(gjuha shqipe [ˈɟuha ˈʃcipɛ] or shqip [ʃcip]) is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.4 millionpeople all over the world, primarilyin Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas ofthe Balkans in which there is an Albanian population,including western Republic of Macedonia,southern Montenegro, Greece and Italy. Albanian is alsospoken in centuries-old Albanian-based dialect speakingcommunities scattered in southern Greece,southern Italy, Sicily, and Ukraine.Additionally, speakersof Albanian can be found elsewhere throughout the lattertwo countries resulting from a modern diaspora,originating from the Balkans, that alsoincludes Scandinavia, Switzerland, Germany, UnitedKingdom,Turkey, Australia, NewZealand, Netherlands, Singapore, Brazil, Canada, andthe United States.