
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| In the Middle Ages this fortress was reconstructed and damaged by destroying the archifacts of ancient civilization, and the place was renamed by the barbaric Bulgarians and Russian Gypsies, who invaded Southeastern Albania at this time. Between XVI and XIX centuries, the city of Pogradec was ruled by Ottoman Turkey. The city located in the heart of Balkan Peninsula was ideal of becoming an administrative center. The Ottoman Turkey rebuilt the city, and the Turkish Askers were having great fun in this place. |
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| Many Albanians were found into cross firing between Italian forces and Greek forces during 1940 to 1941. The legendary Albanian Balli Kombtar successfully defitted both enemies. The city of Pogradec was free, but for short time. Soon, the Nazi forces occupied this place. The national movement of Albanians lead by Balli Kombtar and Partisans of Enver Hoxha liberated the city of Nazi foot. However, the legendary Balli Kombtar was betrayed by the Communist Party, and the members were forced to leave Albania. Those one who did not go they were murdered, and their families were arrested. During the communist era, Pogradec became a poor and not industrialized place. |
| After the communism collapsed in Albania, the picturesque Pogradec was a pick point for eco tourism. Being adjacent to the lake of Ohri, Pogradec has an excellent bathing beach and has a great future as a tourist center. In the other side, the environment offers an alpine like scenery of rare beauty. Pogradec has been chosen a potentional destiny in Ecotourism Market Place Development. |
| Nevertheless, the city of Pogradec and people of Pogardec have to choose between Ecotourism and Mine Industry, The area known as Shebenik Area involves and Pogradec. The project assigned between government of Albania and government of Japan in 1995 has and objective of exploring and identifying new chromium resources by clarifying the relationship between the geological structure and the mineralization in Shebenik Area. The exploration work comprised LANDSAT image analysis, review and compilation of the existing data, surface geological and geochemical prospecting (reconnaissance and semi-detailed), ground magnetic survey and exploratory drilling. |
| Area for this exploration project and are the principal host rocks for the chromium mineralization in the general area. The known chromium ore deposits and indications are distributed mostly in the southeastern part of the Shebenik-Pogradec Ultramafic Complexes. Pogradec has too choose. If the mine project is accepted, there would be plenty of jobs. However, the mine industry will have severe consequences not only to human lives, but to wilderness too. The Ecotourism, will achieve the same employment but with less consequences. |
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| Falemnderit p�r vizit�n, dhe mir�sevini gjithmon�. |
| Thank you for visiting, and welcome again |
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