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The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Albania\u2019s capital Tirana and its surroundings.<\/p>\n
Zoom in to explore this image at its full 10 m resolution or click on the circles to learn more.<\/p>\n
The area features a series of mountain ranges that run northwest to southeast, separated by wide valleys. In this image, captured in January 2025, some peaks are blanketed with snow.<\/p>\n
Fertile plains covered by farmland stretch along the Adriatic coast. This is the most important agricultural and industrial region of the country \u2014 and the most densely populated.<\/p>\n
Visible as a grey area in the centre of the image, Tirana lies at the end of a plain, enclosed on three sides by mountains and hills, about 27 km east of the\u00a0Adriatic coast. It is the country\u2019s largest city and main industrial centre.<\/p>\n
There are a number of artificial lakes in and around the city, including\u00a0lakes Tirana, Farka, Paskuqan, and Tapizes. Farka Lake is the emerald green water body southeast of\u00a0Tirana. Visible as a dark green area to its west, the\u00a0Grand Park of Tirana includes an\u00a0artificial lake\u00a0and many other landmarks, such as the\u00a0Saint Procopius Church, the\u00a0Presidential Palace, the zoo and the botanical garden.<\/p>\n
Moving north, we can identify the u-shaped lake Paskuqan and Lake Tapizes next to the runways of Tirana International Airport.<\/p>\n
Around 25 km east of Tirana is Mt Dajti National Park. Dotted with\u00a0canyons, waterfalls, caves and lakes, it is home to a great diversity of\u00a0ecosystems. Beech, oak and pine forests grow on the mountainside, while the higher slopes have little vegetation. Due to the panoramic view of Tirana and its plain, Mount Dajti is also referred to as the\u00a0Balcony of Tirana<\/i>.<\/p>\n
The national park includes one of\u00a0Tirana’s main water sources,\u00a0Lake Bovilla, a 4.6 sq km reservoir, which appears as the largest emerald-green body of water in the image. Its water level varies during the year and can rise by 7\u201310 m during the rainy, winter months.<\/p>\n
Other urban centres visible in this image are Durr\u00ebs, Albania\u2019s largest and most important port, and Kavaj\u00eb, located on the coastal plain just south of the\u00a0Bay of Durr\u00ebs.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n