The Albanian language, as one of the original nine Indo-European languages, is one of Europe's oldest language and is not derived from any other language. The other eight Indo-European languages are Armenian, Balto-Slavic, Germanic, Hellenic, Indian, iranian, Italic and Celtic!

In 2000 BC, the Illyrians, from whom Albanians are the direct descendents held vast territories covering all of the western Balkans, approximately the territories of today's Albania, northern Greece and former Yugoslavia!

The name "Albania" is derived from the ancient Illyrian tribe called Albanoi who inhabited the provinces of Durres and Dibra in today's Albania in 200 AD!

The Byzantine Emperor, Anastasius (491-518 BC) was an Albanian who was native of Durres on the Albanian coast!

The governors of Romania throughout the entire 19th century came from one Albanian family named Gjika!

Pope Klement VII of Rome (his reign: 1700-1721) was an Albanian as were numerous cardinals!

Karl Von Ghega, the builder of the famous Semmering railway in Austria that became the model of all Europe was an Albanian (is last name, of corse stems from the Albanian word "Gheg" signifying someone from the northern part of Albania. People of the southern part are called "Tosks")

Sir William Woodthorpe Tarn, a Fellow of the British Academy, regarded worldwide by historins as having written the definitive work on Alexander the great, states in the opening paragraph of his book Alexander the Great that Alexander certainly had from his father (Philip II) and from his mother (Olymbia) Illyrian, or Albanian blood!

The Albanians protected their own Jews during the Holocaust while also offering shelter to other Jews who escaped into Albania from Austria, Serbia and Greece! During second World War in Albania there were saved over 250 jews sheltered by albanian families even though there was the risk that the head of family would be executed by the Germans and his family was sent to the concentration camp, although none of them surrendered or was caught by the Germans.