Background:
|
| Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but was conquered by Italy in 1939. 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, a dilapidated physical 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, there have been claims of electoral fraud in every one of Albania's post-communist elections. In the 2005 general elections, the Democratic Party and its allies won a decisive victory on pledges to reduce crime and corruption, promote economic growth, and decrease the size of government. The election, and particularly the orderly transition of power, was considered an important step forward. Albania joined NATO in April 2009 and is a potential candidate for EU accession. Although Albania's economy continues to grow, the country is still one of the poorest in Europe, hampered by a large informal economy and an inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure.
|
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
Area:
|
|
total: 28,748 sq km
country comparison to the world: 151
land:
27,398 sq km
water:
1,350 sq km
|
|
|
Area - comparative:
|
|
slightly smaller than Maryland
|
|
|
Land boundaries:
|
|
total: 717 km
border countries:
Greece 282 km, Macedonia 151 km, Montenegro 172 km, Kosovo 112 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: 20.1%
permanent crops:
4.21%
other:
75.69% (2005)
|
|
|
Irrigated land:
|
|
3,530 sq km (2003)
|
|
|
Total renewable water resources:
|
|
41.7 cu km (2001)
|
|
|
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
|
|
total: 1.71 cu km/yr (27%/11%/62%)
per capita:
546 cu m/yr (2000)
|
|
|
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) |
|
|
|
Population:
|
| 3,639,453 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130
|
|
|
Age structure:
|
|
0-14 years: 23.1% (male 440,528/female 400,816)
15-64 years:
67.1% (male 1,251,001/female 1,190,841)
65 years and over:
9.8% (male 165,557/female 190,710) (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Median age:
|
|
total: 29.9 years
male:
29.3 years
female:
30.6 years (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Population growth rate:
|
|
0.546% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151
|
|
|
Birth rate:
|
|
15.29 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
|
|
|
Death rate:
|
|
5.55 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175
|
|
|
Net migration rate:
|
|
-4.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
|
|
|
Urbanization:
|
|
urban population: 47% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
1.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
|
|
|
Sex ratio:
|
|
at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.1 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.87 male(s)/female
total population:
1.04 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
|
total: 18.62 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 110
male:
19.05 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
18.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
|
total population: 77.96 years
country comparison to the world: 51
male:
75.28 years
female:
80.89 years (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Total fertility rate:
|
|
2.01 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
|
|
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
|
NA
|
|
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
|
NA
|
|
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
|
NA
|
|
|
Nationality:
|
|
noun: Albanian(s)
adjective:
Albanian
|
|
|
Ethnic groups:
|
|
Albanian 95%, Greek 3%, other 2% (Vlach, Roma (Gypsy), Serb, Macedonian, 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:
percentages are estimates; there are no available current statistics on religious affiliation; all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice
|
|
|
Languages:
|
|
Albanian (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek, Vlach, Romani, Slavic dialects
|
|
|
Literacy:
|
|
definition: age 9 and over can read and write
total population:
98.7%
male:
99.2%
female:
98.3% (2001 census)
|
|
|
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
|
|
total: 11 years
male:
11 years
female:
11 years (2004)
|
|
|
Education expenditures:
|
|
2.9% of GDP (2002)
country comparison to the world: 147
|
|
|
|
|
