Although Albania's origins aren't entirely clear, there are records in existence that trace the Albanian people's genesis with the ancient Illyrian tribe. The Illyrians evolved directly from Stone Age peoples, and they lived in the western part of the Balkan mountain range, from present-day Slovenia to the middle of present-day Greece. The Illyrians were hospitable and friendly people, much like modern Albanians, but they were also brave warriors.

The evolution of the Illyrian tribe was hindered by continual attacks from foreign countries. Albania is an asset because it allows entrance to the Adriatic Sea, and the Illyrians were toppled by the Romans in 229 BC. Roman rule lasted for six hundred years, and during that time, culture and art flourished. However, the Illyrians resisted Rome's attempts to assimilate them, and their traditions and language carried on.

The Roman Empire fell as all empires do, and Albania was divided in half when the Byzantine empire took hold. Under Byzantine rule, the Illyrians suffered from constant raids by the Visigoths, Ostrogoths and Huns. Despite the raids, the Illyrians once again allowed their traditions and language to survive. The tribe lacked a name until Ptolemy of the Albanoi asked that his tribe's name be used once and for all. The name Shqiperia "land of eagles" was created. The newly-minted Albania reached its pinnacle during the Middle Ages, as the economy and commerce thrived.

As Byzantine rule crumbled, Albania was once again under foreign attack. Normans, Bulgarians, Venetians and Serbs all raided Albania until the Ottoman Turks conquered them in 1388. Turkish rule brought unprecedented violence and brutality to Albania, but it also brought about change. An Albanian general named Gjergj Kastrioti united his countrymen and drove out the Turkish invaders.

Albanian rebellion was long-lasting and consistent. Many people refused to pay their taxes, serve in the military, or hand over their weapons. The Turkish thought that converting the people to the Muslim faith would bring them together, and many converted under threat of death.

Despite Muslim law, Albanians still had a strong desire for independence. Resistance to assimilation continued throughout the nineteenth century, with leaders forming the Albanian League in 1878 to further unite the country under one language, as well as with education and literature. The Turks and the Albanians fought again in 1908, and in 1912, they got the Turks to allow their autonomy.

Their newfound independence did not come without issues. The People's Communist Republic of Albania came to be in 1941, ruled by Enver Hoxha, a ruthless and cunning leader. Hoxha was an acolyte of Joseph Stalin, and neither believed in free thought or expression. Hoxha was an isolationist, a fact proven by the existence of bunkers distributed throughout the country. Albania's technology and industry declined due to its isolation from the rest of the world, and when Hoxha died in 1976, the country was reliant on only its natural resources and manual labor.

Change did not really happen until the early nineties; in 1991, rioters destroyed the statue of Hoxha that was in Tirana. With a democratic election at the end of 1992, there was newfound hope for Albania as jailed priests were released and religion was once again legal. The new president, Sali Berisha, promised social and economic reform.

Albania still faces numerous challenges, but this time they are not foreign in nature; the challenge comes from the Albanian people. Albanians are no longer united; their struggles divide them.