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Albania

Europe Sovereign GEC: AL ISO: AL

Introduction

After declaring independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, Albania experienced a period of political upheaval that led to a short-lived monarchy, which ended in 1939 when Italy conquered the country. Germany then occupied Albania in 1943, and communist partisans took over the country in 1944. Albania allied itself first with the USSR (until 1960) and then with China (until 1978). In the early 1990s, Albania ended communist rule and established a multiparty democracy.  Government-endorsed pyramid schemes in 1997 led to economic collapse and civil disorder, which only ended when UN peacekeeping troops intervened. In 1999, some 450,000 ethnic Albanians fled from Kosovo to Albania to escape the war with the Serbs. Albania joined NATO in 2009 and became an official candidate for EU membership in 2014. 

Geography

land
27,398 sq km
total
28,748 sq km
water
1,350 sq km

slightly smaller than Maryland

mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter

362 km

highest point
Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m
lowest point
Adriatic Sea 0 m
mean elevation
708 m

41 00 N, 20 00 E

strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)

1,820 sq km (2020)

border countries
Greece 212 km; Kosovo 112 km; North Macedonia 181 km; Montenegro 186 km
total
691 km
agricultural land
42.8% (2018 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 22.3% (2018 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 3% (2018 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 17.4% (2018 est.)
forest
28.8% (2018 est.)
other
28.2% (2018 est.)

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece to the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north

fresh water lake(s)
Lake Scutari (shared with Montenegro) - 400 sq kmnote - largest lake in the Balkans

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

Europe

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

destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought

petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower, arable land

a fairly even distribution, with somewhat higher concentrations of people in the western and central parts of the country

mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast

People and Society

0-14 years
18% (male 292,296/female 267,052)
15-64 years
66.9% (male 1,023,515/female 1,055,388)
65 years and over
15.1% (2024 est.) (male 215,252/female 253,597)
beer
1.75 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols
0.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits
1.43 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total
4.4 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine
1.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

12.3 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

men married by age 18
1.2% (2018 est.)
women married by age 15
1.4%
women married by age 18
11.8%

1.5% (2017/18)

46% (2017/18)

6.7% of GDP (2018)

67.2% (2023 est.)

7.4 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

elderly dependency ratio
24.1
potential support ratio
4.2 (2021 est.)
total dependency ratio
48.2
youth dependency ratio
24.1
improved: rural
rural: 96.4% of population
improved: total
total: 97% of population
improved: urban
urban: 97.3% of population
unimproved: rural
rural: 3.6% of population
unimproved: total
total: 3% of population (2020 est.)
unimproved: urban
urban: 2.7% of population

3.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Albanian 82.6%, Greek 0.9%, other 1% (including Vlach, Romani, Macedonian, Montenegrin, and Egyptian), unspecified 15.5% (2011 est.)
note
note: data represent population by ethnic and cultural affiliation

0.75 (2024 est.)

2.9 beds/1,000 population (2013)

female
9.2 deaths/1,000 live births
male
11.3 deaths/1,000 live births
total
10.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Languages
Albanian 98.8% (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek 0.5%, other 0.6% (including Macedonian, Romani, Vlach, Turkish, Italian, and Serbo-Croatian), unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)
major-language sample(s)
Libri i fakteve boterore, burimi i pazevendesueshem per informacione elementare (Albanian)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
female
82.8 years
male
77.3 years
total population
79.9 years (2024 est.)
definition
age 15 and over can read and write
female
98.2% (2021)
male
98.7%
total population
98.4%

520,000 TIRANA (capital) (2023)

8 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

female
37.8 years
male
34.8 years
total
36.3 years (2024 est.)

26.6 years (2020 est.)

adjective
Albanian
noun
Albanian(s)

-3.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

21.7% (2016)

1.88 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

female
1,576,037 (2024 est.)
male
1,531,063
total
3,107,100

a fairly even distribution, with somewhat higher concentrations of people in the western and central parts of the country

0.16% (2024 est.)

Muslim 56.7%, Roman Catholic 10%, Orthodox 6.8%, atheist 2.5%, Bektashi (a Sufi order) 2.1%, other 5.7%, unspecified 16.2% (2011 est.)
note
note: all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice
improved: rural
rural: 100% of population
improved: total
total: 99.9% of population
improved: urban
urban: 99.8% of population
unimproved: rural
rural: 0.5% of population
unimproved: total
total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)
unimproved: urban
urban: 0.2% of population
female
15 years (2020)
male
13 years
total
14 years
0-14 years
1.09 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.85 male(s)/female
at birth
1.06 male(s)/female
total population
0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
female
6% (2020 est.)
male
38.8% (2020 est.)
total
22.4% (2020 est.)

1.55 children born/woman (2024 est.)

rate of urbanization
1.29% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
urban population
64.6% of total population (2023)

Government

12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Berat, Diber, Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Korce, Kukes, Lezhe, Shkoder, Tirane (Tirana), Vlore

daylight saving time
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
etymology
the name Tirana first appears in a 1418 Venetian document; the origin of the name is unclear, but may derive from Tirkan Fortress, whose ruins survive on the slopes of Dajti mountain and which overlooks the city
geographic coordinates
41 19 N, 19 49 E
name
Tirana (Tirane)
time difference
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
citizenship by birth
no
citizenship by descent only
at least one parent must be a citizen of Albania
dual citizenship recognized
yes
residency requirement for naturalization
5 years
amendments
proposed by at least one-fifth of the Assembly membership; passage requires at least a two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; referendum required only if approved by two-thirds of the Assembly; amendments approved by referendum effective upon declaration by the president of the republic; amended several times, last in 2020
history
several previous; latest approved by the Assembly 21 October 1998, adopted by referendum 22 November 1998, promulgated 28 November 1998
conventional long form
Republic of Albania
conventional short form
Albania
etymology
the English-language country name seems to be derived from the ancient Illyrian tribe of the Albani; the native name "Shqiperia" is derived from the Albanian word "Shqiponje" ("Eagle") and is popularly interpreted to mean "Land of the Eagles"
former
People's Socialist Republic of Albania
local long form
Republika e Shqiperise
local short form
Shqiperia
chief of mission
Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Nancy VANHORN (since August 2024)
email address and website
ACSTirana@state.govhttps://al.usembassy.gov/
embassy
Rruga Stavro Vinjau, No. 14, Tirana
FAX
[355] 4 2232-222
mailing address
9510 Tirana Place, Washington DC  20521-9510
telephone
[355] 4 2247-285
chancery
2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
chief of mission
Ambassador Ervin BUSHATI (since 15 September 2023)
consulate(s) general
New York
email address and website
embassy.washington@mfa.gov.alhttp://www.ambasadat.gov.al/usa/en
FAX
[1] (202) 628-7342
telephone
[1] (202) 223-4942
cabinet
Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by the Assembly
chief of state
President Bajram BEGAJ (since 24 July 2022)
election results
2022: Bajram BEGAJ elected president in the fourth round; Assembly vote - 78-4, opposition parties boycotted2017: Ilir META elected president in the fourth round; Assembly vote - 87-2
elections/appointments
president indirectly elected by the Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); a candidate needs three-fifths majority vote of the Assembly in 1 of 3 rounds or a simple majority in 2 additional rounds to become president; election last held in 4 rounds on 16, 23, and 30 May and 4 June 2022 (next election to be held in 2027); prime minister appointed by the president on the proposal of the majority party or coalition of parties in the Assembly
head of government
Prime Minister Edi RAMA (since 10 September 2013)

red with a black two-headed eagle in the center; the design is claimed to be that of 15th-century hero Georgi Kastrioti SKANDERBEG, who led a successful uprising against the Ottoman Turks that resulted in a short-lived independence for some Albanian regions (1443-78); an unsubstantiated explanation for the eagle symbol is the tradition that Albanians see themselves as descendants of the eagle; they refer to themselves as "Shqiptare," which translates as "sons of the eagle"

parliamentary republic

28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EITI (compliant country), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
note
note: Albania is an EU candidate country whose satisfactory completion of accession criteria is required before being granted full EU membership
highest court(s)
Supreme Court (consists of 19 judges, including the chief justice); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges, including the chairman)
judge selection and term of office
Supreme Court judges appointed by the High Judicial Council with the consent of the president to serve single 9-year terms; Supreme Court chairman is elected for a single 3-year term by the court members; appointments of Constitutional Court judges are rotated among the president, Parliament, and Supreme Court from a list of pre-qualified candidates (each institution selects 3 judges), to serve single 9-year terms; candidates are pre-qualified by a randomly selected body of experienced judges and prosecutors; Constitutional Court chairman is elected by the court members for a single, renewable 3-year term
subordinate courts
Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; specialized courts: Court for Corruption and Organized Crime, Appeals Court for Corruption and Organized Crime (responsible for corruption, organized crime, and crimes of high officials)

civil law system except in the northern rural areas where customary law known as the "Code of Leke" is still present

description
unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by open party-list proportional representation vote using the D'Hondt method; members serve 4-year terms)
election results
percent of vote by party/coalition - PS 48.7%, PD-Alliance for Change 39.4%, LSI 6.8%, PSD 2.3%, other 2.8%; seats by party/coalition - PS 74, PD-Alliance for Change 59, LSI 4, PSD 3; composition - men 90, women 50, percentage 35.7%
elections
last held on 25 April 2021 (next to be held in 2025)
lyrics/music
Aleksander Stavre DRENOVA/Ciprian PORUMBESCU
name
"Hymni i Flamurit" (Hymn to the Flag)
note
note: adopted 1912
selected World Heritage Site locales
Butrint (c); Historic Berat and Gjirokastër (c); Primeval Beech Forests (n); Lake Ohrid Region (m)
total World Heritage Sites
4 (2 cultural, 1 natural, 1 mixed)

Independence Day, 28 November (1912), also known as Flag Day

black double-headed eagle; national colors: red, black

Alliance for Change (electoral coalition led by PD)Democratic Party or PD Party for Justice, Integration and Unity or PDIU (part of the Alliance for Change)Social Democratic Party or PSDFreedom Party of Albania or PL (formerly the Socialist Movement for Integration or LSI)Socialist Party or PS 

18 years of age; universal

Economy

milk, maize, tomatoes, potatoes, watermelons, wheat, grapes, olives, cucumbers/gherkins, onions (2022)
note
note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
expenditures
$4.4 billion (2021 est.)
note
note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
revenues
$5.319 billion (2021 est.)
Moody's rating
B1 (2021)
note
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
Standard & Poors rating
B+ (2020)
Current account balance 2021
-$1.37 billion (2021 est.)
Current account balance 2022
-$1.117 billion (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2023
-$202.323 million (2023 est.)
note
note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Debt - external 2022
$4.624 billion (2022 est.)
note
note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

upper-middle -income Balkan economy; EU accession candidate; growth bolstered by tourism, services, construction, and private consumption; fiscal consolidation through revenue collection to address public debt; challenges include weak governance, corruption, climate adaptation, vulnerability to energy sector shocks, and emigration of workers

Currency
leke (ALL) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2019
109.851 (2019 est.)
Exchange rates 2020
108.65 (2020 est.)
Exchange rates 2021
103.52 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2022
113.042 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2023
100.645 (2023 est.)
Exports 2021
$5.612 billion (2021 est.)
Exports 2022
$7.057 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2023
$9.178 billion (2023 est.)
note
note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
garments, footwear, iron alloys, electricity, crude petroleum (2022)
note
note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Italy 41%, Greece 10%, Spain 7%, Germany 5%, China 4% (2022)
note
note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
exports of goods and services
39.6% (2023 est.)
government consumption
11.1% (2023 est.)
household consumption
75.5% (2023 est.)
imports of goods and services
-44.9% (2023 est.)
investment in fixed capital
24.4% (2023 est.)
investment in inventories
0.5% (2021 est.)
note
note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
agriculture
18.3% (2023 est.)
industry
21.2% (2023 est.)
note
note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
services
48% (2023 est.)
$22.978 billion (2023 est.)
note
note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2020
29.4 (2020 est.)
note
note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
highest 10%
22.8% (2020 est.)
lowest 10%
3.4% (2020 est.)
note
note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Imports 2021
$8.004 billion (2021 est.)
Imports 2022
$9.016 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2023
$10.373 billion (2023 est.)
note
note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
refined petroleum, garments, electricity, cars, raw iron bars (2022)
note
note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Italy 25%, Turkey 14%, Greece 12%, China 10%, Germany 5% (2022)
note
note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
4.03% (2023 est.)
note
note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

food; footwear, apparel and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020
1.62% (2020 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021
2.04% (2021 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
6.73% (2022 est.)
note
note: annual % change based on consumer prices
1.388 million (2023 est.)
note
note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
22% (2020 est.)
note
note: % of population with income below national poverty line
note
note: central government debt as a % of GDP
Public debt 2021
82.38% of GDP (2021 est.)
note
note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021
$45.723 billion (2021 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
$47.943 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
$49.592 billion (2023 est.)
note
note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP growth rate 2021
8.91% (2021 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022
4.86% (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023
3.44% (2023 est.)
note
note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita 2021
$16,300 (2021 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022
$17,300 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023
$18,100 (2023 est.)
note
note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Remittances 2021
9.58% of GDP (2021 est.)
Remittances 2022
9.23% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2023
8.57% of GDP (2023 est.)
note
note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021
$5.635 billion (2021 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
$5.266 billion (2022 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
$6.455 billion (2023 est.)
18.2% (of GDP) (2021 est.)
note
note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
note
note: % of labor force seeking employment
Unemployment rate 2021
12.47% (2021 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022
11.59% (2022 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023
11.58% (2023 est.)
female
27% (2023 est.)
male
29.1% (2023 est.)
note
note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
total
28.2% (2023 est.)

Energy

from coal and metallurgical coke
608,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
from consumed natural gas
94,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids
3.153 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
total emissions
3.856 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
consumption
389,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
exports
31,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
imports
42,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
production
379,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
proven reserves
522 million metric tons (2022 est.)
consumption
6.5 billion kWh (2022 est.)
exports
2.123 billion kWh (2022 est.)
imports
3.044 billion kWh (2022 est.)
installed generating capacity
2.635 million kW (2022 est.)
transmission/distribution losses
1.423 billion kWh (2022 est.)
electrification - total population
100% (2022 est.)
hydroelectricity
99.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
solar
0.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Total energy consumption per capita 2022
30.306 million Btu/person (2022 est.)
consumption
50.623 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
production
50.623 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
proven reserves
5.692 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves
150 million barrels (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption
26,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)
total petroleum production
14,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Communications

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
18 (2020 est.)
total
508,937 (2020 est.)

Albania has more than 65 TV stations, including several that broadcast nationally; Albanian TV broadcasts are also available to Albanian-speaking populations in neighboring countries; many viewers have access to Italian and Greek TV broadcasts via terrestrial reception; Albania's TV stations have begun a government-mandated conversion from analog to digital broadcast; the government has pledged to provide analog-to-digital converters to low-income families affected by this decision; cable TV service is available; 2 public radio networks and roughly 78 private radio stations; several international broadcasters are available (2019)

.al

percent of population
79% (2021 est.)
total
2.291 million (2021 est.)
domestic
fixed-line approximately 7 per 100, teledensity continues to decline due to heavy use of mobile-cellular telephone services; mobile-cellular telephone use is widespread and generally effective, 92 per 100 for mobile-cellular (2021)
general assessment
Albania’s small telecom market has experienced some significant changes in recent years;  upgrades were made to the fixed-line infrastructure to support broadband services; fixed-line telephony use and penetration in Albania is declining steadily as subscribers migrate to mobile solutions; the mobile sector is well provided with LTE networks, while operators have invested in 5G; some of these efforts have been made in conjunction with neighboring Kosovo, with the intention of a seamless 5G corridor along the highway connecting the two countries; the country has long sought accession to the European Union (EU) which has benefited its telecoms sector through closer scrutiny of its regulatory regime and through the injection of funding to help modernize infrastructure (2021)
international
country code - 355; submarine cables for the Adria 1 and Italy-Albania provide connectivity to Italy, Croatia, and Greece; a combination submarine cable and land fiber-optic system, provides additional connectivity to Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Turkey; international traffic carried by fiber-optic cable and, when necessary, by microwave radio relay from the Tirana exchange to Italy and Greece (2019)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
6 (2022 est.)
total subscriptions
177,000 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
98 (2022 est.)
total subscriptions
2.782 million (2022 est.)

Transportation

3 (2024)

ZA

9 (2024)

by type
general cargo 46, oil tanker 1, other 22
total
69 (2023)
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers
303,137 (2018)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers
5
number of registered air carriers
2 (2020)

498 km gas (a majority of the network is in disrepair and parts of it are missing), 249 km oil (2015)

key ports
Durres, Shengjin, Vlores
small
1
total ports
3 (2024)
very small
2
note
2021-All the trains in the country suspended
total
424 km (2017)
total
3,581 km (2022)

41 km (2011) (on the Bojana River)

Military and Security

the Albanian Armed Forces (AAF) are responsible for defending the country’s independence, sovereignty, and territory, assisting with internal security, providing disaster and humanitarian relief, and participating in international peacekeeping missions; the it is a small, lightly armed force that has been undergoing a modernization effort to improve its ability to fulfill NATO missions, including training and equipment purchases; the AAF has contributed small numbers of forces to several NATO missions since Albania joined NATO in 2009, including peacekeeping/stability missions in Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Iraq, and multinational battlegroups in Bulgaria and Latvia; it has also contributed to EU and UN missions (2024)

Republic of Albania Armed Forces (Forcat e Armatosura të Republikës së Shqipërisë (FARSH); aka Albanian Armed Forces (AAF)): Land Forces, Naval Force (includes Coast Guard), Air ForcesMinistry of Interior: Guard of the Republic, State Police (includes the Border and Migration Police) (2024)
note
note: the State Police are primarily responsible for internal security, including counterterrorism, while the Guard of the Republic protects senior state officials, foreign dignitaries, and certain state properties

approximately 7,000 total active-duty personnel (2024)

since joining NATO, the military has been in the process of modernizing by retiring its inventory of Soviet-era weapons and replacing them with Western equipment, including donated and secondhand deliveries (2024)

Military Expenditures 2020
1.3% of GDP (2020)
Military Expenditures 2021
1.2% of GDP (2021)
Military Expenditures 2022
1.2% of GDP (2022)
Military Expenditures 2023
1.7% of GDP (2023)
Military Expenditures 2024
2% of GDP (2024 est.)
18-27 (up to 32 in some cases) for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription abolished 2010 (2024)
note
note: as of 2024, women comprised about 15% of the military's full-time personnel

Transnational Issues

a source country for cannabis and an active transshipment point for Albanian narco-trafficking organizations moving illicit drugs into European markets

note
note: 47,306 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-February 2024)
refugees (country of origin)
47,247 (Ukraine) (as of 30 January 2024)
stateless persons
1,948 (2022)

Terrorism

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)
note
note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

Environment

carbon dioxide emissions
4.54 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions
2.55 megatons (2020 est.)
particulate matter emissions
16.28 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter

deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents; air pollution from industrial and power plants; loss of biodiversity due to lack of resources for sound environmental management

party to
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified
none of the selected agreements
agricultural land
42.8% (2018 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 22.3% (2018 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 3% (2018 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 17.4% (2018 est.)
forest
28.8% (2018 est.)
other
28.2% (2018 est.)
fresh water lake(s)
Lake Scutari (shared with Montenegro) - 400 sq kmnote - largest lake in the Balkans

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)

0.18% of GDP (2018 est.)

30.2 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural
550 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial
20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
municipal
230 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
rate of urbanization
1.29% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
urban population
64.6% of total population (2023)
municipal solid waste generated annually
1,142,964 tons (2015 est.)

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