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Albania Index
Figure 2. Illyria under Roman Rule, First Century B.C.
Source: Based on information from R. Ernest Dupuy and Trevor N.
Dupuy, The Encyclopedia of Military History, New York,
1970, 95; Herman Kinder and Werner Hilgemann, The Anchor Atlas
of World History, 1, New York, 1974, 90, 94; and
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15, New York, 1975, 1092.
Mystery enshrouds the exact origins of today's
Albanians.
Most historians of the Balkans believe the Albanian people
are in
large part descendants of the ancient Illyrians, who, like
other
Balkan peoples, were subdivided into tribes and clans. The
name
Albania is derived from the name of an Illyrian tribe
called the
Arber, or Arbereshë, and later Albanoi, that lived near
Durrës.
The Illyrians were Indo-European tribesmen who appeared in
the
western part of the Balkan Peninsula about 1000 B.C., a
period
coinciding with the end of the Bronze Age and beginning of
the
Iron Age. They inhabited much of the area for at least the
next
millennium. Archaeologists associate the Illyrians with
the
Hallstatt culture, an Iron Age people noted for production
of
iron and bronze swords with winged-shaped handles and for
domestication of horses. The Illyrians occupied lands
extending
from the Danube, Sava, and Morava rivers to the Adriatic
Sea and
the Sar Mountains. At various times, groups of Illyrians
migrated
over land and sea into Italy.
The Illyrians carried on commerce and warfare with
their
neighbors. The ancient Macedonians probably had some
Illyrian
roots, but their ruling class adopted Greek cultural
characteristics. The Illyrians also mingled with the
Thracians,
another ancient people with adjoining lands on the east.
In the
south and along the Adriatic Sea coast, the Illyrians were
heavily influenced by the Greeks, who founded trading
colonies
there. The present-day city of Durrës evolved from a Greek
colony
known as Epidamnos, which was founded at the end of the
seventh
century B.C. Another famous Greek colony, Apollonia, arose
between Durrës and the port city of Vlorë.
The Illyrians produced and traded cattle, horses,
agricultural goods, and wares fashioned from locally mined
copper
and iron. Feuds and warfare were constant facts of life
for the
Illyrian tribes, and Illyrian pirates plagued shipping on
the
Adriatic Sea. Councils of elders chose the chieftains who
headed
each of the numerous Illyrian tribes. From time to time,
local
chieftains extended their rule over other tribes and
formed
short-lived kingdoms. During the fifth century B.C., a
well-developed Illyrian population center existed as far
north as
the upper Sava River valley in what is now Slovenia.
Illyrian
friezes discovered near the present-day Slovenian city of
Ljubljana depict ritual sacrifices, feasts, battles,
sporting
events, and other activities.
The Illyrian kingdom of Bardhyllus became a formidable
local
power in the fourth century B.C. In 358 B.C., however,
Macedonia's Philip II, father of Alexander the Great,
defeated
the Illyrians and assumed control of their territory as
far as
Lake Ohrid (see
fig. 5). Alexander
himself routed the
forces of
the Illyrian chieftain Clitus in 335 B.C., and Illyrian
tribal
leaders and soldiers accompanied Alexander on his conquest
of
Persia. After Alexander's death in 323 B.C., independent
Illyrian
kingdoms again arose. In 312 B.C., King Glaucius expelled
the
Greeks from Durrës. By the end of the third century, an
Illyrian
kingdom based near what is now the Albanian city of
Shkodër
controlled parts of northern Albania, Montenegro, and
Hercegovina. Under Queen Teuta, Illyrians attacked Roman
merchant
vessels plying the Adriatic Sea and gave Rome an excuse to
invade
the Balkans.
In the Illyrian Wars of 229 and 219 B.C., Rome overran
the
Illyrian settlements in the Neretva River valley. The
Romans made
new gains in 168 B.C., and Roman forces captured Illyria's
King
Gentius at Shkodër, which they called Scodra, and brought
him to
Rome in 165 B.C. A century later, Julius Caesar and his
rival
Pompey fought their decisive battle near Durrës
(Dyrrachium).
Rome finally subjugated recalcitrant Illyrian tribes in
the
western Balkans dwing the region of Emperor Tiberius in
A.D. 9.
The Romans divided the lands that make up present-day
Albania
among the provinces of Macedonia, Dalmatia, and Epirus
(see
fig. 2).
For about four centuries, Roman rule brought the
Illyrian-populated lands economic and cultural advancement
and
ended most of the enervating clashes among local tribes.
The
Illyrian mountain clansmen retained local authority but
pledged
allegiance to the emperor and acknowledged the authority
of his
envoys. During a yearly holiday honoring the Caesars, the
Illyrian mountaineers swore loyalty to the emperor and
reaffirmed
their political rights. A form of this tradition, known as
the
kuvend, has survived to the present day in northern
Albania.
The Romans established numerous military camps and
colonies
and completely latinized the coastal cities. They also
oversaw
the construction of aqueducts and roads, including the Via
Egnatia, a famous military highway and trade route that
led from
Durrës through the Shkumbin River valley to Macedonia and
Byzantium (later
Constantinople
--see Glossary). Copper,
asphalt,
and silver were extracted from the mountains. The main
exports
were wine, cheese, oil, and fish from Lake Scutari and
Lake
Ohrid. Imports included tools, metalware, luxury goods,
and other
manufactured articles. Apollonia became a cultural center,
and
Julius Caesar himself sent his nephew, later the Emperor
Augustus, to study there.
Illyrians distinguished themselves as warriors in the
Roman
legions and made up a significant portion of the
Praetorian
Guard. Several of the Roman emperors were of Illyrian
origin,
including Diocletian (284-305), who saved the empire from
disintegration by introducing institutional reforms, and
Constantine the Great (324-37)--who accepted Christianity
and
transferred the empire's capital from Rome to Byzantium,
which he
called Constantinople. Emperor Justinian (527-65)--who
codified
Roman law, built the most famous Byzantine church, the
Hagia
Sofia, and reextended the empire's control over lost
territories-
-was probably also an Illyrian.
Christianity came to the Illyrian-populated lands in
the
first century A.D. Saint Paul wrote that he preached in
the Roman
province of Illyricum, and legend holds that he visited
Durrës.
When the Roman Empire was divided into eastern and western
halves
in A.D. 395, the lands that now make up Albania were
administered
by the Eastern Empire but were ecclesiastically dependent
on
Rome. In A.D. 732, however, a Byzantine emperor, Leo the
Isaurian, subordinated the area to the patriarchate of
Constantinople. For centuries thereafter, the Albanian
lands
became an arena for the ecclesiastical struggle between
Rome and
Constantinople. Most Albanians living in the mountainous
north
became Roman Catholic, while in the southern and central
regions,
the majority became Orthodox.
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
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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
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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
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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]
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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
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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)
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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.
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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)
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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
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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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