Albania

• mild temperate;
• cool, cloudy, wet winters;
• hot, clear, dry summers;
• interior is cooler and wetter

• destructive earthquakes;
• tsunamis occur along southwestern coast;
• floods;
• drought

noun:

Albanian(s)

adjective:

Albanian

total:

37.9 years (2025 est.)

male:

34.8 years

female:

37.8 years

at birth:

1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.09 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.85 male(s)/female

total population:

0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

10.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

11.3 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

9.2 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

79.9 years (2024 est.)

male:

77.3 years

female:

82.8 years

total:

4.4 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

1.75 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

1.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

1.43 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

21.4% (2025 est.)

male:

37% (2025 est.)

female:

6.2% (2025 est.)

women married by age 15:

1.4% (2018)

women married by age 18:

11.8% (2018)

men married by age 18:

1.2% (2018)

• deforestation;
• soil erosion;
• water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents;
• air pollution from industrial and power plants;
• loss of biodiversity

• mild temperate;
• cool, cloudy, wet winters;
• hot, clear, dry summers;
• interior is cooler and wetter

urban population:

64.6% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

1.29% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

1.087 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

20.5% (2022 est.)

municipal:

221 million cubic meters (2022)

industrial:

11 million cubic meters (2022)

agricultural:

565 million cubic meters (2022)

conventional long form:

Republic of Albania

conventional short form:

Albania

local long form:

Republika e Shqiperise

local short form:

Shqiperia

former:

People's Socialist Republic of Albania

etymology:

name may be derived from the pre-Celtic word alb , meaning "hill," or from the Indo-European root word albh , meaning "white;" the local name "Shqiperia" is derived from the Albanian word shqiponje ("eagle") and is popularly interpreted to mean "Land of the Eagles"

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

history:

several previous; latest approved by the Assembly 21 October 1998, adopted by referendum 22 November 1998, promulgated 28 November 1998

amendment process:

• 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

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

chief of state:

President Bajram BEGAJ (since 24 July 2022)

head of government:

Prime Minister Edi RAMA (since 10 September 2013)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by the Assembly

election/appointment process:

• 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;
• prime minister appointed by the president on the proposal of the majority party or coalition of parties in the Assembly

most recent election date:

held in 4 rounds on 16, 23, and 30 May and 4 June 2022

election results:

2022: Bajram BEGAJ elected president in the fourth round; Assembly vote - 78-4, opposition parties boycotted; 2017: Ilir META elected president in the fourth round; Assembly vote - 87-2

expected date of next election:

2027

legislature name:

Albanian Parliament

legislative structure:

unicameral

chamber name:

Parliament (Kuvendi)

number of seats:

140 (all directly elected)

electoral system:

proportional representation

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

4 years

most recent election date:

5/11/2025

parties elected and seats per party:

• Socialist Party of Albania (PS) (83);
• Democratic Party - Alliance for a Greater Albania (PD-ASHM) (50);
• Other (7)

percentage of women in chamber:

35%

expected date of next election:

May 2029

highest court(s):

Supreme Court (consists of 19 judges, including the chief justice); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges, including the chairman)

judge selection and term of office:

• Supreme Court judges appointed by the High Judicial Council with the consent of the president to serve single 9-year terms;
• Supreme Court chairman is elected for a single 3-year term by the court members;
• appointments of Constitutional Court judges are rotated among the president, Parliament, and Supreme Court from a list of pre-qualified candidates (each institution selects 3 judges), to serve single 9-year terms;
• candidates are pre-qualified by a randomly selected body of experienced judges and prosecutors;
• Constitutional Court chairman is elected by the court members for a single, renewable 3-year term

subordinate courts:

• Courts of Appeal;
• Courts of First Instance;
• specialized courts: Court for Corruption and Organized Crime, Appeals Court for Corruption and Organized Crime (responsible for corruption, organized crime, and crimes of high officials)

• Alliance for Change (electoral coalition led by PD)
• Democratic Party or PD
• Party for Justice, Integration and Unity or PDIU (part of the Alliance for Change)
• Social Democratic Party or PSD
• Freedom Party of Albania or PL (formerly the Socialist Movement for Integration or LSI)
• Socialist Party or PS

chief of mission:

Ambassador Ervin BUSHATI (since 15 September 2023)

chancery:

2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 223-4942

FAX:

[1] (202) 628-7342

email address and website:

[email protected]; http://www.ambasadat.gov.al/usa/en

consulate(s) general:

New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Nancy VANHORN (since August 2024)

embassy:

Rruga Stavro Vinjau, No. 14, Tirana

mailing address:

9510 Tirana Place, Washington DC 20521-9510

telephone:

[355] 4 2247-285

FAX:

[355] 4 2232-222

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://al.usembassy.gov/

description:

red with a black two-headed eagle in the center

meaning:

Albanians traditionally see themselves as descendants of the eagle; they refer to themselves as "Shqiptare," which translates as "sons of the eagle"

history:

the design is said to originate with 15th-century Albanian hero Georgi Kastrioti SKANDERBEG, who led a successful uprising against the Ottoman Turks

• adopted in 1998 and features the national symbol, the double-headed black eagle, in the national colors of red and black;
• red represents the courage and strength of the Albanian people, and the golden border represents the country’s wealth;
• the helmet above the eagle is modeled on the helmet of Skanderbeg, a 15 th -century Albanian military hero who led a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire;
• the goat on top of the helmet represents defiance and resistance

title:

"Hymni i Flamurit" (Hymn to the Flag)

lyrics/music:

Aleksander Stavre DRENOVA/Ciprian PORUMBESCU

history:

adopted 1912; only the first two stanzas of the original poem are used, with the second stanza as a chorus

total World Heritage Sites:

4 (2 cultural, 1 natural, 1 mixed)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

• Butrint (c);
• Historic Berat and Gjirokastër (c);
• Primeval Beech Forests (n);
• Lake Ohrid Region (m)

• upper-middle-income Balkan economy;
• EU accession candidate;
• growth bolstered by tourism, agriculture, mining, construction, and private consumption;
• fiscal consolidation through revenue collection and tax compliance enhancements to address public debt;
• challenges include weak governance, corruption, and high emigration rates

agriculture:

15.5% (2024 est.)

industry:

22.4% (2024 est.)

services:

48.9% (2024 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

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

total:

25.1% (2024 est.)

male:

23.9% (2024 est.)

female:

26.9% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

lowest 10%:

3.4% (2020 est.)

highest 10%:

22.8% (2020 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

production:

473,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

consumption:

255,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

exports:

345,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports:

180,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

522 million metric tons (2023 est.)

total petroleum production:

14,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

21,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

150 million barrels (2021 est.)

production:

49.977 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

consumption:

49.977 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

5.692 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

• over 65 TV stations, including several that broadcast nationally and are sometimes available to neighboring countries;
• many viewers have access to Italian and Greek TV via terrestrial reception;
• TV stations have begun a government-mandated conversion from analog to digital broadcast;
• cable TV service is available;
• 2 public radio networks and roughly 78 private radio stations;
• several international broadcasters are available (2024)

total ports:

3 (2024)

large:

0

medium:

0

small:

1

very small:

2

ports with oil terminals:

0

key ports:

Durres, Shengjin, Vlores

• the military is in the process of modernizing by replacing its inventory of Soviet-era weapons with NATO standard armaments;
• in recent years, acquisitions have included equipment from France, Israel, Italy, Turkey and the US (2025)

• the Albanian Armed Forces (AAF) are responsible for defending the country’s independence, sovereignty, and territory, assisting with internal security, providing disaster and humanitarian relief, and participating in international peacekeeping missions;
• the AAF is a small, lightly armed force that has been undergoing a modernization effort to improve its ability to fulfill NATO missions;
• the AAF has contributed small numbers of forces to several NATO missions since Albania joined NATO in 2009, including peacekeeping/stability missions in Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Iraq, and multinational battlegroups in Bulgaria and Latvia;
• it has also contributed to EU and UN missions (2025)

refugees:

9,381 (2024 est.)

stateless persons:

2,203 (2024 est.)