| GEOGRAPHY |
| 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: |
Tirana |
| Location: |
Southeastern Europe,
bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia
and Montenegro |
| Geographic
Coordinates: |
41 00 N, 20 00
E |
| Area: |
total: 28,748
sq km
land: 27,398 sq km
water: 1,350 sq km |
| 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 |
| Elavation
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 |
| GOVERNEMENT |
| Governement
Type: |
emerging democracy |
| Administratives
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 |
| 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 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] |
| PEOPLE |
| Population: |
3,544,808 (July 2004
est.) |
| 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.) |
| Median age: |
total: 28.2
years
male: 27.6 years
female: 28.7 years (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) |
| 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 |
| COMUNICATIONS |
| 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 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 country
code: |
.al |
| Internet hosts: |
455 (2004) |
| Internet users: |
30,000 (2003) |
| TRANSPORT |
| 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) |
| Waterways: |
43 km (2004) |
| Pipelines: |
gas 339 km; oil
207 km (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: |
Durres, Sarande,
Shengjin, Vlore |
| Merchant marine: |
total: 22
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 40,878 GRT/62,676 DWT
by type: bulk 1, cargo 19, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll
off 1
foreign-owned: Denmark 1, Honduras 1, Netherlands 1
registered in other countries: 7 (2004 est.) |
| Airports: |
11 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with
paved runways: |
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with
unpaved runways: |
total: 8
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 4 (2004 est.) |
| Heliports: |
1 (2003 est.) |
