Albania

Republic of AlbaniaRepublika e Shqiperise

emerging democracyIndependence 28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire)

Albania as the 2004 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 127 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
2004

Every edition of Albania

Populationas each edition published it
3.54 million July 2004 est. · 3.27m in 1990
Population growth% a year
0.51% 2004 est. · 1.21% in 1993
Median ageyears
28.2 years 2004 est. · 26.5 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
77.06 years 2004 est. · 73 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2.05 children per woman 2004 est. · 3 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
22.31 deaths per 1,000 live births 2004 est. · 52 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$4,500 2003 est. · $760 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
7% 2003 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 successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, a dilapidated infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks with links to high government officials, and disruptive political opponents. International observers judged parliamentary elections in 2001 and local elections in 2003 to be acceptable and a step toward democratic development, but identified serious deficiencies.

Many of these deficiencies have been addressed through bi-partisan changes to the electoral code in 2003 and 2005, but implementation of these changes will not be demonstrated until parliamentary elections in July 2005.

Geography

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

18 fields

Land useshare of 28,748 sq km

arable land 21.09%permanent crops 4.42%other 74.49% (2001)irrigated 3,400 sq km (1998 est.)
Area
28,748sq km
land: 27,398 sq kmwater: 1,350 sq kmslightly smaller than Maryland
Coastline
362km
territorial sea: 12 nmcontinental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Highest point
2,764m
Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab)lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
Land boundaries
720km
border countries: Greece 282 km, 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

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, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, 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, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, 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
3,544,808
(July 2004 est.)growth rate: 0.51% (2004 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2004 est.)

Birth
15.08Death
5.02Net migration
-4.93

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2004 est.)77.06
74.37 · 80.02Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)22.31
23.01 · 21.54
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2003 est.)86.5%
93.3% · 79.5%Median age years (2004 est.)28.2
27.6 · 28.7
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 9 and over can read and write

Religions

Muslim 70%Albanian Orthodox 20%Roman Catholic 10%note: percentages are estimates; there are no available current statistics on religious affiliation; 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:
26.4% (male 489,363; female 446,586)
15-64 years:
65.3% (male 1,184,670; female 1,130,065)
65 years and over:
8.3% (male 135,177; female 158,947) (2004 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.1 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.1 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.85 male(s)/female
total population:
1.04 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.05 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Albanian(s)
adjective:
Albanian

Ethnic groups

Albanian 95%, Greek 3%, other 2% (Vlach, Roma (Gypsy), Serb, and Macedonian or Bulgarian) (1989 est.) note: in 1989, other estimates of the Greek population ranged from 1% (official Albanian statistics) to 12% (from a Greek organization)

Languages

Albanian (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek, Vlach, Romani, Slavic dialects

Government

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

18 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

41.5%
PS 41.5%PD and coalition allies 36.8%PDR 5.2%PSD 3.6%PBDNJ 2.6%PASH (now PAA) 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 July 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 46PDR 6PSD 4PBDNJ 3PASH (now PAA) 3PAD 3independents 2

Percent of vote

PS 41.5%PD and coalition allies 36.8%PDR 5.2%PSD 3.6%PBDNJ 2.6%PASH (now PAA) 2.6%PAD 2.5%

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

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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 proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by Parliament
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 July 2005)
election results:
  • percent of vote by party - PS 41.5%, PD and coalition allies 36.8%, PDR 5.2%, PSD 3.6%, PBDNJ 2.6%, PASH (now PAA) 2.6%, PAD 2.5%;
  • seats by party - PS 73, PD and coalition allies 46, PDR 6, PSD 4, PBDNJ 3, PASH (now PAA) 3, PAD 3, independents 2;
  • note - seats by party as of January 2005: PS 65, PD and coalition allies 46, LSI 9, PDR 6, PSD 3, PBDNJ 3, PASH (now PAA) 3, PAD 3, PDS 1, independents 1

Judicial branch

Constitutional Court, Supreme Court (chairman is elected by the People's Assembly for a four-year term), and multiple appeals and district courts

Political parties and leaders

  • Agrarian Environmentalist Party or PAA [Lufter XHUVELI];
  • Christian Democratic Party or PDK [Nikolle LESI];
  • Communist Party of Albania or PKSH [Hysni MILLOSHI];
  • Democratic Alliance Party or PAD [Neritan CEKA];
  • Democratic Party or PD [Sali BERISHA];
  • Legality Movement Party or PLL [Ekrem SPAHIU];
  • Liberal Union Party or PBL [Arjan STAROVA];
  • National Front Party (Balli Kombetar) or PBK [Adriatik ALIMADHI];
  • New Democratic Party or PDR [Genc POLLO];
  • Party of National Unity or PUK [Idajet BEQIRI];
  • Renewed Democratic Party or PDR [Dashamir SHEHI];
  • Republican Party or PR [Fatmir MEDIU];
  • Social Democracy Party or PDS [Paskal MILO];
  • Social Democratic Party or PSD [Skender GJINUSHI];
  • Socialist Movement for Integration or LSI [Ilir META];
  • Socialist Party or PS (formerly the Albanian Party of Labor) [Fatos NANO];
  • Union for Human Rights Party or PBDNJ [Vangjel DULE]

Political pressure groups and leaders

  • Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania or KSSH [Kastriot MUCO];
  • Front for Albanian National Unification or FBKSH [Gafur ADILI];
  • Omonia [Jani JANI];
  • Union of Independent Trade Unions of Albania or BSPSH [Gezim KALAJA]

International organization participation

ACCT, BSEC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Dr. Fatos TARIFA
chancery:
2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 223-4942
FAX:
[1] (202) 628-7342

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Marcie B. RIES
embassy:
Rruga Elbasanit, Labinoti #103, Tirana
mailing address:
U. S. Department of State, 9510 Tirana Place, Dulles, VA 20189-9510
telephone:
[355] (4) 247285
FAX:
[355] (4) 374957 and [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.

44 fields
Real growth rate
7%
(2003 est.)industrial production growth: 2.7% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate
15.8%officially
may be as high as 30% (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2003 est.)

agriculture 47.5%industry 24.6%services 27.8% (2003 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

74.9%
Italy
33.6%
12.8%
Greece
20.2%
Turkey
6.6%
3.4%
Germany
5.7%
Exports $425 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)Imports $1.76 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)(2003)

Budget

Revenues
$1.36 billionExpenditures
$1.627 billion (2003 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $406 million

Electricity

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 one-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 and antiquated and inadequate infrastructure make it difficult to attract and sustain foreign investment.

The government plans to boost energy imports to relieve the shortages and is moving slowly to improve the poor national road and rail network, a long-standing barrier to sustained economic growth.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $16.13 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $4,500 (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

18.7% of GDP (2003)

Labor force

1.35 million (not including 352,000 emigrant workers) (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 57%, non-agricultural private sector 20%, public sector 23% (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

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 (1 January 2002)

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 (1 January 2002)

Current account balance

$-407 million (2003)

Exports

$425 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Imports

$1.76 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals

Debt - external

$1.41 billion (2003)

Economic aid - recipient

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

Currency

lek (ALL)

Exchange rates

leke per US dollar - 121.863 (2003), 140.155 (2002), 143.485 (2001), 143.709 (2000), 137.691 (1999)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields
Mobile cellular
1.1 million
(2003)
Fixed lines
255,000
(2003) · country code .al

Telephone system

general assessment:
Despite new investment in fixed lines, the density of main lines remains the lowest in Europe with roughly 8 lines per 100 people. However, cellular telephone use is widespread and generally effective.
domestic:
  • offsetting the shortage of fixed line capacity, mobile phone service has been available since 1996;
  • by 2003 two companies were providing mobile services at a greater density than some of Albania's Balkan neighbors
international:
  • country code - 355;
  • inadequate fixed main lines;
  • adequate cellular connections;
  • international traffic carried by microwave radio relay from the Tirana exchange to Italy and Greece (2003)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 13, FM 4, shortwave 2 (2001)

Television broadcast stations

3 (plus 58 repeaters) (2001)

Internet users

30,000 (2003)

Transportation

10 fields

Merchant marine, 22 ships by typeone square, one ship · ships (1,000 GRT or over) 40,878 GRT/62,676 DWT

bulk 1cargo 19petroleum tanker 1roll on/roll off 1foreign-owned: Denmark 1, Honduras 1, Netherlands 1 · registered in other countries: 7 (2004 est.)

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

2,438 to 3,047 m
3

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

over 3,047 m
11,524 to 2,437 m
1914 to 1,523 m
2under 914 m
4

Networkskm

Highways
18,000Railways
447Waterways
43 (2004)
Highways: paved: 5,400 km · unpaved: 12,600 km (2000) · Railways: standard gauge: 447 km 1.435-m gauge (2003)

Railways

total:
447 km
standard gauge:
447 km 1.435-m gauge (2003)

Highways

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

Pipelines

gas 339 km; oil 207 km (2004)

Ports and harbors

Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore

Airports

11 (2003 est.)

Heliports

1 (2003 est.)

Military

General Staff Headquarters, Land Forces Command (Army), Naval Forces Command, Air Forces Command, Doctrine and Exercises Command, Logistics Support Command

7 fields

Military branches

General Staff Headquarters, Land Forces Command (Army), Naval Forces Command, Air Forces Command, Doctrine and Exercises Command, Logistics Support Command

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 956,107 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 775,422 (2004 est.)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes - international

  • the Albanian Government calls for the protection of the rights of ethnic Albanians in neighboring countries, and the peaceful resolution of interethnic disputes;
  • some ethnic Albanian groups in neighboring countries advocate for a "greater Albania," but the idea has little appeal among Albanian nationals

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 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 2004. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/albania/2004.

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