Albania

nascent democracyIndependence 28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire)

Albania as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 72 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalTirane

Area28,750 km2

Populationas each edition published it

3.29 million July 1992 · 3.27m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 1.21% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 26.5 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 73 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.8 children per woman 1992 · 3 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

27 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 52 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $760 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition -10% in 1993

Geography

13 fields

Total area

28,750km2

Comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland

Coastline

362km

Continental shelf: not specifiedTerritorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

720km total

Greece 282 km, Macedonia 151 km, Serbia and Montenegro 287 km (114 km with Serbia, 173 km with Montenegro)

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

Natural resources

crude oil, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, timber, nickel

Land use

arable land 21%;
permanent crops 4%;
meadows and pastures 15%;
forest and woodland 38%;
other 22%;
includes irrigated 1%

Environment

subject to destructive earthquakes; tsunami occur along southwestern coast

Note

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

People

14 fields

Population

3,285,224

(July 1992), growth rate 1.1% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth

23Death

Ethnic divisions(1989 est.)

Albanian 90%Greeks 8%other 2% (Vlachs, Gypsies, Serbs, and Bulgarians) (1989 est.)

Labor force

1,500,000

(1987); agriculture about 60%, industry and commerce 40% (1986)

Literacy

72%

(male 80%, female 63%) age 9 and over can read and write (1955)

Nationality

noun - Albanian(s); adjective - Albanian

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%

Languages

Albanian (Tosk is official dialect), Greek

Organized labor

Independent Trade Union Federation of Albania; Confederation of Trade Unions

Government

Nascent democracy

18 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

62.29%

DP 62.29%ASP 25.57%SDP 4.33%RP 3.15%UHP 2.92%other 1.74%

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

Independence

28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire); People's Socialist Republic of Albania declared 11 January 1946

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

National holiday

Liberation Day, 29 November (1944)

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

Leaders

Chief of State:: President of the Republic Sali BERISHA (since 9 April 1992)
Head of Government:: Prime Minister of the Council of Ministers Aleksander MEKSI (since 10 April 1992)

Political parties and leaders

there are at least 18 political parties;
most prominent are the Albanian Socialist Party (ASP), Fatos NANO, first secretary;
Democratic Party (DP), Eduard SELAMI, chairman;
Albanian Republican Party (RP), Sabri GODO;
Omonia (Greek minority party), leader NA (ran in 1992 election as Unity for Human Rights Party (UHP));
Social Democratic Party (SDP), Skender GJINUSHI;
note - in December 1990 then President ALIA allowed new political parties to be formed in addition to the then AWP for the first time since 1944

Suffrage

universal and compulsory at age 18

Elections

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

Member of

CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, 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 10021;
telephone (212) 249-2059

US:: Ambassador (vacant);
Embassy at Rruga Labinoti 103, room 2921, Tirane (mailing address is APO AE 09624);
telephone 355-42-32875;
FAX 355-42-32222

Flag

red with a black two-headed eagle in the center

Economy

16 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

100%

(1991 est.)

Unemployment rate

40%

(1992 est.)

External debt

$500million

(1991 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$1.1 billionExpenditures

$1.4 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $70 million (1991 est.)

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.

GNP

purchasing power equivalent - $2.7 billion, per capita $820; real growth rate --35% (1991 est.)

Exports

$80 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)

commodities:: asphalt, petroleum products, metals and metallic ores, electricity, crude oil, vegetables, fruits, tobacco
partners:: Italy, Yugoslavia, Germany, Greece, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary

Imports

$147 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)

commodities:: machinery, machine tools, iron and steel products, textiles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals
partners:: Italy, Yugoslavia, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria

Industrial production

growth rate --55% (1991 est.)

Electricity

1,690,000 kW capacity; 5,000 million kWh produced, 1,530 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries

food processing, textiles and clothing, lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, basic metals, hydropower

Agriculture

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

Economic aid

$190 million humanitarian aid, $94 million in loans/guarantees/credits

Currency

lek (plural - leke); 1 lek (L) = 100 qintars

Exchange rates

leke (L) per US$1 - 50 (January 1992), 25 (September 1991)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Networkskm

Highways

16,700 (1990)Railroads

543

Highways: ; 6,700 km highways, 10,000 km forest and agricultural cart roads · Railroads: ; 509 1.435-meter standard gauge, single track and 34 km narrow gauge, single track (1990); line connecting Titograd (Serbia and Montenegro) and Shkoder (Albania) completed August 1986

Railroads

543 km total;
509 1.435-meter standard gauge, single track and 34 km narrow gauge, single track (1990);
line connecting Titograd (Serbia and Montenegro) and Shkoder (Albania) completed August 1986

Highways

16,700 km total; 6,700 km highways, 10,000 km forest and agricultural cart roads (1990)

Inland waterways

43 km plus Albanian sections of Lake Scutari, Lake Ohrid, and Lake Prespa (1990)

Pipelines

crude oil 145 km; petroleum products 55 km; natural gas 64 km (1988)

Ports

Durres, Sarande, Vlore

Merchant marine

11 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 52,886 GRT/76,449 DWT

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

Telecommunications

inadequate service;
15,000 telephones;
broadcast stations - 13 AM, 1 TV;
514,000 radios, 255,000 TVs (1987 est.)

Defense Forces

Army, Coastal Defense Command, Air and Air Defense Forces, Interior Ministry | Troops, Border Troops

3 fields

Branches

Army, Coastal Defense Command, Air and Air Defense Forces, Interior Ministry Troops, Border Troops

Manpower availability

males 15-49, 886,032;
731,072 fit for military service;
33,028 reach military age (19) annually

Defense expenditures

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

Central Intelligence Agency. “Albania.” The World Factbook 1992. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/albania/1992.

How to cite ← 1991 edition 1993 edition →