Background: Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but was conquered by Italy in 1939 and occupied by Germany in 1943. Communist partisans took over the country in 1944. Albania allied itself first with the USSR (until 1960), and then with China (to 1978). In the early 1990s, Albania ended 46 years of isolated communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven challenging as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, dilapidated infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks, and combative political opponents.

Geographic coordinates: 41 00 N, 20 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 28,748 km²
Land: 27,398 km²
Water: 1350 km²
Rank: 145
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries
Total: 691 km
Border countries: (4) Greece 212 km; , Kosovo 112 km; , Macedonia 181 km; , Montenegro 186 km

Coastline: 362 km

Maritime claims
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
Mean elevation: 708 m
Elevation extremes: 0 m
Note: lowest point: Adriatic Sea

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower, arable land

Land use
Agricultural land: 42.86% (2014 est.)
Forest: 28.19% (2014 est.)
Other: 28.95% (2014 est.)

Irrigated land: 3,537 km² (2014)

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)

Population
Distribution: a fairly even distribution, with somewhat higher concentrations of people in the western and central parts of the country: 3,057,220 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 136
Growth rate: 0.3% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 169
Below poverty line: 14.3% (2012 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Albanian(s)
Adjective: Albanian

Ethnic groups:

Languages: Albanian 98.8% (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek 0.5%, other 0.6% (including Macedonian, Romani, Vlach, Turkish, Italian, and Serbo-Croatian), unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)

Religions:

Age structure
0-14 years: 17.84% (male 287,750 /female 257,675)
15-24 years: 16.84% (male 267,695 /female 247,230)
25-54 years: 41.31% (male 604,250 /female 658,773)
55-64 years: 11.77% (male 176,420 /female 183,391)
65 years and over: 12.23% (male 174,752 /female 199,284) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 44 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 26 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 18.1 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 5.5 (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 33.4 years
Male: 32 years
Female: 34.7 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 93

Population growth rate: 0.3% (2018 est.)
Rank: 169

Birth rate: 13.2 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 143

Death rate: 6.9 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 131

Net migration rate: -3.3 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 179

Population distribution: a fairly even distribution, with somewhat higher concentrations of people in the western and central parts of the country

Urbanization
Urban population: 60.3% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 1.69% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 476,000 TIRANA (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents; air pollution from industrial and power plants; loss of biodiversity due to lack of resources for sound environmental management
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.09 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
0-14 years: 1.12 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
15-24 years: 1.07 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
25-54 years: 0.91 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 24.5 years (2014 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 11.6 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 12.9 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Female: 10.1 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Rank: 124

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.6 years (2018 est.)
Male: 76 years (2018 est.)
Female: 81.6 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 60

Total fertility rate: 1.52 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 192

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 69.3% (2008/09)

Drinking water source
Urban: 15.7% of population
Rural: 18.2% of population
Total: 16.4% of population (2015 est.)

Physicians density: 1.29 physicians/1000 population (2013)

Hospital bed density: 2.9 beds/1000 population (2013)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 4.5% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 9.8% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 6.8% of population (2015 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate note: <.1 (2017 est.)
People living with hivaids: 1400 (2017 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 132
Deaths note: <100 (2017 est.)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 21.7% (2016)
Rank: 85

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 6.3% (2009)
Rank: 75

Education expenditures: 3.5% of GDP (2015)
Rank: 127

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)
Total population: 97.6% (2015 est.)
Male: 98.4% (2015 est.)
Female: 96.9% (2015 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 16 years (2015)
Male: 15 years (2015)
Female: 16 years (2015)

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Albania
Conventional short form: Albania
Local long form: Republika e Shqiperise
Local short form: Shqiperia
Former: Peoples Socialist Republic of Albania
Etymology: the English-language country name seems to be derived from the ancient Illyrian tribe of the Albani; the native name Shqiperia is derived from the Albanian word Shqiponje (Eagle) and is popularly interpreted to mean Land of the Eagles

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital
Name: Tirana (Tirane)
Geographic coordinates: 41 19 N, 19 49 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October: etymology: the name Tirana first appears in a 1418 Venetian document; the origin of the name is unclear, but may derive from Tirkan fortress, whose ruins survive on the slopes of Dajti mountain and which overlooks the city

Administrative divisions: 12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Berat, Diber, Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Korce, Kukes, Lezhe, Shkoder, Tirane, Vlore

Independence: 28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)

National holiday: Independence Day, 28 November (1912) also known as Flag Day

Constitution
History: several previous; latest approved by the Assembly 21 October 1998, adopted by referendum 22 November 1998, promulgated 28 November 1998 (2017)
Amendments: proposed by at least one-fifth of the Assembly membership; passage requires at least a two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; referendum required only if approved by two-thirds of the Assembly; amendments approved by referendum effective upon declaration by the president of the republic; amended several times, last in 2016 (2017)

Legal system: civil law system except in the northern rural areas where customary law known as the 'Code of Leke' prevails

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Albania
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President of the Republic Ilir META (since 24 July 2017)
Head of government: Prime Minister Edi RAMA (since 10 September 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Senida MESI (since 13 September 2017)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by the Assembly
Electionsappointments: president indirectly elected by the Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); a candidate needs three-fifths majority vote of the Assembly in 1 of 3 rounds or a simple majority in 2 additional rounds to become president; election last held in 4 rounds on 19, 20, 27, and 28 April 2017 (next election to be held in 2022); prime minister appointed by the president on the proposal of the majority party or coalition of parties in the Assembly
Election results: Ilir META elected president; Assembly vote - 87 - 2 in fourth round

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last held on 25 June 2017 (next to be held in 2021)
Election results: percent of vote by party - PS 48.3%, PD 28.9%, LSI 14.3%, PDIU 4.8%, PSD 1%, other 2.7%; seats by party - PS 74, PD 43, LSI 19, PDIU 3, PSD 1; composition - men 108, women 32, percent of women 22.9%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of 17 judges, including the chief justice); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges, including the chairman)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges, including the chairman, appointed by the president with the consent of the Assembly to serve single 9-year terms; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president with the consent of the Assembly to serve single 9-year terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 3 years; chairman elected by the Peoples Assembly for a single 3-year term
Subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party or PD [Lulzim BASHA]Party for Justice, Integration and Unity or PDIU [Shpetim IDRIZI] (formerly part of APMI)Social Democratic Party or PSD [Skender GJINUSHI]Socialist Movement for Integration or LSI [Monika KRYEMADHI]Socialist Party or PS [Edi RAMA]

International organization participation: BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EITI (compliant country), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Floreta FABER (since 18 May 2015)
In the us chancery: 2,100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 223-4,942
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 628-7,342
In the us consulate: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Donald LU (since 13 January 2015)
From the us embassy: Rruga e Elbasanit, 103, Tirana
From the us mailing address: US Department of State, 9,510 Tirana Place, Dulles, VA 20,189-9,510
From the us telephone: [355] (4) 2,247-285
From the us FAX: [355] (4) 2,232-222

Flag description: red with a black two-headed eagle in the center; the design is claimed to be that of 15th-century hero Georgi Kastrioti SKANDERBEG, who led a successful uprising against the Ottoman Turks that resulted in a short-lived independence for some Albanian regions (1443-78); an unsubstantiated explanation for the eagle symbol is the tradition that Albanians see themselves as descendants of the eagle; they refer to themselves as 'Shqiptare,' which translates as 'sons of the eagle'

National symbols: black double-headed eagle; national colors: red, black

National anthem
Name: Hymni i Flamurit (Hymn to the Flag)
Lyricsmusic: Aleksander Stavre DRENOVA/Ciprian PORUMBESCU: note: adopted 1912

Economy overview: Albania, a formerly closed, centrally-planned state, is a developing country with a modern open-market economy. Albania managed to weather the first waves of the global financial crisis but, the negative effects of the crisis caused a significant economic slowdown. Since 2014, Albania’s economy has steadily improved and economic growth reached 3.8% in 2017. However, close trade, remittance, and banking sector ties with Greece and Italy make Albania vulnerable to spillover effects of possible debt crises and weak growth in the euro zone.Remittances, a significant catalyst for economic growth, declined from 12-15% of GDP before the 2008 financial crisis to 5.8% of GDP in 2015, mostly from Albanians residing in Greece and Italy. The agricultural sector, which accounts for more than 40% of employment but less than one quarter of GDP, is limited primarily to small family operations and subsistence farming, because of a lack of modern equipment, unclear property rights, and the prevalence of small, inefficient plots of land. Complex tax codes and licensing requirements, a weak judicial system, endemic corruption, poor enforcement of contracts and property issues, and antiquated infrastructure contribute to Albania's poor business environment making attracting foreign investment difficult. Since 2015, Albania has launched an ambitious program to increase tax compliance and bring more businesses into the formal economy. In July 2016, Albania passed constitutional amendments reforming the judicial system in order to strengthen the rule of law and to reduce deeply entrenched corruption.Albania’s electricity supply is uneven despite upgraded transmission capacities with neighboring countries. However, the government has recently taken steps to stem non-technical losses and has begun to upgrade the distribution grid. Better enforcement of electricity contracts has improved the financial viability of the sector, decreasing its reliance on budget support. Also, with help from international donors, the government is taking steps to improve the poor road and rail networks, a long standing barrier to sustained economic growth.Inward foreign direct investment has increased significantly in recent years as the government has embarked on an ambitious program to improve the business climate through fiscal and legislative reforms. The government is focused on the simplification of licensing requirements and tax codes, and it entered into a new arrangement with the IMF for additional financial and technical support. Albania’s three-year IMF program, an extended fund facility arrangement, was successfully concluded in February 2017. The Albanian Government has strengthened tax collection amid moderate public wage and pension increases in an effort to reduce its budget deficit. The country continues to face high public debt, exceeding its former statutory limit of 60% of GDP in 2013 and reaching 72% in 2016.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 125

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 85

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 125

Gross national saving:
Rank: 130

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 78.1% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 11.5% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 25.2% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.2% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 31.5% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -46.6% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 21.7% (2017 est.)
Industry: 24.2% (2017 est.)
Services: 54.1% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, olives and olive oil, grapes; meat, dairy products; sheep and goats

Industries: food; footwear, apparel and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower

Industrial production growth rate: 6.8% (2017 est.)
Rank: 31

Labor force: 1.198 million (2017 est.)
Rank: 140
By occupation agriculture: 41.4%
By occupation industry: 18.3%
By occupation services: 40.3% (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 168

Population below poverty line: 14.3% (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 19.6% (2015 est.)
Highest 10: 19.6% (2015 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 138

Budget
Revenues: 3.614 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 3.874 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 103

Taxes and other revenues: 27.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 99

Public debt:
Rank: 45

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 102

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 130

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 104

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 111

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 116

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 116

Market value of publicly traded shares: NA

Current account balance:
Rank: 139

Exports:
Rank: 165
Partners: Italy 53.4%, Kosovo 7.7%, Spain 5.6%, Greece 4.2% (2017)
Commodities: apparel and clothing, footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; cement and construction materials, vegetables, fruits, tobacco

Imports:
Rank: 139
Commodities: machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals
Partners: Italy 28.5%, Turkey 8.1%, Germany 8%, Greece 8%, China 7.9%, Serbia 4% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 103

Debt external:
Rank: 114

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 104

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2016)
Production: 7.138 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 111
Consumption: 5.11 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 122
Exports: 1.869 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 46
Imports: 1.827 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 58
Installed generating capacity: 2.109 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 112
Generation sources fossil fuels: 5% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 202
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 33
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 95% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 5
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 172

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 16,000 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 69
Crude oil exports: 17,290 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 51
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 85
Crude oil proven reserves: 168.3 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 59

Refined petroleum
Products production: 5,638 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 103
Products consumption: 29,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 120
Products exports: 3,250 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 98
Products imports: 26,660 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 103

Natural gas
Production: 50.97 million m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 86
Consumption: 50.97 million m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 112
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 58
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 82
Proven reserves: 821.2 million m³ (1 January 2018 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 101

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 4.5 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 136

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 247,010 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 122
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 3,497,950 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 115 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 134

Telephone system
General assessment: consistant with the region; offsetting the deficit of fixed-line capacity, mobile-cellular phone service has been available since 1996; four companies presently providing mobile services and mobile teledensity; Internet broadband services initiated in 2005, and the penetration rate rose to over 65% by 2016; Internet cafes are popular in major urban areas; 1.3 million use mobile broadband services (3G/4G) (2017)
Domestic: fixed-line 8 per 100, teledensity continues to decline due to heavy use of mobile-cellular telephone services; mobile-cellular telephone use is widespread and generally effective, 115 per 100 for mobile-cellular (2017)
International: country code - 355; submarine cable provides connectivity to Italy, Croatia, and Greece; the Trans-Balkan Line, a combination submarine cable and land fiber-optic system, provides additional connectivity to Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Turkey; international traffic carried by fiber-optic cable and, when necessary, by microwave radio relay from the Tirana exchange to Italy and Greece (2016)

Broadcast media: Albania has more than 65 TV stations, including several that broadcast nationally; Albanian TV broadcasts are also available to Albanian-speaking populations in neighboring countries; many viewers have access to Italian and Greek TV broadcasts via terrestrial reception; Albania's TV stations have begun a government-mandated conversion from analog to digital broadcast; the government has pledged to provide analog-to-digital converters to low-income families affected by this decision; cable TV service is available; 2 public radio networks and roughly 78 private radio stations; several international broadcasters are available (2017)

Internet
Country code: .al
Users total: 2,016,516 (July 2016 est.)
Users percent of population: 66.4% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 112

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 293,623 (2017 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2017 est.)
Rank: 96

Military expenditures:
Rank: 96

Military service age and obligation: 19 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; 18 is the legal minimum age in case of general/partial compulsory mobilization (2012)

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1 (2015)
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 151,632 (2015)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0
Note: mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: ZA (2016)

Airports: 4 (2016)
Rank: 183
With paved runways total: 4 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 1 (2012)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2012)

Heliports: 1 (2013)

Pipelines: 498 km gas (a majority of the network is in disrepair and parts of it are missing), 249 km oil (2015)

Railways
Total: 677 km
Note: 1.435-m gauge (2015)
Standard gauge: 677 km
Rank: 103

Roadways
Total: 18,000 km (2002)
Paved: 7,020 km (2002)
Unpaved: 10,980 km (2002)
Rank: 117

Waterways: 41 km
Note: (on the Bojana River) (2011)
Rank: 103

Merchant marine
Total: 57 (2017)
By type: bulk carrier 1, general cargo 49, other 7 (2017)
Rank: 108

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore

Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Stateless persons: 4,460 (2017)

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