Albania
Republic of Albania
Capital: Tirana (Tirane)
History
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, 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, each of Albania's post-Communist elections have been marred by claims of electoral fraud. The 2009 general elections resulted in a coalition government, the first such in the country's history. 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.
Geography
Metric Units
|
Total Area
|
28,748
sq km
|
| Land Boundaries |
717
km
|
| Border Countries |
Greece 282 km, Macedonia 151 km, Montenegro 172 km, Kosovo 112 km |
| Coastline |
362
km
|
| Terrain |
mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast |
| Minimum Elevation |
0
m
|
| Maximum Elevation |
2,764
m
|
| Climate |
mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter |
| Natural Resources |
petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower |
| Arable Land |
21.63% |
| Permanent Crops |
2.57% |
Economy
Budget & Debt
Trade
| Exports |
$2.12 billion |
| Export Items |
textiles and footwear |
| Export Partners |
Italy 45.3%, China 7.8%, Turkey 6.3%, Greece 5.2%, Spain 5.1%, India 4.6% (2011) |
| Imports |
$5.22 billion |
| Import Items |
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals |
| Import Partners |
Italy 33%, Greece 12.2%, China 5.9%, Turkey 5.6%, Germany 4.3% (2011) |
People
| Population |
3,011,405 |
| Population Growth |
0.29% |
| Ethnic Groups |
Albanian 95%, Greek 3%, other 2% (Vlach, Roma (Gypsy), Serb, Macedonian, Bulgarian) (1989 est.) |
| Religion |
Muslim 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10% |
| Life Expectancy |
77.77 years |
| Infant Mortality |
0.98 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality |
2.3 deaths/100,000 live births |
Energy
