Albania

Republic of AlbaniaRepublika e Shqiperise

emerging democracyIndependence 28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire)

Albania as the 2003 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 125 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.

CapitalTirana

Position41 00 N, 20 00 E

Area28,748 sq km

LocationSoutheastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro

Populationas each edition published it

3.58 million July 2003 est. · 3.27m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.03% 2003 est. · 1.21% in 1993

Median ageyears

26.5 years 2002 · 37.9 yrs in 2025

Life expectancyyears at birth

72.37 years 2003 est. · 73 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.22 children per woman 2003 est. · 3 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

37.28 deaths per 1,000 live births 2003 est. · 52 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$4,400 2002 est. · $760 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

7.3% 2002 est. · -10% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

Background

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

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro

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Land useshare of 28,748 sq km

arable land 21.09%permanent crops 4.45%other 74.46% (1998 est.)irrigated 3,400 sq km (1998 est.)

Area

28,748sq km

water: 1,350 sq kmland: 27,398 sq kmslightly smaller than Maryland

Coastline

362km

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitationterritorial sea: 12 NM

Highest point

2,753m

Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab)lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m

Land boundaries

720km

border countries: Greece 282 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 151 km, Serbia and Montenegro 287 km

Location

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro

Geographic coordinates

41 00 N, 20 00 E

Map references

Europe

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

petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, timber, nickel, hydropower

Natural hazards

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

Environment - current issues

deforestation;
soil erosion;
water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents

Environment - international agreements

party to:: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, 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

19 fields

Population

3,582,205

(July 2003 est.)growth rate: 1.03% (2003 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2003 est.)

Birth

18.2Death

6.48Net migration

-1.39

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2003 est.)72.37

69.53 · 75.42Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)37.28

39.68 · 34.71

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2003 est.)86.5%

93.3% · 79.5%Median age years (2002)26.5

24.8 · 28.1

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 9 and over can read and write

Ethnic groups(1989 est.)

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

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

Age structure

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.)

Sex ratio

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.)

Total fertility rate

2.22 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS - deaths

Nationality

noun:: Albanian(s)
adjective:: Albanian

Languages

Albanian (Tosk is the official dialect), Greek

Government

Emerging democracy; President of the Republic Alfred MOISIU (since 24 July 2002); Prime Minister Fatos NANO (since 31 July 2002)

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Presidential electionpercent of vote

41.5%

PS 41.5%PD and coalition allies 36.8%NDP 5.2%PSD 3.6%PBDNJ 2.6%PASH 2.6%PAD 2.5%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)

People's Assembly or Kuvendi Popullor, 140 seats, elected 24 June 2001 with subsequent rounds on 8 July, 22 July, 29 July, 19 August 2001one dot, one seat

PS 73PD and coalition allies 46NDP 6PSD 4PBDNJ 3PASH 3PAD 3independents 2

Percent of vote

PS 41.5%PD and coalition allies 36.8%NDP 5.2%PSD 3.6%PBDNJ 2.6%PASH 2.6%PAD 2.5%

Country name

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

emerging democracy

Capital

Tirana

Administrative divisions

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

28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire)

National holiday

Independence Day, 28 November (1912)

Constitution

a constitution was adopted by popular referendum on 28 November 1998; note - the opposition Democratic Party boycotted the vote

Legal system

has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch

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

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

Supreme Court (chairman is elected by the People's Assembly for a four-year term)

Political parties and leaders

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

Omonia [Vangjel DULES]

International organization participation

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

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

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

red with a black two-headed eagle in the center

Economy

Poor and backward by European standards, Albania is making the difficult transition to a more modern open-market economy.

42 fields

Real growth rate

7.3%

(2002 est.)industrial production growth: 9% (2000 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

(2002 est.)

Unemployment rate

17%officially

may be as high as 30% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line

30%

(2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2002 est.)

agriculture 49%industry 27%services 24% (2002 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

76.6%

Italy

39.4%

2.7%

Greece

24.5%

Turkey

5.6%

Germany

Exports $340 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)Imports $1.5 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)(2002)

Budget

Revenues

$697 millionExpenditures

$1.5 billion (2002 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $368 million

Electricity

fossil fuel 2.9%hydro 97.1%other 0% · nuclear 0%

Electricity production

5.289 billion (2001)Electricity consumption

5.898 billion (2001)Electricity exports

221 million (2001)Electricity imports

1.2 billion (2001)

Economy - overview

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 spur economic activity and trade. The economy is bolstered by remittances from abroad of $400-$600 million annually, mostly from Greece and Italy;

this helps offset the sizable trade deficit. 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. In addition, the government is moving to improve the poor national road network, a long-standing barrier to sustained economic growth.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $15.69 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $4,400 (2002 est.)

Labor force

1.283 million (not including 352,000 emigrant workers and 261,000 domestically unemployed) (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 50%, industry and services 50%

Industries

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

Oil - production

5,952 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption

22,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves

185.5 million bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production

30 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

30 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

3.316 billion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products

wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes; meat, dairy products

Exports

$340 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities

textiles and footwear;
asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil;
vegetables, fruits, tobacco

Imports

$1.5 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals

Debt - external

$784 million (2000)

Economic aid - recipient

ODA: $315 million (top donors were Italy, EU, Germany) (2000 est.)

Currency

lek (ALL)

Currency code

ALL

Exchange rates

leke per US dollar - NA (2002), 143.49 (2001), 143.71 (2000), 137.69 (1999), 150.63 (1998)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Mobile cellular

250,000

(2001)

Internet users

(2001)

Fixed lines

120,000

(2001) · country code .al

Telephone system

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

AM 13, FM 4, shortwave 2 (2001)

Television broadcast stations

3 (plus 58 repeaters) (2001)

Internet users

12,000 (2001)

Transportation

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Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

2,438 to 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

over 3,047 m

Paved 4Unpaved 8

Networkskm

Highways

18,000Railways

447Waterways

Highways: paved: 5,400 km · unpaved: 12,600 km (2000) · Railways: standard gauge: 447 km 1.435-m gauge (2002) · Waterways: note: includes Albanian sections of Lake Scutari, Lake Ohrid, and Lake Prespa (1990)

Railways

total:: 447 km
standard gauge:: 447 km 1.435-m gauge (2002)

Highways

total:: 18,000 km
paved:: 5,400 km
unpaved:: 12,600 km (2000)

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

12 (2002)

Heliports

1 (2002)

Military

Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Interior Ministry Troops, Border Guards

7 fields

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.49%

(FY02)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes - international

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

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

Central Intelligence Agency. “Albania.” The World Factbook 2003. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/albania/2003.

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