Kukës County
Kukës County (Albanian pronunciation: [ku:kəs]; Albanian: Qarku i Kukësit) is a landlocked county in northeastern Albania, with the capital in Kukës. The county spans 2,374 square kilometres (917 sq mi) and had a total population of 74,388 people as of 2021. The county borders on the counties of Dibër, Lezhë and Shkodër and the countries of Montenegro, Serbia and North Macedonia. It is divided into three municipalities: Has, Kukës and Tropojë. The municipalities are further subdivided into 290 towns and villages in total.
Kukës County
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Valbonë Valley National Park | |
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Flag Emblem | |
Map of Albania with Kukës County highlighted | |
| Coordinates: 42°10′N 20°20′E | |
| Country | Albania |
| Seat | Kukës |
| Subdivisions | |
| Government | |
| • Council chairman | Abdulla Domi |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2,374 km2 (917 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 7th |
| Population (2021) | |
| • Total | 74,388 |
| • Rank | 11th |
| • Density | 31/km2 (81/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| HDI (2021) | 0.754 high · 12th of 12 |
| NUTS Code | AL013 |
| Website | www |
The human presence in the lands of modern Kukës County can be traced back to the Bronze Ages, when ancient Illyrians, Dardanians and Romans established settlements in the region. Several Illyrian tombs were discovered in the villages of Këneta and Kolsh close to Kukës.
Kukës is predominantly mountainous and framed by mountain ranges including the Albanian Alps in the northwest which is typified by karst topography. The northeast is dominated by the mountains of Gjallica, Koritnik and Pashtrik, while the southeastern bound is mostly formed by the Korab and Sharr Mountains. At 2,694 metres (8,839 ft), Maja Jezercë is the county's highest peak, and the second highest peak of Albania. Karst topography predominates in the county, resulting in specific landforms and hydrology because of the interaction of the karst and the region's watercourses. It is crossed and drained by the Drin river. The county is also home to the sources of rivers such as the Valbona which is part of Tropojë,originates south of Maja Jezercë and Gashi a notable tributary of Valbona.
Located in the north of Albania, the climate is alpine and continental. Mean monthly temperature ranges between 11 °C (52 °F) (in January) and 25 °C (77 °F) (in July). Mean annual precipitation ranges between 900 millimetres (35 inches) and 3,000 millimetres (120 inches) depending on geographic region and prevailing climate type.
According to the last national census from 2011 this county has 85,292 inhabitants. They are mostly Muslim and a significant Catholic Christian minority are present. They speak the Gheg dialect.