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Albania
Background: In 1990 Albania ended 44 years of xenophobic communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven difficult as corrupt governments have tried to deal with severe unemployment, the collapse of a fraudulent nationwide investment scheme, widespread gangsterism, and massive refugee influxes from neighboring Kosovo.
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:
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland Land boundaries:
Coastline: 362 km Maritime claims:
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:
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, timber, nickel, hydropower Land use:
Irrigated land: 3,410 sq km (1993 est.) Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents Environment - international agreements:
Geography - note: strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)
Population: 3,490,435 (July 2000 est.) Age structure:
Population growth rate: 0.26% (2000 est.) Birth rate: 19.47 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) Death rate: 6.5 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.) Net migration rate: -10.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.) Sex ratio:
Infant mortality rate: 41.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.) Life expectancy at birth:
Total fertility rate: 2.37 children born/woman (2000 est.) Nationality:
Ethnic groups:
Albanian 95%, Greeks 3%, other 2% (Vlachs, Gypsies, Serbs, and Bulgarians) (1989 est.)
Religions:
Muslim 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10%
Languages: Albanian (Tosk is the official dialect), Greek Literacy:
Country name:
Data code: AL Government type: emerging democracy Capital: Tirana 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, Kurbin, 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
Independence: 28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire) National holiday: Independence Day, 28 November (1912) Constitution: a new 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:
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)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chairman of the Supreme Court is elected by the People's Assembly for a four-year term Political parties and leaders: Albanian Republican Party or PR [Fatmir MEHDIU]; Albanian Socialist Party or PS (formerly the Albania Workers Party) [Fatos NANO, chairman]; Albanian United Right or DBSH (includes PBK, Albanian Republican Party or PRS, AND PDD) [Abaz ERMENJI]; Christian Democratic Party or PDK [Zef BUSHATI]; Democratic Alliance or PAD [Neritan CEKA]; Democratic Party or PD [Sali BERISHA]; Democratic Party of the Right or PDD [Petrit KALAKULA]; Liberal Union Party [Teodor LACO]; Movement of Legality Party or PLL [Ekrem SPAHIA]; National Front (Balli Kombetar) or PBK [Abaz ERMENJI]; Party of National Unity or PUK [Idajet BEQIRI]; Right National Front [Hysni SELFO]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Skender GJINUSHI]; Unity for Human Rights Party or PBDNJ [Vasil MELO, chairman]; note - Teodar LACO of the Liberal Union Party was leader of the Social Democratic Union of Albania or PBSD International organization participation: BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, 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:
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Flag description: red with a black two-headed eagle in the center
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 that 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 recovered the 8% drop in GDP of 1997 and pushed ahead by 7% in 1999. International aid has helped defray the high costs of receiving and returning refugees from the Kosovo conflict. GDP: purchasing power parity - $5.6 billion (1999 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 8% (1999 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,650 (1999 est.) GDP - composition by sector:
Population below poverty line: 19.6% (1996 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.5% (1999 est.) Labor force: 1.692 million (including 352,000 emigrant workers and 261,000 domestically unemployed) (1994 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 49.5%, industry and services 50.5% Unemployment rate: 14% (October 1997) officially, but may be as high as 28% Budget:
Industries: food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower Industrial production growth rate: 7% (1999 est.) Electricity - production: 5.15 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - production by source:
Electricity - consumption: 5.29 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998) Electricity - imports: 500 million kWh (1998) Agriculture - products: wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes; meat, dairy products Exports: $242 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) Exports - commodities: textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco Exports - partners: Italy 63%, Greece 12%, Germany 6%, Netherlands, Belgium, US (1998) Imports: $925 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals Imports - partners: Italy 43%, Greece 29%, Turkey 4%, Germany 4%, Bulgaria, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (1998) Debt - external: $820 million (1998) Economic aid - recipient: EU pledged $100 million to share with The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (1999) Currency: 1 lek (L) = 100 qintars Exchange rates: leke (L) per US$1 - 135.31 (December 1999), 137.69 (1999), 150.63 (1998), 148.93 (1997), 104.50 (1996), 92.70 (1995) Fiscal year: calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use: 42,000 (1995) Telephones - mobile cellular: 3,100 (1999) Telephone system:
Radio broadcast stations: AM 16, FM 3, shortwave 2 (1999) Radios: 810,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 13 (1999) Televisions: 405,000 (1997) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (1999)
Railways:
Highways:
Waterways: 43 km plus Albanian sections of Lake Scutari, Lake Ohrid, and Lake Prespa (1990) Pipelines: crude oil 145 km; petroleum products 55 km; natural gas 64 km (1991) Ports and harbors: Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore Merchant marine:
Airports: 10 (1999 est.) Airports - with paved runways:
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Heliports: 1 (1999 est.)
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Interior Ministry Troops, Border Guards Military manpower - military age: 19 years of age Military manpower - availability:
Military manpower - fit for military service:
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $42 million (FY99) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.5% (FY99)
Disputes - 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 Please click here for a guide to the country profiles Click here for all other countries
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