Albania
Republic of AlbaniaRepublika e Shqiperise
emerging democracyIndependence 28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire)
Albania as the 2006 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 127 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Between 1990 and 1992 Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic Communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven challenging as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, a dilapidated physical infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks, and combative political opponents. Albania has made progress in its democratic development since first holding multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies remain.
International observers judged elections to be largely free and fair since the restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997. In the 2005 general elections, the Democratic Party and its allies won a decisive victory on pledges of reducing crime and corruption, promoting economic growth, and decreasing the size of government. The election, and particularly the orderly transition of power, was considered an important step forward.
Although Albania's economy continues to grow, the country is still one of the poorest in Europe, hampered by a large informal economy and an inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure. Albania has played a largely helpful role in managing inter-ethnic tensions in southeastern Europe, and is continuing to work toward joining NATO and the EU. Albania, with troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, has been a strong supporter of the global war on terrorism.
Geography
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro
18 fieldsLand useshare of 28,748 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
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower
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 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2006 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2006 est.)
Male · female
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:
- 0.86 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Ethnic groups
Albanian 95%, Greek 3%, other 2% (Vlach, Roma (Gypsy), Serb, Macedonian, Bulgarian) (1989 est.) note: in 1989, other estimates of the Greek population ranged from 1% (official Albanian statistics) to 12% (from a Greek organization)
Government
Emerging democracy; President of the Republic Alfred MOISIU (since 24 July 2002); Prime Minister Sali BERISHA (since 10 September 2005)
18 fieldsAssembly or Kuvendi, 140 seats, elected 3 July 2005one dot, one seat
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
Capital
- name:
- Tirana (Tirane)
- geographic coordinates:
- 41 20 N, 19 50 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
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
Legal system
- has a civil law system;
- has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction;
- has accepted jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court for its citizens
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President of the Republic Alfred MOISIU (since 24 July 2002)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Sali BERISHA (since 10 September 2005)
- 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 (eligible for a second term);
- election last held 24 June 2002 (next to be held 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 Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; 100 are elected by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote for four-year terms)
- elections:
- last held 3 July 2005 (next to be held in 2009)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PD 56, PS 42, PR 11, PSD 7, LSI 5, other 19
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 DAP [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 BNK [Adriatik ALIMADHI];
- New Democratic Party or PDR [Genc POLLO];
- Party of National Unity or PUK [Idajet BEQIRI];
- Renewed Democratic Party or PDRN [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 [Edi RAMA];
- Union for Human Rights Party or PBDNj [Vangjel DULE]
Political pressure groups and leaders
- Citizens Advocacy Office [Kreshnik SPAHIU];
- Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania or KSSH [Kastriot MUCO];
- Front for Albanian National Unification or FBKSH [Gafur ADILI];
- Mjaft Movement [Erion VELIAJ];
- Omonia [Jani JANI];
- Union of Independent Trade Unions of Albania or BSPSH [Gezim KALAJA]
International organization participation
BSEC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Aleksander SALLABANDA
- 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 e Elbasanit, Labinoti #103, Tirana
- mailing address:
- US Department of State, 9510 Tirana Place, Dulles, VA 20189-9510
- telephone:
- [355] (4) 247285
- FAX:
- [355] (4) 232222
Economy
Lagging behind its Balkan neighbors, Albania is making the difficult transition to a more modern open-market economy.
45 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2005 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
Lagging behind its Balkan neighbors, 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 annual remittances from abroad of $600-$800 million, mostly from Greece and Italy;
this helps offset the towering trade deficit. Agriculture, which accounts for about one-quarter of GDP, is held back because of frequent drought and the need to modernize equipment, to clarify property rights, and to consolidate small plots of land. Energy shortages and antiquated and inadequate infrastructure contribute to Albania's poor business environment, which make it difficult to attract and sustain foreign investment.
The planned construction of a new thermal power plant near Vlore and improved transmission and distribution facilities will help relieve the energy shortages. Also, the government is moving slowly to improve the poor national road and rail network, a long-standing barrier to sustained economic growth. On the positive side: growth was strong in 2003-05 and inflation is not a problem.
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
Exports - commodities
- textiles and footwear;
- asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil;
- vegetables, fruits, tobacco
Exchange rates
leke per US dollar - 102.649 (2005), 102.78 (2004), 121.863 (2003), 140.155 (2002), 143.485 (2001)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- despite new investment in fixed lines, the density of main lines remains the lowest in Europe with roughly seven 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 fiber optic cable and, when necessary, by microwave radio relay from the Tirana exchange to Italy and Greece (2003)
Transportation
10 fieldsMerchant marine, 24 ships by typeone square, one ship · ships (1000 GRT or over) 52,987 GRT/79,863 DWT
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Military
General Staff Headquarters, Land Forces Command (Army), Naval Forces Command, Air Defense Command, Logistics Command, Training and Doctrine Command
6 fieldsMilitary branches
General Staff Headquarters, Land Forces Command (Army), Naval Forces Command, Air Defense Command, Logistics Command, Training and Doctrine Command
Manpower reaching military service age annually
- males age 18-49:
- 37,407
- females age 19-49:
- 34,587 (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - 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;
- thousands of unemployed Albanians emigrate annually to nearby Italy and other developed countries
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
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Albania.” The World Factbook 2006. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/albania/2006.