Albania

total: 361,947 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 12 (2018 est.)

Albania has more than 65 TV stations, including several that broadcast nationally; Albanian TV broadcasts are also available to Albanian-speaking populations in neighboring countries; many viewers have access to Italian and Greek TV broadcasts via terrestrial reception; Albania's TV stations have begun a government-mandated conversion from analog to digital broadcast; the government has pledged to provide analog-to-digital converters to low-income families affected by this decision; cable TV service is available; 2 public radio networks and roughly 78 private radio stations; several international broadcasters are available (2019)

.al

total: 2,196,613 | percent of population: 71.85% (July 2018 est.)

general assessment: mobile-cellular phone service has been available since 1996 and dominates over fixed-line capacity; Internet broadband services initiated in 2005 and the government continues to supports the improvement of broadband availability and access conditions; Albania has received financial aid to build its infrastructure and works towards the EU accession process, an adherence to careful scrutiny of its regulatory regime helps the telecom sector advance; Internet cafes are popular in major urban areas; 1.3 million use mobile broadband services (3G/4G) (2020) | domestic: fixed-line 8 per 100, teledensity continues to decline due to heavy use of mobile-cellular telephone services; mobile-cellular telephone use is widespread and generally effective, 91 per 100 for mobile-cellular (2019) | international: country code - 355; submarine cables for the Adria 1 and Italy-Albania provide connectivity to Italy, Croatia, and Greece; 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 (2019) | note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite - has moderated

total subscriptions: 258,474 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8.43 (2019 est.)

total subscriptions: 2,799,066 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 91.29 (2019 est.)

wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, olives and olive oil, grapes; meat, dairy products; sheep and goats

revenues: 3.614 billion (2017 est.) | expenditures: 3.874 billion (2017 est.)

-2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Moody's rating: B1 (2007) | Standard & Poors rating: B+ (2016)

-$908 million (2017 est.) | -$899 million (2016 est.)

$9.505 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $8.421 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Overall Ease of Doing Business score: 53.5 (2020) | Trading Across Borders score: (2020)

Albania, a formerly closed, centrally planned state, is a developing country with a modern open-market economy. Albania managed to weather the first waves of the global financial crisis but, the negative effects of the crisis caused a significant economic slowdown. Since 2014, Albania’s economy has steadily improved and economic growth reached 3.8% in 2017. However, close trade, remittance, and banking sector ties with Greece and Italy make Albania vulnerable to spillover effects of possible debt crises and weak growth in the euro zone. Remittances, a significant catalyst for economic growth, declined from 12-15% of GDP before the 2008 financial crisis to 5.8% of GDP in 2015, mostly from Albanians residing in Greece and Italy. The agricultural sector, which accounts for more than 40% of employment but less than one quarter of GDP, is limited primarily to small family operations and subsistence farming, because of a lack of modern equipment, unclear property rights, and the prevalence of small, inefficient plots of land. Complex tax codes and licensing requirements, a weak judicial system, endemic corruption, poor enforcement of contracts and property issues, and antiquated infrastructure contribute to Albania's poor business environment making attracting foreign investment difficult. Since 2015, Albania has launched an ambitious program to increase tax compliance and bring more businesses into the formal economy. In July 2016, Albania passed constitutional amendments reforming the judicial system in order to strengthen the rule of law and to reduce deeply entrenched corruption. Albania’s electricity supply is uneven despite upgraded transmission capacities with neighboring countries. However, the government has recently taken steps to stem non-technical losses and has begun to upgrade the distribution grid. Better enforcement of electricity contracts has improved the financial viability of the sector, decreasing its reliance on budget support. Also, with help from international donors, the government is taking steps to improve the poor road and rail networks, a long standing barrier to sustained economic growth. Inward foreign direct investment has increased significantly in recent years as the government has embarked on an ambitious program to improve the business climate through fiscal and legislative reforms. The government is focused on the simplification of licensing requirements and tax codes, and it entered into a new arrangement with the IMF for additional financial and technical support. Albania’s three-year IMF program, an extended fund facility arrangement, was successfully concluded in February 2017. The Albanian Government has strengthened tax collection amid moderate public wage and pension increases in an effort to reduce its budget deficit. The country continues to face high public debt, exceeding its former statutory limit of 60% of GDP in 2013 and reaching 72% in 2016.

leke (ALL) per US dollar - | 102.43 (2020 est.) | 111.36 (2019 est.) | 108.57 (2018 est.) | 125.96 (2014 est.) | 105.48 (2013 est.)

$900.7 million (2017 est.) | $789.1 million (2016 est.)

apparel and clothing, footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; cement and construction materials, vegetables, fruits, tobacco

Italy 53.4%, Kosovo 7.7%, Spain 5.6%, Greece 4.2% (2017)

calendar year

$15.273 billion (2019 est.)

$34.991 billion (2019 est.) | $34.226 billion (2018 est.) | $32.89 billion (2017 est.) | note: data are in 2010 dollars

household consumption: 78.1% (2017 est.) | government consumption: 11.5% (2017 est.) | investment in fixed capital: 25.2% (2017 est.) | investment in inventories: 0.2% (2017 est.) | exports of goods and services: 31.5% (2017 est.) | imports of goods and services: -46.6% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 21.7% (2017 est.) | industry: 24.2% (2017 est.) | services: 54.1% (2017 est.)

$5,156 (2019 est.) | $5,040 (2018 est.) | $4,840 (2017 est.) | note: data are in 2010 dollars

2.24% (2019 est.) | 4.07% (2018 est.) | 3.8% (2017 est.)

15.9% of GDP (2017 est.) | 16.7% of GDP (2016 est.) | 16.9% of GDP (2015 est.)

lowest 10%: 4.1% | highest 10%: 19.6% (2015 est.)

$4.103 billion (2017 est.) | $3.67 billion (2016 est.)

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals

Italy 28.5%, Turkey 8.1%, Germany 8%, Greece 8%, China 7.9%, Serbia 4% (2017)

6.8% (2017 est.)

food; footwear, apparel and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower

1.4% (2019 est.) | 2% (2018 est.) | 1.9% (2017 est.)

1.104 million (2020 est.)

agriculture: 41.4% | industry: 18.3% | services: 40.3% (2017 est.)

14.3% (2012 est.)

71.8% of GDP (2017 est.) | 73.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

$3.59 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $3.109 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

27.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

5.83% (2019 est.) | 6.32% (2018 est.) | note: these official rates may not include those working at near-subsistence farming

4.5 million Mt (2017 est.)

17,290 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

14,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)

168.3 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

5.11 billion kWh (2016 est.)

1.869 billion kWh (2016 est.)

5% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

95% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

1.827 billion kWh (2016 est.)

2.109 million kW (2016 est.)

7.138 billion kWh (2016 est.)

electrification - total population: 100% (2020)

50.97 million cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

50.97 million cu m (2017 est.)

821.2 million cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

29,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

3,250 bbl/day (2015 est.)

26,660 bbl/day (2015 est.)

5,638 bbl/day (2015 est.)

total: 28,748 sq km | land: 27,398 sq km | water: 1,350 sq km

slightly smaller than Maryland | Area comparison map: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Europe :: Albania Print Image Description slightly smaller than Maryland

mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter

362 km

mean elevation: 708 m | lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m | highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m

deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents; air pollution from industrial and power plants; loss of biodiversity due to lack of resources for sound environmental management

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

41 00 N, 20 00 E

strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)

3,537 sq km (2014)

total: 691 km | border countries (4): Greece 212 km, Kosovo 112 km, Macedonia 181 km, Montenegro 186 km

agricultural land: 43.1% (2016 est.) | arable land: 22.6% (2016 est.) / permanent crops: 3% (2016 est.) / permanent pasture: 17.5% (2016 est.) | forest: 28.12% (2016 est.) | other: 28.75% (2016 est.)

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece to the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north

Europe

territorial sea: 12 nm | continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought

petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower, arable land

a fairly even distribution, with somewhat higher concentrations of people in the western and central parts of the country

mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast

12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Berat, Diber, Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Korce, Kukes, Lezhe, Shkoder, Tirane, Vlore

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 | etymology: the name Tirana first appears in a 1418 Venetian document; the origin of the name is unclear, but may derive from Tirkan Fortress, whose ruins survive on the slopes of Dajti mountain and which overlooks the city

citizenship by birth: no | citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Albania | dual citizenship recognized: yes | residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

history: several previous; latest approved by the Assembly 21 October 1998, adopted by referendum 22 November 1998, promulgated 28 November 1998 | amendments: proposed by at least one-fifth of the Assembly membership; passage requires at least a two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; referendum required only if approved by two-thirds of the Assembly; amendments approved by referendum effective upon declaration by the president of the republic; amended several times, last in 2016

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 | etymology: the English-language country name seems to be derived from the ancient Illyrian tribe of the Albani; the native name "Shqiperia" is derived from the Albanian word "Shqiponje" ("Eagle") and is popularly interpreted to mean "Land of the Eagles"

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Leyla MOSES-ONES (since August 2018) | telephone: [355] (4) 2247-285 | embassy: Rruga e Elbasanit, 103, Tirana | mailing address: US Department of State, 9510 Tirana Place, Dulles, VA 20189-9510 | FAX: [355] (4) 2232-222

chief of mission: Ambassador Yuri KIM (since 27 January 2020) | chancery: 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 223-4942 | FAX: [1] (202) 628-7342 | consulate(s) general: New York

chief of state: President of the Republic Ilir META (since 24 July 2017) | head of government: Prime Minister Edi RAMA (since 10 September 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Senida MESI (since 13 September 2017) | cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by the Assembly | elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by the Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); a candidate needs three-fifths majority vote of the Assembly in 1 of 3 rounds or a simple majority in 2 additional rounds to become president; election last held in 4 rounds on 19, 20, 27, and 28 April 2017 (next election to be held in 2022); prime minister appointed by the president on the proposal of the majority party or coalition of parties in the Assembly | election results: Ilir META elected president; Assembly vote - 87 - 2 in fourth round

red with a black two-headed eagle in the center; the design is claimed to be that of 15th-century hero Georgi Kastrioti SKANDERBEG, who led a successful uprising against the Ottoman Turks that resulted in a short-lived independence for some Albanian regions (1443-78); an unsubstantiated explanation for the eagle symbol is the tradition that Albanians see themselves as descendants of the eagle; they refer to themselves as "Shqiptare," which translates as "sons of the eagle"

parliamentary republic

28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EITI (compliant country), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of 19 judges, including the chief justice); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges, including the chairman) | judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the High Judicial Council with the consent of the president to serve single 9-year terms; Supreme Court chairman is elected for a single 3-year term by the court members; appointments of Constitutional Court judges are rotated among the president, Parliament, and Supreme Court from a list of pre-qualified candidates (each institution selects 3 judges), to serve single 9-year terms; candidates are pre-qualified by a randomly selected body of experienced judges and prosecutors; Constitutional Court chairman is elected by the court members for a single, renewable 3-year term | subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; specialized courts: Court for Corruption and Organized Crime, Appeals Court for Corruption and Organized Crime (responsible for corruption, organized crime, and crimes of high officials)

civil law system except in the northern rural areas where customary law known as the "Code of Leke" is still present

description: unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms) | elections: last held on 25 June 2017 (next to be held on 25 April 2021) | election results: percent of vote by party - PS 48.3%, PD 28.9%, LSI 14.3%, PDIU 4.8%, PSD 1%, other 2.7%; seats by party - PS 74, PD 43, LSI 19, PDIU 3, PSD 1; composition - men 108, women 32, percent of women 22.9%

name: "Hymni i Flamurit" (Hymn to the Flag) | lyrics/music: Aleksander Stavre DRENOVA/Ciprian PORUMBESCU | note: adopted 1912

Independence Day, 28 November (1912), also known as Flag Day

black double-headed eagle; national colors: red, black

Democratic Party or PD [Lulzim BASHA] Party for Justice, Integration and Unity or PDIU [Shpetim IDRIZI] (formerly part of APMI) Social Democratic Party or PSD [Paskal MILO] Socialist Movement for Integration or LSI [Monika KRYEMADHI] Socialist Party or PS [Edi RAMA]

18 years of age; universal

Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but was conquered by Italy in 1939 and occupied by Germany in 1943. 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 isolated communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven challenging as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, dilapidated infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks, and combative political opponents. Albania has made progress in its democratic development since it first held multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies remain. Most of Albania's post-communist elections were marred by claims of electoral fraud; however, international observers judged elections to be largely free and fair since the restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997. Albania joined NATO in April 2009 and in June 2014 became an EU candidate. Albania in April 2017 received a European Commission recommendation to open EU accession negotiations following the passage of historic EU-mandated justice reforms in 2016. Although Albania's economy continues to grow, it has slowed, and the country is still one of the poorest in Europe. A large informal economy and a weak energy and transportation infrastructure remain obstacles.

Land Forces Command, Navy Force Command (includes Coast Guard), Air Forces Command, Support Command, Training and Doctrination Command (2019)

the Albanian military has approximately 10,000 total active duty personnel (8,000 Army; 1,500 Navy; 500 Air Force; note - as many as 4,000 personnel are assigned to support forces) (2019 est.)

100 Afghanistan (NATO) (June 2020)

the Albanian military was previously equipped with mostly Soviet-era weapons that were sold or destroyed; its inventory now includes a mix of mostly donated and second-hand European and US equipment; since 2010, it has received equipment from France, Germany, Italy, and the US (2019 est.)

1.3% of GDP (2019 est.) | 1.2% of GDP (2018) | 1.1% of GDP (2017) | 1.1% of GDP (2016) | 1.2% of GDP (2015)

19 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; 18 is the legal minimum age in case of general/partial compulsory mobilization (2012)

0-14 years: 17.6% (male 284,636/female 256,474) | 15-24 years: 15.39% (male 246,931/female 226,318) | 25-54 years: 42.04% (male 622,100/female 670,307) | 55-64 years: 11.94% (male 178,419/female 188,783) | 65 years and over: 13.03% (male 186,335/female 214,276) (2020 est.) | population pyramid: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Europe :: Albania Print Image Description This is the population pyramid for Albania. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

13 births/1,000 population (2020 est.)

1.5% (2017)

46% (2017/18)

6.7% (2016)

7.1 deaths/1,000 population (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio: 46.9 | youth dependency ratio: 25.3 | elderly dependency ratio: 21.6 | potential support ratio: 4.6 (2020 est.)

improved: urban: 96.8% of population | rural: 95.3% of population | total: 96.2% of population | unimproved: urban: 4.7% of population | rural: 4.7% of population | total: 3.8% of population (2017 est.)

3.6% of GDP (2017)

Albanian 82.6%, Greek 0.9%, other 1% (including Vlach, Romani, Macedonian, Montenegrin, and Egyptian), unspecified 15.5% (2011 est.) | note: data represent population by ethnic and cultural affiliation

<.1 (2019 est.)

<100 (2019 est.)

1,400 (2019 est.)

2.9 beds/1,000 population (2013)

total: 10.8 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 12.1 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 9.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2020 est.)

Albanian 98.8% (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek 0.5%, other 0.6% (including Macedonian, Romani, Vlach, Turkish, Italian, and Serbo-Croatian), unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)

total population: 79 years | male: 76.3 years | female: 81.9 years (2020 est.)

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 98.1% | male: 98.5% | female: 97.8% (2018)

494,000 TIRANA (capital) (2020)

15 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

total: 34.3 years | male: 32.9 years | female: 35.7 years (2020 est.)

24.8 years (2017/18 est.)

noun: Albanian(s) | adjective: Albanian

-3.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2020 est.)

21.7% (2016)

1.22 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

3,074,579 (July 2020 est.)

a fairly even distribution, with somewhat higher concentrations of people in the western and central parts of the country

0.28% (2020 est.)

Muslim 56.7%, Roman Catholic 10%, Orthodox 6.8%, atheist 2.5%, Bektashi (a Sufi order) 2.1%, other 5.7%, unspecified 16.2% (2011 est.) | note: all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice

improved: urban: 100% of population | rural: 99.5% of population | total: 99.8% of population | unimproved: urban: 0% of population | rural: 0.5% of population | total: 0.2% of population (2017 est.)

total: 15 years | male: 14 years | female: 16 years (2019)

at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.11 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.09 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 0.93 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female | total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

1.53 children born/woman (2020 est.)

total: 31.9% | male: 34.2% | female: 27.7% (2017 est.)

urban population: 62.1% of total population (2020) | rate of urbanization: 1.69% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.) | total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030: PDF

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force (2020) | note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix T

none

active transshipment point for Southwest Asian opiates, hashish, and cannabis transiting the Balkan route and - to a lesser extent - cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe; significant source country for 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

stateless persons: 3,687 (2019) | note: 11,365 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-November 2020)

3 (2020)

total: 3 (2020) | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2017) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2017)

ZA (2016)

total: 68 | by type: general cargo 49, oil tanker 1, other 18 (2019)

number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020) | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 5 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 303,137 (2018)

498 km gas (a majority of the network is in disrepair and parts of it are missing), 249 km oil (2015)

major seaport(s): Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore

total: 677 km (447 km of major railway lines and 230 km of secondary lines) (2015) | standard gauge: 677 km 1.435-m gauge (2015)

total: 3,945 km (2018)

41 km (on the Bojana River) (2011)