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| Albania |
 Click to enlarge |
Home Reference Maps Appendixes
| 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 |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
41 00 N, 20 00 E |
| Map
references: |
Europe |
| Area: |
total: 28,748 sq km water: 1,350 sq km land: 27,398 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly smaller than Maryland |
| Land
boundaries: |
total: 720 km border countries: Greece 282 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 151 km, Serbia and Montenegro 287 km |
| Coastline: |
362 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation territorial sea: 12 NM |
| 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
resources: |
petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, timber, nickel, hydropower |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 21.09% permanent crops: 4.45% other: 74.46% (1998 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
3,400 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought |
| 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 |
| 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) |
| Population
growth rate: |
1.03% (2003 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
18.2 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
6.48 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-1.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| 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.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
total: 37.28 deaths/1,000 live births female: 34.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 39.68 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population: 72.37 years male: 69.53 years female: 75.42 years (2003 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
2.22 children born/woman (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 |
| Literacy: |
definition: age 9 and over can read and write total population: 86.5% male: 93.3% female: 79.5% (2003 est.) |
| 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 revive economic activity and trade. The economy is bolstered by remittances from abroad of $400-$600 million annually, mostly from Greece and Italy. 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. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $14 billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
5% (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $4,500 (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 49% industry: 27% services: 24% (2002 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
30% (2001 est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
6% (2002 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% |
| Unemployment
rate: |
17% officially; may be as high as 30% (2001 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $697 million expenditures: $1.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $368 million (2002 est.) |
| Industries: |
food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
9% (2000 est.) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes; meat, dairy products |
| Exports: |
$340 million f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco |
| Exports
- partners: |
Italy 71%, Greece 12%, Germany 7%, Yugoslavia 3% (2001) |
| Imports: |
$1.5 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals |
| Imports
- partners: |
Italy 32%, Greece 26%, Turkey 6%, Germany 6%, Bulgaria 2% (2001) |
| Debt
- external: |
$784 million (2000) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
ODA: $315 million (top donors were Italy, EU, Germany) (2000 est.) |
| Currency: |
lek (ALL) |
| Currency
code: |
ALL |
| Exchange
rates: |
leke per US dollar - NA (2002), 143.485 (2001), 143.709 (2000), 137.691 (1999), 150.633 (1998) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| |
