Albania

§1. Albania Introduction

Background:
  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 - particularly in
  regard to the rule of law. Despite some lingering problems, international
  observers have 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.

§2. Albania Geography

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

Area:
  total: 28,748 km²
  land: 27,398 km²
  water: 1,350 km²

Area - comparative:
  slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries:
  total: 720 km
  border countries: Greece 282 km, Macedonia 151 km, Serbia and Montenegro
    287 km

Coastline:
  362 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

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

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
  highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m

Natural resources:
  petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel,
  salt, timber, hydropower

Land use:
  arable land: 20.1%
  permanent crops: 4.21%
  other: 75.69% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  3,400 km² (1998 est.)

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)

§3. Albania People

Population:
  3,581,655 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 24.8% (male 464,954/female 423,003)
  15-64 years: 66.3% (male 1,214,942/female 1,158,562)
  65 years and over: 8.9% (male 148,028/female 172,166) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 28.9 years
  male: 28.3 years
  female: 29.5 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  0.52% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  15.11 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  5.22 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  -4.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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: 0.86 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 20.75 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 21.2 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 20.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 77.43 years
  male: 74.78 years
  female: 80.34 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  2.03 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  NA

Nationality:
  noun: Albanian(s)
  adjective: Albanian

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)

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

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

Literacy:
  definition: age 9 and over can read and write
  total population: 86.5%
  male: 93.3%
  female: 79.5% (2003 est.)

§4. Albania Government

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:
  adopted by popular referendum on 28 November 1998

Legal system:
  has a civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; has
  accepted jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court for its citizens

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 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;
    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 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 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:
  ACCT (associate), 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 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

§5. Albania Economy

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.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $18.07 billion
  note: Albania has a large gray economy that may be as large as 50% of
    official GDP (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $8.528 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  5.5% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $4,900 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 22.8%
  industry: 21.5%
  services: 55.7% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  1.09 million (not including 352,000 emigrant workers) (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 58%, non-agricultural private sector 19%, public sector 23%
  (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  14.3% official rate, but may exceed 30% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  25% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: NA%
  highest 10%: NA%

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
  28.2 (2002)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  2.4% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  22.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $1.96 billion
  expenditures: $2.377 billion; including capital expenditures of $500
    million (2005 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

Industrial production growth rate:
  3.1% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production:
  5.68 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - consumption:
  6.76 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
  200 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  1.08 billion kWh (2004 est.)

Oil - production:
  3,600 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  25,200 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports:
  0 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - imports:
  21,600 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - proved reserves:
  185.5 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
  30 million m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  30 million m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
  0 m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
  0 m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
  2.832 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
  $-410 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $650.1 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil;
  vegetables, fruits, tobacco

Exports - partners:
  Italy 71.7%, Canada 4.3%, Germany 4.3% (2004)

Imports:
  $2.473 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals

Imports - partners:
  Italy 34.8%, Greece 19.9%, Turkey 7.7%, Germany 5.3% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $1.3 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $1.55 billion (2004)

Economic aid - recipient:
  ODA: $366 million (top donors were Italy, EU, Germany) (2003 est.)

Currency (code):
  lek (ALL)

Exchange rates:
  leke per US dollar - 102.649 (2005), 102.78 (2004), 121.863 (2003), 140.155
  (2002), 143.485 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Albania Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  255,000 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  1.1 million (2003)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: despite new investment in fixed lines, the density of
    main lines remains the lowest in Europe with roughly eight 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)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 13, FM 46 (3 national, 62 local), shortwave 1 (2005)

Television broadcast stations:
  65 (3 national, 62 local); note - 2 cable networks (2005)

Internet country code:
  .al

Internet hosts:
  749 (2005)

Internet users:
  75,000 (2005)

§7. Albania Transportation

Airports:
  11 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 3
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 8
  over 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 4 (2005)

Heliports:
  1 (2005)

Pipelines:
  gas 339 km; oil 207 km (2004)

Railways:
  total: 447 km
  standard gauge: 447 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 18,000 km
  paved: 7,020 km
  unpaved: 10,980 km (2002)

Waterways:
  43 km (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 23 ships (1000 GRT or over) 50,402 GRT/75,798 DWT
  by type: cargo 22, roll on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (Turkey 1)
  registered in other countries: 1 (Georgia 1) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore

§8. Albania Military

Military branches:
  General Staff Headquarters, Land Forces Command (Army), Naval Forces
  Command, Air Defense Command, Logistics Command, Training and Doctrine
  Command

Military service age and obligation:
  19 years of age (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 19-49: 809,524 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 19-49: 668,526 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
  males: 37,407 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $56.5 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  1.49% (FY02)

§9. Albania Transnational Issues

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; 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


<Factbook 2006>
