Statistical information Albania 1989

Albania in the World
top of pageBackground: Albania is ruled by a xenophobic communist government.
top of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaLand boundaries:
768 km total
Greece 282 km, Yugoslavia 486 km
Coastline: 362 km
Maritime claims: Territorial sea:15 nm
Climate: mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter
Terrain: mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast
ElevationNatural resources: crude oil, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, timber, nickel
Land use: 21% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 15% meadows and pastures; 38% forest and woodland; 22% other; includes 1% irrigated
Irrigated landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographyNote: strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea) geoad0.gif" border="0" geoad1
top of pagePopulation: 3,208,033 (July 1989), growth rate 1.9% (1989)
Nationality: noun - Albanian(s; adjective - Albanian
Ethnic groups: 96% Albanian; remaining 4% are Greeks, Vlachs, Gypsies, Serbs, and Bulgarians
Languages: Albanian (Tosk is official dialect), Greek
Religions: Albania claims to be the world's first atheist state; all churches and mosques were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; pre-1967 estimates of religious affiliation - 70% Muslim, 20% Albanian Orthodox, 10% Roman Catholic
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 25 births/1000 population (1989)
Death rate: 6 deaths/1000 population (1989)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1989)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: subject to destructive earthquakes; tsunami occur along southwestern coast; deforestation seems to be slowing
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 59 deaths/1000 live births (1989)
Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 77 years female (1989)
Total fertility rate: 3.0 children born/woman (1989)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: 75%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry name: conventional long form: People's Socialist Republic of Albania
Government type: Communist state (Stalinist)
Capital: Tirane
Administrative divisions: 26 districts (rrethe, singular - rreth; Berat, Dibre, Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Gramsh, Kolonje, Korce, Kruje, Kukes, Lezhe, Librazhd, Lushnje, Mat, Mirdite, Permet, Pogradec, Puke, Sarande, Shkoder, Skrapar, Tepelene, Tirane, Tropoje, Vlore
Dependent areasIndependence: 28 November 1912 (from Turkey)
National holiday: Liberation Day, 29 November (1944)
Constitution: 27 December 1976
Legal system: based on Constitution adopted in 1976; judicial review of legislative acts only in the Presidium of the People's Assembly, which is not a true court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: universal and compulsory over age 18
Executive branch: Chief of State - President of the Presidium of the People's Assembly Ramiz ALIA (since 22 November 1982; Head of Government - Chairman of the Council of Ministers Adil CARCANI (since 14 January 1982)
Legislative branch: Albanian People's Army, Frontier Troops, Interior Troops, Albanian Coastal Defense Command, Air and Air Defense Force
Judicial branchPolitical parties and leadersInternational organization participation: CCC, CEMA, FAO, IAEA, IPU, ITU, UN, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO; has not participated in CEMA since rift with USSR in 1961; officially withdrew from Warsaw Pact 13 September 1968
Diplomatic representationIn the us: none - the US does not recognize the Albanian Government and has no diplomatic or consular relations with Albania; there is no third-power representation of Albanian interests in the US or of US interests in Albania
Flag description
: red with a black, two-headed eagle in the center below a red five-pointed star outlined in yellow
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: As the poorest country in Europe, Albania's development has been limited by a rigid Communist ideology that governs economic and foreign trade policy. The economy operates on the principle of state ownership of the means of production. In recent years Albania has implemented limited economic reforms to stimulate its lagging economy, although they do not go as far as Soviet-style reforms. Attempts at self-reliance and a policy of not borrowing from international lenders have greatly hindered the development of a broad economic infrastructure. There are, however, considerable mineral resources, and Albania is largely self-sufficient in food.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capitaGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: arable land: per capita among lowest in Europe; 50% of work force engaged in farming; produces wide range of temperate-zone crops and livestock; claims self-sufficiency in grain output
Industries: food processing, textiles and clothing, lumber, chrome, oil, cement
Industrial production growth rate: 5.8% (1986)
Labor force:
1,500,000 (1987; about 60% agriculture, 40%
industry and commerce (1986)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $2.3 billion; expenditures $2.3 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (1989)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $428 million (f.o.b., 1986 est.)
Commodities: asphalt, bitumen, petroleum products, metals and metallic ores, electricity, oil, vegetables, fruits, tobacco
Partners: Greece, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, FRG, Italy
Imports: $363 million (f.o.b., 1986 est.)
Commodities: machinery, machine tools, iron and steel products, textiles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals
Partners: Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Italy, Bulgaria, GDR, FRG
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $NA
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: leke (L) per US$1 - 8.0 (noncommercial fixed rate since 1986), 4.14 (floating commercial rate since 1987)
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 1,630,000 kW capacity; 5,250 million kWh produced, 1,670 kWh per capita (1988)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: 1.1 billion leks, 11.3% of total budget (FY88; note - conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the official administratively set exchange rate would produce misleading results
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 11 total, 10 usable; fewer than 10 with permanent-surface runways; fewer than 5 with runways over 3,659 m; fewer than 10 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; fewer than 10 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
HeliportsPipelines: crude oil, 145 km; refined products, 55 km; natural gas, 64 km (1988)
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: 43 km plus Albanian sections of Lake Scutari, Lake Ohrid, and Lake Prespa
Merchant marine: 11 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 52,886 GRT/75,913 DWT; includes 11 cargo
Ports and terminalsAlbania - Transnational issues 1989
top of pageDisputes international: Kosovo question with Yugoslavia; Northern Epirus question with Greece
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs