President: Bamir Topi Prime minister: Sali Berisha
Population
10,884,958
3,002,859
Life Expectancy
58.610 years
77.590 years
Capital City
Tirana (Tirane)
Largest city
Camayenne (population: 1,871,240)
Tirana (population: 374,801)
Human Development Index
0.423
0.807
GDP per capita
$7,800 US
Literacy Rate
29.5%
98.7%
Corruption Perception Index
1.6
3.4
Percentage of Women in Parliament
19.3%
7.1%
Wealthiest Citizens
Unemployment Rate
13.300%
Death Penalty
Legal
Abolished
Political System
republic
emerging democracy
Independence date
28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)
Religions
Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7%
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
Languages
French (official); note - each ethnic group has its own language
textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco
External Debt
$5,700,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
leke (ALL) per US dollar - 79.546 (2008 est.), 92.668 (2007), 98.384 (2006), 102.649 (2005), 102.78 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.490%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece in the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north
Area
245,857 km sq
28,748 km sq
Coastline
320 km
362 km
Climate
generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter
