Albania
Republic of AlbaniaRepublika e Shqiperise
emerging democracyIndependence 28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire)
Albania as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 107 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.
No fields match. Try a shorter word.
Geography
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and | Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro
18 fieldsLand useshare of 28,750 sq km
Location
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro
Climate
- mild temperate;
- cool, cloudy, wet winters;
- hot, clear, dry summers;
- interior is cooler and wetter
Environment--current issues
- deforestation;
- soil erosion;
- water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents
Environment--international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Wetlands
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
Geography--note
strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1999 est.)
Ethnic groups(1989 est.)
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 33% (male 568,642; female 530,088)
- 15-64 years:
- 61% (male 957,561; female 1,105,870)
- 65 years and over:
- 6% (male 84,280; female 118,130) (1999 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.08 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.07 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.87 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.71 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.92 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Government
Emerging democracy; President of the Republic Rexhep MEIDANI (since 24 July 1997); Prime Minister Pandeli MAJKO (since 2 October 1998)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Legislature, 155 seats, elected 29 June 1997one dot, one seat
Percent of vote
Country name
- 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
Administrative divisions
36 districts (rrethe, singular--rreth) and 1 municipality* (bashki); Berat, Bulqize, Delvine, Devoll (Bilisht), Diber (Peshkopi), Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Gramsh, Has (Krume), Kavaje, Kolonje (Erseke), Korce, Kruje, Kucove, Kukes, Lac, Lezhe, Librazhd, Lushnje, Malesi e Madhe (Koplik), Mallakaster (Ballsh), Mat (Burrel), Mirdite (Rreshen), Peqin, Permet, Pogradec, Puke, Sarande, Shkoder, Skrapar (Corovode), Tepelene, Tirane (Tirana), Tirane* (Tirana), Tropoje (Bajram Curri), Vlore; note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)
Constitution
a new constitution was adopted by popular referendum on 28 November 1998; note--the opposition Democratic Party boycotted the vote
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President of the Republic Rexhep MEIDANI (since 24 July 1997)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Pandeli MAJKO (since 2 October 1998)
- 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 July 1997 (next to be held NA 2002);
- prime minister appointed by the president
- election results:
- Rexhep MEIDANI elected president; People's Assembly vote by number--total votes 122, for 110, against 3, abstained 2, invalid 7
Legislative branch
unicameral People's Assembly or Kuvendi Popullor (155 seats; most members are elected by direct popular vote and some by proportional vote for four-year terms)
- elections:
- last held 29 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2001)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party--PS 53.36%, PD 25.33%, PSD 2.5%, PBDNJ 2.78%, PBK 2.36%, PAD 2.85%, PR 2.25%, PLL 3.09%, PDK 1.00%, PBSD 0.84%;
- seats by party--PS 101, PD 27, PSD 8, PBDNJ 4, PBK 3, PAD 2, PR 2, PLL 2, PDK 1, PBSD 1, PUK 1, independents 3
Judicial branch
Supreme Court, chairman of the Supreme Court is elected by the People's Assembly for a four-year term
International organization participation
BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Petrit BUSHATI
- chancery:
- 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Marisa R. LINO
- embassy:
- Rruga Elbasanit 103, Tirana
- mailing address:
- American Embassy, Tirana, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-9510
Economy
An extremely poor country by European | standards, Albania is making the difficult transition to a more | open-market economy.
31 fieldsGDP--composition by sector(1997)
Electricity
Economy--overview
An extremely poor country by European standards, Albania is making the difficult transition to a more open-market economy. The economy rebounded in 1993-95 after a severe depression accompanying the collapse of the previous centrally planned system in 1990 and 1991. However, a weakening of government resolve to maintain stabilization policies in the election year of 1996 contributed to renewal of inflationary pressures, spurred by the budget deficit which exceeded 12%. The collapse of financial pyramid schemes in early 1997--which had attracted deposits from a substantial portion of Albania's population--triggered severe social unrest which led to more than 1,500 deaths, widespread destruction of property, and an 8% drop in GDP. The new government installed in July 1997 has taken strong measures to restore public order and to revive economic activity and trade.
The economy continues to be bolstered by remittances of some 20% of the labor force which works abroad, mostly in Greece and Italy. These remittances supplement GDP and help offset the large foreign trade deficit. Most agricultural land was privatized in 1992, substantially improving peasant incomes. In 1998, Albania probably recovered most if not all of the 7% drop in GDP of 1997.
Labor force
1.692 million (1994 est.) (including 352,000 emigrant workers and 261,000 domestically unemployed)
Labor force--by occupation
- agriculture (nearly all private; but some state employed) 49.5%, private business sector 22.2%, state business sector 28.3% (including state-owned industry 7.8%);
- note--includes only those domestically employed
Industries
food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower
Exports--commodities
asphalt, metals and metallic ores, electricity, crude oil, vegetables, fruits, tobacco
Exchange rates
leke (L) per US$1--139.93 (January 1999), 150.63 (1998), 148.93 (1997), 104.50 (1996), 92.70 (1995), 94.62 (1994)
Communications
6 fieldsTelephone system
- 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
Transportation
10 fieldsAirports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Military
Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, | Interior Ministry Troops, Border Guards
7 fieldsTransnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes--international
- the Albanian Government supports protection of the rights of ethnic Albanians outside of its borders but has downplayed them to further its primary foreign policy goal of regional cooperation;
- Albanian majority in Kosovo seeks independence from Serbian Republic;
- Albanians in The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia claim discrimination in education, access to public-sector jobs, and representation in government
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 cannabis production;
- ethnic Albanian narcotrafficking organizations active and rapidly expanding in Europe
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Albania.” The World Factbook 1999. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/albania/1999.