"text":"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 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, dilapidated 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, most of Albania's post-communist elections have been marred by claims of electoral fraud. Albania joined NATO in April 2009 and in June 2014 became a candidate for EU accession. 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 an inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure remain obstacles."
}
},
"Geography":{
"Location":{
"text":"Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece to the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north"
"text":"destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought"
},
"Environment - current issues":{
"text":"deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents"
},
"Environment - international agreements":{
"party to":{
"text":"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":{
"text":"none of the selected agreements"
}
},
"Geography - note":{
"text":"strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)"
}
},
"People and Society":{
"Nationality":{
"noun":{
"text":"Albanian(s)"
},
"adjective":{
"text":"Albanian"
}
},
"Ethnic groups":{
"text":"Albanian 82.6%, Greek 0.9%, other 1% (including Vlach, Roma (Gypsy), Macedonian, Montenegrin, and Egyptian), unspecified 15.5% (2011 est.)"
},
"Languages":{
"text":"Albanian 98.8% (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek 0.5%, other 0.6% (including Macedonian, Roma, Vlach, Turkish, Italian, and Serbo-Croatian), unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)"
},
"Religions":{
"text":"Muslim 56.7%, Roman Catholic 10%, Orthodox 6.8%, atheist 2.5%, Bektashi (a Sufi order) 2.1%, other 5.7%, unspecified 16.2%",
"note":{
"text":"all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice (2011 est.)"
"text":"12.92 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)"
},
"Death rate":{
"text":"6.58 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)"
},
"Net migration rate":{
"text":"-3.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)"
},
"Urbanization":{
"urban population":{
"text":"57.4% of total population (2015)"
},
"rate of urbanization":{
"text":"2.21% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)"
}
},
"Major urban areas - population":{
"text":"TIRANA (capital) 454,000 (2015)"
},
"Sex ratio":{
"at birth":{
"text":"1.1 male(s)/female"
},
"0-14 years":{
"text":"1.12 male(s)/female"
},
"15-24 years":{
"text":"1.06 male(s)/female"
},
"25-54 years":{
"text":"0.91 male(s)/female"
},
"55-64 years":{
"text":"0.98 male(s)/female"
},
"65 years and over":{
"text":"0.89 male(s)/female"
},
"total population":{
"text":"0.98 male(s)/female (2015 est.)"
}
},
"Infant mortality rate":{
"total":{
"text":"12.75 deaths/1,000 live births"
},
"male":{
"text":"14.19 deaths/1,000 live births"
},
"female":{
"text":"11.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)"
}
},
"Life expectancy at birth":{
"total population":{
"text":"78.13 years"
},
"male":{
"text":"75.49 years"
},
"female":{
"text":"81.04 years (2015 est.)"
}
},
"Total fertility rate":{
"text":"1.5 children born/woman (2015 est.)"
},
"Contraceptive prevalence rate":{
"text":"69.3% (2008/09)"
},
"Health expenditures":{
"text":"5.9% of GDP (2013)"
},
"Physicians density":{
"text":"1.15 physicians/1,000 population (2013)"
},
"Hospital bed density":{
"text":"2.6 beds/1,000 population (2012)"
},
"Drinking water source":{
"improved":{
"text":" ++ urban: 84.3% of population ++ rural: 81.8% of population ++ total: 83.6% of population"
},
"unimproved":{
"text":" ++ urban: 15.7% of population ++ rural: 18.2% of population ++ total: 16.4% of population (2015 est.)"
}
},
"Sanitation facility access":{
"improved":{
"text":" ++ urban: 95.5% of population ++ rural: 90.2% of population ++ total: 93.2% of population"
},
"unimproved":{
"text":" ++ urban: 4.5% of population ++ rural: 9.8% of population ++ total: 6.8% of population (2015 est.)"
}
},
"HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate":{
"text":"0.04% (2013 est.)"
},
"HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS":{
"text":"NA"
},
"HIV/AIDS - deaths":{
"text":"NA"
},
"Obesity - adult prevalence rate":{
"text":"18.1% (2014)"
},
"Children under the age of 5 years underweight":{
"text":"6.3% (2009)"
},
"Education expenditures":{
"text":"3.3% of GDP (2007)"
},
"Literacy":{
"definition":{
"text":"age 15 and over can read and write"
},
"total population":{
"text":"97.6%"
},
"male":{
"text":"98.4%"
},
"female":{
"text":"96.9% (2015 est.)"
}
},
"Child labor - children ages 5-14":{
"total number":{
"text":"72,818"
},
"percentage":{
"text":"12% (2005 est.)"
}
},
"Unemployment, youth ages 15-24":{
"total":{
"text":"22.5%"
},
"male":{
"text":"23.8%"
},
"female":{
"text":"20.7% (2010 est.)"
}
}
},
"Government":{
"Country name":{
"conventional long form":{
"text":"Republic of Albania"
},
"conventional short form":{
"text":"Albania"
},
"local long form":{
"text":"Republika e Shqiperise"
},
"local short form":{
"text":"Shqiperia"
},
"former":{
"text":"People's Socialist Republic of Albania"
},
"note":{
"text":"the English-language country name seems to be derived from the ancient Illyrian tribe of the Albani; the native name \"Shqiperia\" is popularly interpreted to mean \"Land of the Eagles\""
}
},
"Government type":{
"text":"parliamentary democracy"
},
"Capital":{
"name":{
"text":"Tirana (Tirane)"
},
"geographic coordinates":{
"text":"41 19 N, 19 49 E"
},
"time difference":{
"text":"UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)"
},
"daylight saving time":{
"text":"+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October"
"text":"28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)"
},
"National holiday":{
"text":"Independence Day, 28 November (1912) also known as Flag Day"
},
"Constitution":{
"text":"several previous; latest approved by parliament 21 October 1998, adopted by popular referendum 22 November 1998, promulgated 28 November 1998; amended 2007, 2008, 2012 (2014)"
},
"Legal system":{
"text":"civil law system except in the northern rural areas where customary law known as the \"Code of Leke\" prevails"
},
"International law organization participation":{
"text":"has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction"
"text":"President of the Republic Bujar NISHANI (since 24 July 2012)"
},
"head of government":{
"text":"Prime Minister Edi RAMA (since 10 September 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Niko PELESHI"
},
"cabinet":{
"text":"Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by the Assembly"
},
"elections/appointments":{
"text":"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 one of three rounds or a simple majority in 2 additional rounds to become president; election last held in 4 rounds 30 May-11 June 2012 (next election to be held in 2017); prime minister appointed by the president on the proposal of the majority party or coalition of parties in the Assembly"
},
"election results":{
"text":"Bujar NISHANI elected president; Assembly vote - 73 on fourth round"
"text":"unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)"
"text":"percent of vote by party - PS 41.36%, PD 30.63%, LSI 10.46%, PR 3.02%, PDIU 2.61%, other 11.92%; seats by party - PS 65, PD 50, LSI 16, PDIU 4, PR 3, other 2; seats by parliamentary group as of April 2015 - ASHE 88, APMI 50, 2 - outside of the majority and opposition groups"
"text":"Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president with the consent of the Assembly to serve single 9-year terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 3 years; chairman elected by the People's Assembly for a single 3-year term; Court of Cassation judges, including the chairman, appointed by the president with the consent of the Assembly to serve single, 9-year terms)"
"text":" ++ Christian Democratic Party or PDK [Nard NDOKA] ++ Democratic Party or PD [Lulzim BASHA] ++ Movement for National Development of LZHK [Dashamir SHEHI] ++ Republican Party or PR [Fatmir MEDIU]"
"text":" ++ Christian Democratic Party of PKD [Mark FRROKU] ++ Party for Justice, Integration and Unity or PDIU [Shpetim IDRIZI] (formerly part of APMI) ++ Socialist Movement for Integration or LSI [Ilir META] ++ Socialist Party or PS [Edi RAMA] ++ Union for Human Rights Party or PBDNJ [Vangjel DULE]"
"text":" ++ New Democratic Spirit or FRD [Bamir TOPI]"
},
"note":{
"text":"only the major parties of each coalition are listed"
}
},
"Political pressure groups and leaders":{
"text":"Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania or KSSH [Kol NIKOLLAJ] ++ Omonia [Vasil BOLLANO] ++ Union of Independent Trade Unions of Albania or BSPSH [Gezim KALAJA]"
"text":"Ambassador Floreta FABER (since 18 May 2015)"
},
"chancery":{
"text":"1312 18th Street NW, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20036"
},
"telephone":{
"text":"[1] (202) 223-4942"
},
"FAX":{
"text":"[1] (202) 628-7342"
},
"consulate(s) general":{
"text":"New York"
}
},
"Diplomatic representation from the US":{
"chief of mission":{
"text":"Ambassador Donald LU (since 13 January 2015)"
},
"embassy":{
"text":"Rruga e Elbasanit, 103, Tirana"
},
"mailing address":{
"text":"US Department of State, 9510 Tirana Place, Dulles, VA 20189-9510"
},
"telephone":{
"text":"[355] (4) 2247-285"
},
"FAX":{
"text":"[355] (4) 2232-222"
}
},
"Flag description":{
"text":"red with a black two-headed eagle in the center; the design is claimed to be that of 15th-century hero George 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\""
},
"National symbol(s)":{
"text":"double-headed eagle; national colors: red, black"
"text":"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, more recently, its negative effects have put some pressure on the Albanian economy, resulting in a significant economic slowdown. While the government is focused on establishing a favorable business climate through the simplification of licensing requirements and tax codes, it entered into a new arrangement with the IMF for additional financial and technical support. Remittances, a significant catalyst for economic growth, declined from 12-15% of GDP before the 2008 financial crisis to 5.7% of GDP in 2014, mostly from Albanians residing in Greece and Italy. The agricultural sector, which accounts for almost half of employment but only about one-fifth 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 and make attracting foreign investment difficult. Inward FDI has significantly increased in recent years as the government has embarked on an ambitious program to improve the business climate through fiscal and legislative reforms. Albania’s electricity supply is uneven despite upgraded transmission capacities with neighboring countries. Technical and non-technical losses in electricity - including theft and non-payment - continue to undermine the financial viability of the entire system, although the government has taken steps to stem non-technical losses and begin to upgrade the distribution grid. Also, with help from international donors, the government is taking steps to improve the poor national road and rail network, a long-standing barrier to sustained economic growth. The country will continue to face challenges from increasing public debt, having exceeded its former statutory limit of 60% of GDP in 2013 and reaching 72% in 2014. Strong trade, remittance, and banking sector ties with Greece and Italy make Albania vulnerable to spillover effects of debt crises and weak growth in the euro zone. The government will face critical tests in 2015 as it works to implement IMF-mandated reforms, especially those aimed at improving the electricity sector."
"Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy":{
"text":"3.962 million Mt (2012 est.)"
}
},
"Communications":{
"Telephones - fixed lines":{
"total subscriptions":{
"text":"250,000"
},
"subscriptions per 100 inhabitants":{
"text":"8 (2014 est.)"
}
},
"Telephones - mobile cellular":{
"total":{
"text":"3.4 million"
},
"subscriptions per 100 inhabitants":{
"text":"111 (2014 est.)"
}
},
"Telephone system":{
"general assessment":{
"text":"despite new investment in fixed lines, teledensity remains low with roughly 10 fixed lines per 100 people; mobile-cellular telephone use is widespread and generally effective"
},
"domestic":{
"text":"offsetting the shortage of fixed-line capacity, mobile-cellular phone service has been available since 1996; by 2011, multiple companies were providing mobile services, and mobile teledensity had reached 100 per 100 persons; Internet broadband services initiated in 2005, but growth has been slow; Internet cafes are popular in Tirana and have started to spread outside the capital"
},
"international":{
"text":"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 (2011)"
}
},
"Broadcast media":{
"text":"3 public TV networks, one of which transmits by satellite to Albanian-language communities in neighboring countries; more than 60 private TV stations; many viewers can pick up Italian and Greek TV broadcasts via terrestrial reception; cable TV service is available; 2 public radio networks and roughly 25 private radio stations; several international broadcasters are available (2010)"
"text":"5 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Panama 4) (2010)"
}
},
"Ports and terminals":{
"major seaport(s)":{
"text":"Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore"
}
}
},
"Military":{
"Military branches":{
"text":"Land Forces Command, Navy Force Command, Air Forces Command (2013)"
},
"Military service age and obligation":{
"text":"19 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; 18 is the legal minimum age in case of general/partial compulsory mobilization (2012)"
},
"Manpower available for military service":{
"males age 16-49":{
"text":"731,111"
},
"females age 16-49":{
"text":"780,216 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Manpower fit for military service":{
"males age 16-49":{
"text":"622,379"
},
"females age 16-49":{
"text":"660,715 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually":{
"male":{
"text":"31,986"
},
"female":{
"text":"29,533 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Military expenditures":{
"text":"0.85% of GDP (2015) ++ 1.04% of GDP (2014) ++ 1.5% of GDP (2013) ++ 1.47% of GDP (2012) ++ 1.52% of GDP (2011)"
}
},
"Transnational Issues":{
"Disputes - international":{
"text":"none"
},
"Refugees and internally displaced persons":{
"stateless persons":{
"text":"7,443 (2014)"
}
},
"Illicit drugs":{
"text":"increasingly 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; limited opium and expanding 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"
