Mat ( sq-definite, Mati,
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
: ''Mathis'') is a municipality in
Dibër County, northern
Albania
Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
. It was created in 2015 by the merge of the former municipalities
Baz,
Burrel,
Derjan,
Komsi,
Lis
LIS or LiS may refer to:
Computing
* LIS (programming language)
* Lis (linear algebra library), library of iterative solvers for linear systems
* Laboratory information system, databases oriented towards medical laboratories
* Land information sys ...
,
Macukull,
Rukaj and
Ulëz. The seat of the municipality is the town Burrel.
The total population is 27,600 (2011 census),
in a total area of 493.81 km
2.
Etymology
The
Albanian
Albanian may refer to:
*Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular:
**Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans
**Albanian language
**Albanian culture
**Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
name ''mat'' originally meant "elevated location", "mountain place". Today's meaning in Albanian, "river bank, river shore", is a consequence of a secondary change through the common use of both the terms ''mal'', "mountain" and ''breg'', "shore", giving the meaning of "elevation". The river
Mat
A mat is a hard or soft floor covering that generally is placed on a floor or other flat surface. Mats serve a range of purposes including:
* serving to clean items passed over it, such as a doormat, which removes dirt from the soles of shoe ...
was recorded by
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of Roman civilization
*Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
writer
Vibius Sequester (4th or 5th century AD) as ''Mathis'', following a
hellenized graphic mode of the term ''mat''. It appeared in written records also as ''Mathia'' in 1380.
Historical linguistic considerations suggest that Mat and the surrounding regions, including
Mirdita
Mirdita is a region of northern Albania whose territory is synonymous with the historic Albanian tribe of the same name.
Etymology
The name Mirdita derives from a legendary ancestor named Mir Diti from whom the tribe claims descent. Other a ...
, have been among the oldest settlements of the
Albanians
The Albanians are an ethnic group native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, Albanian culture, culture, Albanian history, history and Albanian language, language. They are the main ethnic group of Albania and Kosovo, ...
after
their ethnogenesis, which is considered to have been completed between the 2nd and the 5th–6th centuries AD.
Overview
The municipality is located on the middle part of the
Mat river's course. It encompasses the northern part of the former
Mat District
Mat District () was one of the 36 districts of Albania, which were dissolved in July 2000 and replaced by 12 newly created counties. It had a population of 61,906 in 2001, and an area of . It was named after the river Mat, which flows through ...
; the southern part is now part of
Klos
KLOS (95.5 FM broadcasting, FM, "95-5 KLOS") is a commercial radio station City of license, licensed to Los Angeles, California, and serves the Greater Los Angeles area. The station is owned by Meruelo Group, Meruelo Media. KLOS airs a mainst ...
. The territory is largely composed of mountains and hills, which has only been opened up by
National Road 6, which links the town of
Milot with
Peshkopi
Peshkopi (; sq-definite, Peshkopia) is a town located in the mountainous regions of northeastern Albania, in Dibër County. It is the capital of both the county () and the district () of Dibër, and is the only county regional capital in Albania ...
.
The area is bounded by mountain ranges to the east and west. The Mat river is dammed in two locations in the area, forming
Lake Ulzë and the smaller Lake Shkopet. The municipality also contains a part of the
Zall Gjoçaj National Park.
A notable figure of Mat is
King Zog of
Albania
Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
, born in
Burgajet, a village in northern Mat.
See also
*
Mat District
Mat District () was one of the 36 districts of Albania, which were dissolved in July 2000 and replaced by 12 newly created counties. It had a population of 61,906 in 2001, and an area of . It was named after the river Mat, which flows through ...
Sources
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
Municipalities in Dibër County
Administrative units of Mat (municipality)
{{Dibër-geo-stub