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Albania Index
One of the major legacies of nearly five centuries of
Ottoman
rule was the conversion of up to 70 percent of the
Albanian
population to Islam. Therefore, at independence the
country
emerged as a predominantly Muslim nation, the only Islamic
state
in Europe. No census taken by the communist regime after
it
assumed power in 1944 indicated the religious affiliations
of the
people. It has been estimated that of a total population
of
1,180,500 at the end of World War II, about 826,000 were
Muslims,
212,500 were Orthodox, and 142,000 were Roman Catholics.
The
Muslims were divided into two groups: about 600,000
adherents of
the
Sunni (see
Glossary) branch and more than 220,000
followers
of a dervish order known as
Bektashi (see
Glossary), which
was an
offshoot of the
Shia (see Glossary)
branch. Bektashism was
regarded as a tolerant Muslim sect that also incorporated
elements of paganism and Christianity.
Christianity was introduced during Roman rule. After
the
division of the Roman Empire in 395, Albania became
politically a
part of the Eastern, or Byzantine, Empire, but remained
ecclesiastically dependent on Rome. When the final schism
occurred in 1054 between the Roman and Eastern churches,
the
Christians in southern Albania came under the jurisdiction
of the
ecumenical patriarch in
Constantinople
(see Glossary), and
those
in the north came under the purview of the papacy in Rome.
This
arrangement prevailed until the Ottoman invasions of the
fourteenth century, when the Islamic faith was introduced.
The
apostasy of the people took many decades.
In the mountainous north, the propagation of Islam was
strongly opposed by Roman Catholics. Gradually, however,
backwardness, illiteracy, the absence of an educated
clergy, and
material inducements weakened resistance. Coerced
conversions
sometimes occurred, especially when foreign Roman Catholic
powers, such as the Venetian Republic, were at war with
the
Ottoman Empire. By the close of the seventeenth century,
the
Catholics in the north were outnumbered by the Muslims.
After the Ottoman conquest, thousands of Orthodox
Christians
fled from southern Albania to Sicily and southern Italy,
where
their descendants, most of whom joined the
Uniate Church
(see
Glossary), still constitute a sizable community.
Large-scale
forced conversions of the Orthodox Christians who remained
in
Albania did not occur until the seventeenth century and
the
Russo-Turkish wars of the eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries.
Pressure was put on this group because the Ottoman Turks
considered its members sympathetic to Orthodox Russia. The
situation of the Orthodox adherents improved temporarily
after
the Treaty of Kuchuk-Kainarji (1774), in which Russia was
recognized as the protector of the Orthodox followers in
the
Ottoman Empire. The most effective method employed by the
Ottoman
Turks in their missionary efforts, especially in the
central and
southern parts of the country, was the creation of a
titled
Muslim class of pashas and beys who were endowed with both
large
estates and extensive political and administrative powers.
Through their political and economic influence, these
nobles
controlled the peasants, large numbers of whom were
converted to
Islam either through coercion or the promise of economic
benefits.
In the period from independence to the communist
seizure of
power, the Muslim noble class constituted Albania's ruling
elite,
but this group never interfered with religious freedom,
which was
sanctioned by the various pre-World War II constitutions.
These
constitutions had stipulated that the country have no
official
religion, that all religions be respected, and that their
freedom
of exercise be assured. These provisions reflected the
true
feelings of the people who, whether Muslim, Orthodox, or
Roman
Catholic, were generally tolerant in religious matters.
For generations, religious pragmatism was a distinctive
trait
of the Albanians. Even after accepting Islam, many people
privately remained practicing Christians. As late as 1912,
in a
large number of villages in the Elbasan area, most men had
two
names, a Muslim one for public use and a Christian one for
private use. Adherence to ancient pagan beliefs also
continued
well into the twentieth century, particularly in the
northern
mountain villages, many of which were devoid of churches
and
mosques. A Roman Catholic intellectual, Vaso Pashko
(1825-92),
made the trenchant remark, later co-opted by Enver Hoxha,
that
"the religion of the Albanians is Albanianism."
Data as of April 1992
The eighteenth-century mosque of Ethem Bey on Skanderbeg
Square in the heart of Tiranë
Courtesy Charles Sudetic
The mosque of Ethem Bey (close-up)
Courtesy Charles Sudetic
Before 1944
One of the major legacies of nearly five centuries of
Ottoman
rule was the conversion of up to 70 percent of the
Albanian
population to Islam. Therefore, at independence the
country
emerged as a predominantly Muslim nation, the only Islamic
state
in Europe. No census taken by the communist regime after
it
assumed power in 1944 indicated the religious affiliations
of the
people. It has been estimated that of a total population
of
1,180,500 at the end of World War II, about 826,000 were
Muslims,
212,500 were Orthodox, and 142,000 were Roman Catholics.
The
Muslims were divided into two groups: about 600,000
adherents of
the
Sunni (see
Glossary) branch and more than 220,000
followers
of a dervish order known as
Bektashi (see
Glossary), which
was an
offshoot of the
Shia (see Glossary)
branch. Bektashism was
regarded as a tolerant Muslim sect that also incorporated
elements of paganism and Christianity.
Christianity was introduced during Roman rule. After
the
division of the Roman Empire in 395, Albania became
politically a
part of the Eastern, or Byzantine, Empire, but remained
ecclesiastically dependent on Rome. When the final schism
occurred in 1054 between the Roman and Eastern churches,
the
Christians in southern Albania came under the jurisdiction
of the
ecumenical patriarch in
Constantinople
(see Glossary), and
those
in the north came under the purview of the papacy in Rome.
This
arrangement prevailed until the Ottoman invasions of the
fourteenth century, when the Islamic faith was introduced.
The
apostasy of the people took many decades.
In the mountainous north, the propagation of Islam was
strongly opposed by Roman Catholics. Gradually, however,
backwardness, illiteracy, the absence of an educated
clergy, and
material inducements weakened resistance. Coerced
conversions
sometimes occurred, especially when foreign Roman Catholic
powers, such as the Venetian Republic, were at war with
the
Ottoman Empire. By the close of the seventeenth century,
the
Catholics in the north were outnumbered by the Muslims.
After the Ottoman conquest, thousands of Orthodox
Christians
fled from southern Albania to Sicily and southern Italy,
where
their descendants, most of whom joined the
Uniate Church
(see
Glossary), still constitute a sizable community.
Large-scale
forced conversions of the Orthodox Christians who remained
in
Albania did not occur until the seventeenth century and
the
Russo-Turkish wars of the eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries.
Pressure was put on this group because the Ottoman Turks
considered its members sympathetic to Orthodox Russia. The
situation of the Orthodox adherents improved temporarily
after
the Treaty of Kuchuk-Kainarji (1774), in which Russia was
recognized as the protector of the Orthodox followers in
the
Ottoman Empire. The most effective method employed by the
Ottoman
Turks in their missionary efforts, especially in the
central and
southern parts of the country, was the creation of a
titled
Muslim class of pashas and beys who were endowed with both
large
estates and extensive political and administrative powers.
Through their political and economic influence, these
nobles
controlled the peasants, large numbers of whom were
converted to
Islam either through coercion or the promise of economic
benefits.
In the period from independence to the communist
seizure of
power, the Muslim noble class constituted Albania's ruling
elite,
but this group never interfered with religious freedom,
which was
sanctioned by the various pre-World War II constitutions.
These
constitutions had stipulated that the country have no
official
religion, that all religions be respected, and that their
freedom
of exercise be assured. These provisions reflected the
true
feelings of the people who, whether Muslim, Orthodox, or
Roman
Catholic, were generally tolerant in religious matters.
For generations, religious pragmatism was a distinctive
trait
of the Albanians. Even after accepting Islam, many people
privately remained practicing Christians. As late as 1912,
in a
large number of villages in the Elbasan area, most men had
two
names, a Muslim one for public use and a Christian one for
private use. Adherence to ancient pagan beliefs also
continued
well into the twentieth century, particularly in the
northern
mountain villages, many of which were devoid of churches
and
mosques. A Roman Catholic intellectual, Vaso Pashko
(1825-92),
made the trenchant remark, later co-opted by Enver Hoxha,
that
"the religion of the Albanians is Albanianism."
Data as of April 1992
- Albania-Tourism
- Albania-Council of Ministers and People's Councils
- Albania -COUNTRY PROFILE
- Albania
- Albania-ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- Albania-Women in the Work Force
- Albania-ECONOMY
- Albania-Imposition of the Stalinist System
- Albania-Education under Communist Rule
- Albania-Construction
- Albania-Currency and Monetary Policy
- Albania-THE ANCIENT ILLYRIANS
- Albania-Domestic Repression under Hoxha and Alia
- Albania-Structure and Marketing of Agricultural Output
- Albania-Chapter 1 - Historical Setting
- Albania-Union of Albanian Women
- Albania-The Rise of Albanian Nationalism
- Albania-The Precommunist Albanian Economy
- Albania-Foreign Trade Balance and Balance of Payments
- Albania-Political Control
- Albania-TRANSPORTATION AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
- Albania-Drainage
- Albania-Food Processing
- Albania-Albania after World War II
- Albania-Albanians in Kosovo
- Albania-The Communist Takeover of Albania
- Albania-World War II
- Albania-Albanians under Ottoman Rule
- Albania-The Cultural and Ideological Revolution
- Albania-RETAIL TRADE, SERVICES, AND TOURISM
- Albania-Mechanization
- Albania-Human Rights
- Albania-Foreign Assistance
- Albania-Before 1944 RELIGION
- Albania-Air Transportation
- Albania-THE GOVERNMENT APPARATUS
- Albania-Government Revenues and Expenditures
- Albania-Albania and the Soviet Union
- Albania-REFORM POLITICS
- Albania-Consolidation of Power and Initial Reforms
- Albania-Trade Partners
- Albania-Medical Care and Nutrition HEALTH AND WELFARE
- Albania-Italian Penetration
- Albania-The Ottoman Conquest of Albania
- Albania-FOREIGN POLICY
- Albania-Water Transportation
- Albania-Postwar Development
- Albania-WORK FORCE AND STANDARD OF LIVING
- Albania-THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS AND THE MIDDLE AGES
- Albania-The Break with China and Self-Reliance
- Albania-Forests
- Albania-Ownership and Private Property
- Albania-World War I and Its Effects on Albania
- Albania-Conscript Training
- Albania-Trade Unions
- Albania-Albania's Reemergence after World War I
- Albania-Further Moves Toward Democracy
- Albania-WORLD WAR II AND THE RISE OF COMMUNISM, 1941-44
- Albania-Retail Trade and Services
- Albania-Albania and China
- Albania-Finance and Banking
- Albania-POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
- Albania-The Land
- Albania-Languages and Dialects
- Albania-INTERWAR ALBANIA, 1918-41
- Albania-MASS ORGANIZATIONS
- Albania-Dependence on the Soviet Union, 1948-60
- Albania-Manufacturing
- Albania-Land Distribution and Agricultural Organization
- Albania-Population THE ALBANIAN PEOPLE
- Albania-TRANSPORTATION AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
- Albania-INDUSTRY
- Albania-Enterprises and Firms
- Albania-Fisheries
- Albania-Government and Politics
- Albania-People's Army
- Albania-Topography
- Albania-Local Albanian Leaders in the Early Nineteenth Century
- Albania-Settlement Patterns
- Albania-DEFENSE ORGANIZATION
- Albania-Paramilitary Training
- Albania-Military Schools
- Albania-People's Assembly
- Albania-Energy and Natural Resources
- Albania-The Coalition Government of 1991
- Albania-Union of Albanian Working Youth
- Albania-ECONOMIC SYSTEM
- Albania-DEVELOPMENT OF THE ARMED FORCES
- Albania-Chapter 4 - Government and Politics
- Albania-Black Market
- Albania-Social and Economic Conditions after World War I
- Albania-Italian Occupation
- Albania-Democratic Front
- Albania-Road Transportation
- Albania-Albanian-Yugoslav Tensions
- Albania-Light Industry
- Albania-Frontier Guards
- Albania-Fertilizers, Pesticides, and Seeds
- Albania-THE ALBANIAN LANDS UNDER OTTOMAN DOMINATION, 1385-1876
- Albania-Governmental Bodies and Control
- Albania-Traditional Social Patterns and Values SOCIAL SYSTEM
- Albania-Railroads
- Albania-NATIONAL SECURITY
- Albania-Population and Work Force
- Albania-Military Manpower
- Albania
- Albania-Greeks and Other Minorities
- Albania-Directorate of State Security
- Albania-United Trade Unions of Albania
- Albania-INTERNAL SECURITY
- Albania-SOCIETY
- Albania-Naval Forces
- Albania-Environmental Problems
- Albania
- Albania-Courts
- Albania-INTRODUCTION
- Albania
- Albania-Alia Takes Over
- Albania
- Albania-Shifting Alliances
- Albania-Climate
- Albania
- Albania-ALBANIA
- Albania-Dependence on Yugoslavia, 1945-48
- Albania-Social Insurance
- Albania-ECONOMIC POLICY AND PERFORMANCE
- Albania-Social Structure under Communist Rule
- Albania-PreCommunist Era EDUCATION
- Albania
- Albania-Foreign Trade Organization
- Albania-Military Budget and the Economy
- Albania-GEOGRAPHY
- Albania-Alia's Pragmatism
- Albania-Auxiliary Police
- Albania-Multiparty System
- Albania-AGRICULTURE
- Albania-Savings
- Albania
- Albania-Housing
- Albania-EVOLUTION OF NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY
- Albania
- Albania-Ground Forces
- Albania
- Albania-FOREWARD
- Albania-Telecommunications
- Albania-Livestock and Pasturelands
- Albania-ORIGINS OF THE POLITICAL SYSTEM
- Albania-MASS MEDIA
- Albania
- Albania-Standard of Living
- Albania-COMMUNIST ALBANIA
- Albania
- Albania-The Communist and Nationalist Resistance
- Albania-Dependence on China, 1961-78
- Albania-Chapter 2 - The Society and its Environment
- Albania
- Albania-Hoxha's Antireligious Campaign
- Albania
- Albania-Prices and Wages
- Albania-NATIONAL AWAKENING AND THE BIRTH OF ALBANIA, 1876-1918
- Albania-Penal Code
- Albania-Domestic Consumption
- Albania-Chapter 5 - National Security
- Albania-People's Police
- Albania
- Albania-Chapter 3 - The Economy
- Albania-Zog's Kingdom
- Albania-FOREIGN ECONOMIC RELATIONS
- Albania-Security Forces
- Albania-Activities of Foreign Companies in Albania
- Albania-The Revival of Religion
- Albania
- Albania-PROSPECTS FOR REFORM
- Albania-ALBANIA'S COMMUNIST PARTY
- Albania-The Hoxha Regime
Background | | 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, a dilapidated physical 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, there have been claims of electoral fraud in every one of Albania's post-communist elections. In the 2005 general elections, the Democratic Party and its allies won a decisive victory on pledges to reduce crime and corruption, promote economic growth, and decrease the size of government. The election, and particularly the orderly transition of power, was considered an important step forward. 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.
|
Location | | Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece in the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north
|
Area(sq km) | | total: 28,748 sq km land: 27,398 sq km water: 1,350 sq km
|
Geographic coordinates | | 41 00 N, 20 00 E
|
Land boundaries(km) | | total: 717 km border countries: Greece 282 km, Macedonia 151 km, Montenegro 172 km, Kosovo 112 km
|
Coastline(km) | | 362 km
|
Climate | | mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter
|
Elevation extremes(m) | | 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: 20.1% permanent crops: 4.21% other: 75.69% (2005)
|
Irrigated land(sq km) | | 3,530 sq km (2003)
|
Total renewable water resources(cu km) | | 41.7 cu km (2001)
|
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) | | total: 1.71 cu km/yr (27%/11%/62%) per capita: 546 cu m/yr (2000)
|
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: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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)
|
Population | | 3,639,453 (July 2009 est.)
|
Age structure(%) | | 0-14 years: 23.1% (male 440,528/female 400,816) 15-64 years: 67.1% (male 1,251,001/female 1,190,841) 65 years and over: 9.8% (male 165,557/female 190,710) (2009 est.)
|
Median age(years) | | total: 29.9 years male: 29.3 years female: 30.6 years (2009 est.)
|
Population growth rate(%) | | 0.546% (2009 est.)
|
Birth rate(births/1,000 population) | | 15.29 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
|
Death rate(deaths/1,000 population) | | 5.55 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
|
Net migration rate(migrant(s)/1,000 population) | | -4.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
|
Urbanization(%) | | urban population: 47% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: 1.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
|
Sex ratio(male(s)/female) | | 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: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
|
Infant mortality rate(deaths/1,000 live births) | | total: 18.62 deaths/1,000 live births male: 19.05 deaths/1,000 live births female: 18.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
|
Life expectancy at birth(years) | | total population: 77.96 years male: 75.28 years female: 80.89 years (2009 est.)
|
Total fertility rate(children born/woman) | | 2.01 children born/woman (2009 est.)
|
Nationality | | noun: Albanian(s) adjective: Albanian
|
Ethnic groups(%) | | Albanian 95%, Greek 3%, other 2% (Vlach, Roma (Gypsy), Serb, Macedonian, 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
|
Country name | | conventional long form: Republic of Albania conventional short form: Albania local long form: Republika e Shqiperise local short form: Shqiperia former: People's Socialist Republic of Albania
|
Government type | | emerging democracy
|
Capital | | name: Tirana (Tirane) geographic coordinates: 41 19 N, 19 49 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
|
Administrative divisions | | 12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Berat, Diber, Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Korce, Kukes, Lezhe, Shkoder, Tirane, Vlore
|
Constitution | | approved by parliament on 21 October 1998; adopted by popular referendum on 22 November 1998; promulgated 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 Bamir TOPI (since 24 July 2007) head of government: Prime Minister Sali BERISHA (since 10 September 2005) cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by parliament elections: president elected by the Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); four election rounds held between 8 and 20 July 2007 (next election to be held in 2012); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Bamir TOPI elected president; Assembly vote, fourth round (three-fifths majority (84 votes) required): Bamir TOPI 85 votes, Neritan CEKA 5 votes
|
Legislative branch | | unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; 100 members elected by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 28 June 2009 (next to be held in 2013) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PD 68, PS 64, LSI 4, other 4 note: Parliament in November 2008 approved an electoral reform package that transformed the electoral system from a majority system to a regional proportional system; the code also established an electoral threshold limiting smaller party representation
|
Judicial branch | | Constitutional Court, Supreme Court (chairman is elected by the People's Assembly for a four-year term) and multiple appeals and district courts
|
Political pressure groups and leaders | | Citizens Advocacy Office [Kreshnik SPAHIU]; Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania or KSSH [Kastriot MUCO]; Front for Albanian National Unification or FBKSH [Gafur ADILI]; Mjaft Movement; Omonia [Jani JANI]; Union of Independent Trade Unions of Albania or BSPSH [Gezim KALAJA]
|
International organization participation | | BSEC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, NATO, OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
|
Flag description | | red with a black two-headed eagle in the center; the design is claimed to be that of 15th-century hero George Castriota SKANDERBERG, who led a successful uprising against the Turks that resulted in a short-lived independence for some Albanian regions (1443-1478)
|
Economy - overview | | Lagging behind its Balkan neighbors, Albania is making the difficult transition to a more modern open-market economy. Macroeconomic growth has averaged around 5% over the last five years and inflation is low and stable. The government has taken measures to curb violent crime, and recently adopted a fiscal reform package aimed at reducing the large gray economy and attracting foreign investment. The economy is bolstered by annual remittances from abroad representing about 15% of GDP, mostly from Albanians residing in Greece and Italy; this helps offset the towering trade deficit. The agricultural sector, which accounts for over half of employment but only about one-fifth of GDP, is limited primarily to small family operations and subsistence farming because of lack of modern equipment, unclear property rights, and the prevalence of small, inefficient plots of land. Energy shortages because of a reliance on hydropower, and antiquated and inadequate infrastructure contribute to Albania's poor business environment and lack of success in attracting new foreign investment. The completion of a new thermal power plant near Vlore has helped diversify generation capacity, and plans to upgrade transmission lines between Albania and Montenegro and Kosovo would help relieve the energy shortages. Also, with help from EU funds, the government is taking steps to improve the poor national road and rail network, a long-standing barrier to sustained economic growth.
|
GDP (purchasing power parity) | | $21.86 billion (2008 est.) $20.61 billion (2007 est.) $19.44 billion (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars Albania has an informal, and unreported, sector that may be as large as 50% of official GDP
|
GDP (official exchange rate) | | $12.96 billion (2008 est.)
|
GDP - real growth rate(%) | | 6.1% (2008 est.) 6% (2007 est.) 5.5% (2006 est.)
|
GDP - per capita (PPP) | | $6,000 (2008 est.) $5,700 (2007 est.) $5,400 (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars
|
GDP - composition by sector(%) | | agriculture: 20.5% industry: 19.8% services: 59.7% (2008 est.)
|
Labor force | | 1.103 million (not including 352,000 emigrant workers) (2007 est.)
|
Labor force - by occupation(%) | | agriculture: 58% industry: 15% services: 27% (September 2006 est.)
|
Unemployment rate(%) | | 12.5% (2008 est.) 13.2% (2007 est.) note: these are official rates, but actual rates may exceed 30% due to preponderance of near-subsistence farming
|
Population below poverty line(%) | | 25% (2004 est.)
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share(%) | | lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 25.9% (2005)
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index | | 26.7 (2005)
|
Investment (gross fixed)(% of GDP) | | 23.1% of GDP (2008 est.)
|
Budget | | revenues: $3.458 billion expenditures: $4.175 billion (2008 est.)
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices)(%) | | 3.4% (2008 est.) 2.9% (2007 est.)
|
Stock of money | | $3.028 billion (31 December 2008) $2.707 billion (31 December 2007)
|
Stock of quasi money | | $6.251 billion (31 December 2008) $6.433 billion (31 December 2007)
|
Stock of domestic credit | | $8.176 billion (31 December 2008) $7.247 billion (31 December 2007)
|
Market value of publicly traded shares | | $NA
|
Economic aid - recipient | | ODA: $318.7 million note: top donors were Italy, EU, Germany (2005 est.)
|
Public debt(% of GDP) | | 51.9% of GDP (2008 est.) 51.4% of GDP (2007 est.)
|
Agriculture - products | | wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes; meat, dairy products
|
Industries | | food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower
|
Industrial production growth rate(%) | | 3% (2008 est.)
|
Current account balance | | -$1.906 billion (2008 est.) -$1.202 billion (2007 est.)
|
Exports | | $1.345 billion (2008 est.) $1.076 billion (2007 est.)
|
Exports - commodities(%) | | textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco
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Exports - partners(%) | | Italy 55.9%, Greece 11.6%, China 7.2% (2008)
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Imports | | $4.898 billion (2008 est.) $3.999 billion (2007 est.)
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Imports - commodities(%) | | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals
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Imports - partners(%) | | Italy 32.2%, Greece 13.1%, Turkey 7.2%, Germany 6.6%, China 4.5%, Russia 4.4% (2008)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | | $2.364 billion (31 December 2008 est.) $2.162 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Debt - external | | $1.55 billion (2004)
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Exchange rates | | leke (ALL) per US dollar - 79.546 (2008 est.), 92.668 (2007), 98.384 (2006), 102.649 (2005), 102.78 (2004)
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Currency (code) | | lek (ALL) note: the plural of lek is leke
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Telephones - main lines in use | | 316,400 (2008)
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Telephones - mobile cellular | | 3.141 million (2008)
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Telephone system | | general assessment: despite new investment in fixed lines, the density of main lines remains low with roughly 10 lines per 100 people; cellular telephone use is widespread and generally effective; combined fixed line and mobile telephone density is approaching 100 telephones per 100 persons domestic: offsetting the shortage of fixed line capacity, mobile phone service has been available since 1996; by 2003, two companies were providing mobile services at a greater density than some of Albania's neighbors; Internet broadband services initiated in 2005; Internet cafes are popular in Tirana and have started to spread outside the capital international: country code - 355; submarine cable provides connectivity to Italy, Croatia, and Greece; the Trans-Balkan Line, a combination submarine cable and land fiber-optic system, provides additional connectivity to Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Turkey; international traffic carried by fiber-optic cable and, when necessary, by microwave radio relay from the Tirana exchange to Italy and Greece (2008)
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Internet country code | | .al
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Internet users | | 471,000 (2008)
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Airports | | 5 (2009)
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Pipelines(km) | | gas 339 km; oil 207 km (2008)
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Roadways(km) | | total: 18,000 km paved: 7,020 km unpaved: 10,980 km (2002)
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Ports and terminals | | Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore
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Military branches | | Joint Force Command (includes Land, Naval, and Aviation Brigade Commands), Joint Support Command (includes Logistic Command), Training and Doctrine Command (2009)
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Military service age and obligation(years of age) | | 19 years of age (2004)
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Manpower available for military service | | males age 16-49: 944,592 females age 16-49: 908,527 (2008 est.)
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Manpower fit for military service | | males age 16-49: 800,665 females age 16-49: 768,536 (2009 est.)
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Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually | | male: 34,778 female: 31,673 (2009 est.)
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Military expenditures(% of GDP) | | 1.49% of GDP (2005 est.)
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Disputes - international | | the Albanian Government calls for the protection of the rights of ethnic Albanians in neighboring countries, and the peaceful resolution of interethnic disputes; some ethnic Albanian groups in neighboring countries advocate for a "greater Albania," but the idea has little appeal among Albanian nationals; the mass emigration of unemployed Albanians remains a problem for developed countries, chiefly Greece and Italy
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Trafficking in persons | | current situation: Albania is a source country for women and girls trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor; it is no longer considered a major country of transit; Albanian victims are trafficked to Greece, Italy, Macedonia, and Kosovo, with many trafficked onward to Western European countries; children were also trafficked to Greece for begging and other forms of child labor; approximately half of all Albanian trafficking victims are under age 18; internal sex trafficking of women and children is on the rise tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Albania is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in persons in 2007, particularly in the area of victim protection; the government did not appropriately identify trafficking victims during 2007, and has not demonstrated that it is vigorously investigating or prosecuting complicit officials (2008)
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Electricity - production(kWh) | | 2.888 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - production by source(%) | | fossil fuel: 2.9% hydro: 97.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
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Electricity - consumption(kWh) | | 3.603 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - exports(kWh) | | 0 kWh (2008 est.)
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Electricity - imports(kWh) | | 2.475 billion kWh (2008 est.)
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Oil - production(bbl/day) | | 5,985 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil - consumption(bbl/day) | | 34,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil - exports(bbl/day) | | 748.9 bbl/day (2005 est.)
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Oil - imports(bbl/day) | | 24,080 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil - proved reserves(bbl) | | 199.1 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
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Natural gas - production(cu m) | | 30 million cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption(cu m) | | 30 million cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - exports(cu m) | | 0 cu m (2008)
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Natural gas - proved reserves(cu m) | | 849.5 million cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate(%) | | NA
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | | NA
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HIV/AIDS - deaths | | NA
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Literacy(%) | | definition: age 9 and over can read and write total population: 98.7% male: 99.2% female: 98.3% (2001 census)
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)(years) | | total: 11 years male: 11 years female: 11 years (2004)
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Education expenditures(% of GDP) | | 2.9% of GDP (2002)
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