Fier

Fier (pronounced [fiˈɛɾ]; Albanian definite form: Fieri, Latin: Fierum) is the seventh most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Fier County and Fier Municipality. It is situated on the bank of Gjanica River in the Myzeqe Plain between the Seman in the north, the Vjosë in the south and the foothills of the Mallakastra Mountains in the southeast. Fier experiences a seasonal Mediterranean climate affected by its proximity to the Adriatic Sea in the west. Fier was founded in the 19th century by the Vrioni family and officially in 1864 by Omer Pasha Vrioni II, the father of Kahreman Pasha Vrioni (1889-1955). It is 7 km (4 mi) from the ruins of the ancient settlement of Apollonia which was founded in 588 BCE by Ancient Greek colonists from Corfu and Corinth, on a site occupied by Illyrian tribes. Fier is an important terminus in southwestern Albania and is served by the A2 motorway and SH 4 highway, forming a north–south corridor in Albania and part of the Adriatic–Ionian motorway.