WThe Albanian tribes form a historical mode of social organization (farefisní) in Albania and the southwestern Balkans characterized by a common culture, often common patrilineal kinship ties tracing back to one progenitor and shared social ties. The fis stands at the center of Albanian organization based on kinship relations, a concept which can be found among southern Albanians also with the term farë.
WBerisha is a historical Albanian tribe (fis) and region in Pukë, northern Albania. Berisha is one of the oldest documented Albanian tribes, first recorded in 1242 in Dulcigno. In the Middle Ages, it was widely spread across northern Albania, southern Montenegro and Kosovo. People who traced their origin to Berisha are also found in the coastal trading hubs of Dalmatia in the Middle Ages. Berisha formed its own territorial community in Pukë in the course of the 14th century.
WThe Bua were a medieval Albanian tribe. The name is first attested in 14th-century historical documents as one of the Albanian tribes living in the Despotate of Epirus. Later on, the Bua settled southwards in the Peloponnese, and a part of them found refuge in Italy in the Arbëreshë migrations that followed the Ottoman conquest of the Balkans. A branch of the tribe regiments was ennobled in the Holy Roman Empire after its service in the Stratioti, a Balkan mercenary unit. Mercurio Bua, its most prominent member, was Count of Aquino and Roccasecca.
WBurmazi was an Albanian tribe (fis) that lived in Herzegovina in the Middle Ages.
WDukagjin highlands is a mountainous region in northern Albania, east of Shkodra and north of the Drin. It is roughly equivalent to the northern half of the Shkodër District, with some minor parts in Malësi e Madhe District.
WThe clan of Dushmani was one of the northern Albanian tribes, living in North Albania up to 20th century. Edith Durham the person who visited them in the beginning of 20th century described them as one of the most wilder tribes among Albanians.
WGruemiri is a small historical Albanian tribe (fis) in the former municipality of Gruemirë in the region of Malësia.
WHoti is a historical Albanian tribe (fis) and sub-region of Malësia, a divided area located in northern Albania and southern Montenegro. Its geography is mostly mountainous, but some of its villages are on flat terrain near the banks of Lake Skadar.
WThe Kastrati is a historical Albanian tribe (fis) and region in northwestern Albania. It is part of the Malësia region. Administratively, the region is located in the Malësi e Madhe District, part of the Kastrati municipal unit. The centre of Kastrati is the village of Bajzë. As an area and kin group it is mentioned in 1403 and then in 1416 in Venetian archives. Kastrati is a community based on kinship and territorial ties that are traced back to the common ancestor of most of its brotherhoods (vllazni), Detal Bratoshi.
WKelmendi is a historical Albanian tribe (fis) and region in Malësia and eastern Montenegro. It is located in the upper valley of the Cem river and its tributaries in the Accursed Mountains range of the Dinaric Alps. The Vermosh river springs in the village of the same, which is Albania's northernmost village. Vermosh pours into Lake Plav.
WKoja e Kuçit is a historical Albanian tribe and region in Malësia. Koja is a Catholic region located between Triepshi and Kuči. The people of Koja are referred to as Kojanë or Koqas.
WKrasniqi is a historical Albanian tribe and region in the Accursed Mountains in northeastern Albania, bordering Kosovo. The region lies within the Tropojë District and is part of a wider area between Albania and Kosovo that is historically known as Malësia e Gjakovës. Krasniqi stretches from the Valbonë river in the north to Lake Fierza in the south and includes the town Bajram Curri. Members of the Krasniqi tribe are also found in Kosovo and Northern Macedonia.
WKryethi was an Albanian tribe (bashkësi) of the Middle Ages in the coastal areas of northern Albania and southern Montenegro.
WLohja was a historical Albanian tribe located in a small area of the same name in Malësia, northern Albania.
WLumë is a region that extends itself in northeastern Albania and southwest Kosovo whose territory is synonymous
WThe Malakasi were a historical Albanian tribe in medieval Epirus, Thessaly and later southern Greece. Their name is a reference to their area of origin, Mallakastër in southern Albania. They appear in historical record as one the Albanian tribes which raided and invaded Thessaly after 1318 and throughout the 14th century were active in the struggles of the Albanian Despotate of Arta against the Despotate of Epirus.
WMataguzi was an Albanian tribe in the Middle Ages in southern Montenegro, on the northern shores of Lake Skadar. Their area of settlement included the modern village of Mataguži which takes its name from the tribe.
WMirdita is a region of northern Albania whose territory is synonymous with the historic Albanian tribe of the same name.
WMorina tribe is a small tribe and historical region of the Gjakova highlands in Kosovo. The border post between Albania and Kosovo called Qafë Morinë lies on Morina territory, however the Morina have settled various parts of Kosovo, in particular Gjakova, Kamenica, Kosovo and Gjilan.
WNikaj-Mërtur is a region of Northern Albania whose territory is synonymous with the historic Albanian tribes of Mërturi and Nikaj. The region of Nikaj-Mërtur is located in the south-east of the Albanian Alps, bordering Dukagjin highlands within Tropojë District. It is a southern extension of the Gjakova highland. Nikaj shares the same patrilineal descent with most brotherhoods of Krasniqi tribe, while Mërturi is direct blood and relative to the Berisha, which is why it also called Berisha-Mërturi. In 2014, the region was proclaimed as the Nikaj-Mertur Regional Nature Park.
WPrekali was an Albanian tribe of the Middle Ages. Their origin was probably in the Dukagjin highlands of northern Albania. Since the 16th century, the Prekali tribe gradually became part of other communities in that region.
WShala is a historical tribe and region of northern Albania in the valley of the river Shalë, in the Dukagjin highlands. It was first mentioned in 1634, and oral tradition and archaeology confirms that their ancestors immigrated to the valley. At the end of the 19th century the tribe was Catholic and had c. 3,000 members. Today, descendants are widespread in Kosovo.
WShkreli is a historical Albanian tribe and region in the Malësia Madhe region of Northern Albania and is majority Catholic. With the expansion of the Ottoman Empire, part of the tribe migrated to Rugova in Western Kosovo beginning in ca. 1700, after which they continued to migrate into the Lower Pešter and Sandžak regions. The Shkreli tribe that migrated to Kosovo converted to Islam in the 18th century and maintained the Albanian language as their mother tongue, the Shkreli in Pešter and Sandžak over time were Islamized and became Slavophone by the 20th century, so today they declare to be part of the Bosniak ethnicity, although in the Pešter plateau they partly utilized the Albanian tongue until the middle of the 20th century. Shkreli in Albania and Montenegro is predominantly Catholic.The Shkreli tribes patron saint is St. Nicholas which feast day is celebrated on May 8th and 9th.(see Translation of the Relics of Saint Nicholas from Myra to Bari).
WShllak, is a region of Northern Albania, east of Shkodër whose territory is synonymous with the historic Albanian tribe of the same name. Members of Shllaku tribe are Catholics. The region corresponds to today's Shllak Municipality near Shkodër.
WShoshi is a historical Albanian tribe (fis) and region of northern Albania in the lower Shala valley. Shoshi is first recorded as a small settlement in 1485. The fis itself traces its origin to the brothers Gjol and Pep Suma. The community of their descendants gradually grew to control part of the Dukagjin highlands. In the 19th century Shoshi also became a bajrak.
WToplana is a region of Northern Albania whose territory is synonymous with a minor historic Albanian tribe of the same name. It is part of the Malësia region. Toplana is also used as a surname, for people claiming ancestry from it.