[3][4] Zagoria is also considered to be a distinct "ethnographic region" (Albanian: krahina etnografike),[5] traditionally consisting of ten settlements: Sheper, Nivan, Ndëran, Topovë, Konckë, Hoshteve, Lliar, Vithuq, Doshnicë and Zhej.

[7] The municipality consists of the following villages: Sheper, Nivan, Konckë, Vithuq, Hoshtevë, Doshnicë, Zhej, Lliar, Topovë and Nderan.

[9][7] Aromanian communities were part of the local population of Zagori in 1880, in particular in the villages of Topovë, Zhej and Lliarë.

[10] During the Communist era, a number of Aromanian families settled in some villages of Zagori as part of the resettlement policies of the People's Republic of Albania.

[11] The population of Zagori has dialectal and cultural characteristics of both the Lab and Tosk Albanian subgroups, though they also form a unique unit of their own, which traditionally does not marry with people from the neighbouring krahina etnografike of Lunxhëria.

The "Zenevias", probably the Zenebishi, are mentioned in 1304 as one of the families that were granted privileges by the Angevin Philip I, Prince of Taranto.

Gjon Zenebishi's descendants continued to live undisturbed in the mountains of Zagoria and eventually faded into history.

[14] In 1399, the Greek-speaking population of Great Zagori joined the Despot of Epirus, Esau, in his campaign against various Albanian tribesmen.

[6] The population growth in the intermittent period was driven by migrations into Zagoria, coming from Kolonja, Labëria, the region of Suli in Greece, and other areas.

[16] During the era of conversions to Islam in the 18th century, Christian Albanian-speaking areas such as the region of Zagori strongly resisted those efforts, in particular the villages of Konckë and Sheper.

[17] Christianity was preserved in Zagori due to the contributions of various prominent scholars, such as the Greek Orthodox missionary Sophianos who preached in the villages of the area in the early 18th century.

However, this peak population struggled with the limited space of Zagoria, the relative lack of natural resources, and difficulties such as bread shortages.