1982 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1982 (Wikisource)
Geography
Area
28,749 km²; 19% arable, 24% other agricultural, 43% forested, 14% other
Coastline
418 km (including Sazan Island)
Land boundaries
716 km WATER
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
15 nm
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
96% Albanian, remaining 4% are Greeks, Vlachs, Gypsies, and Bulgarians
Labor force
911,000 (1969); 60.5% agriculture, 17.9% industry, 21.6% other nonagricultural
Language
Albanian, Greek
Literacy
about 70%; no reliable current statistics available, but probably greatly improved
Nationality
noun—Albanian(s); adjective—Albanian
Population
2,792,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 2.1%
Religion
70% Muslim, 20% Albanian Orthodox, 10% Roman Catholic; observances prohibited; Albania claims to be the world's first atheist state
Government
Capital
Tiranë
Communists
101,500 party members (November 1976)
Elections
national elections theoretically held every four years; last elections 6 November 1978; 99.99% of electorate voted Political parties and leaders: Albanian Workers Party only; First Secretary, Enver Hoxha
Government leaders
Chairman, Council of Ministers (Premier), Adil CARCANI; Chairman, Presidium of the People's Assembly, Haxhi LLESHI (chief of state)
Legal system
based on constitution adopted in 1976; judicial review of legislative acts only in the Presidium of the People's Assembly, which is not a true court; legal education at State University of Tiranë; has not accepted compulsory 1CJ jurisdiction
Member of
CEMA, FAO, IAEA, IPU, ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO; has not participated in CEMA since rift with USSR in 1961; officially withdrew from Warsaw Pact 13 September 1968
National holiday
Liberation Day, 29 November Branches: People's Assembly, Council of Ministers, judiciary
Official name
People's Socialist Republic of Albania
Political subdivisions
27 rethet (districts), including capital
Suffrage
universal and compulsory over age 18
Type
Communist state
Economy
Agriculture
food deficit area; main crops—corn, wheat, tobacco, sugar beets, cotton; food shortages—wheat; caloric intake, 2,503 calories per day per capita (1972/74)
Electric power
1,390,000 kW capacity (1981); 4.350 billion kWh produced (1981), 1,575 kWh per capita
Exports
$150.5 million (1978 est.); 1964 trade—55% minerals, metals, fuels; 23% foodstuffs (including cigarettes); 17% agricultural materials (except foods); 5% consumer goods
Fiscal year
same as calendar year; economic data reported for calendar years except for caloric intake, which is reported for consumption year 1 July-30 June
GNP
$1.2 billion in 1972 (at 1970 prices), $520 per capita
Imports
$173.4 million (1978); 1964 trade—50% machinery, equipment, and spare parts; 16% minerals, metals, fuels, construction materials; 16% foodstuffs; 7% consumer goods; 7% fertilizers, other chemicals, rubber; 4% agricultural materials (except foodstuffs)
Major industries
agricultural processing, textiles and clothing, lumber, and extractive industries
Monetary conversion rate
4.14 leks=US$l (1980)
Shortages
spare parts, machinery and eauipment, wheat
Communications
Civil air
no civil airline
Freight carried
rail—2.8 million metric tons, 180 million metric ton/km (1971); highways—39 million metric tons, 900 million metric ton/km (1971) 'Ports: 1 major (Durres), 3 minor (1979)
Highways
4,989 km total; 1,287 km paved, 1,609 km crushed stone and/or gravel, 2,093 km improved or unimproved earth (1975)
Inland waterways
43 km plus Albanian sections of Lake Scutari, Lake Ohrid, and Lake Prespa (1979)
Pipelines
crude oil, 117 km; refined products, 65 km; natural gas, 64 km
Railroads
277 km standard gauge (1.435 m), single track, government owned (1975)
Military and Security
Military budget announced
for fiscal year ending 31 December 1981, 940 million leks; 11.5% of total budget
Military manpower
males 15-49, 721,000; 597,000 fit for military service; 31,000 reach military age (19) annually
Ships
4 submarine, 2 mine warfare ships, 54 coastal patrol-river/roadstead craft, 6 mine warfare craft, 2 under-way replenishment ships, 1 other auxiliary