Geography, Weather, & Wildlife of Albania
Geography
Coastline
Albania is situated along the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula along the coast that touches both the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea. Albania borders Greece (southeast), Macedonia (east), Kosovo (northeast), and Montenegro (northwest).
Geographically, from east to west, Albania moves from mountains to river valleys, and finally coastline. Along much of Albania's eastern border the mountains peak, creating a natural barrier. From here there are a number of rivers that flow west into the Adriatic Sea or Ionian Sea. These valleys along with the fairly level coasts are very livable and fertile.
Weather
Mountains
Albania's weather is similar to neighboring Greece and other Mediterranean countries. The winters are cool and wet, while summers are hot and dry. However, Albania is quite mountainous in the east and these mountains tend to be cooler during all seasons.
Winters along the coast rarely get below 40° F (4° C), although the breezes off of the water can make it feel much cooler. The mountains during this time regularly receive snow, but what is more pronounced are the low temperatures. The capital city of Tirana has daily highs of about 54° F (12° C) in winter, with daily lows rarely reaching the freezing point (32° F (0° C)).