Albania

Albania Background

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 to be acceptable and a step toward democratic development, but identified serious deficiencies. Some of these were addressed through reforms in the Albanian electoral code prior to the nationwide municipal elections in 2003.

Albania Information

• Population: 3,544,808 (July 2004 est.)
• Nationality: noun: Albanian(s) adjective: Albanian
• Location:: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro
• 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,
• Ethnic Groups:: Albanian 95%, Greek 3%, other 2% (Vlach, Roma (Gypsy), Serb, Macedonian, and Bulgarian) (1989 est.) note: in 1989, other estimates of the Greek population ranged from 1% (official Albanian statistics) to 12% (from a Greek organization)
• Land Boundaries:: total: 720 km border countries: Greece 282 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 151 km, Serbia and Montenegro 287 km
• Area: total: 28,748 sq km water: 1,350 sq km land: 27,398 sq km
• Coast Line: 362 km
• 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
• Maritime Claims: territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
• Land Use: arable land: 21.09% permanent crops: 4.42% other: 74.49% (2001)
• Environmental Issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents
• Natural Resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower
• Highways: total: 18,000 km paved: 5,400 km unpaved: 12,600 km (2000)
• Railways: total: 447 km standard gauge: 447 km 1.435-m gauge (2003)
• Ports & Harbours: Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore
• Airports: 11 (2003 est.)