Albania

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Albania

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Republika e Shqipërisë/Republic of Albania Area 28,748 sq km/11,099 sq mi Capital Tirana Language Albanian (official), Greek Religion Muslim, Albanian Orthodox, Roman Catholic Time difference GMT +1 Major holidays 1–2, 11 January, 8 March, 1 May, 28 November, 25 December; variable: end of Ramadan, Easter Monday, Good Friday, Eid-ul-Adha, Orthodox Easter


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Durrës, Shkodër, Elbasan, Vlorë, Korçë Major ports Durrës Physical features mainly mountainous, with rivers flowing east–west, and a narrow coastal plain Airports two international airports; no regular domestic air service; total passengers carried: 159,000 (2003 est) Railways total length: around 447 km/278 mi; total passenger journeys: 2.7 million (2001) Roads total road network: 18,000 km/11,185 mi, of which 39% paved (2002 est); passenger cars: 70.3 per 1,000 people (2002 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Alfred Moisiu from 2002 Head of government Sali Berisha from 2005 Political system emergent democracy Political executive limited presidency Administrative divisions 36 districts and one municipality Political parties Democratic Party of Albania (PDS; formerly the Democratic Party: DP), moderate, market-oriented; Socialist Party of Albania (PSS), ex-communist; Human Rights Union (HMU), Greek minority party; Agrarian Party (AP); Christian Democratic Party (CDP); Democratic Alliance Party (DAP), centrist; Democratic Party Death penalty abolished for ordinary crimes in 2000; laws provide for the death penalty for exceptional crimes, such as crimes committed in wartime Armed forces 21,500 (2006 est) Conscription compulsory for 12 months Defence spend (% GDP) 1.4 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 2.6 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 2.7 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency lek GDP (US$) 8.4 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 5 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 8.1 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 5,420 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 2.2% (2006 est) Unemployment 14.3% (2006 est) Labour force 58.5% agriculture, 13.6% industry, 27.9% services (2005) Foreign debt (US$) 1.55 billion (2004 est) Major trading partners Italy, Greece, Germany, Turkey, Serbia and Montenegro, China Austria, Turkey, Slovenia Resources chromite (one of world's largest producers), copper, coal, nickel, petroleum and natural gas Industries food processing, mineral and oil extraction, textiles, oil products, cement, energy generation Exports machinery, building materials, textiles and footwear, mineral products, base metals, food, beverages, and tobacco. Principal market: Italy 72.4% (2005) Imports machinery and transport equipment, textiles and footwear, fuels and minerals, plant and animal raw materials. Principal source: Italy 29.3% (2005) Arable land 20.1% (2006 est) Agricultural products wheat, sugar beet, maize, potatoes, barley, sorghum, cotton, tobacco, vegetables


POPULATION

Population 3,146,700 (2006 est) Population growth rate 0.5% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 47 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 45 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 27%, 15–59 61%, 60+ 12% (2005 est) Ethnic groups 95% of Albanian, non-Slavic, descent; 3% ethnic Greek (concentrated in south) Life expectancy 72 (men); 77 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 19 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 8 Literacy rate 99% (men); 98% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 13.9 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 3.1 (2003 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) <0.2 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 99 (urban); 95 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 8.6 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 39.5 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 260 (2001 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 123 (2001 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 1.5 (2004 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 2.4 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

2000 BC Albania was part of Illyria. 168 BC Illyria was conquered by the Romans. AD 395 Became part of Byzantine Empire. 6th–14th centuries Byzantine decline exploited by Serbs, Normans, Slavs, Bulgarians, and Venetians. 1381 Ottoman invasion of Albania followed by years of resistance to Turkish rule. 1468 Resistance led by national hero Skanderbeg (George Kastrioti) largely collapsed, and Albania passed to Ottoman Empire. 15th–16th centuries Thousands fled to southern Italy to escape Ottoman rule; over half of the rest of the population converted to Islam. 1878 Foundation of Albanian League promoted emergence of nationalism. 1912 Achieved independence from Turkey as result of First Balkan War and end of Ottoman Empire in Europe. 1914–20 Occupied by Italy. 1925 Declared itself a republic. 1928–39 Monarchy of King Zog. 1939 Italian occupation led by Benito Mussolini. 1943–44 Under German rule following Italian surrender. 1946 Proclaimed Communist People's Republic of Albania, with Enver Hoxha as premier. 1949 Developed close links with Joseph Stalin in USSR and entered Comecon (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance). 1961 Broke with USSR in wake of Nikita Khrushchev's denunciation of Stalin, and withdrew from Comecon. 1978 Severed diplomatic links with China. 1990–91 One-party system abandoned in face of popular protest; first opposition party formed, and first multiparty elections held. 1992 Former communist officials charged with corruption and abuse of power. Totalitarian and communist parties banned. 1993 Conflict began between ethnic Greeks and Albanians, followed by purge of ethnic Greeks from civil service and army. 1997–98 Violent antigovernment protests. 1998 World Bank and IMF rescue package to salvage economy. 1998 New constitution came into effect. 1999 Mass influx of ethnic Albanian refugees from neighbouring Kosovo; socialist Ilir Meta became prime minister. 2001 Albania and Yugoslavia re-established diplomatic relations broken off during 1999 Kosovo crisis. 2001–02 Factional feud in ruling Socialist Party. 2002 People's Assembly elected Alfred Moisiu president; royal family returned from exile. 2005 Sali Berisha became prime minister for second time following general election victory of Democratic Party and antisocialist allies. 2006 Stabilisation and Association agreement signed with European Union. 2007 Democratic Party's Bamir Topi elected president by People's Assembly.


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