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Compare Albania (2001) - Poland (2005)

Compare Albania (2001) z Poland (2005)

 Albania (2001)Poland (2005)
 AlbaniaPoland
Administrative divisions 36 districts (rrethe, singular - rreth) and 1 municipality* (bashki); Berat, Bulqize, Delvine, Devoll (Bilisht), Diber (Peshkopi), Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Gramsh, Has (Krume), Kavaje, Kolonje (Erseke), Korce, Kruje, Kucove, Kukes, Kurbin, Lezhe, Librazhd, Lushnje, Malesi e Madhe (Koplik), Mallakaster (Ballsh), Mat (Burrel), Mirdite (Rreshen), Peqin, Permet, Pogradec, Puke, Sarande, Shkoder, Skrapar (Corovode), Tepelene, Tirane (Tirana), Tirane* (Tirana), Tropoje (Bajram Curri), Vlore

note:
administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)
16 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo); Dolnoslaskie, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Lodzkie, Lubelskie, Lubuskie, Malopolskie, Mazowieckie, Opolskie, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie, Pomorskie, Slaskie, Swietokrzyskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie, Wielkopolskie, Zachodniopomorskie
Age structure 0-14 years:
29.53% (male 536,495; female 500,026)

15-64 years:
63.48% (male 1,073,351; female 1,155,115)

65 years and over:
6.99% (male 107,476; female 138,021) (2001 est.)
0-14 years: 16.7% (male 3,319,176/female 3,150,859)


15-64 years: 70.3% (male 13,506,153/female 13,638,265)


65 years and over: 13% (male 1,912,431/female 3,108,260) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes; meat, dairy products potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork
Airports 11 (2000 est.) 123 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total:
3

2,438 to 3,047 m:
3 (2000 est.)
total: 84


over 3,047 m: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 30


1,524 to 2,437 m: 40


914 to 1,523 m: 8


under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
8

over 3,047 m:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
2

under 914 m:
4 (2000 est.)
total: 39


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 13


under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.)
Area total:
28,748 sq km

land:
27,398 sq km

water:
1,350 sq km
total: 312,685 sq km


land: 304,465 sq km


water: 8,220 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maryland slightly smaller than New Mexico
Background In 1990 Albania ended 44 years of xenophobic communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven difficult as corrupt governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, a dilapidated infrastructure, widespread gangsterism, and disruptive political opponents. International observers judged local elections in 2000 to be acceptable and a step toward democratic development, but serious deficiencies remain to be corrected before the the 2001 parliamentary elections. Poland is an ancient nation that was conceived near the middle of the 10th century. Its golden age occurred in the 16th century. During the following century, the strengthening of the gentry and internal disorders weakened the nation. In a series of agreements between 1772 and 1795, Russia, Prussia, and Austria partitioned Poland amongst themselves. Poland regained its independence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II. It became a Soviet satellite state following the war, but its government was comparatively tolerant and progressive. Labor turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union "Solidarity" that over time became a political force and by 1990 had swept parliamentary elections and the presidency. A "shock therapy" program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe, but Poland currently suffers low GDP growth and high unemployment. Solidarity suffered a major defeat in the 2001 parliamentary elections when it failed to elect a single deputy to the lower house of Parliament, and the new leaders of the Solidarity Trade Union subsequently pledged to reduce the Trade Union's political role. Poland joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004.
Birth rate 19.01 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 10.78 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget revenues:
$393 million

expenditures:
$676 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
revenues: $44.52 billion


expenditures: $54.93 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
Capital Tirana Warsaw
Climate mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers
Coastline 362 km 491 km
Constitution a new constitution was adopted by popular referendum on 28 November 1998; note - the opposition Democratic Party boycotted the vote adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997, passed by national referendum 25 May 1997, effective 17 October 1997
Country name conventional long form:
Republic of Albania

conventional short form:
Albania

local long form:
Republika e Shqiperise

local short form:
Shqiperia

former:
People's Socialist Republic of Albania
conventional long form: Republic of Poland


conventional short form: Poland


local long form: Rzeczpospolita Polska


local short form: Polska
Currency lek (ALL) -
Death rate 6.5 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 10.01 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external $1 billion (2000) $99.15 billion (2004 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission:
Ambassador Joseph LIMPRECHT

embassy:
Rruga Elbasanit Labinoti 103, Tirana

mailing address:
PSC 59, Box 100(A), APO AE 09624

telephone:
[355] (42) 32875, 33520

FAX:
[355] (42) 32222
chief of mission: Ambassador Victor ASHE


embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540 Warsaw


mailing address: American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State, 5010 Warsaw Place, Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch)


telephone: [48] (22) 504-2000


FAX: [48] (22) 504-2688


consulate(s) general: Krakow
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission:
Ambassador Petrit BUSHATI

chancery:
2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:
[1] (202) 223-4942

FAX:
[1] (202) 628-7342
chief of mission: Ambassador Przemyslaw GRUDZINSKI


chancery: 2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009


telephone: [1] (202) 234-3800 through 3802


FAX: [1] (202) 328-6270


consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
Disputes - international the Albanian Government supports protection of the rights of ethnic Albanians outside of its borders but has downplayed them to further its primary foreign policy goal of regional cooperation; Albanian majority in Kosovo seeks independence from Yugoslavia; Albanians in The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia claim discrimination in education, access to public-sector jobs, and representation in government as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Poland must implement the strict Schengen border rules
Economic aid - recipient $NA; aid for energy from China, Germany, Norway (2000) $17 billion in available EU structural adjustment and cohesion funds (2004-06)
Economy - overview Poor by European standards, Albania is making the difficult transition to a more open-market economy. The economy rebounded in 1993-95 after a severe depression accompanying the end of the previous centrally planned system in 1990 and 1991. However, a weakening of government resolve to maintain stabilization policies in the election year of 1996 contributed to renewal of inflationary pressures, spurred by the budget deficit which exceeded 12% of GDP. The collapse of financial pyramid schemes in early 1997 - which had attracted deposits from a substantial portion of Albania's population - triggered severe social unrest which led to more than 1,500 deaths, widespread destruction of property, and a 7% drop in GDP. The government has taken measures to curb violent crime and to revive economic activity and trade. The economy is bolstered by remittances from some 20% of the labor force that works abroad, mostly in Greece and Italy. These remittances supplement GDP and help offset the large foreign trade deficit. Most agricultural land was privatized in 1992, substantially improving peasant incomes. In 1998, Albania recovered the 7% drop in GDP of 1997 and pushed ahead by 8% in 1999 and by 7.5% in 2000. International aid helped defray the high costs of receiving and returning refugees from the Kosovo conflict. Privatization scored some successes in 2000, but other reforms lagged. Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of economic liberalization throughout the 1990s and today stands out as a success story among transition economies. Even so, much remains to be done, especially in bringing down unemployment. The privatization of small and medium-sized state-owned companies and a liberal law on establishing new firms has encouraged the development of the private business sector, but legal and bureaucratic obstacles alongside persistent corruption are hampering its further development. Poland's agricultural sector remains handicapped by surplus labor, inefficient small farms, and lack of investment. Restructuring and privatization of "sensitive sectors" (e.g., coal, steel, railroads, and energy), while recently initiated, have stalled. Reforms in health care, education, the pension system, and state administration have resulted in larger-than-expected fiscal pressures. Further progress in public finance depends mainly on reducing losses in Polish state enterprises, restraining entitlements, and overhauling the tax code to incorporate the growing gray economy and farmers, most of whom pay no tax. The government has introduced a package of social and administrative spending cuts to reduce public spending by about $17 billion through 2007. Additional reductions are under discussion in the legislature but could be trumped by election-year politics in 2005. Poland joined the EU in May 2004, and surging exports to the EU contributed to Poland's strong growth in 2004, though its competitiveness could be threatened by the zloty's appreciation. GDP per capita roughly equals that of the three Baltic states. Poland stands to benefit from nearly $13.5 billion in EU funds, available through 2006. Farmers have already begun to reap the rewards of membership via higher food prices and EU agricultural subsidies.
Electricity - consumption 5.379 billion kWh (1999) 117.4 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports 100 million kWh (1999) 11.5 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports 600 million kWh (2000) 4.5 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production 5.332 billion kWh (1999) 133.8 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
3.81%

hydro:
96.19%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Adriatic Sea 0 m

highest point:
Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,753 m
lowest point: near Raczki Elblaskie -2 m


highest point: Rysy 2,499 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents situation has improved since 1989 due to decline in heavy industry and increased environmental concern by post-Communist governments; air pollution nonetheless remains serious because of sulfur dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, and the resulting acid rain has caused forest damage; water pollution from industrial and municipal sources is also a problem, as is disposal of hazardous wastes; pollution levels should continue to decrease as industrial establishments bring their facilities up to European Union code, but at substantial cost to business and the government
Environment - international agreements party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94
Ethnic groups Albanian 95%, Greeks 3%, other 2% (Vlachs, Gypsies, Serbs, and Bulgarians) (1989 est.)

note:
in 1989, other estimates of the Greek population ranged from 1% (official Albanian statistics) to 12% (from a Greek organization)
Polish 96.7%, German 0.4%, Belarusian 0.1%, Ukrainian 0.1%, other and unspecified 2.7% (2002 census)
Exchange rates leke per US dollar - 146.08 (December 2000),143.71 (2000) 137.69 (1999), 150.63 (1998), 148.93 (1997), 104.50 (1996); note - leke is the plural of lek zlotych per US dollar - 3.6576 (2004), 3.8891 (2003), 4.08 (2002), 4.0939 (2001), 4.3461 (2000)


note: zlotych is the plural form of zloty
Executive branch chief of state:
President of the Republic Rexhep MEIDANI (since 24 July 1997)

head of government:
Prime Minister Ilir META (since 29 October 1999)

cabinet:
Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and approved by the president

elections:
president elected by the People's Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 24 July 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); prime minister appointed by the president

election results:
Rexhep MEIDANI elected president; People's Assembly vote by number - total votes 122, for 110, against 3, abstained 2, invalid 7
chief of state: President Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI (since 23 December 1995)


head of government: Prime Minister Marek BELKA (since 24 June 2004); Deputy Prime Minister Izabela JARUGA-NOWACKA (since 24 June 2004)


cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the prime minister and the Sejm; the prime minister proposes, the president appoints, and the Sejm approves the Council of Ministers


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 8 October 2000 (next to be held October 2005); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm


election results: Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI reelected president; percent of popular vote - Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI 53.9%, Andrzej OLECHOWSKI 17.3%, Marian KRZAKLEWSKI 15.6%, Lech WALESA 1%
Exports $310 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) 53,000 bbl/day (2001)
Exports - commodities textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco machinery and transport equipment 37.8%, intermediate manufactured goods 23.7%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 17.1%, food and live animals 7.6% (2003)
Exports - partners Italy 67%, Greece 15%, Germany 5%, Austria 2%, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 2% (2000) Germany 30%, Italy 6.1%, France 6%, UK 5.4%, Czech Republic 4.3%, Netherlands 4.3% (2004)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description red with a black two-headed eagle in the center two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white
GDP purchasing power parity - $10.5 billion (2000 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
55%

industry:
24%

services:
21% (2000)
agriculture: 2.9%


industry: 31.3%


services: 65.9% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $3,000 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $12,000 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 7.5% (2000 est.) 5.6% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates 41 00 N, 20 00 E 52 00 N, 20 00 E
Geography - note strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea) historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain
Heliports 1 (2000 est.) 3 (2004 est.)
Highways total:
18,000 km

paved:
5,400 km

unpaved:
12,600 km (1998 est.)
total: 364,697 km


paved: 249,088 km (including 399 km of expressways)


unpaved: 115,609 km (2001)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
lowest 10%: 3.2%


highest 10%: 24.7% (1998)
Illicit drugs increasingly active transshipment point for Southwest Asian opiates, hashish, and cannabis transiting the Balkan route and - to a far lesser extent - cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe; limited opium and cannabis production; ethnic Albanian narcotrafficking organizations active and rapidly expanding in Europe major illicit producer of synthetic drugs for the international market; minor transshipment point for Asian and Latin American illicit drugs to Western Europe
Imports $1 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) 413,700 bbl/day (2001)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals machinery and transport equipment 38%, intermediate manufactured goods 21%, chemicals 14.8%, minerals, fuels, lubricants, and related materials 9.1% (2003)
Imports - partners Italy 37%, Greece 28%, Turkey 6%, Germany 6%, Bulgaria 3% (2000) Germany 24.4%, Italy 7.9%, Russia 7.3%, France 6.7%, China 4.6% (2004)
Independence 28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire) 11 November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed)
Industrial production growth rate 9% (2000 est.) 10% (2004 est.)
Industries food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles
Infant mortality rate 39.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) total: 8.51 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 9.59 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 7.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1% (2000 est.) 3.4% (2004 est.)
International organization participation ACCT (associate), BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (member affiliate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 7 (2000) -
Irrigated land 3,410 sq km (1993 est.) 1,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (chairman is elected by the People's Assembly for a four-year term) Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the National Council of the Judiciary for an indefinite period); Constitutional Tribunal (judges are chosen by the Sejm for nine-year terms)
Labor force 1.692 million (including 352,000 emigrant workers and 261,000 domestically unemployed) (1994 est.) 17.02 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 50%, industry and services 50% agriculture 16.1%, industry 29%, services 54.9% (2002)
Land boundaries total:
720 km

border countries:
Greece 282 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 151 km, Yugoslavia 287 km
total: 2,788 km


border countries: Belarus 407 km, Czech Republic 658 km, Germany 456 km, Lithuania 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 206 km, Slovakia 444 km, Ukraine 526 km
Land use arable land:
21%

permanent crops:
5%

permanent pastures:
15%

forests and woodland:
38%

other:
21% (1993 est.)
arable land: 45.91%


permanent crops: 1.12%


other: 52.97% (2001)
Languages Albanian (Tosk is the official dialect), Greek Polish 97.8%, other and unspecified 2.2% (2002 census)
Legal system has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and holdover Communist legal theory; changes being gradually introduced as part of broader democratization process; limited judicial review of legislative acts, but rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal are final; court decisions can be appealed to the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg
Legislative branch unicameral People's Assembly or Kuvendi Popullor (155 seats; most members are elected by direct popular vote and some by proportional vote for four-year terms)

elections:
last held 29 June 1997 (next held 24 June 2001, 2nd round 8 July 2001)

election results:
percent of vote by party - PS 53.36%, PD 25.33%, PSD 2.5%, PBDNJ 2.78%, PBK 2.36%, PAD 2.85%, PR 2.25%, PLL 3.09%, PDK 1.00%, PBSD 0.84%; seats by party - PS 101, PD 27, PSD 8, PBDNJ 4, PBK 3, PAD 2, PR 2, PLL 2, PDK 1, PBSD 1, PUK 1, independents 3
bicameral legislature consisting of an upper house, the Senate or Senat (100 seats; members are elected by a majority vote on a provincial basis to serve four-year terms), and a lower house, the Sejm (460 seats; members are elected under a complex system of proportional representation to serve four-year terms); the designation of National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe is only used on those rare occasions when the two houses meet jointly


elections: Senate - last held 25 September 2005 (next to be held by September 2009); Sejm elections last held September 25 2005 (next to be held by September 2009)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PiS 49, PO 34, LPR 7, SO 3, PSL 2, independents 5; Sejm - percent of vote by party - PiS 27%, PO 24.1%, SO 11.4%, SLD 11.3%, LPR 8%, PSL 7%, other 11.2%; seats by party - PiS 155, PO 133, SO 56, SLD 55, LPR 34, PSL 25, German minorities 2


note: two seats are assigned to ethnic minority parties in the Sejm only
Life expectancy at birth total population:
71.83 years

male:
69.01 years

female:
74.87 years (2001 est.)
total population: 74.74 years


male: 70.71 years


female: 79.03 years (2005 est.)
Literacy definition:
age 9 and over can read and write

total population:
93% (1997 est.)

male:
NA%

female:
NA%
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99.8%


male: 99.8%


female: 99.7% (2003 est.)
Location Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Central Europe, east of Germany
Map references Europe Europe
Maritime claims continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

territorial sea:
12 NM
territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: defined by international treaties
Merchant marine total:
9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 17,797 GRT/26,324 DWT

ships by type:
cargo 9 (2000 est.)
total: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 154,710 GRT/228,132 DWT


by type: cargo 3, chemical tanker 2, passenger/cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1


registered in other countries: 107 (2005)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Interior Ministry Troops, Border Guards Land Forces, Navy, Polish Air Force (PSP)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $42 million (FY99) $3.5 billion (2002)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.5% (FY99) 1.71% (2002)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
870,768 (2001 est.)
-
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
712,763 (2001 est.)
-
Military manpower - military age 19 years of age -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males:
35,792 (2001 est.)
-
National holiday Independence Day, 28 November (1912) Constitution Day, 3 May (1791)
Nationality noun:
Albanian(s)

adjective:
Albanian
noun: Pole(s)


adjective: Polish
Natural hazards destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; drought flooding
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, timber, nickel, hydropower coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, arable land
Net migration rate -3.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) -0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Pipelines crude oil 145 km; petroleum products 55 km; natural gas 64 km (1991) gas 13,552 km; oil 1,772 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders Albanian National Front (Balli Kombetar) or PBK [Abaz ERMENJI]; Albanian Republican Party or PR [Fatmir MEDIU]; Albanian Socialist Party or PS (formerly the Albania Workers Party) [Fatos NANO, chairman]; Christian Democratic Party or PDK [Zef BUSHATI]; Democratic Alliance or PAD [Neritan CEKA]; Democratic Party or PD [Sali BERISHA]; Group of Reformist Democrats [Leonard NDOKA]; Liberal Union Party [Teodor LACO]; note - Teodor LACO of the Liberal Union Party was leader of the Social Democratic Union of Albania or PBSD; Movement of Legality Party or PLL [Nderim KUPI]; OMONIA [Vagjelis DULES]; Party of National Unity or PUK [Idajet BEQUIRI]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Skender GJINUSHI]; Unity for Human Rights Party or PBDNJ [Vasil MELO, chairman] Catholic-National Movement or RKN [Antoni MACIEREWICZ]; Civic Platform or PO [Donald TUSK]; Conservative Peasants Party or KL [Artur BALAZS]; Democratic Left Alliance or SLD [Jozef OLEKSY]; Dom Ojczysty (Fatherland Home); Freedom Union or UW [Wladyslaw FRASYNIUK]; German Minority of Lower Silesia or MNSO [Henryk KROLL]; Law and Justice or PiS [Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI]; League of Polish Families or LPR [Marek KOTLINOWSKI]; Movement for the Reconstruction of Poland or ROP [Jan OLSZEWSKI]; Peasant-Democratic Party or PLD [Roman JAGIELINSKI]; Polish Accord or PP [Jan LOPUSZANSKI]; Polish Peasant Party or PSL [Waldemar PAWLAK]; Samoobrona or SO [Andrzej LEPPER]; Social Democratic Party of Poland or SDPL [Marek BOROWSKI]; Social Movement or RS [Krzysztof PIESIEWICZ]; Union of Labor or UP [Izabela JARUGA-NOWACKA]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ (trade union) [Jan GUZ]; Roman Catholic Church [Cardinal Jozef GLEMP]; Solidarity Trade Union [Janusz SNIADEK]
Population 3,510,484 (July 2001 est.) 38,635,144 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line 19.6% (1996 est.) 18.4% (2000 est.)
Population growth rate 0.88% (2001 est.) 0.03% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore Gdansk, Gdynia, Swinoujscie, Szczecin
Radio broadcast stations AM 16, FM 3, shortwave 2 (1999) AM 14, FM 777, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios 810,000 (1997) -
Railways total:
447 km

standard gauge:
447 km 1.435-m gauge (2001)
total: 23,852 km


broad gauge: 629 km 1.524-m gauge


standard gauge: 23,223 km 1.435-m gauge (20,555 km operational) (11,962 km electrified) (2004)
Religions Muslim 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10%

note:
all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice
Roman Catholic 89.8% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox 1.3%, Protestant 0.3%, other 0.3%, unspecified 8.3% (2002)
Sex ratio at birth:
1.08 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.07 male(s)/female

15-64 years:
0.93 male(s)/female

65 years and over:
0.78 male(s)/female

total population:
0.96 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female


total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal and compulsory 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment:
Albania has the poorest telephone service in Europe with fewer than two telephones per 100 inhabitants; it is doubtful that every village has telephone service

domestic:
obsolete wire system; no longer provides a telephone for every village; in 1992, following the fall of the communist government, peasants cut the wire to about 1,000 villages and used it to build fences

international:
inadequate; international traffic carried by microwave radio relay from the Tirana exchange to Italy and Greece
general assessment: underdeveloped and outmoded system in the process of being overhauled; partial privatization of the state-owned telephone monopoly is underway; the long waiting list for main line telephone service has resulted in a boom in mobile cellular telephone use


domestic: cable, open-wire, and microwave radio relay; 3 cellular networks; local exchanges 56.6% digital


international: country code - 48; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat, NA Eutelsat, 2 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions), and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)
Telephones - main lines in use 87,000 (1997) 12.3 million (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular 3,100 (1999) 17.401 million (2003)
Television broadcast stations 9 (plus 264 repeaters) (1995) 179 (plus 256 repeaters) (September 1995)
Terrain mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border
Total fertility rate 2.32 children born/woman (2001 est.) 1.39 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate 16% (2000 est.) officially; may be as high as 25% 19.5% (2004 est.)
Waterways 43 km

note:
includes Albanian sections of Lake Scutari, Lake Ohrid, and Lake Prespa (1990)
3,997 km (navigable rivers and canals) (2003)
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