Shkodra free zone

Actually, Zone No. 8 represents the City of Shkoder that is
identified as an inland port on ancient Greek-Roman navigation maps
and those of modern navy schools. Situated on the North - West
Albania, bordering with the Montenegrin Republic, the City has been
estimated as a confluent point of quite a number of commercial
routes linking Central Europe with the Mediterranean basin, between
the East and the West. Because of the navigable river Buna and the
Lake in common with Montenegro, ships from the Dalmatian shore,
Italy, North Africa, Aegean Isles, Turkey and several North Atlantic
countries used to moor at the Shkoder river port, thus turning it into a
key commercial point for all the West Balkans.
Until the proclamation of the Independence, the City of
Shkoder was known as the “moral and political capital” of Albania
and had a population of 50 000 inhabitants, at a time when Tirana
had some 3000, Korce 6000, Vlore 5000, Janina 2800 and Belgrade
15 000, inhabitants. It is evident though, that in spite of the perennial
tide of foreign invasions, the citizens of Shkoder succeeded, very
soon, to take into their hands the economic self-administration of the
city, to provide it with all the functional-administrative structures
that belong to a real metropolis. This metropolis, as one resting upon
its own foundations dating back from the 4 Century B. C., was
identified as the oldest of all Balkan cities and most of those
European ones.
During the rule of Balshaj, in 14 th century, the city developed
trade relations with the Dalmatian cities. After the agreement signed
on April 14, 1396, between Gjergj II of Balshaj and Venice, Shkodra
was placed under the rule of Sinjoris and for 84 years (1396-1479),
its trade was oriented towards the Republic of San Marco. After the
Turks took over Shkodra in 1479, the City became an important
military centre. In 1502, at the request of Shkodra’s powerful traders,
in order to continue the economic self-governing, on Sultan's decree,
Shkoder was granted the status of “a city open to trade”
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