2002 Edition
CIA World Factbook 2002 (Project Gutenberg)
Introduction
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 high unemployment, a dilapidated infrastructure, widespread gangsterism, and disruptive political opponents. International observers judged local elections in 2001 to be acceptable and a step toward democratic development, but identified serious deficiencies which should be addressed through reforms in the Albanian electoral code.
Geography
Area
total: 28,748 sq km water: 1,350 sq km land: 27,398 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Maryland
Climate
mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter
Coastline
362 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,753 m
Environment - current issues
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geographic coordinates
41 00 N, 20 00 E
Geography - note
strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)
Irrigated land
3,400 sq km (1998 est.)
Land boundaries
total: 720 km border countries: Greece 282 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 151 km, Yugoslavia 287 km
Land use
arable land: 21% permanent crops: 4% other: 75% (1998 est.)
Location
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Map references
Europe
Maritime claims
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation territorial sea: 12 NM
Natural hazards
destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, timber, nickel, hydropower
Terrain
mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 28.8% (male 528,678; female 493,531) 15-64 years: 64% (male 1,094,034; female 1,175,024) 65 years and over: 7.2% (male 111,524; female 142,050) (2002 est.)
Birth rate
18.59 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate
6.49 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
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)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
less than 0.01% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
less than 100 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
less than 100 (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate
38.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Languages
Albanian (Tosk is the official dialect), Greek
Life expectancy at birth
75.14 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility rate: 2.27 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 9 and over can read and write total population: 93% (1997 est.) male: NA% female: NA%
Nationality
noun: Albanian(s) adjective: Albanian
Net migration rate
-1.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Population
3,544,841 (July 2002 est.)
Population growth rate
1.06% (2002 est.)
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
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.07 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 (2002 est.)
Government
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 note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)
Capital
Tirana
Constitution
a constitution was adopted by popular referendum on 28 November 1998; note - the opposition Democratic Party boycotted the vote
Country name
Republic of Albania conventional short form: of Albania local long form: Republika e Shqiperise
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph LIMPRECHT embassy: Rruga Elbasanit, Labinoti #103, Tirana mailing address: U. S. Department of State, 9510 [355] (4) 247285 FAX:
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Fatos TARIFA chancery: 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 FAX: [1] (202) 628-7342 telephone: [1] (202) 223-4942
Executive branch
chief of state: President of the Republic Rexhep MEIDANI (since 24 July 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Pandeli MAJKO (since 22 February 2002) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and approved by the president election results: Rexhep MEIDANI elected president; People's Assembly vote by number - total votes 122, for 110, against 3, abstained 2, invalid 7 elections: president elected by the People's Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 24 July 1997 (next to be held NA July 2002); prime minister appointed by the president
Flag description
red with a black two-headed eagle in the center
Government type
emerging democracy
Independence
28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire)
International organization participation
ACCT, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, 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, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (chairman is elected by the People's Assembly for a four-year term)
Legal system
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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) election results: percent of vote by party - PS 41.5%, PD and coalition allies 36.8%, NDP 5.2%, PSD 3.6%, PBDNJ 2.6%, PASH 2.6%, PAD 2.5%; seats by party - PS 73, PD and coalition allies 46, NDP 6, PSD 4, PBDNJ 3, PASH 3, PAD 3, independents 2 elections: last held 24 June with subsequent rounds on 8 July, 22 July, 29 July, 19 August 2001 (next to be held NA June 2005)
National holiday
Independence Day, 28 November (1912)
Political parties and leaders
Agrarian Party or PASH [Lufter XHUVELI]; Albanian National Front (Balli Kombetar) or PBK [Shptim ROQI]; Albanian Republican Party or PR [Fatmir MEDIU]; Albanian Socialist Party or PS (formerly the Albania Workers Party) [Fatos NANO, chairman]; Christian Democratic Party or PDK [Zef BUSHATI]; Democratic Alliance or PAD [Nerltan CEKA]; Democratic Party or PD [Sali BERISHA]; Group of Reformist Democrats [Leonard NDOKA]; Legality Movement Party or PLL [Ekrem SPAHIA]; Liberal Union Party or PBL [Teodor LACO]; New Democratic Party or NDP [Genc POLLO]; OMONIA [Vagjelis DULES]; Party of National Unity or PUK [Idajet BEQUIRI]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Skender GJINUSHI]; Unity for Human Rights Party or PBDNJ [Vasil MELO, chairman]
Political pressure groups and leaders
NA
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Economy
Agriculture - products
wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes; meat, dairy products
Budget
revenues: $697 million expenditures: $1.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $368 million (2002 est.)
Currency
lek (ALL)
Currency code
ALL
Debt - external
$1 billion (2000)
Economic aid - recipient
$315 million (top donors were Italy, EU, Germany) (2000 est.)
Electricity - consumption
5.378 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports
100 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports
1.072 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production
4.738 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 3% hydro: 97% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Exchange rates
leke per US dollar - 140.16 (November 2001), 143.71 (2000) 137.69 (1999), 150.63 (1998), 148.93 (1997); note - leke is the plural of lek
Exports
$306 million (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities
textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco
Exports - partners
Italy 70%, Greece 12%, Germany 6%, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 2%, Austria 1% (2001)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity - $13.2 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 52% industry: 21% services: 27% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita
purchasing power parity - $3,800 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
7.3% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$1.1 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals
Imports - partners
Italy 32%, Greece 26%, Turkey 6%, Germany 6%, Bulgaria 2% (2001)
Industrial production growth rate
9% (2000 est.)
Industries
food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3% (2001 est.)
Labor force
1.283 million (not including 352,000 emigrant workers and 261,000 domestically unemployed) (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture 50%, industry and services 50%
Population below poverty line
30% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate
17% officially (2001 est.); may be as high as 30%
Communications
Internet country code
.al
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
10 (2001)
Internet users
12,000 (2001)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 13, FM 4, shortwave 2 (2001)
Radios
1 million (2001)
Telephone system
general assessment: Albania has the poorest telephone service in Europe with fewer than two telephones per 100 inhabitants; it is doubtful that every village has telephone service domestic: obsolete wire system; no longer provides a telephone for every village; in 1992, following the fall of the Communist government, peasants cut the wire to about 1,000 villages and used it to build fences international: inadequate; international traffic carried by microwave radio relay from the Tirana exchange to Italy and Greece
Telephones - main lines in use
120,000 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular
250,000 (2001)
Television broadcast stations
3 (plus 58 repeaters) (2001)
Televisions
700,000 (2001)
Transportation
Airports
11 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways
4 (2001) 914 to 1,523 m: Heliports: 1 (2001)
Highways
total: 18,000 km paved: 5,400 km unpaved: 12,600 km (1998 est.)
Merchant marine
total: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 13,423 GRT/20,837 DWT ships by type: cargo 7, includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Croatia 1, Honduras 1 (2002 est.)
Pipelines
crude oil 196 km; petroleum products 55 km; natural gas 64 km (1996)
Ports and harbors
Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore
Railways
total: 447 km standard gauge: 447 km 1.435-m gauge (2001 est.)
Waterways
43 km note: includes Albanian sections of Lake Scutari, Lake Ohrid, and Lake Prespa (1990)
Military and Security
Military branches
Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Interior Ministry Troops, Border Guards
Military expenditures - dollar figure
$56.5 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
1.49% (FY02)
Military manpower - availability
males age 15-49: 888,086 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service
males age 15-49: 727,406 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age
19 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually
males: 35,792 (2002 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
the Albanian Government supports protection of the rights of ethnic Albanians outside of its borders in the Kosovo region of Yugoslavia and in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia while continuing to seek regional cooperation; many Albanians illegally transit neighboring states to emigrate to western Europe
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 growing cannabis production; ethnic Albanian narcotrafficking organizations active and rapidly expanding in Europe This page was last updated on 1 January 2002 Armenia