Shijak

Shijak () is a town and a municipality in Durrës County, west-central Albania. The municipality was formed at the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities Gjepalaj, Maminas, Shijak and Xhafzotaj, that became municipal units. The seat of the municipality is the town Shijak. The total population is 27,861 (2011 census), in a total area of 92.24 km2. The population of the former municipality at the 2011 census was 7,568.

==Overview== Shijak is located 11 km away from the city of Durrës, and 31 km from the city of Tirana. The former municipality had a surface area of about 5 km2, and a reported population of around 12,853 people as of 2007. In reality the population is smaller as many people who claim residency in Shijak actually reside permanently elsewhere. With this taken into account the actual population size is estimated to be around 6,000–7,000 people. Population size has grown at a rate of around 1% per year despite birth rate decreasing at a rate of around 60% from 2003 to 2007. Inward migration of families accounts for this increase. Three neighborhoods comprise Shijak; , , and . In 2010–2011 the only female mayor in Albania ran Shijak.