County of Vlorë

Vlorë County Qarku Vlorë
County
Clockwise from top: Sarandë, Ksamil Islands, Ksamil waters, Gjiri i Skalomës, Dhermi, Ancient Butrint, Gjipe Canyon, Dhermi Church, Windstar Cruise in Port of Sarandë and the Butrint National Park.
Seal
Location of Vlorë County within Albania.
Coordinates: 40°10′N 19°45′E / 40.167°N 19.750°E / 40.167; 19.750Coordinates: 40°10′N 19°45′E / 40.167°N 19.750°E / 40.167; 19.750
Country	Albania
Municipalities	7
Villages	197
Established	2000
County Seat	Vlorë
Government
• Council Chairman	Sadrit Danaj
Area
• Total	2,706 km2 (1,045 sq mi)
Population (2016)
• Total	183,105
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
NUTS Code	AL035
Website	Official Website

Vlorë County is a county in south Albania. The Vlorë County borders on the Fier County in the northwest, Gjirokastër County in the east and the Ionian Sea in the west.

The port city Vlorë is the capital of Vlorë County. It is where the Albanian Declaration of Independence was proclaimed on November 28, 1912.

Sarandë is one of the most important tourist attractions of the Albanian Riviera. It is situated on an open sea gulf of the Ionian Sea in the central Mediterranean, about 14 km (8.7 mi) east of the north end of the Greek island of Corfu.

The Butrint National Park, Llogara National Park and Karaburun Sazan National Marine Park are located in Vlorë County.

The ancient city of Butrint is an archeological site in Vlorë County, some 14 kilometres south of Sarandë. It is located on a hill overlooking the Vivari Channel and is part of the Butrint National Park.

The modern name for the city is the Albanian form Vlorë or Vlora, both pronounced [ˈvlɔɾə], while in the Gheg dialect it is known as Vlonë, Vlona. Vlorë was created in antiquity as a Greek colony in the territory of Illyria. Its first name was Aulón (Greek: Αυλών, also the name in modern Katharevousa), meaning "channel" or "glen" and possibly a translation of another indigenous name. In Latin the name is known as Aulona, a Latinization of the Ancient Greek name. The medieval and modern Greek name is Αυλώνας /av'lonas/, accusative Αυλώνα /av'lona/, and is the source of the Italian name Valona (also used in other languages) and of the obsolete English Avlona. During the Ottoman era, the Turkish Avlonya was also used.