]! ^! Between 1990 and 1992 Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic Communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven difficult as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, a dilapidated infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks with links to government officials, and disruptive political opponents. Albania has made incremental progress in its democratic development since first holding multiiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies remain - particularly in regard to the rule of law. Despite some lingering problems, international observers have judged elections to be largely free and fair since the restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997. In the 2005 general elections, the Democratic Party and its allies won a decisive victory on pledges of reducing crime and corruption, promoting economic growth, and decreasing the size of government. Although Albania's economy continues to grow, the country is still one of the poorest in Europe, hampered by a large informal economy, large public debt, and an inadequate energy and tranportation infrastructure. Albania has played a largely helpful role in managing inter-ethnic tensions in southeastern Europe, and is continuing to work toward joining NATO and the EU. 
]" ^" Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro ^# 41 00 N, 20 00 E ^$ Europe ^% `! 28,748 sq km `" 27,398 sq km `# 1,350 sq km ^& slightly smaller than Maryland ^' `! 720 km `U Greece 282 km, Macedonia 151 km, Serbia and Montenegro 287 km ^( 362 km ^) `$ 12 nm `J 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation ^* mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter ^+ mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast ^, `% Adriatic Sea 0 m `& Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m ^- petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower ^. `' 21.09% `( 4.42% `) 74.49% (2001) ^/ 3,400 sq km (1998 est.) ^0 destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought ^1 deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents _J `K Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands `L none of the selected agreements ^2 strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea) 
]# ^3 3,563,112 (July 2005 est.) ^4 `* 25.6% (male 476,989/female 434,298) `+ 65.8% (male 1,199,964/female 1,144,886) `, 8.6% (male 141,559/female 165,416) (2005 est.) ^5 `! 28.52 years `- 27.95 years `. 29.1 years (2005 est.) ^6 0.52% (2005 est.) ^7 15.08 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^8 5.12 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^9 -4.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^: `/ 1.1 male(s)/female `0 1.1 male(s)/female `+ 1.05 male(s)/female `, 0.86 male(s)/female `1 1.04 male(s)/female (2005 est.) ^; `! 21.52 deaths/1,000 live births `- 21.96 deaths/1,000 live births `. 21.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) ^< `1 77.24 years `- 74.6 years `. 80.15 years (2005 est.) ^= 2.04 children born/woman (2005 est.) ^> NA% ^? NA ^@ NA ^A `2 Albanian(s) `3 Albanian ^B 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) ^C 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 ^D Albanian (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek, Vlach, Romani, Slavic dialects ^E `M age 9 and over can read and write `1 86.5% `- 93.3% `. 79.5% (2003 est.) 
]$ ^F `4 Republic of Albania `5 Albania `V Republika e Shqiperise `W Shqiperia `X People's Socialist Republic of Albania ^H emerging democracy ^I Tirana ^J 12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Qarku i Beratit, Qarku i Dibres, Qarku i Durresit, Qarku i Elbasanit, Qarku i Fierit, Qarku i Gjirokastres, Qarku i Korces, Qarku i Kukesit, Qarku i Lezhes, Qarku i Shkodres, Qarku i Tiranes, Qarku i Vlores ^K 28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire) ^L Independence Day, 28 November (1912) ^M adopted by popular referendum on 28 November 1998 ^N has a civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; has accepted jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court for its citizens ^O 18 years of age; universal ^P `6 President of the Republic Alfred MOISIU (since 24 July 2002) `7 Prime Minister Sali BERISHA (since 10 September 2005) `8 Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by parliament `9 president elected by the People's Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 24 June 2002 (next to be held June 2007); prime minister appointed by the president `: Alfred MOISIU elected president; People's Assembly vote by number - total votes 116, for 97, against 19 ^Q unicameral People's Assembly or Kuvendi Popullor (140 seats; 100 are elected by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote for four-year terms) `9 last held 4 July 2005 (next to be held July 2009) `: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PD 55, PS 40, PR 11, PSD 7, LSI 5, other 22 ^R Constitutional Court, Supreme Court (chairman is elected by the People's Assembly for a four-year term), and multiple appeals and district courts ^S Agrarian Environmentalist Party or PAA [Lufter XHUVELI]; Christian Democratic Party or PDK [Nikolle LESI]; Communist Party of Albania or PKSH [Hysni MILLOSHI]; Democratic Alliance Party or PAD [Neritan CEKA]; Democratic Party or PD [Sali BERISHA]; Legality Movement Party or PLL [Ekrem SPAHIU]; Liberal Union Party or PBL [Arjan STAROVA]; National Front Party (Balli Kombetar) or PBK [Adriatik ALIMADHI]; New Democratic Party or PDR [Genc POLLO]; Party of National Unity or PUK [Idajet BEQIRI]; Renewed Democratic Party or PDR [Dashamir SHEHI]; Republican Party or PR [Fatmir MEDIU]; Social Democracy Party or PDS [Paskal MILO]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Skender GJINUSHI]; Socialist Movement for Integration or LSI [Ilir META]; Socialist Party or PS (formerly the Albanian Party of Labor) [Fatos NANO]; Union for Human Rights Party or PBDNJ [Vangjel DULE] ^T Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania or KSSH [Kastriot MUCO]; Front for Albanian National Unification or FBKSH [Gafur ADILI]; Omonia [Jani JANI]; Union of Independent Trade Unions of Albania or BSPSH [Gezim KALAJA] ^U ACCT, BSEC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO ^V `N Ambassador Agim NESHO `O 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 `P [1] (202) 223-4942 `Q [1] (202) 628-7342 ^W `N Ambassador Marcie B. RIES `Z Rruga Elbasanit, Labinoti #103, Tirana `[ U. S. Department of State, 9510 Tirana Place, Dulles, VA 20189-9510 `P [355] (4) 247285 `Q [355] (4) 374957 and [355] (4) 232222 ^X red with a black two-headed eagle in the center 
]% ^Y Poor and backward by European standards, Albania is making the difficult transition to a more modern open-market economy. The government has taken measures to curb violent crime and to spur economic activity and trade. The economy is bolstered by annual remittances from abroad of $600-$800 million, mostly from Greece and Italy; this helps offset the towering trade deficit. Agriculture, which accounts for about one-half of GDP, is held back because of frequent drought and the need to modernize equipment, to clarify property rights, and to consolidate small plots of land. Energy shortages and antiquated and inadequate infrastructure make it difficult to attract and sustain foreign investment. The planned construction of a new thermal power plant near Vlore and improved transmission and distribution facilities will help relieve the energy shortages. Also, the government is moving slowly to improve the poor national road and rail network, a long-standing barrier to sustained economic growth. On the positive side: growth was strong in 2003 and 2004, the nation has important oil and gas reserves, and inflation is not a problem. ^Z $17.46 billion (2004 est.) ^[ 5.6% (2004 est.) ^\ purchasing power parity - $4,900 (2004 est.) ^] `; 46.2% `< 25.4% `= 28.4% (2004 est.) ^^ 1.09 million (not including 352,000 emigrant workers) (2004 est.) ^_ agriculture 57%, non-agricultural private sector 20%, public sector 23% (2004 est.) ^` 14.8% officially; may be as high as 30% (2001 est.) ^a 25% (2004 est.) _! `> NA `? NA _" 3.2% (2004 est.) _P 18.4% of GDP (2004 est.) _# `@ $2.05 billion `A $2.46 billion, including capital expenditures of $500 million (2004 est.) _$ wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes; meat, dairy products _% food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower _& 3.1% (2004 est.) _' 5.68 billion kWh (2004) _( 6.76 billion kWh (2004) _) 100 million kWh (2002) _* 1.08 billion kWh (2004 est.) _+ 2,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) _, 7,500 bbl/day (2004 est.) _- 0 bbl/day (2004 est.) _. 5,500 bbl/day (2004 est.) _R 185.5 million bbl (1 January 2002) _S 30 million cu m (2001 est.) _T 30 million cu m (2001 est.) _U 0 cu m (2001 est.) _V 0 cu m (2001 est.) _W 3.316 billion cu m (1 January 2002) _X $-504 million (2004 est.) _/ $552.4 million f.o.b. (2004 est.) _0 textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco _1 Italy 71.7%, Canada 4.3%, Germany 4.3% (2004) _2 $2.076 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) _3 machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals _4 Italy 34.8%, Greece 19.8%, Turkey 7.7%, Germany 5.3% (2004) _Y $1.206 billion (2004 est.) _5 $1.41 billion (2003) _6 ODA: $315 million (top donors were Italy, EU, Germany) (2000 est.) _7 lek (ALL) _8 leke per US dollar - 102.649 (2004), 121.863 (2003), 140.155 (2002), 143.485 (2001), 143.709 (2000) _9 calendar year 
]& _: 255,000 (2003) _; 1.1 million (2003) _< `B despite new investment in fixed lines, the density of main lines remains the lowest in Europe with roughly 8 lines per 100 people; however, cellular telephone use is widespread and generally effective `C 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 Balkan neighbors `D country code - 355; inadequate fixed main lines; adequate cellular connections; international traffic carried by microwave radio relay from the Tirana exchange to Italy and Greece (2003) _= AM 13, FM 4, shortwave 2 (2001) _> 3 (plus 58 repeaters) (2001) _? .al _@ 455 (2004) _A 30,000 (2003) 
]' _e `! 447 km `b 447 km 1.435-m gauge (2004) _B `! 18,000 km `E 5,400 km `F 12,600 km (2002) _b 43 km (2004) _[ gas 339 km; oil 207 km (2004) _C Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore _K `! 25 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 40,878 GRT/62,676 DWT by type: cargo 24, roll on/roll off 1 `S 2 (Denmark 1, Turkey 1) `\ 1 (2005) _D 11 (2004 est.) _E `! 3 `G 3 (2004 est.) _L `! 8 `] 1 `^ 1 `_ 2 `T 4 (2004 est.) _\ 1 (2004 est.) 
]( _F General Staff Headquarters, Land Forces Command (Army), Naval Forces Command, Air Defense Command, Logistics Command, Training and Doctrine Command _M 19 years of age (2004) _] males age 19-49: 809,524 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 19-49: 668,526 (2005 est.) _^ `` 37,407 (2005 est.) _N $56.5 million (FY02) _O 1.49% (FY02) 
]) _H 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; thousands of unemployed Albanians emigrate annually to nearby Italy and other developed countries _I increasingly active transshipment point for Southwest Asian opiates, hashish, and cannabis transiting the Balkan route and - to a far lesser extent - cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe; limited opium and growing cannabis production; ethnic Albanian narcotrafficking organizations active and expanding in Europe; vulnerable to money laundering associated with regional trafficking in narcotics, arms, contraband, and illegal aliens 