1988 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1988 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Boundary disputes
none; Kosovo question with Yugoslavia; Northern Epirus question with Greece
Budget
current expenditure Af42.6 billion, capital expenditure AflG.O billion (FY86 est.)
Climate
mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters ; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter
Coastline
362 km
Comparative area
slightly larger than Maryland
Environment
subject to destructive earthquakes; tsunami occur along southwestern coast; deforestation
Ethnic divisions
96% Albanian; remaining 4% are Greeks, Vlachs, Gypsies, Serbs, and Bulgarians
Fiscal year
21 March-20 March
Infant mortality rate
86.8/1,000 (1971)
Labor force
584,000 (1978); about 22% agriculture, 40% industry and commerce, 38% other (1978)
Land boundaries
716 km total
Land use
21% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 15% meadows and pastures; 38% forest and woodland; 22% other; includes 1% irrigated
Language
Albanian (Tosk is official dialect), Greek
Life expectancy
69
Literacy
75%
Monetary conversion rate
50.6 afghanis=US$l (November 1986)
Nationality
noun— Albanian(s); adjective— Albanian
Population
3,085,985 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 2.03%
Religion
Albania claims to be the world's first atheist state; all churches and mosques were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; pre-1967 estimates of religious affiliation— 70% Muslim, 20% Albanian Orthodox, 10% Roman Catholic
Special notes
strategic location on Strait of Otranto linking Adriatic Sea to Mediterranean Sea
Terrain
mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast
Territorial sea
15 nm
Total area
28,750 km2; land area: 27,400 km2
Government
Administrative divisions
26 rrethet (districts)
Branches
legislature (People's Assembly), Council of Ministers, judiciary
Capital
Tirane
Communists
147,000 party members (November 1986); 4.9% of population
Elections
national elections held every four years; last elections 1 February 1987 Political parties and leaders: Albanian Workers Party only; First Secretary, Ramiz Alia (since April 1985)
Government leaders
Ramiz ALIA, Chairman, Presidium of the People's Assembly (chief of state, since November 1982); Adil CARCANI, Chairman, Council of Ministers (premier, since November 1982)
Legal system
based on constitution adopted in 1976; judicial review of legislative acts only in the Presidium of the People's Assembly, which is not a true court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday
Liberation Day, 29 November
Official name
People's Socialist Republic of Albania
Suffrage
universal and compulsory over age 18
Type
Communist state
Communications
Airfields
42 total, 34 usable; 12 with permanent-surface runways; 9 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Branches
Armed Forces, Air and Defense Forces, border guard forces, Defense of the Revolution Force, National Police Force — operational battalions, Ministry for State Security (WAD), People's Militia
Civil air
5 major transport aircraft
Highways
21,000 km total (1984); 2,800 km hard surface, 1,650 km bituminous treated gravel and improved earth, 16,550 unimproved earth and tracks
Inland waterways
total navigability 1,200 km; chiefly Amu Darya, which handles steamers up to about 500 metric tons
Military budget
for fiscal year ending 20 March 1984, $210 million, about 63% of central government budget Ionian Sea Sec rtf ionil map V
Military manpower
males 15-49, about 3,483,000; 1,868,000 fit for military service; about 144,000 reach military age (22) annually
Pipelines
natural gas, 180 km
Ports
3 minor river ports (Shir Khan is largest)
Railroads
9.6 km (single track) 1.524meter gauge, spur of Soviet line from Kushka (USSR) to Towraghondl and from Termez (USSR) to Kheyrabad transhipment point (15 km) on south bank of Amu Darya; government owned
Telecommunications
limited telephone, telegraph, and radiobroadcast services; television introduced in 1980; 31,200 telephones (0.2 per 100 popl.); 5 AM and no FM stations, 1 TV station, 1 earth satellite station Defense Forces