ALBANIA

GEOGRAPHY AND POPULATION

Official name: Republic of Albania
Capital: Tirana
Area: 28.748 sq. Km.
Population: 3. 069.000
Official language: Albanian
Monetary unit: Albanian Lek
Population distribution: Urban: 43.8%, Rural: 56.2%
Ethnic/cultural composition: Albanians (95%), Greeks (3%), other (2%).
Religion: Muslim (70%), Orthodox (20%) and Catholic (10%)
Human Development Index: Position no. 73/177
Annual population growth rate: 0.6% (2003-2015)
Fertility rate:  2.3 (2000-2005)
Life expectancy: 73.9 (2004)
Child mortality: 20 per 1000 inhabitants
GDP annual growth: 5%
GDP per capita: 4.978 USD (2004)  

GDP Distribution:
Primary Sector: 23.3%
Secondary Sector: 18.8 %
Tertiary Sector: 57.9%

Inflation: 2.5%  
External debt: 28% of GDP 
Unemployment rate: 14%
Access to drinking water: Urban: 99% / Rural: 95% (2002)

Geography

Albania is a mountainous country, being 70% of its territory at the altitude superior to 300 meters. Its mountains, forming ranges which extend from northeast to southeast, sharply rise from the coastal plains to the altitudes superior to 2.400 meters. The most populated area is the coastal lowlands in the west, a region where the most of the terrain is employed in agriculture. The most part of the soil is hard to cultivate due to the problems of drainage and watering. Its major rivers are Drin, Vijosë, Devoll and  Shkumbin. Albania has approximately 450 km of Adriatic coast.

Climate

In January, the coldest month of the year, the temperatures vary between 2º and 12º C. Average temperatures in the hottest month of August reach from 17º till 31º C. Regarding the precipitation, the coastal area averages 1.000 mm of rainfall annually, to more than 2500 mm in the upland mountain ranges.

Natural resources

Albania is a country rich in natural resources. There are large deposits of lignite close to Tirana, while close to Selenicë, there are deposits of natural asphalt. In the northeast, there are large reserves of mineral deposits such as chromite, copper, iron and nickel. Natural gas and petroleum are to be found in the southeast. For centuries the woods have been used as the source of supply of solid fuels - wood and wooden carbon.

SOCIAL AND POLITICAL DATA

Albania is in the process of transition and construction of a democratic society and a sustainable market economy. The communist heritage, characterized by its isolation from the exterior and excessive State control, reflects in a weak civil society and centralized government structures.
 
Important advances in all areas were reached over the past years, which helped Albania to reinforce its ties with the EU, having increasingly clearer perspective of European Integration. The signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU on June 12, 2006 should be emphasized in that regard as it represents a road map for the future of the country and its development.

Government: Albania is a parliamentary republic. The unicameral Parliament has 140 members: 100 delegates elected by direct voting and 40 by proportional voting elected every four years.
Administrative division: Albania is divided in 12 counties or prefectures (qarqe), which for their part are divided in 36 districts (rrethe). The capital Tirana has a special status.
Chief of State: Alfred Moisiu
Prime Minister: Sali Berisha

Information for the traveler

You can find more information in the document prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain.

Note: Information presented on this page was obtained thanks to the Reports prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain (MFA), World Bank (WB), The Fact Book, UNDP Human Development Report, European Commission.