2015 Edition

Background

Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but was conquered by Italy in 1939, and occupied by Germany in 1943. Communist partisans took over the country in 1944. Albania allied itself first with the USSR (until 1960), and then with China (to 1978). In the early 1990s, Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven challenging as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, dilapidated infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks, and combative political opponents.

Albania has made progress in its democratic development since first holding multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies remain. International observers judged elections to be largely free and fair since the restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997; however, most of Albania's post-communist elections have been marred by claims of electoral fraud. Albania joined NATO in April 2009 and in June 2014 became a candidate for EU accession. Although Albania's economy continues to grow, it has slowed, and the country is still one of the poorest in Europe. A large informal economy and an inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure remain obstacles.

Area

land

27,398 sq km

total

28,748 sq km

water

1,350 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

highest point

Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m

lowest point

Adriatic Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents

Environment - international agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

413.6 cu m/yr (2006)

total

1.31 cu km/yr (43%/18%/39%)

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

1,027 sq km (2006)

Land boundaries

border countries (4)

Greece 212 km, Kosovo 112 km, Macedonia 181 km, Montenegro 186 km

total

691 km

Land use

arable land 22.7%; permanent crops 2.7%; permanent pasture 18.4%

agricultural land

43.8%

forest

28.3%

other

27.9% (2011 est.)

Location

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

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, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower, arable land

Terrain

mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast

Total renewable water resources

41.7 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

18.78% (male 300,661/female 268,369)

15-24 years

18.67% (male 291,479/female 274,019)

25-54 years

40.39% (male 582,207/female 641,361)

55-64 years

10.85% (male 163,003/female 165,805)

65 years and over

11.3% (male 160,913/female 181,461) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

12.92 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Child labor - children ages 5-14

percentage

12% (2005 est.)

total number

72,818

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

6.3% (2009)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

69.3% (2008/09)

Death rate

6.58 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

18%

potential support ratio

5.6% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

44.8%

youth dependency ratio

26.9%

Drinking water source

urban: 84.3% of population

rural: 81.8% of population

total: 83.6% of population

urban: 15.7% of population

rural: 18.2% of population

total: 16.4% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

3.3% of GDP (2007)

Ethnic groups

Albanian 82.6%, Greek 0.9%, other 1% (including Vlach, Roma (Gypsy), Macedonian, Montenegrin, and Egyptian), unspecified 15.5% (2011 est.)

Health expenditures

5.9% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.04% (2013 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Hospital bed density

2.6 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

female

11.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

14.19 deaths/1,000 live births

total

12.75 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Albanian 98.8% (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek 0.5%, other 0.6% (including Macedonian, Roma, Vlach, Turkish, Italian, and Serbo-Croatian), unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

female

81.04 years (2015 est.)

male

75.49 years

total population

78.13 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

96.9% (2015 est.)

male

98.4%

total population

97.6%

Major urban areas - population

TIRANA (capital) 454,000 (2015)

Median age

female

33.3 years (2015 est.)

male

30.8 years

total

32 years

Nationality

adjective

Albanian

noun

Albanian(s)

Net migration rate

-3.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

18.1% (2014)

Physicians density

1.15 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

Population

3,029,278 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

0.3% (2015 est.)

Religions

Muslim 56.7%, Roman Catholic 10%, Orthodox 6.8%, atheist 2.5%, Bektashi (a Sufi order) 2.1%, other 5.7%, unspecified 16.2%

note

all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 95.5% of population

rural: 90.2% of population

total: 93.2% of population

urban: 4.5% of population

rural: 9.8% of population

total: 6.8% of population (2015 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.12 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.06 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.91 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.89 male(s)/female

at birth

1.1 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.5 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

20.7% (2010 est.)

male

23.8%

total

22.5%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.21% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

57.4% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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

birthright citizenship

no

Constitution

several previous; latest approved by parliament 21 October 1998, adopted by popular referendum 22 November 1998, promulgated 28 November 1998; amended 2007, 2008, 2012 (2014)

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Albania

conventional short form

Albania

former

People's Socialist Republic of Albania

local long form

Republika e Shqiperise

local short form

Shqiperia

note

the English-language country name seems to be derived from the ancient Illyrian tribe of the Albani; the native name "Shqiperia" is popularly interpreted to mean "Land of the Eagles"

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Donald LU (since 13 January 2015)

embassy

Rruga e Elbasanit, 103, Tirana

FAX

[355] (4) 2232-222

mailing address

US Department of State, 9510 Tirana Place, Dulles, VA 20189-9510

telephone

[355] (4) 2247-285

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1312 18th Street NW, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20036

chief of mission

Ambassador Floreta FABER (since 18 May 2015)

consulate(s) general

New York

FAX

[1] (202) 628-7342

telephone

[1] (202) 223-4942

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by the Assembly

chief of state

President of the Republic Bujar NISHANI (since 24 July 2012)

election results

Bujar NISHANI elected president; Assembly vote - 73 on fourth round

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 one of three rounds or a simple majority in 2 additional rounds to become president; election last held in 4 rounds 30 May-11 June 2012 (next election to be held in 2017); 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); Deputy Prime Minister Niko PELESHI

Flag description

red with a black two-headed eagle in the center; the design is claimed to be that of 15th-century hero George 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"

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

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, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges, including a chairman); Court of Cassation (consists of 14 judges, including the chief justice)

judge selection and term of office

Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president with the consent of the Assembly to serve single 9-year terms; chairman elected by the People's Assembly for single 3-year term; Court of Cassation judges, including the chairman, appointed by the president with the consent of the Assembly to serve single, 9-year terms)

subordinate courts

Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms); note - in late 2008, Albania replaced its mixed member electoral system with a proportional representation system

election results

percent of vote by party - PS 41.36%, PD 30.63%, LSI 10.46%, PR 3.02%, PDIU 2.61%, other 11.92%; seats by party- PS 65, PD 50, LSI 16, PDIU 4, PR 3, other 2

elections

last held on 23 June 2013 (next to be held in 2017)

note

seats by parliamentary group as of April 2015 - ASHE 88, APMI 50, 2 - outside of the majority and opposition groups

National anthem

lyrics/music

Aleksander Stavre DRENOVA/Ciprian PORUMBESCU

name

"Hymni i Flamurit" (Hymn to the Flag)

note

adopted 1912

National holiday

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

National symbol(s)

double-headed eagle; national colors: red, black

Political parties and leaders

Christian Democratic Party or PDK [Nard NDOKA]

Democratic Party or PD [Lulzim BASHA]

Movement for National Development of LZHK [Dashamir SHEHI]

Republican Party or PR [Fatmir MEDIU]

Christian Democratic Party of PKD [Mark FRROKU]

Party for Justice, Integration and Unity or PDIU [Shpetim IDRIZI]

Socialist Movement for Integration or LSI [Ilir META]

Socialist Party or PS [Edi RAMA]

Union for Human Rights Party or PBDNJ [Vangjel DULE]

New Democratic Spirit or FRD [Bamir TOPI]

note

only the major parties of each coalition are listed

Political pressure groups and leaders

Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania or KSSH [Kol NIKOLLAJ]

Omonia [Vasil BOLLANO]

Union of Independent Trade Unions of Albania or BSPSH [Gezim KALAJA]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes; meat, dairy products; sheep

Budget

expenditures

$4.342 billion (2014 est.)

revenues

$3.495 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-6.3% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

2.25% (31 December 2014)

3% (31 December 2013)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

7% (31 December 2014 est.)

9.52% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

-$1.734 billion (2014 est.)

-$1.374 billion (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$8.782 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$8.209 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

26.9 (2012 est.)

34.5 (2008 est.)

Economy - overview

Albania, a formerly closed, centrally-planned state, is a developing country with a modern open-market economy. Albania managed to weather the first waves of the global financial crisis but, more recently, its negative effects have put some pressure on the Albanian economy, resulting in a significant economic slowdown. While the government is focused on establishing a favorable business climate through the simplification of licensing requirements and tax codes, it entered into a new arrangement with the IMF for additional financial and technical support. Remittances, a significant catalyst for economic growth, declined from 12-15% of GDP before the 2008 financial crisis to 5.7% of GDP in 2014, mostly from Albanians residing in Greece and Italy. The agricultural sector, which accounts for almost half of employment but only about one-fifth of GDP, is limited primarily to small family operations and subsistence farming, because of a lack of modern equipment, unclear property rights, and the prevalence of small, inefficient plots of land. Complex tax codes and licensing requirements, a weak judicial system, endemic corruption, poor enforcement of contracts and property issues, and antiquated infrastructure contribute to Albania's poor business environment and make attracting foreign investment difficult. Inward FDI has significantly increased in recent years as the government has embarked on an ambitious program to improve the business climate through fiscal and legislative reforms. Albania’s electricity supply is uneven despite upgraded transmission capacities with neighboring countries. Technical and non-technical losses in electricity - including theft and non-payment - continue to undermine the financial viability of the entire system, although the government has taken steps to stem non-technical losses and begin to upgrade the distribution grid. Also, with help from international donors, the government is taking steps to improve the poor national road and rail network, a long-standing barrier to sustained economic growth. The country will continue to face challenges from increasing public debt, having exceeded its former statutory limit of 60% of GDP in 2013 and reaching 72% in 2014. Strong trade, remittance, and banking sector ties with Greece and Italy make Albania vulnerable to spillover effects of debt crises and weak growth in the euro zone. The government will face critical tests in 2015 as it works to implement IMF-mandated reforms, especially those aimed at improving the electricity sector.

Exchange rates

leke (ALL) per US dollar -

105.48 (2014 est.)

105.67 (2013 est.)

108.19 (2012 est.)

100.9 (2011 est.)

103.94 (2010 est.)

Exports

$2.431 billion (2014 est.)

$2.331 billion (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

textiles, footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco

Exports - partners

Italy 45.2%, Kosovo 7.6%, China 7.4%, Spain 6.7%, Greece 4.6% (2014)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

(2013 est.)

exports of goods and services

35.1%

government consumption

10.9%

household consumption

78.3%

imports of goods and services

-52.9%

investment in fixed capital

25.9%

investment in inventories

2.6%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

(2013 est.)

agriculture

22.6%

industry

15.1%

services

62.4%

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$11,400 (2014 est.)

$11,100 (2013 est.)

$11,000 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

1.9% (2014 est.)

1.4% (2013 est.)

1.6% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$13.26 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$30.66 billion (2014 est.)

$29.54 billion (2013 est.)

$28.98 billion (2012 est.)

unreported output may be as large as 50% of official GDP

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

17% of GDP (2014 est.)

17.8% of GDP (2013 est.)

19.9% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

20.5% (2012)

lowest 10%

4.1%

Imports

$5.25 billion (2014 est.)

$4.894 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals

Imports - partners

Italy 35.4%, Greece 11%, China 8%, Turkey 6.7%, Germany 4.3% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

2.4% (2014 est.)

Industries

food and tobacco products; textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.6% (2014 est.)

2% (2013 est.)

Labor force

1.295 million (2014 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

41.8%

industry

11.4%

services

46.8% (2015 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

14.3% (2012 est.)

Public debt

72% of GDP (2014 est.)

70.1% of GDP (2013 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$2.908 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$2.674 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of broad money

$6.863 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$6.556 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$5.557 billion (31 December 2013)

$4.994 billion (31 December 2012)

Stock of domestic credit

$5.313 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$5.171 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$3.355 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$2.791 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

26% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

18% (2014 est.)

17.1% (2013 est.)

note

these are official rates that may not include those working at near-subsistence farming

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

3.962 million Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

23,320 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - production

26,600 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

168.3 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)

Electricity - consumption

7.793 billion kWh (2014 est.)

Electricity - exports

288.5 million kWh (2014 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

5.2% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

94.8% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

Electricity - imports

3.355 billion kWh (2014 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

1.878 million kW (2013 est.)

Electricity - production

4.726 billion kWh (2014 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

10 million cu m (2011 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - production

10 million cu m (2011 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

849.5 million cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

28,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

68 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

22,810 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

3,121 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Broadcast media

3 public TV networks, one of which transmits by satellite to Albanian-language communities in neighboring countries; more than 60 private TV stations; many viewers can pick up Italian and Greek TV broadcasts via terrestrial reception; cable TV service is available; 2 public radio networks and roughly 25 private radio stations; several international broadcasters are available (2010)

Internet country code

.al

Internet users

percent of population

56.5% (2014 est.)

total

1.7 million

Radio broadcast stations

AM 13, FM 46, shortwave 1 (2005)

Telephone system

domestic

offsetting the shortage of fixed-line capacity, mobile-cellular phone service has been available since 1996; by 2011, multiple companies were providing mobile services, and mobile teledensity had reached 100 per 100 persons; Internet broadband services initiated in 2005, but growth has been slow; Internet cafes are popular in Tirana and have started to spread outside the capital

general assessment

despite new investment in fixed lines, teledensity remains low with roughly 10 fixed lines per 100 people; mobile-cellular telephone use is widespread and generally effective

international

country code - 355; submarine cable provides connectivity to Italy, Croatia, and Greece; the Trans-Balkan Line, 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 (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

8 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

250,000

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

111 (2014 est.)

total

3.4 million

Television broadcast stations

65 (3 national, 62 local); 2 cable networks (2005)

Airports

4 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1 (2013)

2,438 to 3,047 m

3

total

4

Airports - with unpaved runways

914 to 1,523 m

1 (2012)

total

1

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 16, roll on/roll off 1

foreign-owned

1 (Turkey 1)

registered in other countries

5 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Panama 4) (2010)

total

17

Pipelines

gas 331 km; oil 249 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore

Railways

standard gauge

677 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)

total

677 km

Roadways

paved

7,020 km

total

18,000 km

unpaved

10,980 km (2002)

Waterways

41 km (on the Bojana River) (2011)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

780,216 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

731,111

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

660,715 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

622,379

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

29,533 (2010 est.)

male

31,986

Military branches

Land Forces Command, Navy Force Command, Air Forces Command (2013)

Military expenditures

0.85% of GDP (2015)

1.04% of GDP (2014)

1.5% of GDP (2013)

1.47% of GDP (2012)

1.52% of GDP (2011)

Military service age and obligation

19 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; 18 is the legal minimum age in case of general/partial compulsory mobilization (2012)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

increasingly active transshipment point for Southwest Asian opiates, hashish, and cannabis transiting the Balkan route and - to a lesser extent - cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe; limited opium and expanding cannabis production; ethnic Albanian narcotrafficking organizations active and expanding in Europe; vulnerable to money laundering associated with regional trafficking in narcotics, arms, contraband, and illegal aliens

Refugees and internally displaced persons

stateless persons

7,443 (2014)