General information about Albania

Geography
Albania is a country in South-Eastern Europe, in the West of the Balkan Peninsula, between the geographical coordinates: 39 38′ latitudes and 42 39′ longitudes. Albania is almost midway between Equator and the North Pole, and covers a surface of 28.748 km2.

The overall length of the borderline of the Republic of Albania is 1094 km, out of which 657 km are land-border, 316 km sea-border, 48 km river-border and 73 km lake-border.

The Republic of Albania is limited in the North with Serbia and Montenegro and Northeast borders with Kosovo, on the East with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and in the South and South-East with the Republic of Greece. On the West, the Adriatic and Ionian seas wash Albania. Albania is mostly a mountainous country. On the beautiful coast virgin and fine sandy and pebble beaches are to be found. The country is jeweled with plenty of beautiful inland lakes, natural lagoons, reserves, hunting grounds and SPA-s.

Climate
Albania is included in the humid sub-tropical zone of the Northern hemisphere, and it belongs to the Mediterranean climatic zone.
Albania is characterized by hot and dry summers, with bright sunny days and generally mild winters with abundant rainfalls.
In Albanian Alps in the northern part, the winters are cold and summers chilly. Normally the period from June to September is characterized by hot and sunny whether, while from October to May the weather is cool and wet.

Population
The population of Albania is about 2,800,138 people. Almost as many ethnic Albanians (3 million) live outside of the Republic of Albania. Albanian population is considered a young population. Its average age is 31.7 years old. After 1990 the population was faced with new phenomena like migration, which greatly affected not only the structure but also its growing rate. Population free and uncontrolled movements have affected the change of ration of urban population and that of rural population. In 2004 year the urban population has grown to 45 percent and the rural population is decrease from 57.3 percent in 2001 to 55 percent.

• Muslim 56.7%,
• Albanian Orthodox 6.75%,
• Roman Catholic 10.03%.

Infant mortality rate

• 29.90 deaths per 1,000 live births.

GOVERNMENT

• Executive –President (chief of state), Prime Minister (head of government), Council of Ministers (cabinet).
• Legislative–140-seat unicameral People’s Assembly
• Judicial–Constitutional Court, High Court, multiple district and appeals courts.

Main political parties:

• Democratic Party (DP); Socialist Party (SP); Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI); Republican Party (PR); Demo-Christian Party (PDK); Union for Human Rights Party (PBDNJ); New Democracy Party (PDR); Social Democratic Party (PSD); ect.

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