Mala Prespa and Golo Brdo
Encyclopedia
Macedonian language
Macedonian is a South Slavic language spoken as a first language by approximately 2–3 million people principally in the region of Macedonia but also in the Macedonian diaspora...
: Мала Преспа и Голо Брдо), refers to a geographical area situated in southeastern Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
. This region consists of two areas: Prespa e Vogël and Golloborda. The Prespa e Vogël region including Komuna Liqenas is located west of Lake Ohrid
Lake Ohrid
Lake Ohrid straddles the mountainous border between the southwestern Macedonia and eastern Albania. It is one of Europe's deepest and oldest lakes, preserving a unique aquatic ecosystem with more than 200 endemic species that is of worldwide importance...
and Prespa
Lake Prespa
Prespa is the name of two freshwater lakes in southeast Europe, shared by Greece, Albania, and Macedonia. Of the total surface area, belongs to Macedonia, to Greece and to Albania...
and along the southeastern edge of Albania within the Korçë
Korçë District
The District of Korçë , is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania. According estimates, as of January 1, 2010, 138,898 people lived in the Korce District...
, Pogradec
Pogradec District
The District of Pogradec is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Korçë County. It has a population of 70,575 , and an area of 725 km². It is in the east of the country, and its capital is Pogradec...
and Devoll
Devoll District
The District of Devoll is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Korçë County and derives its name from the Devoll river flowing through the valley. It has a population of 33,785, and an area of 429 km². It is in the southeastern corner of the country, and its capital is Bilisht...
districts. Golloborda is located within the Dibër
Dibër District
The District of Dibër is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Dibër County. It has a population of 62,825, and an area of 1088 km². It is in the north-east of the country, and its capital is Peshkopi....
, Librazhd
Librazhd District
The District of Librazhd is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Elbasan County. It has a population of 63,192 , and an area of . It was formed as an administrative unit in 1958. It is in the east of the country, and its capital and administrative center is...
and Bulqizë
Bulqizë District
The District of Bulqizë is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Dibër County. It has a population of 28,374, and an area of 469 km². It is in the east of the country, and its capital is Bulqizë....
districts which contain both Macedonian and Albanian villages. These two areas contain a christian orthodox Macedonian minority of about 5000 to 30000 and also smaller numbers of Aromanians
Aromanians
Aromanians are a Latin people native throughout the southern Balkans, especially in northern Greece, Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, and as an emigrant community in Serbia and Romania . An older term is Macedo-Romanians...
(Arvanito-Vlachs), Bulgarians
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
and Turks
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
. The official report from Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
is that there is only an ethnic Macedonian minority recognized among the south slavic nationalities.
The two areas have been claimed as part of United Macedonia
United Macedonia
United Macedonia is an irredentist concept among ethnic Macedonian nationalists that aims to unify the transnational region of Macedonia in southeastern Europe, which they claim as their homeland, and which they assert was wrongfully divided under the Treaty of Bucharest in 1913, into a single...
by Macedonian nationalists.