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  Albania  
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  Introduction
  Geography
  People
  Government
  Economy
  Communications
  Transportation
  Military
  Transnational Issues

In general, information available as of 1 January 2003
was used in the preparation of The World Factbook 2003.


This page was last updated on 1 August, 2003


Map of Albania

Legend: Definition Definition Field Listing Field Listing Rank Order Rank Order
   Introduction    Albania
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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.
   Geography    Albania
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
41 00 N, 20 00 E
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Europe
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 28,748 sq km
water: 1,350 sq km
land: 27,398 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
total: 720 km
border countries: Greece 282 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 151 km, Serbia and Montenegro 287 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
362 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,753 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, timber, nickel, hydropower
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 21.09%
permanent crops: 4.45%
other: 74.46% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
3,400 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)
   People    Albania
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3,582,205 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
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.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 26.5 years
male: 24.8 years
female: 28.1 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
1.03% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
18.2 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6.48 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
-1.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 37.28 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 34.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 39.68 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 72.37 years
male: 69.53 years
female: 75.42 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.22 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Albanian(s)
adjective: Albanian
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
Albanian 95%, Greek 3%, other 2% (Vlach, Gypsy, Serb, and Bulgarian) (1989 est.)
note: in 1989, other estimates of the Greek population ranged from 1% (official Albanian statistics) to 12% (from a Greek organization)
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Muslim 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10%
note: all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
Albanian (Tosk is the official dialect), Greek
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 9 and over can read and write
total population: 86.5%
male: 93.3%
female: 79.5% (2003 est.)
   Government    Albania
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
emerging democracy
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
Tirana
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
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
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Independence Day, 28 November (1912)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
a constitution was adopted by popular referendum on 28 November 1998; note - the opposition Democratic Party boycotted the vote
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
unicameral People's Assembly or Kuvendi Popullor (140 seats; 100 are elected by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote for four-year terms)
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:
Definition Field Listing
Supreme Court (chairman is elected by the People's Assembly for a four-year term)
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
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]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
Omonia [Vangjel DULES]
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Fatos TARIFA
FAX: [1] (202) 628-7342
telephone: [1] (202) 223-4942
chancery: 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador James F. JEFFREY
embassy: Rruga Elbasanit, Labinoti #103, Tirana
mailing address: U. S. Department of State, 9510 Tirana Place, Washington, DC 20521-9510
telephone: [355] (4) 247285
FAX: [355] (4) 232222
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
red with a black two-headed eagle in the center
   Economy    Albania
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
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 revive economic activity and trade. The economy is bolstered by remittances from abroad of $400-$600 million annually, mostly from Greece and Italy. 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.
GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $14 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $4,500 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 49%
industry: 27%
services: 24% (2002 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
30% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.283 million (not including 352,000 emigrant workers and 261,000 domestically unemployed) (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture 50%, industry and services 50%
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
17% officially; may be as high as 30% (2001 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $697 million
expenditures: $1.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $368 million (2002 est.)
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
9% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5.289 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source:
Definition Field Listing
fossil fuel: 2.9%
hydro: 97.1%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5.898 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
221 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
1.2 billion kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5,952 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
22,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
185.5 million bbl (January 2002 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.316 billion cu m (January 2002 est.)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes; meat, dairy products
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$340 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Italy 71%, Greece 12%, Germany 7%, Yugoslavia 3% (2001)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$1.5 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Italy 32%, Greece 26%, Turkey 6%, Germany 6%, Bulgaria 2% (2001)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$784 million (2000)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
ODA: $315 million (top donors were Italy, EU, Germany) (2000 est.)
Currency:
Definition Field Listing
lek (ALL)
Currency code:
Definition Field Listing
ALL
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
leke per US dollar - NA (2002), 143.485 (2001), 143.709 (2000), 137.691 (1999), 150.633 (1998)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
calendar year
   Communications    Albania
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
120,000 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
250,000 (2001)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
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
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 13, FM 4, shortwave 2 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
3 (plus 58 repeaters) (2001)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.al
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
Definition Field Listing
10 (2001)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
12,000 (2001)
   Transportation    Albania
Railways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 447 km
standard gauge: 447 km 1.435-m gauge (2002)
Highways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 18,000 km
paved: 5,400 km
unpaved: 12,600 km (1998 est.)
Waterways:
Definition Field Listing
43 km
note: includes Albanian sections of Lake Scutari, Lake Ohrid, and Lake Prespa (1990)
Pipelines:
Definition Field Listing
crude oil 196 km; petroleum products 55 km; natural gas 64 km (1996)
Ports and harbors:
Definition Field Listing
Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore
Merchant marine:
Definition Field Listing
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.)
Airports:
Definition Field Listing
12 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 4 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
over 3,047 m: 1
Heliports:
Definition Field Listing
1 (2002)
   Military    Albania
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Interior Ministry Troops, Border Guards
Military manpower - military age:
Definition Field Listing
19 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability:
Definition Field Listing
males age 15-49: 906,168 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 15-49: 742,837 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
Definition Field Listing
males: 36,985 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$56.5 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.49% (FY02)
   Transnational Issues    Albania
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
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
Illicit drugs:
Definition Field Listing
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

This page was last updated on 1 August, 2003


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