Country Guide

Albania Facts

Geography People and Society Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

Geography

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


Geographic coordinates:
41 00 N, 20 00 E


Map references:
Europe


Area:
total:28,748 sq kmcountry comparison to the world: 145
land:27,398 sq km
water:1,350 sq km


Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland


Land boundaries:
total:691 km
border countries:Greece 212 km, Kosovo 112 km, Macedonia 181 km, Montenegro 186 km


Coastline:
362 km


Maritime claims:
territorial sea:12 nm
continental shelf:200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation


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) 2,764 m


    Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower


Land use:
arable land:21.63%
permanent crops:2.57%
other:75.79% (2011)


Irrigated land:
1,884 sq km (2006)


Total renewable water resources:
41.7 cu km (2011)


Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
41.7 cu km (2011)

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: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


Geography - note:
strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)

People and Society

Nationality:
noun: Albanian(s)
adjective:Albanian


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


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.)


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%


Population:
3,020,209 (July 2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 138


Age structure:
0-14 years:19.3% (male 307,275/female 274,634)
15-24 years:19.2% (male 297,851/female 282,498)
25-54 years:40% (male 574,820/female 633,729)
55-64 years:10.5% (male 157,014/female 158,602)
65 years and over:11.1% (male 157,143/female 176,643) (2014 est.)


Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio:44.9 %
youth dependency ratio:29 %
elderly dependency ratio:15.9 %
potential support ratio:6.3 (2014 est.)


Median age:
total:31.6 years
male:30.3 years
female:32.9 years (2014 est.)


Population growth rate:
0.3% (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 172


Birth rate:
12.73 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 156


Death rate:
6.47 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 152


Net migration rate:
-3.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 184


Urbanization:
urban population:53.4% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization:2.27% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)


Major urban areas - population:
TIRANA (capital) 419,000 (2011)


Sex ratio:
at birth:1.11 male(s)/female
0-14 years:1.12 male(s)/female
15-24 years:1.05 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
total population:0.98 male(s)/female (2014 est.)


Mother's mean age at first birth:
23.4 (2010 est.)


Maternal mortality rate:
27 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)


Infant mortality rate:
total:13.19 deaths/1,000 live birthscountry comparison to the world: 120
male:14.68 deaths/1,000 live births
female:11.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)


    Life expectancy at birth:
total population:77.96 yearscountry comparison to the world: 60
male:75.33 years
female:80.86 years (2014 est.)


Total fertility rate:
1.5 children born/woman (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 191


Contraceptive prevalence rate:
69.3% (2008/09)


Health expenditures:
6.3% of GDP (2011)


Physicians density:
1.11 physicians/1,000 population (2011)


Hospital bed density:
2.4 beds/1,000 population (2011)


Drinking water source:
improved:
urban: 97.3% of population
rural: 93.8% of population
total: 95.7% of population
unimproved:
urban: 2.7% of population
rural: 6.2% of population
total: 4.3% of population (2012 est.)


Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 95.3% of population
rural: 86.3% of population
total: 91.2% of population
unimproved:
urban: 4.7% of population
rural: 13.7% of population
total: 8.8% of population (2012 est.)


HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA


HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA


HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA


Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
21.3% (2008)country comparison to the world: 88


Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
6.3% (2009)country comparison to the world: 80


Education expenditures:
3.3% of GDP (2007)country comparison to the world: 130

Literacy:
definition:age 9 and over can read and write
total population:96.8%
male:98%
female:95.7% (2011 est.)


School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total:10 years
male:10 years
female:10 years (2001)


Child labor - children ages 5-14:



Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
total:22.5%country comparison to the world: 50
male:23.8%
female:20.7% (2011)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Albania
conventional short form:Albania
local long form:Republika e Shqiperise
local short form:Shqiperia
former:People's Socialist Republic of Albania


Government type:
parliamentary democracy


Capital:
name:Tirana (Tirane)
geographic coordinates:41 19 N, 19 49 E
time difference:UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time:+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October


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


Independence:
28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)


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


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)


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


International law organization participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction


Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal


Executive branch:
chief of state:President of the Republic Bujar NISHANI (since 24 July 2012)
head of government:Prime Minister Edi Rama (since 10 September 2013)
cabinet:Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by parliament
elections:president is elected by the Assembly for a five-year term and is eligible for a second term (a candidate needs a three-fifths majority of the Assembly's 140 votes (84 votes) in one of the first three rounds of voting or a simple majority in round four or five to become president; up to five rounds of voting are held, if necessary); four election rounds held between 30 May and 11 June 2012 (next election to be held in 2017); prime minister appointed by the president on the proposal of the party or coalition of parties that has the majority of seats in the Assembly
election results:Bujar NISHANI elected president on fourth round of voting; Assembly vote (for first three rounds three-fifths majority, 84 votes, required; fourth round, a simple majority of votes is required): Bujar NISHANI 73 votes


Legislative branch:
unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 deputies elected through a regional proportional system from multi-name lists of parties or party coalitions according to their respective order; elected for a four-year term)
elections:last held on 23 June 2013 (next to be held in 2017)
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
note:seats by parliamentary group as of March 2014 - ASHE 85, APMI 55


    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


Political parties 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]


International organization participation:
BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EITI (candidate country), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), 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


Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission:Ambassador Gilbert GALANXHI (since 5 January 2011)
chancery:1312 18th Street NW, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20036
telephone:[1] (202) 223-4942
FAX:[1] (202) 628-7342
consulate(s) general:New York


Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:Ambassador Alexander ARVIZU (since 10 November 2010)
embassy:Rruga e Elbasanit, 103, Tirana
mailing address:US Department of State, 9510 Tirana Place, Dulles, VA 20189-9510
telephone:[355] (4) 2247-285
FAX:[355] (4) 2232-222


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 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 'Shqipetare,' which translates as 'sons of the eagle'


National symbol(s):
double-headed eagle


National anthem:
name:'Hymni i Flamurit' (Hymn to the Flag)

lyrics/music:Aleksander Stavre DRENOVA/Ciprian PORUMBESCU
note:adopted 1912

Economy

Economy - overview:
Albania, a formerly closed, centrally-planned state, is making the difficult transition to a more 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. 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 7% of GDP in 2012, 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, poor enforcement of contracts and property issues, and antiquated infrastructure contribute to Albania's poor business environment and makes attracting foreign investment more difficult. Inward FDI is among the lowest in the region, but the government has embarked on an ambitious program to improve the business climate through fiscal and legislative reforms. Albania’s energy supply has improved in recent years mostly due to upgraded transmission capacities that Albania has developed with its neighboring countries. However, technical and non-technical losses - including energy theft and non-payment - continue to be a threat to the financial viability of the entire system. 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. 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.


GDP (purchasing power parity):
$28.34 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
$28.14 billion (2012 est.)
$27.78 billion (2011 est.)
note:data are in 2013 US dollars
Albania has an informal, and unreported, sector that may be as large as 50% of official GDP


GDP (official exchange rate):
$12.8 billion (2013 est.)


GDP - real growth rate:
0.7% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 181
1.3% (2012 est.)
3.1% (2011 est.)


GDP - per capita (PPP):
$10,700 (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115
$10,400 (2012 est.)
$9,900 (2011 est.)
note:data are in 2013 US dollars


Gross national saving:
14.1% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113
13.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
13.6% of GDP (2011 est.)


GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption:87.6%
government consumption:8.4%
investment in fixed capital:25%
investment in inventories:-2.6%
exports of goods and services:36%
imports of goods and services:-54.4%
(2013 est.)


GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture:19.5%
industry:12%
services:68.5%
(2011 est.)


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


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


Industrial production growth rate:
3.1% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93

Labor force:
1.098 million (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140


Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture:54.6%
industry:12.8%
services:32.6%
(December 2012 est)


Unemployment rate:
16.9% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148
14.4% (2012 est.)
note:these are official rates that may not include those working at near-subsistence farming


    Population below poverty line:
14.3% (2012 est.)


Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%:3.5%
highest 10%:29% (2008)


Distribution of family income - Gini index:
34.5 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 92
26.7 (2005)


Budget:
revenues:$3.074 billion
expenditures:$3.858 billion (2013 est.)


Taxes and other revenues:
24% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-6.1% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 179


Public debt:
70.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
62.5% of GDP (2012 est.)


Fiscal year:
calendar year


Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.7% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
2.1% (2012 est.)


Central bank discount rate:
$NA (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
4% (31 December 2012 est.)


Commercial bank prime lending rate:
9.52% (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
10.28% (31 December 2012 est.)


Stock of narrow money:
$2.791 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
$2.652 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Stock of broad money:
$6.539 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118
$6.316 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Stock of domestic credit:
$5.17 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112
$5.233 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA


Current account balance:
-$1.28 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
-$1.316 billion (2012 est.)


Exports:
$2.323 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
$2.1 billion (2012 est.)


Exports - commodities:
textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco


Exports - partners:
Italy 51.1%, Spain 9.2%, Turkey 6.3%, Greece 4.4% (2012)


Imports:
$4.835 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130
$4.985 billion (2012 est.)


Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals


Imports - partners:
Italy 31.9%, Greece 9.5%, China 6.4%, Germany 6%, Turkey 5.7% (2012)


Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.827 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
$2.784 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Debt - external:
$3.213 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 135
$2.957 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$4.226 billion (31 December 2011)
country comparison to the world: 93
$3.534 billion (31 December 2010)


Exchange rates:
leke (ALL) per US dollar -
109.2 (2013 est.)
108.19 (2012 est.)
103.94 (2010 est.)
94.98 (2009)
79.546 (2008)

Energy

Electricity - production:
6.987 billion kWh (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110


Electricity - consumption:
4.551 billion kWh (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118


Electricity - exports:
1.424 billion kWh (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52


Electricity - imports:
2.322 billion kWh (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53


Electricity - installed generating capacity:
1.726 million kW (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107


Electricity - from fossil fuels:
5.6% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198


Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37


Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
94.4% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10


Electricity - from other renewable sources:
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 150


Crude oil - production:
23,930 bbl/day (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75


Crude oil - exports:
23,320 bbl/day (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53


Crude oil - imports:
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151


    Crude oil - proved reserves:
172.4 million bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62


Refined petroleum products - production:
3,121 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108


Refined petroleum products - consumption:
38,390 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109


Refined petroleum products - exports:
68 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119


Refined petroleum products - imports:
22,810 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100


Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97


Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117


Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56


Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152


Natural gas - proved reserves:
849.5 million cu m (1 January 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105


Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
4.183 million Mt (2011 est.)

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
312,000 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 114


Telephones - mobile cellular:
3.5 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 125


Telephone system:
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
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
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)



    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 hosts:
15,528 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 124


Internet users:
1.3 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 91

Transportation

Airports
4 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 183


Airports - with paved runways
total:4
2,438 to 3,047 m:3
1,524 to 2,437 m:1 (2013)


Airports - with unpaved runways
total:1
914 to 1,523 m:1 (2012)


Heliports
1 (2013)


Pipelines
gas 331 km; oil 249 km (2013)


Railways
total:339 kmcountry comparison to the world: 117
standard gauge:339 km 1.435-m gauge (2009)


Roadways
total:18,000 kmcountry comparison to the world: 116
paved:7,020 km
unpaved:10,980 km (2002)


    Waterways
41 km (on the Bojana River) (2011)
country comparison to the world: 104


Merchant marine
total:17country comparison to the world: 99
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)



Ports and terminals
major seaport(s):Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore

Military

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


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)


Manpower available for military service
males age 16-49:731,111
females age 16-49:780,216 (2010 est.)


Manpower fit for military service
males age 16-49:622,379
females age 16-49:660,715 (2010 est.)


    Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually
male:31,986
female:29,533 (2010 est.)


Military expenditures
1.47% of GDP (2012)
country comparison to the world: 63
1.52% of GDP (2011)
1.47% of GDP (2010)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international
none


Refugees and internally displaced persons
stateless persons:7,443 (2012)


    Trafficking in persons



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
 Information/ Data by CIA - The World Factbook