Country name conventional long form: Republic of Albania
conventional short form: Albania
local short form: Shqiperia
former: People"s Socialist Republic of Albania
local long form: Republika e Shqiperise Background Between 1990 and 1992 Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic Communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven difficult as corrupt governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, a dilapidated infrastructure, widespread gangsterism, and disruptive political opponents. International observers judged legislative elections in 2001 to be acceptable and a step toward democratic development, but identified serious deficiencies that should be addressed through reforms in the Albanian electoral code.Location Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro Area total: 28,748 sq km
water: 1,350 sq km
land: 27,398 sq km Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maryland Coastline 362 km 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) 2,753 m Natural hazards destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents Geography - note strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea) Population 3,582,205 (July 2003 est.) Age structure 0-14 years: 28.1% (male 520,714; female 486,911)
15-64 years: 64.6% (male 1,115,887; female 1,196,477)
65 years and over: 7.3% (male 115,754; female 146,462) (2003 est.) Median age total: 26.5 years
male: 24.8 years
female: 28.1 years (2002) Sex ratio at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.) Nationality noun: Albanian(s)
adjective: Albanian Ethnic groups Albanian 95%, Greek 3%, other 2% (Vlach, Gypsy, Serb, and 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: all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice Languages Albanian (Tosk is the official dialect), Greek Internet country code .al Literacy definition: age 9 and over can read and write
total population: 86.5%
male: 93.3%
female: 79.5% (2003 est.) Government type emerging democracy National holiday Independence Day, 28 November (1912) Legal system has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction International organization participation ACCT, BSEC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO 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 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 are forcing small firms out of business, increasing unemployment, scaring off foreign investors, and spurring inflation. The government plans to boost energy imports to relieve the shortages. In addition, the government is moving to improve the poor national road network, a long-standing barrier to sustained economic growth. Exports - partners Italy 76.6%, Germany 5.6%, Greece 2.7% (2002) Currency lek (ALL) Currency code ALL Exchange rates leke per US dollar - NA (2002), 143.49 (2001), 143.71 (2000), 137.69 (1999), 150.63 (1998) Airports 12 (2002) Airports - with paved runways total: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) Airports - with unpaved runways total: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 4 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 Disputes - international the Albanian Government calls for the protection of the rights of ethnic Albanians outside its borders in the Kosovo region of Serbia and Montenegro, and in the northern Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, while continuing to seek regional cooperation; some outside ethnic Albanian groups voice union with Albania |
