Alia and his political colleagues did not respond to
demands
by reformers for a multiparty system until the pressure
became
too great to resist. After the government was finally
forced to
introduce political pluralism and a multiparty system,
several
opposition parties were created. The first was the
Albanian
Democratic Party (ADP), formed on December 12, 1990. One
of the
founders of the party was the thirty-five-year-old Gramoz
Pashko,
a physician and a former APL member and son of a former
government official. The party's platform called for the
protection of human rights, a free-market economy, and
good
relations with neighboring countries. At the end of 1990,
the ADP
started organizing rallies in various cities intended to
help
people overcome their fear of expressing political views
after
decades of authoritarian control. Thousands of people
attended
the rallies. The ADP supported the rights of the large
Albanian
population in Kosovo, a province in the Serbian Republic
of
Yugoslavia, and advocated a reduction of the length of
military
service.
By early February 1991, the ADP had an estimated
membership
of 50,000 and was recognized as an important political
force both
at home and abroad. The ADP was led by a commission of six
men,
the most prominent of whom were Sali Berisha, a
cardiologist, and
Pashko. Berisha, a strong nationalist, vigorously defended
the
rights of the Albanian residents of Kosovo, and Pashko was
an
outspoken advocate of economic reform. The party's
newspaper,
Rilindja Demokratike, was outspoken in its political
commentary.
Its first issue, which appeared on January 5, 1991,
criticized
the government very aggressively.
The second main opposition party, the Republican Party,
headed by Sabri Godo, was founded in January 1991. The
Republican
Party, which soon had branches in all districts of the
country,
advocated a more gradual approach to reform than that
espoused by
the ADP. Several other opposition parties with reform
platforms
were formed; they include the Agrarian Party, the Ecology
Party,
the National Unity Party, and the Social Democratic Party.
Albania held its first multiparty elections since the
1920s
in 1991. The elections were for the 250 seats in the
unicameral
People's Assembly. The first round was held in February
and
runoff elections took place on March 31, and a final round
was
held in April. Staff members of the CSCE observed the
voting and
counting of ballots on election day. They found that the
process
was orderly, although some complaints of irregularities
were
reported. The turnout was an extremely high 98.9 percent.
The APL
emerged as the clear victor, winning some two-thirds of
the
seats. The margin enabled it to maintain control of the
government and choose a president, Ramiz Alia, who had
previously
been chairman of the Presidium of the earlier People's
Assembly.
The ADP captured 30 percent of the seats in the
People's
Assembly, as opposed to 67.6 percent acquired by the APL.
Although the APL bore the burden of being the party
responsible
for past repression and the severe economic woes of
Albania, it
nonetheless represented stability amidst chaos to many
people.
This fact was particularly true in the countryside, where
the
conservative peasantry showed little inclination for
substantial
changes in their way of life. Another advantage for the
APL was
its control of most of the media, particularly the
broadcast
media, to which the opposition parties had little access.
It was
therefore able to manipulate radio and television to its
advantage.
Although many conservative leaders won election to the
People's Assembly, Alia lost his seat. Alia had surprised
many
people by adopting a new, apparently pragmatic, approach
to
politics in the months leading up to the election. He had
faced a
serious challenge in mid-February, when unrest erupted
again
among students at the Enver Hoxha University at Tiranë.
Approximately 700 students went on a hunger strike in
support of
a demand that Hoxha's name should be removed from the
university's official name. The demand was a serious
attack on
the country's political heritage and one that Alia refused
to
countenance. He resisted student demands and stressed the
necessity of preserving law and order, thereby
antagonizing those
who had expected him to be more moderate.
In April 1991, Albania's new multiparty legislature
passed
transitional legislation to enable the country to move
ahead with
key political and economic reforms. The legislation, the
Law on
Major Constitutional Provisions, was in effect an interim
constitution, and the 1976 constitution was invalidated.
The
words "socialist" and "people's" were dropped from the
official
title of Albania, so that the country's name became
Republic of
Albania. There were also fundamental changes to the
political
order. The Republic of Albania was declared to be a
parliamentary
state providing full rights and freedoms to its citizens
and
observing separation of powers. The People's Assembly of
at least
140 members elected for a four-year term is the
legislature and
is headed by a presidency consisting of a chairman and two
deputies. The People's Assembly elects the president of
Albania
by secret ballot and also elects the members of the
Supreme
Court. The president is elected for five years and may not
serve
more than two consecutive terms or fill any other post
concurrently. The president does, however, exercise the
duties of
the People's Assembly when that body is not in session.
The
Council of Ministers is the top executive body, and its
membership is described in the interim constitution. The
law on
Major Constitutional Provisions is to operate as Albania's
basic
law until adoption of a new constitution, to be drafted by
a
commission appointed by the People's Assembly.
The constitutional changes of April 1991 made it
obligatory
that Alia resign from all of his high-level posts in the
APL in
order to accept the post of president, and the amendments
depoliticized other branches of government, including the
ministries of defense, foreign affairs, and public order.
The
People's Assembly also gained regulation of the radio,
television, and other official news media.
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
|
Exports - partners(%) | | Italy 55.9%, Greece 11.6%, China 7.2% (2008)
|
Imports | | $4.898 billion (2008 est.) $3.999 billion (2007 est.)
|
Imports - commodities(%) | | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals
|
Imports - partners(%) | | Italy 32.2%, Greece 13.1%, Turkey 7.2%, Germany 6.6%, China 4.5%, Russia 4.4% (2008)
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | | $2.364 billion (31 December 2008 est.) $2.162 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
|
Debt - external | | $1.55 billion (2004)
|
Exchange rates | | leke (ALL) per US dollar - 79.546 (2008 est.), 92.668 (2007), 98.384 (2006), 102.649 (2005), 102.78 (2004)
|
Currency (code) | | lek (ALL) note: the plural of lek is leke
|
Telephones - main lines in use | | 316,400 (2008)
|
Telephones - mobile cellular | | 3.141 million (2008)
|
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)
|
Internet country code | | .al
|
Internet users | | 471,000 (2008)
|
Airports | | 5 (2009)
|
Pipelines(km) | | gas 339 km; oil 207 km (2008)
|
Roadways(km) | | total: 18,000 km paved: 7,020 km unpaved: 10,980 km (2002)
|
Ports and terminals | | Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore
|
Military branches | | Joint Force Command (includes Land, Naval, and Aviation Brigade Commands), Joint Support Command (includes Logistic Command), Training and Doctrine Command (2009)
|
Military service age and obligation(years of age) | | 19 years of age (2004)
|
Manpower available for military service | | males age 16-49: 944,592 females age 16-49: 908,527 (2008 est.)
|
Manpower fit for military service | | males age 16-49: 800,665 females age 16-49: 768,536 (2009 est.)
|
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually | | male: 34,778 female: 31,673 (2009 est.)
|
Military expenditures(% of GDP) | | 1.49% of GDP (2005 est.)
|
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
|
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)
|
Electricity - production(kWh) | | 2.888 billion kWh (2007 est.)
|
Electricity - production by source(%) | | fossil fuel: 2.9% hydro: 97.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
|
Electricity - consumption(kWh) | | 3.603 billion kWh (2007 est.)
|
Electricity - exports(kWh) | | 0 kWh (2008 est.)
|
Electricity - imports(kWh) | | 2.475 billion kWh (2008 est.)
|
Oil - production(bbl/day) | | 5,985 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
Oil - consumption(bbl/day) | | 34,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
Oil - exports(bbl/day) | | 748.9 bbl/day (2005 est.)
|
Oil - imports(bbl/day) | | 24,080 bbl/day (2007 est.)
|
Oil - proved reserves(bbl) | | 199.1 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
|
Natural gas - production(cu m) | | 30 million cu m (2008 est.)
|
Natural gas - consumption(cu m) | | 30 million cu m (2008 est.)
|
Natural gas - exports(cu m) | | 0 cu m (2008)
|
Natural gas - proved reserves(cu m) | | 849.5 million cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate(%) | | NA
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | | NA
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths | | NA
|
Literacy(%) | | definition: age 9 and over can read and write total population: 98.7% male: 99.2% female: 98.3% (2001 census)
|
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)(years) | | total: 11 years male: 11 years female: 11 years (2004)
|
Education expenditures(% of GDP) | | 2.9% of GDP (2002)
|