Map of Albania | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Between 1990 and 1992 Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic Communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven difficult as corrupt governments have tried to deal with high unemployment a dilapidated infrastructure widespread gangsterism and disruptive political opponents. International observers judged legislative elections in 2001 to be acceptable and a step toward democratic development but identified serious deficiencies that should be addressed through reforms in the Albanian electoral code.


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Location: Southeastern Europe bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro

Geographic coordinates: 41 00 N 20 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 28,748 km²
Water: 1,350 km²
Land: 27,398 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries
Total: 720 km
Border countries: (3) Greece 282 km; , The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 151 km; , Serbia and Montenegro 287 km

Coastline: 362 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Territorial sea: 12 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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,753 m

Natural resources: petroleum natural gas coal chromium copper timber nickel hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 21.09%
Permanent crops: 4.45%
Other: 74.46% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 3,400 km² (1998 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought

Geography
Note: strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)


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Population: 3,582,205 (July 2003 est.)
Growth rate: 1.03% (2003 est.)
Below poverty line: 30% (2001 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Albanian
Adjective: Albanian

Ethnic groups
Note: in 1989, other estimates of the Greek population ranged from 1% (official Albanian statistics) to 12% (from a Greek organization)

Languages: Albanian (Tosk is the official dialect) Greek

Religions
Note: all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 28.1% (male 520,714; female 486,911)
15-64 years: 64.6% (male 1,115,887; female 1,196,477)
65 years and over: 7.3% (male 115,754; female 146,462) (2003 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 26.5 years
Male: 24.8 years
Female: 28.1 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 1.03% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 18.2 births/1000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 6.48 deaths/1000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.39 migrant(s)/1000 population (2003 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.08 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.07 male/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male/female
Total population: 0.96 male/female (2003 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 37.28 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 34.71 deaths/1000 live births (2003 est.)
Male: 39.68 deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 72.37 years
Male: 69.53 years
Female: 75.42 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.22 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 9 and over can read and write
Total population: 86.5%
Male: 93.3%
Female: 79.5% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Albania
Conventional short form: Albania
Local short form: Shqiperia
Former: People's Socialist Republic of Albania
Local long form: Republika e Shqiperise

Government type: emerging democracy

Capital: Tirana

Administrative divisions: 12 counties (qarqe singular - qark); Qarku i Beratit Qarku i Dibres Qarku i Durresit Qarku i Elbasanit Qarku i Fierit Qarku i Gjirokastres Qarku i Korces Qarku i Kukesit Qarku i Lezhes Qarku i Shkodres Qarku i Tiranes Qarku i Vlores

Dependent areas

Independence: 28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire)

National holiday: Independence Day 28 November (1912)

Constitution: a constitution was adopted by popular referendum on 28 November 1998; note - the opposition Democratic Party boycotted the vote

Legal system: has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch
Chief of state: President of the Republic Alfred MOISIU (since 24 July 2002)
Head of government: Prime Minister Fatos NANO (since 31 July 2002)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and approved by the president
Elections: president elected by the People's Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 24 June 2002 (next to be held NA June 2007); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Alfred MOISIU elected president; People's Assembly vote by number - total votes 116, for 97, against 19

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 24 June 2001 with subsequent rounds on 8 July, 22 July, 29 July, 19 August 2001 (next to be held NA June 2005)
Election results: percent of vote by party - PS 41.5%, PD and coalition allies 36.8%, NDP 5.2%, PSD 3.6%, PBDNJ 2.6%, PASH 2.6%, PAD 2.5%; seats by party - PS 73, PD and coalition allies 46, NDP 6, PSD 4, PBDNJ 3, PASH 3, PAD 3, independents 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (chairman is elected by the People's Assembly for a four-year term)

Political parties and leaders: Agrarian Party of Albania or PASH [Lufter XHUVELI]; Christian Democratic Party or PDK [Zef BUSHATI]; Communist Party of Albania or PKSH [Hysni MILLOSHI]; Democratic Alliance or PAD [Nerltan CEKA]; Democratic Party or PD [Sali BERISHA]; Legality Movement Party or PLL [Guri DUROLLARI]; National Front Party (Balli Kombetar) or PBK [Abaz ERMENJI]; Party of National Unity or PUK [Idajet BEQUIRI]; Republican Party or PR [Fatmir MEDIU]; Social Democracy or DS [Paskal MILO]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Skender GJINUSHI]; Socialist Party or PS (formerly the Albanian Party of Labor) [Fatos NANO]; Union for Human Rights Party or PBDNJ [Vasil MELO]

International organization participation: ACCT BSEC CE CEI EAPC EBRD ECE FAO IAEA IBRD ICAO ICCt ICFTU ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM ISO (correspondent) ITU OIC OPCW OSCE PFP UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNOMIG UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Fatos TARIFA
In the us fax: [1] (202) 628-7,342
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 223-4,942
In the us chancery: 2,100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador James F. JEFFREY
From the us embassy: Rruga Elbasanit, Labinoti #103, Tirana
From the us mailing address: U. S. Department of State, 9,510 Tirana Place, Washington, DC 20,521-9,510
From the us telephone: [355] (4) 247,285
From the us fax: [355] (4) 232,222

Flag description: red with a black two-headed eagle in the center

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Poor and backward by European standards Albania is making the difficult transition to a more modern open-market economy. The government has taken measures to curb violent crime and to spur economic activity and trade. The economy is bolstered by remittances from abroad of $400-$600 million annually mostly from Greece and Italy; this helps offset the sizable trade deficit. Agriculture which accounts for half of GDP is held back because of frequent drought and the need to modernize equipment and consolidate small plots of land. Severe energy shortages are forcing small firms out of business increasing unemployment scaring off foreign investors and spurring inflation. The government plans to boost energy imports to relieve the shortages. In addition the government is moving to improve the poor national road network a long-standing barrier to sustained economic growth.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 7.3% (2002 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,400 (2002 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 49%
Industry: 27%
Services: 24% (2002 est.)

Agriculture products: wheat corn potatoes vegetables fruits sugar beets grapes; meat dairy products

Industries: food processing textiles and clothing; lumber oil cement chemicals mining basic metals hydropower

Industrial production growth rate: 9% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 1.283 million (not including 352,000 emigrant workers and 261,000 domestically unemployed) (2000 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 50%
By occupation industry and services: 50%

Unemployment rate: 17% officially; may be as high as 30% (2001 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 30% (2001 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $697 million
Expenditures: $1.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $368 million (2002 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 6% (2002 est.)

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: $340 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: textiles and footwear; asphalt metals and metallic ores crude oil; vegetables fruits tobacco
Partners: Italy 76.6% Germany 5.6% Greece 2.7% (2002)

Imports: $1.5 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment foodstuffs textiles chemicals
Partners: Italy 39.4% Greece 24.5% Turkey 6% Germany 5% (2002)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $784 million (2000)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: leke per US dollar - NA (2002) 143.49 (2001) 143.71 (2000) 137.69 (1999) 150.63 (1998)


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Electricity
Production: 5.289 billion kWh (2001)
Production by source fossil fuel: 2.9%
Production by source hydro: 97.1%
Production by source other: 0% (2001)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 5.898 billion kWh (2001)
Exports: 221 million kWh (2001)
Imports: 1.2 billion kWh (2001)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 30 million m³ (2001 est.)
Consumption: 30 million m³ (2001 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Proven reserves: 3.316 billion m³ (37,257)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 120,000 (2001)
Mobile cellular: 250,000 (2001)

Telephone system
General assessment: Albania has the poorest telephone service in Europe with fewer than two telephones per 100 inhabitants; it is doubtful that every village has telephone service
Domestic: obsolete wire system; no longer provides a telephone for every village; in 1992, following the fall of the Communist government, peasants cut the wire to about 1,000 villages and used it to build fences
International: inadequate; international traffic carried by microwave radio relay from the Tirana exchange to Italy and Greece

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .al
Service providers isps: 10 (2001)
Users: 12,000 (2001)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $56.5 million (FY02)
Percent of gdp: 1.49% (FY02)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 12 (2002)
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2002)
With unpaved runways total: 8
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 4 (2002)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1

Heliports: 1 (2002)

Pipelines: gas 339 km; oil 207 km (2003)

Railways
Total: 447 km
Standard gauge: 447 km 1.435-m gauge (2002)

Roadways

Waterways
Note: includes Albanian sections of Lake Scutari, Lake Ohrid, and Lake Prespa (1990)

Merchant marine
Total: 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 21,954 GRT/34,412 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 11, roll on/roll off 1, includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Croatia 1, Honduras 1 (2002 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: the Albanian Government calls for the protection of the rights of ethnic Albanians outside its borders in the Kosovo region of Serbia and Montenegro and in the northern Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia while continuing to seek regional cooperation; some outside ethnic Albanian groups voice union with Albania

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: increasingly active transshipment point for Southwest Asian opiates hashish and cannabis transiting the Balkan route and - to a far lesser extent - cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe; limited opium and growing cannabis production; ethnic Albanian narcotrafficking organizations active and rapidly expanding in Europe; vulnerable to money laundering associated with regional trafficking in narcotics arms contraband and illegal aliens