Subdivisions of Albania in local language Albanian: 12 counties
Albania is divided into 12 counties, qarqe, coded AL-01 to AL-12 in ISO 3166-2. Below them were 36 districts, rrethe, until 2000; this page lists every county and district in Albanian with its seat, from Rrethi i Beratit to Rrethi i Hasit, and gives the former district codes ISO used until 2015.
- Counties
- 12
- Groups
- 1
Updated
How the Albanian names are built
Every name on this page has the same shape: a unit word, the linking article i, and the town in the genitive. Qarku i Beratit is the county of Berat, Rrethi i Kuçovës the district of Kuçovë. In the genitive the town takes the ending -it or -ës: Durrës becomes Durrësit, Korçë becomes Korçës.
Town names come in two forms of their own. Albanian adds the definite article as an ending, so the town of Berat is Berati in a sentence, Shkodër is Shkodra, Tiranë is Tirana. Both columns give the definite form first because that is how Albanian text names the seat. The indefinite form under it is the one ISO 3166-2 uses. Tirana in English follows the definite form; Durrës and Berat follow the indefinite one.
The 12 counties of Albania with seats and ISO codes
Each county (qark) is named after its seat. The name column gives the full Albanian form with the short name ISO 3166-2 uses; the seat column gives the definite form of the town name first and the indefinite form below it.
- sqi Albanian
Counties (qarqe) 12
| County | Seat | ISO 3166-2 | Districts until 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|
Qarku i BeratitISO name: Berat
|
BeratiBerat
|
AL-01
|
3
|
Qarku i DurrësitISO name: Durrës
|
DurrësiDurrës
|
AL-02
|
2
|
Qarku i ElbasanitISO name: Elbasan
|
ElbasaniElbasan
|
AL-03
|
4
|
Qarku i FieritISO name: Fier
|
FieriFier
|
AL-04
|
3
|
Qarku i GjirokastrësISO name: Gjirokastër
|
GjirokastraGjirokastër
|
AL-05
|
3
|
Qarku i KorçësISO name: Korçë
|
KorçaKorçë
|
AL-06
|
4
|
Qarku i KukësitISO name: Kukës
|
KukësiKukës
|
AL-07
|
3
|
Qarku i LezhësISO name: Lezhë
|
LezhaLezhë
|
AL-08
|
3
|
Qarku i DibrësISO name: Dibër
|
PeshkopiaPeshkopi
|
AL-09
|
3
|
Qarku i ShkodrësISO name: Shkodër
|
ShkodraShkodër
|
AL-10
|
3
|
Qarku i TiranësISO name: Tiranë
|
TiranaTiranë
|
AL-11
|
2
|
Qarku i VlorësISO name: Vlorë
|
VloraVlorë
|
AL-12
|
3
|
The 36 former districts (rrethe) by county
The 36 districts, rrethe, were the level below the counties until the territorial reform of 2000 and remained in ISO 3166-2:AL with two-letter codes until 27 November 2015. Each row gives the Albanian name, the seat in definite and indefinite form, and the former ISO code.
Qarku i Beratit Berat 3
| District | Seat | Former ISO code |
|---|---|---|
Rrethi i BeratitISO name: Berat
|
BeratiBerat
|
AL-BR
|
Rrethi i KuçovësISO name: Kuçovë
|
KuçovaKuçovë
|
AL-KC
|
Rrethi i SkraparitISO name: Skrapar
|
ÇorovodaÇorovodë
|
AL-SK
|
Qarku i Durrësit Durrës 2
| District | Seat | Former ISO code |
|---|---|---|
Rrethi i DurrësitISO name: Durrës
|
DurrësiDurrës
|
AL-DR
|
Rrethi i KrujësISO name: Krujë
|
KrujaKrujë
|
AL-KR
|
Qarku i Elbasanit Elbasan 4
| District | Seat | Former ISO code |
|---|---|---|
Rrethi i ElbasanitISO name: Elbasan
|
ElbasaniElbasan
|
AL-EL
|
Rrethi i GramshitISO name: Gramsh
|
GramshiGramsh
|
AL-GR
|
Rrethi i LibrazhditISO name: Librazhd
|
LibrazhdiLibrazhd
|
AL-LB
|
Rrethi i PeqinitISO name: Peqin
|
PeqiniPeqin
|
AL-PQ
|
Qarku i Fierit Fier 3
| District | Seat | Former ISO code |
|---|---|---|
Rrethi i FieritISO name: Fier
|
FieriFier
|
AL-FR
|
Rrethi i LushnjësISO name: Lushnjë
|
LushnjaLushnjë
|
AL-LU
|
Rrethi i MallakastrësISO name: Mallakastër
|
BallshiBallsh
|
AL-MK
|
Qarku i Gjirokastrës Gjirokastër 3
| District | Seat | Former ISO code |
|---|---|---|
Rrethi i GjirokastrësISO name: Gjirokastër
|
GjirokastraGjirokastër
|
AL-GJ
|
Rrethi i PërmetitISO name: Përmet
|
PërmetiPërmet
|
AL-PR
|
Rrethi i TepelenësISO name: Tepelenë
|
TepelenaTepelenë
|
AL-TE
|
Qarku i Korçës Korçë 4
| District | Seat | Former ISO code |
|---|---|---|
Rrethi i DevollitISO name: Devoll
|
BilishtiBilisht
|
AL-DV
|
Rrethi i KolonjësISO name: Kolonjë
|
ErsekaErsekë
|
AL-ERcode taken from the seat, Ersekë
|
Rrethi i KorçësISO name: Korçë
|
KorçaKorçë
|
AL-KO
|
Rrethi i PogradecitISO name: Pogradec
|
PogradeciPogradec
|
AL-PG
|
Qarku i Kukësit Kukës 3
| District | Seat | Former ISO code |
|---|---|---|
Rrethi i HasitISO name: Has
|
KrumaKrumë
|
AL-HA
|
Rrethi i KukësitISO name: Kukës
|
KukësiKukës
|
AL-KU
|
Rrethi i TropojësISO name: Tropojë
|
Bajram CurriBajram Curri
|
AL-TP
|
Qarku i Lezhës Lezhë 3
| District | Seat | Former ISO code |
|---|---|---|
Rrethi i KurbinitISO name: Kurbin
|
LaçiLaç
|
AL-KBAL-LA until 2002
|
Rrethi i LezhësISO name: Lezhë
|
LezhaLezhë
|
AL-LE
|
Rrethi i MirditësISO name: Mirditë
|
RrësheniRrëshen
|
AL-MR
|
Qarku i Dibrës Dibër 3
| District | Seat | Former ISO code |
|---|---|---|
Rrethi i BulqizësISO name: Bulqizë
|
BulqizaBulqizë
|
AL-BU
|
Rrethi i DibrësISO name: Dibër
|
PeshkopiaPeshkopi
|
AL-DI
|
Rrethi i MatitISO name: Mat
|
BurreliBurrel
|
AL-MT
|
Qarku i Shkodrës Shkodër 3
| District | Seat | Former ISO code |
|---|---|---|
Rrethi i Malësisë së MadheISO name: Malësi e Madhe
|
KoplikuKoplik
|
AL-MM
|
Rrethi i PukësISO name: Pukë
|
PukaPukë
|
AL-PU
|
Rrethi i ShkodrësISO name: Shkodër
|
ShkodraShkodër
|
AL-SH
|
Qarku i Tiranës Tiranë 2
| District | Seat | Former ISO code |
|---|---|---|
Rrethi i KavajësISO name: Kavajë
|
KavajaKavajë
|
AL-KA
|
Rrethi i TiranësISO name: Tiranë
|
TiranaTiranë
|
AL-TR
|
Qarku i Vlorës Vlorë 3
| District | Seat | Former ISO code |
|---|---|---|
Rrethi i DelvinësISO name: Delvinë
|
DelvinaDelvinë
|
AL-DL
|
Rrethi i SarandësISO name: Sarandë
|
SarandaSarandë
|
AL-SR
|
Rrethi i VlorësISO name: Vlorë
|
VloraVlorë
|
AL-VL
|
Eleven districts were not named after their seat: Skrapar, Dibër, Mat, Mallakastër, Devoll, Kolonjë, Has, Tropojë, Kurbin, Mirditë and Malësi e Madhe. Dibër district shared its seat, Peshkopi, with the county.
From districts to municipalities
Law 8653 of 31 July 2000 replaced the districts with the 12 counties as the first level and urban and rural municipalities below them. ISO kept the 36 district codes for another fifteen years and deleted them on 27 November 2015, so a code such as AL-BR for Berat district now points to nothing. One of them had already changed: Newsletter I-2 of 2002 replaced AL-LA, named after the seat Laç, with AL-KB for Kurbin.
The second level today is made of 61 municipalities, bashki, created by the reform of 2014 and in force since the local elections of 2015. The district list below therefore describes the structure of 1991 to 2000 and the codes ISO carried until 2015, not the present second level.
Questions about the subdivisions of Albania
How many counties does Albania have?
12. ISO 3166-2:AL codes them AL-01 to AL-12; each is named after its seat.
Do the districts (rrethe) still exist?
Not as administrative units. They were replaced in 2000, ISO deleted their codes in 2015, and the 61 municipalities of 2015 now form the second level.
What is the seat of Rrethi i Hasit?
Kruma, Krumë in the indefinite form. The district belonged to the county of Kukës and had the ISO code AL-HA.