Statistical information Albania 1992
Albania in the World
Albania - Introduction 1992
top of pageBackground: In 1990 Albania ended 44 years of xenophobic communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven difficult as corrupt governments have tried to deal with severe unemployment and widespread gangsterism.
Albania - Geography 1992
top of pageLocation
Geographic coordinates
Map reference
Area
Total: 28,750 km²
Land: 27,400 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries: 720 km total; Greece 282 km, Macedonia 151 km, Serbia and Montenegro 287 km (114 km with Serbia, 173 km with Montenegro)
Coastline: 362 km
Maritime claims
Continental shelf: not specified
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: Kosovo question with Serbia and Montenegro; Northern Epirus question with Greece
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
Elevation
Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, timber, nickel
Land use
Land use: arable land: 21%; permanent crops: 4%; meadows and pastures 15%; forest and woodland 38%; other 22%; includes irrigated 1%
Irrigated land
Major rivers
Major watersheds area km²
Total water withdrawal
Total renewable water resources
Natural hazards
Geography
Albania - People 1992
top of pagePopulation: 3,285,224 (July 1992), growth rate 1.1% (1992)
Nationality: noun - Albanian(s; adjective - Albanian
Ethnic groups:
Albanian 90%, Greeks 8%, other 2% (Vlachs, Gypsies,
Serbs, and Bulgarians) (1989 est.)
Serbs, and Bulgarians) (1989 est.)
Languages: Albanian (Tosk is official dialect), Greek
Religions:
all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice; estimates of religious affiliation - Muslim 70%, Greek
Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10%
Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10%
Demographic profile
Age structure
Age structure
Dependency ratios
Median age
Population growth rate
Birth rate: 23 births/1000 population (1992)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1000 population (1992)
Net migration rate: 6 migrants/1000 population (1992)
Population distribution
Urbanization
Major urban areas
Environment
Current issues: subject to destructive earthquakes; tsunami occur along southwestern coast
Current issues note:
strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to
Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)
Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)
Air pollutants
Sex ratio
Mothers mean age at first birth
Maternal mortality ratio
Infant mortality rate: 27 deaths/1000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth: 71 years male, 78 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate: 2.8 children born/woman (1992)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
Drinking water source
Current health expenditure
Physicians density
Hospital bed density
Sanitation facility access
Hiv/Aids
Major infectious diseases
Obesity adult prevalence rate
Alcohol consumption
Tobacco use
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
Education expenditures
Literacy: 72% (male 80%, female 63%) age 9 and over can read and write (1955)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Youth unemployment
Albania - Government 1992
top of pageCountry name
Conventional long form: Republic of Albania
Government type: nascent democracy
Capital: Tirane
Administrative divisions:
26 districts (rrethe, singular - rreth);
Berat, Dibre, Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Gramsh, Kolonje, Kore,
Kruje, Kukes, Lezhe, Librazhd, Lushnje, Mat, Mirdite, Permet, Pogradec,
Puke, Sarande, Shkoder, Skrapar, Tepelene, Tirane, Tropoje, Vlore
Berat, Dibre, Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Gramsh, Kolonje, Kore,
Kruje, Kukes, Lezhe, Librazhd, Lushnje, Mat, Mirdite, Permet, Pogradec,
Puke, Sarande, Shkoder, Skrapar, Tepelene, Tirane, Tropoje, Vlore
Dependent areas
Independence:
28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire); People's Socialist
Republic of Albania declared 11 January 1946
Republic of Albania declared 11 January 1946
National holiday: Liberation Day, 29 November (1944)
Constitution: an interim basic law was approved by the People's Assembly on 29 April 1991; a new constitution is to be drafted for adoption in 1992
Legal system: has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
International law organization participation
Citizenship
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
People's Assembly: last held 22 March 1992; results - DP 62.29%, ASP 25.57%, SDP 4.33%, RP 3.15%, UHP 2.92%, other 1.74%; seats - (140 total) DP 92, ASP 38, SDP 7, RP 1, UHP 2
Executive branch: president, prime minister of the Council of Ministers, two deputy prime ministers of the Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly (Kuvendi Popullor)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders
International organization participation:
CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO,
ITU, LORCS, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
ITU, LORCS, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Minister-Counselor, Charge d'Affaires ad interim (30 April 1991) Sazan Hyda BEJO; chancery (temporary) at 320 East 79th Street, New York, NY 10,021; telephone (212) 249-2,059
US: Ambassador (vacant); Embassy at Rruga Labinoti 103, room 2,921, Tirane (mailing address is APO AE 9,624); telephone 355-42-32,875; FAX 355-42-32,222
Diplomatic representation
Flag description
: red with a black two-headed eagle in the centerNational symbols
National anthem
National heritage
Albania - Economy 1992
top of pageEconomy overview:
The Albanian economy, already providing the lowest standard of living in Europe, contracted sharply in 1991, with most industries producing at only a fraction of past levels and an unemployment rate estimated at 40%.
For over 40 years, the Stalinist-type economy has operated on the principle of central planning and state ownership of the means of production. Albania began fitful economic reforms during 1991, including the liberalization of prices and trade, the privatization of shops and transport, and land reform.
These reform measures were crippled, however, by the widespread civil disorder that accompanied the collapse of the Communist state. Following their overwhelming victory in the 22 March 1991 elections, the new
Democratic government announced a program of shock therapy to stabilize the economy and establish a market economy. In an effort to expand international ties, Tirane has reestablished diplomatic relations with the former Soviet
Union and the US and has joined the IMF and World Bank. The Albanians have also passed legislation allowing foreign investment. Albania possesses considerable mineral resources and, until 1990, was largely self-sufficient in food; however, the breakup of cooperative farms in 1991 and general economic decline forced Albania to rely on foreign aid to maintain adequate supplies. Available statistics on Albanian economic activity are rudimentary and subject to an especially wide margin of error.
For over 40 years, the Stalinist-type economy has operated on the principle of central planning and state ownership of the means of production. Albania began fitful economic reforms during 1991, including the liberalization of prices and trade, the privatization of shops and transport, and land reform.
These reform measures were crippled, however, by the widespread civil disorder that accompanied the collapse of the Communist state. Following their overwhelming victory in the 22 March 1991 elections, the new
Democratic government announced a program of shock therapy to stabilize the economy and establish a market economy. In an effort to expand international ties, Tirane has reestablished diplomatic relations with the former Soviet
Union and the US and has joined the IMF and World Bank. The Albanians have also passed legislation allowing foreign investment. Albania possesses considerable mineral resources and, until 1990, was largely self-sufficient in food; however, the breakup of cooperative farms in 1991 and general economic decline forced Albania to rely on foreign aid to maintain adequate supplies. Available statistics on Albanian economic activity are rudimentary and subject to an especially wide margin of error.
GNP: purchasing power equivalent - $2.7 billion, per capita $820; real growth rate --35% (1991 est.)
Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real gdp growth rate
Real gdp per capita
Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end use
Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture products: arable land: per capita among lowest in Europe; over 60% of arable land: now in private hands; one-half of work force engaged in farming; wide range of temperate-zone crops and livestock; severe dislocations suffered in 1991
Industries: food processing, textiles and clothing, lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, basic metals, hydropower
Industrial production growth rate: growth rate --55% (1991 est.)
Labor force: 1,500,000 (1987); agriculture about 60%, industry and commerce 40% (1986)
Organized labor:
Independent Trade Union Federation of Albania;
Confederation of Trade Unions
Confederation of Trade Unions
Labor force
Unemployment rate: 40% (1992 est.)
Youth unemployment
Population below poverty line
Gini index
Household income or consumption by percentage share
Distribution of family income gini index
Budget: revenues $1.1 billion; expenditures $1.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $70 million (1991 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
Public debt
Revenue
Fiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer prices
Central bank discount rate
Commercial bank prime lending rate
Stock of narrow money
Stock of broad money
Stock of domestic credit
Market value of publicly traded shares
Current account balance
Exports: $80 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: asphalt, petroleum products, metals and metallic ores, electricity, crude oil, vegetables, fruits, tobacco
Partners:
Italy, Yugoslavia, Germany, Greece, Czechoslovakia, Poland,
Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary
Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary
Imports: $147 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: machinery, machine tools, iron and steel products, textiles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals
Partners:
Italy, Yugoslavia, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Poland,
Hungary, Bulgaria
Hungary, Bulgaria
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
Debt external
Stock of direct foreign investment at home
Stock of direct foreign investment abroad
Exchange rates: leke (L) per US$1 - 50 (January 1992), 25 (September 1991)
Albania - Energy 1992
top of pageElectricity
Production: 1,690,000 kW capacity; 5,000 million kWh produced, 1,530 kWh per capita (1990)
Coal
Petroleum
Crude oil
Refined petroleum
Natural gas
Carbon dioxide emissions
Energy consumption per capita
Albania - Communication 1992
top of pageTelephones
Telephone system
Broadcast media
Internet
Broadband fixed subscriptions
Albania - Military 1992
top of pageMilitary expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - 1.0 billion leks, NA% of GNP (FY90; note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results
Military and security forces
Military service age and obligation
Space program
Terrorist groups
Albania - Transportation 1992
top of pageNational air transport system
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
Airports:
12 total, 10 usable; more than 5 with permanent-surface runways; more than 5
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 5
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 5
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Heliports
Pipelines: crude oil 145 km; petroleum products 55 km; natural gas 64 km (1988)
Railways
Roadways
Waterways:
43 km plus Albanian sections of Lake Scutari, Lake
Ohrid, and Lake Prespa (1990)
Ohrid, and Lake Prespa (1990)
Merchant marine:
11 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 52,886
GRT/76,449 DWT
GRT/76,449 DWT
Ports and terminals
Albania - Transnational issues 1992
top of pageDisputes international
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Illicit drugs