| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Europe |
| Geographical Location |
41° 00' North Latitude
20° 00' East Longitude |
| Surface Area |
28.748 sq km |
| 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 |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
Republic of Albania |
| Capital City |
Tirana |
| Government Type |
Emerging democracy |
| Administrative Divisions |
12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Qarku i Beratit, Qarku i Dibres, Qarku i Durresit, Qarku i Elbasanit, Qarku i Fierit, Qarku i Gjirokastres,
Qarku i Korces, Qarku i Kukesit, Qarku i Lezhes, Qarku i Shkodres, Qarku i Tiranes, Qarku i Vlores |
| Independence Day |
28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
3,563,112 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Albanian |
| Ethnic Groups |
Albanian 95%, Greek 3%, other 2% (Vlach, Roma (Gypsy), Serb, and Macedonian or Bulgarian) (1989 Estimate) |
| Religion |
Muslim 70% , Albanian Orthodox 20% , Roman Catholic 10% |
| Languages |
Albanian (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek, Vlach, Romani, Slavic dialects |
| Population Growth Rate |
0.52% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
lek (ALL) |
| Industries |
Food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower |
| Labor Force |
1.09 million (not including 352,000 emigrant workers) (2004 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 57% , non-agricultural private sector 20% , public sector 23% (2004 est.) |
| Agriculture Products |
Wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes; meat, dairy products |
| Export Commodities |
Textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco |
| Export Partners |
Italy 71.9%, Greece 6.3%, Canada 4.4% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals |
| Import Partners |
Italy 36%, Greece 20.4%, Turkey 8.1%, Germany 5.5% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
447 km |
| Highways |
18.000 km |
| Pipelines |
Gas 339 km ; Oil 207 km (2004) |
| Airports |
11 (2004 Estimate) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Durres , Sarande , Shengjin , Vlore |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+355 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.al |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
Between 1990 and 1992 Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic Communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven
difficult as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, a dilapidated infrastructure, powerful
organized crime networks with links to high government officials, and disruptive political opponents. International observers judged parliamentary
elections in 2001 and local elections in 2003 to be acceptable and a step toward democratic development, but identified serious deficiencies.
Many of these deficiencies have been addressed through bi-partisan changes to the electoral code in 2003 and 2005, but implementation of these
changes will not be demonstrated until parliamentary elections in July 2005. |
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