Projection | Geography | History | Government | People | Economics | Military | Terrorism

Intel Reports:

No Reports Found

IIR Reports:

No Reports Found

Projection:

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.

Geography:

Location:

41 00 N, 20 00 E

Capital City:

Tirana

History:

National Holidays:

Independence Day, 28 November (1912)

Significant Dates:

November 28, 1944: Liberation Day
The communist-led National Liberation Front (NLF) eliminated other smaller, non-communist resistance groups and gained control of the country.

November 28, 1912: Independence Day
Albania declared its independence from Turkey at the height of the first Balkan War.

Government:

Current Form of Government:

emerging democracy

Current Leader:

President of the Republic Bamir TOPI (since 24 July 2007)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Sali BERISHA (since 10 September 2005)

Recent Changes in Government (election, assassination, etc.):

Not Recorded

People:

Languages:

Albanian (Tosk is the official dialect), Greek

Ethnic Groups:

Albanian 95%, Greek 3%, other 2% (Vlach, Roma (Gypsy), Serb, Macedonian, Bulgarian) (1989 est.)

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

Population:

3,639,453 (July 2009 est.)

Life Expectancy:

total population: 77.96 years
male: 75.28 years
female: 80.89 years (2009 est.)

Birth Rate:

15.29 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)

Death Rate:

5.55 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS Rate:

N/A

Economics:

Economic Information:

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.

Economic Indicators:

definition: age 9 and over can read and write
total population: 98.7%
male: 99.2%
female: 98.3% (2001 census)

Average Annual Income:

Not Recorded

Monetary Unit:

lek (ALL)

Population Below the Poverty Line:

25% (2004 est.)

Inflation Rate:

3.4% (2008 est.)

Unemployment Rate:

12.5% (2008 est.) Actual rate may exceed 30%

Number of Telephones:

316,400 (2008)

Number of Mobile/Cellular Phones:

2.3 million (2007)

Major Transportation Systems:

Not Recorded

Airports:

5 (2009)

Seaports:

Not Recorded

Internet Domain:

.al

International Dialing Code:

Not Recorded

Military:

History:

Not Recorded

Units:

Not Recorded

Strengths:

Military branches:

Joint Force Command (includes Land, Naval, and Aviation Brigade Commands), Joint Support Command (includes Logistic Command), Training and Doctrine Command (2009)

Military service age and obligation:
19 years of age (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 944,592
females age 16-49: 908,527 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 800,665
females age 16-49: 768,536 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
male: 34,778
female: 31,673 (2009 est.)

Military expenditures:
1.49% of GDP (2005 est.)

Terrorism:

Known Terrorist Attacks Concerning Albania:

August 01, 2007: Kukes, Albania
May 31, 2007: Tirana, Albania
October 03, 2006: Tirana, Albania
June 30, 1998: Tirana, Albania

Known Groups Operating in Albania:

Cameria Liberation Army (UCC)

Known Staging Area for Attacks:

Not Recorded

TIR Reports:

No Reports Found