border countries: Greece 282 km, Macedonia 151 km, Serbia and
Montenegro 287 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: 21.09% permanent crops: 4.42% other: 74.49% (2001)
Irrigated land:
3,400 sq km (1998 est.)
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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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 Albania
Population:
3,544,808 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 26.4% (male 489,363; female 446,586)
15–64 years: 65.3% (male 1,184,670; female 1,130,065)
65 years and over: 8.3% (male 135,177; female 158,947) (2004 est.)
Median age:
total: 28.2 years
male: 27.6 years
female: 28.7 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.51% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:
15.08 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate:
5.02 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate:
−4.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 22.31 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 21.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 23.01 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.06 years
male: 74.37 years
female: 80.02 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.05 children born/woman (2004 est.)
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, and
Macedonian or 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: 86.5%
male: 93.3%
female: 79.5% (2003 est.)
Government Albania
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Albania
conventional short form: Albania
local short form: Shqiperia
former: People's Socialist Republic of Albania
local long form: Republika e Shqiperise
Government type:
emerging democracy
Capital:
Tirana
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:
28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 28 November (1912)
Constitution:
a constitution was adopted by popular referendum on 28 November 1998
Legal system:
has a civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction; has accepted jurisdiction of the International
Criminal Court for its citizens
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President of the Republic Alfred MOISIU (since 24
July