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Albanian geological structures take part in the fold belt Mediterranean Alpine, south branch of this belt, where it finds development in interior zones, as well as in external zones.
Besides the complicated paleogeographical evolution, this geological position has conditioned the big diversity of lithological and structure build. Its soil structures are called 'Albanide', that is the continuation of the Dinaride on the northwest and of the Helenides in the southeast.
The changes in the formations that make the Albanian soil are so often that if you are walking in Albania it looks like you are walking in glass-cases of a big geological exhibition, there are exposed all kinds and ages of the rocks. The oldies formations (schist, marbled limestone, etc) belong to the Paleozoic time and build the east part of the country. The most spread in Albania are Mesozoic formations and represent by magnetite rocks (ultrabasic, basic, medium acid), sedimentary rocks mainly limestone and more few flysch zones. These geological formations spread on the north, in central and south parts and in general are mountain setting up. Cenozoic depositing is representing by terrigenous (flysch, molasse) and more few carbonates. These are presenting on the west, while on the interior part of the country fill valleys and holes and partly make the mountain setting up with medium and small height.The evolution and the emerging of the Albanian geological structures are made gradually from east to west. During this evolution that it is very complicated to have happened some folding phases, magnetite and volcano activities, sea transgressions and sea regression also powerful move in horizontal and vertical directions. Under the action of the inner and external forces, the relief always has a chance, which sometimes is smooth down (still are remain the vestiges of these smooth down), and again is renovation. These changes have changed also the climate, where the important part takes the big cooling on Quaternary, and it is escorted with glaciating forming in 1400-1600 m height, where it is finding their action vestiges. All these are escorting with big changes on the hydro-graphic net, on lands cover and also in the living world (still it finds many plants that belong to different periods).
Albania, in consequence of the emphatic diversity of geological building and the complicated geological evolution, it is very enriched with metallic and no metallic minerals like ores: iron-nickel, chromium, copper-praseodymium. From other useful minerals, an important part takes these: bauxite, dolomite, gypsum and alabaster, rock salt, red and white marble, kaolin quartz, albitophyre, volcanic glass, limestone, magnetite, barite, fluorite, asbestos, talc, value stone: agate, opal, chalcedony. Albanian territory is very enriched with mineral waters, termomineral waters (sulfurehidric),with big cured features. Also, Albania is very enrich with fuel wood burning (petrol, natural gas, coal) and bitumen of high quality.