Kuçovë
title: "Kuçovë" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["kuçovë", "closed-cities", "municipalities-in-berat-county", "administrative-units-of-kuçovë", "de-stalinization", "populated-places-established-in-2015"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuçovë" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox Albanian settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| type | m |
| name | Kuçovë |
| <!-- Commented out because image was deleted: | flag |
| emblem | Stema e Bashkisë Kuçovë.svg |
| flag | Flag of Kuçovë.gif |
| skyline | {{multiple image |
| border | infobox |
| perrow | 1/2/2/2/2 |
| total_width | 250 |
| image1 | Kuçovë Main street.jpg |
| image2 | Kinema Kadri Roshi, Kuçovë Albania.jpg |
| image3 | There were many F6 fighters left at Kucove. (11278539224).jpg |
| footer | From the top, Boulevard leading to the main square in downtown Kuçovë, Kuçovë Cinema, Shenyang F-6 Fighter jets at Kuçovë Aerodrome}} |
| county | Berat |
| mayor | Kreshnik Hajdari |
| party | PS |
| coordinates | |
| elevation | 50 |
| area munic | 160.33 |
| population as of | 2023 |
| area_unit | 2.73 |
| population unit | 12629 |
| postal code | 5301-5304 |
| area code | (0)311 |
| website | |
| :: |
| type = m | name = Kuçovë | emblem = Stema e Bashkisë Kuçovë.svg | flag = Flag of Kuçovë.gif | skyline = {{multiple image | border = infobox | perrow = 1/2/2/2/2 | total_width = 250 | image1 = Kuçovë Main street.jpg | image2 = Kinema Kadri Roshi, Kuçovë Albania.jpg | image3 = There were many F6 fighters left at Kucove. (11278539224).jpg | footer = From the top, Boulevard leading to the main square in downtown Kuçovë, Kuçovë Cinema, Shenyang F-6 Fighter jets at Kuçovë Aerodrome}} | caption = | county = Berat | mayor = Kreshnik Hajdari | party = PS | coordinates = | elevation = 50 | area munic = 160.33 | population as of = 2023 |area_unit=2.73| population munic = 31077 | population unit = 12629 | postal code = 5301-5304 | area code = (0)311 | website = Kuçovë (Kuçova) is a municipality in south-central Albania. It was formed at the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities Kozare, Kuçovë, Lumas and Perondi, which all became municipal units. The seat of the municipality is the town of Kuçovë. The total population is 31,077 as of the 2023 census, in a total area of 160.33 km2. The population of the municipal unit as of the 2023 census is 12,629.
History
Ancient
Main article: Katundas Cavern
Archaeologists found in the village of Katundas near Kuçovë six phases of inhabitation dating to the Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, urban Illyrian and the Late Antiquity era.
Modern
Kuçova has been an industrial city since the Italian influence in the early 1920s. The first oil hole in Albania was drilled in 1928 in “Dikatër”, establishing the Kuçova oil field. From this moment onwards the city has been on oil maps, housing workers and their families. Since 1928, the Italian company AIPA had an agreement with the Zog I government that if the oil extraction would surpass 50,000 tonnes per year, this company would build a refinery in Albania. In 1939 Albania was occupied by Italians and therefore, though the oil extracted was more than 170,000 ton, the refinery was never built and the oil was transported to Italy.{{cite web |url = http://www.bashkiakucove.gov.al/index.php?idp=46&lang=sq |title = History of Kuçovë |publisher = Municipality of Kuçovë |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110905023452/http://www.bashkiakucove.gov.al/index.php?idp=46&lang=sq |archive-date = 2011-09-05
Stalin City
During Communist Albania the city was renamed to Stalin City () and was a closed military district. The city was extensively developed in the 1950s and is of interest to students of communist architecture, although following the collapse of communism there has been much unauthorised building and modification to the original buildings.
Military airbase
It is home to the Kuçovë Air Base of the Albanian Air Force. Since 2005 the country's air force has ceased flying the aged MiG fighters provided by the Soviet Union and China and has been reduced to rotary wing aircraft only. The airfield was refloated in 2024 as NATO-airbase in the context of the ongoing NATO-expansion into Eastern Europe.
Climate
| width = auto | collapsed = | open = | metric first = yes | single line = yes | trace = | location =Kuçovë | Jan record high C =22.0 | Feb record high C =28.6 | Mar record high C =29.6 | Apr record high C =32.6 | May record high C =37.0 | Jun record high C =41.0 | Jul record high C =44.0 | Aug record high C =42.0 | Sep record high C =38.4 | Oct record high C =35.2 | Nov record high C =31.8 | Dec record high C =29.0 | year record high C = | Jan high C =14.2 | Feb high C =16.3 | Mar high C =18.7 | Apr high C =21.9 | May high C =26.2 | Jun high C =31.5 | Jul high C =34.0 | Aug high C =34.9 | Sep high C =30.8 | Oct high C =25.5 | Nov high C =20.3 | Dec high C =16.5 | Jan mean C =8.2 | Feb mean C =10.0 | Mar mean C =12.1 | Apr mean C =15.3 | May mean C =19.4 | Jun mean C =23.8 | Jul mean C =26.2 | Aug mean C =26.4 | Sep mean C =23.5 | Oct mean C =18.2 | Nov mean C =14.1 | Dec mean C =10.8 | Jan low C =2.1 | Feb low C =3.8 | Mar low C =6.9 | Apr low C =8.6 | May low C =12.6 | Jun low C =16.1 | Jul low C =18.3 | Aug low C =18.0 | Sep low C =16.2 | Oct low C =11.0 | Nov low C =7.9 | Dec low C =5.1 | Jan record low C =-11.2 | Feb record low C =-5.8 | Mar record low C =-5.0 | Apr record low C =-1.4 | May record low C =5.2 | Jun record low C =6.8 | Jul record low C =12.0 | Aug record low C =10.4 | Sep record low C =1.6 | Oct record low C =0.0 | Nov record low C =-2.2 | Dec record low C =-6.8 | year record low C =
| precipitation colour = green | Jan precipitation mm =89.9 | Feb precipitation mm =69.3 | Mar precipitation mm =70.9 | Apr precipitation mm =57.3 | May precipitation mm =69.6 | Jun precipitation mm =41.4 | Jul precipitation mm =19.1 | Aug precipitation mm =22.1 | Sep precipitation mm =57.3 | Oct precipitation mm =76.8 | Nov precipitation mm =94.7 | Dec precipitation mm =81.2 | year precipitation mm =
| unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm | Jan precipitation days =11.2 | Feb precipitation days =10.4 | Mar precipitation days =11.2 | Apr precipitation days =9.5 | May precipitation days =9.4 | Jun precipitation days =6.6 | Jul precipitation days =3.4 | Aug precipitation days =3.7 | Sep precipitation days =6.8 | Oct precipitation days =8.3 | Nov precipitation days =10.6 | Dec precipitation days =9.5 | year precipitation days =
| unit snow days = | Jan snow days =0.4 | Feb snow days =0.3 | Mar snow days =0 | Apr snow days =0.1 | May snow days =0 | Jun snow days =0 | Jul snow days =0 | Aug snow days =0 | Sep snow days =0 | Oct snow days =0.1 | Nov snow days =0 | Dec snow days =0 | year snow days =
|source = MeteoManz (May 2011- June 2025)
Economy
Kuçova is one of Albania's cities known for its oil industry along with Patos-Marinza Oil Field and Ballsh-Hekal oil field. The oil industry was originally developed by the Italians during the King Zog period, and much of the infrastructure is outdated. Following the end of the communist period, the town suffered a severe industrial decline, with the closure of many factories and the destruction of the town’s power plant in the 1997 riots following the failure of the pyramid banks. Today there is some evidence of a recovery with a large number of micro-businesses operating from former state run factories, although unemployment remains high. There are also a number of foreign owned banks and a small number of ATMs. Like many towns in Albania many young people immigrate abroad to seek employment.
Population
As of the 2023 census, Kuçova municipality has a population of about 31,000. Of this population around 12,000 live in the city of Kuçova, classifying it as 12th of 65 municipalities on a national scale. Population density is 567 inhabitants/km2, which ranks the Kuçova district as the most heavily populated on a national scale. Another feature of this district compared with others in Albania is that city dwellers comprise 63% of the general population, the remainder living in villages nearby.
The city of Kuçova has 5 neighbourhoods (), Lgj. "11 Janari", Lgj. "Llukan Prifti", Lgj."11 Shkurti", Lgj. "Tafil Skendo", and "1 Maji". One of the largest parks in Kuçovë is called "Pishat" (The Pines). Like many other Albanian cities, Kuçova has a lot of coffee bars, restaurants and some hotels.
Education
There are two public high schools in the city, General High School (Shkolla e Mesme e Përgjithshme) "Myrteza Kepi" and General High School Kuçovë (Shkolla e Mesme e Përgjithshme Kucovë) and one non public high school. There are also five 1st to 9th grade schools; "18 Tetori", "28 Nentori", "Gaqi Karakashi", "23 Nentori" and "Deshmorët e Kombit". High school graduates who want to pursue a higher education go to other Albanian cities or outside the country.
Sports
The football club is KF Naftëtari Kuçovë, currently playing in the Albanian Second Division. Their stadium is Bashkim Sulejmani Stadium with a capacity of 5,000 spectators.
Twin towns – sister cities
Kuçovë is twinned with:
- Israel Ramla, Israel
Notable people
- Ilir Bozhiqi (born 22 May 1965), retired Albanian football goalkeeper.
- Eltjon Valle (born 1984) artist, born in Kuçova.
- Dr. Flori (Florian Kondi) (1979 – 2014) famous Albanian singer who was a part of West Side Family.
- Agim Shuka (1942 – 1992), a famous Albanian film and stage actor, born in Kuçova.
- Orli Shuka (born 1976) is a British-Albanian actor best known for his role as Luan, head of the Albanian mafia in Gangs of London. He is the son of Albanian actor Agim Shuka.
- Toli Shuka, head of the anti fascist forces in Kuçovë for LANÇ, he is the uncle of Agim Shuka.
- Nelson Weiper, a footballer for Mainz 05 football club in Germany whose mother is from Kuçovë.
- Ardit Jaupaj (born 1996), Albanian footballer born in Kuçovë.
- Anastas Kondo (1937 – 2006) was an Albanian writer, screenwriter, and micropaleontologist.
References
References
- "Census of Population and Housing". Institute of Statistics Albania.
- "Law nr. 115/2014".
- "Correspondence table LAU – NUTS 2016, EU-28 and EFTA / available Candidate Countries". [[Eurostat]].
- (1993-01-01). "Institute of Archaeology bulletin". University of London.
- (12 May 2022). "Life on an Albanian Oilfield: Pollution, not Petrodollars".
- (4 March 2024). "NATO completes modernisation of major airbase in Albania". NATO.
- "Queti Stalin Data by months".
- "Cities of Albania".
- "Albania: All places/communes".
- "Toli Shuka Kryetar i Këshillit Antifashist Nacional- Çlirimtar".
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