Albania (2002) | Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2002) | |
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Administrative divisions | 12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Qarku i Beratit, Qarku i Dibres, Qarku i Durresit, Qarku i Elbasanit, Qarku i Fierit, Qarku i Gjirokastres, Qarku i Korces, Qarku i Kukesit, Qarku i Lezhes, Qarku i Shkodres, Qarku i Tiranes, Qarku i Vlores | none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 28.8% (male 528,678; female 493,531)
15-64 years: 64% (male 1,094,034; female 1,175,024) 65 years and over: 7.2% (male 111,524; female 142,050) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% |
Agriculture - products | wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes; meat, dairy products | fodder and vegetable crops; sheep, dairy products |
Airports | 11 (2001) | 5 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2002) |
total: 2 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 1 (2002) |
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 (2002) |
total: 3 3
under 914 m: 3 (2002) |
Area | total: 28,748 sq km
land: 27,398 sq km water: 1,350 sq km |
total: 12,173 sq km
land: 12,173 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the two main islands of East and West Falkland and about 200 small islands |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Maryland | slightly smaller than Connecticut |
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 2001 to be acceptable and a step toward democratic development, but identified serious deficiencies which should be addressed through reforms in the Albanian electoral code. | Although first sighted by an English navigator in 1592, the first landing (English) did not occur until almost a century later in 1690, and the first settlement (French) was not established until 1764. The colony was turned over to Spain two years later and the islands have since been the subject of a territorial dispute, first between Britain and Spain, then between Britain and Argentina. The UK asserted its claim to the islands by establishing a naval garrison there in 1833. Argentina invaded the islands on 2 April 1982. The British responded with an expeditionary force that landed seven weeks later and after fierce fighting forced Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982. |
Birth rate | 18.59 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | NA births/1,000 population |
Budget | revenues: $697 million
expenditures: $1.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $368 million (2002 est.) |
revenues: $66.2 million
expenditures: $67.9 million, including capital expenditures of $23.2 million |
Capital | Tirana | Stanley |
Climate | mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter | cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on more than half of days in year; occasional snow all year, except in January and February, but does not accumulate |
Coastline | 362 km | 1,288 km |
Constitution | a constitution was adopted by popular referendum on 28 November 1998; note - the opposition Democratic Party boycotted the vote | 3 October 1985; amended 1997 and 1998 |
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: none
conventional short form: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) |
Currency | lek (ALL) | Falkland pound (FKP) |
Death rate | 6.49 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | NA deaths/1,000 population |
Debt - external | $784 million (2000) | $NA |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador James F. JEFFREY
embassy: Rruga Elbasanit, Labinoti #103, Tirana mailing address: U. S. Department of State, 9510 Tirana Place, Washington, DC 20521-9510 telephone: [355] (4) 247285 FAX: [355] (4) 232222 |
none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Fatos TARIFA
chancery: 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 223-4942 FAX: [1] (202) 628-7342 |
none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) |
Disputes - international | the Albanian Government supports protection of the rights of ethnic Albanians outside of its borders in the Kosovo region of Serbia and Montenegro and in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia while continuing to seek regional cooperation; many Albanians illegally transit neighboring states to emigrate to western Europe | claimed by Argentina |
Economic aid - recipient | ODA: $315 million (top donors were Italy, EU, Germany) (2000 est.) | none |
Economy - overview | Poor and backward by European standards, Albania is making the difficult transition to a more modern open-market economy. The government has taken measures to curb violent crime and to revive economic activity and trade. The economy is bolstered by remittances from abroad of $400-$600 million annually, mostly from Greece and Italy. Agriculture, which accounts for half of GDP, is held back because of frequent drought and the need to modernize equipment and consolidate small plots of land. Severe energy shortages are forcing small firms out of business, increasing unemployment, scaring off foreign investors, and spurring inflation. The government plans to boost energy imports to relieve the shortages. | The economy was formerly based on agriculture, mainly sheep farming, but today fishing contributes the bulk of economic activity. In 1987 the government began selling fishing licenses to foreign trawlers operating within the Falklands exclusive fishing zone. These license fees total more than $40 million per year, which goes to support the island's health, education, and welfare system. Squid accounts for 75% of the fish taken. Dairy farming supports domestic consumption; crops furnish winter fodder. Exports feature shipments of high-grade wool to the UK and the sale of postage stamps and coins. The islands are now self-financing except for defense. The British Geological Survey announced a 200-mile oil exploration zone around the islands in 1993, and early seismic surveys suggest substantial reserves capable of producing 500,000 barrels per day; to date no exploitable site has been identified. An agreement between Argentina and the UK in 1995 seeks to defuse licensing and sovereignty conflicts that would dampen foreign interest in exploiting potential oil reserves. Tourism is increasing rapidly, with about 30,000 visitors in 2001. The second largest source of income is interest paid on money the government has in the bank. The British military presence also provides a sizeable economic boost. |
Electricity - consumption | 5.378 billion kWh (2000) | 11.2 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 100 million kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 1.072 billion kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 4.738 billion kWh (2000) | 12 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 3%
hydro: 97% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% 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: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Usborne 705 m |
Environment - current issues | deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents | overfishing by unlicensed vessels is a problem; reindeer were introduced to the islands in 2001 for commercial reasons; this is the only commercial reindeer herd in the world unaffected by the Chornobyl disaster |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
- |
Ethnic groups | Albanian 95%, Greek 3%, other 2% (Vlach, Gypsy, Serb, and Bulgarian) (1989 est.)
note: in 1989, other estimates of the Greek population ranged from 1% (official Albanian statistics) to 12% (from a Greek organization) |
British |
Exchange rates | leke per US dollar - 140.16 (November 2001), 143.71 (2000) 137.69 (1999), 150.63 (1998), 148.93 (1997); note - leke is the plural of lek | Falkland pounds per US dollar - 0.6981 (January 2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997); note - the Falkland pound is at par with the British pound |
Executive branch | chief of state: President of the Republic Alfred MOISIU (since 24 July 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Fatos NANO (since 31 July 2002) 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 June 2002 (next to be held NA June 2007); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Alfred MOISIU elected president; People's Assembly vote by number - total votes 116, for 97, against 19 |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Governor Howard PEARCE (since 3 December 2002); Chief Executive A. M. GURR (since NA); Financial Secretary D. F. HOWATT (since NA) cabinet: Executive Council; three members elected by the Legislative Council, two ex officio members (chief executive and the financial secretary), and the governor elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch |
Exports | $340 million f.o.b. (2002 est.) | $7.6 million (1995) |
Exports - commodities | textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco | wool, hides, meat |
Exports - partners | Italy 71%, Greece 12%, Germany 7%, Yugoslavia 3% (2001) | UK, Japan, Chile, NZ |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | red with a black two-headed eagle in the center | blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Falkland Island coat of arms in a white disk centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms contains a white ram (sheep raising is the major economic activity) above the sailing ship Desire (whose crew discovered the islands) with a scroll at the bottom bearing the motto DESIRE THE RIGHT |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $14 billion (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $52 million (1996 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 49%
industry: 27% services: 24% (2002 est.) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $4,500 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $19,000 |
GDP - real growth rate | 5% (2002 est.) | 1% |
Geographic coordinates | 41 00 N, 20 00 E | 51 45 S, 59 00 W |
Geography - note | strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea) | deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season |
Heliports | 1 (2002) | - |
Highways | total: 18,000 km
paved: 5,400 km unpaved: 12,600 km (1998 est.) |
total: 550 km
paved: at least 50 km unpaved: NA (2002) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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 growing cannabis production; ethnic Albanian narcotrafficking organizations active and rapidly expanding in Europe; vulnerable to money laundering associated with regional trafficking in narcotics, arms, contraband, and illegal aliens | - |
Imports | $1.5 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) | $24.7 million (1995) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals | fuel, food and drink, building materials, clothing |
Imports - partners | Italy 32%, Greece 26%, Turkey 6%, Germany 6%, Bulgaria 2% (2001) | UK, Japan, Chile, NZ |
Independence | 28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire) | none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) |
Industrial production growth rate | 9% (2000 est.) | NA% |
Industries | food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower | wool and fish processing; sale of stamps and coins; tourism |
Infant mortality rate | 38.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | NA deaths/1,000 live births |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 6% (2002 est.) | 3.6% (1998) (1998) |
International organization participation | ACCT, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO | ICFTU |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 10 (2001) | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 3,400 sq km (1998 est.) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court (chairman is elected by the People's Assembly for a four-year term) | Supreme Court (chief justice is a nonresident); Magistrates Court (senior magistrate presides over civil and criminal divisions); Court of Summary Jurisdiction |
Labor force | 1.283 million (not including 352,000 emigrant workers and 261,000 domestically unemployed) (2000 est.) | 1,100 (est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 50%, industry and services 50% | agriculture 95% (mostly sheepherding and fishing) |
Land boundaries | total: 720 km
border countries: Greece 282 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 151 km, Serbia and Montenegro 287 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 21.09%
permanent crops: 4.45% other: 74.46% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (99% permanent pastures, 1% other) (1998 est.) |
Languages | Albanian (Tosk is the official dialect), Greek | English |
Legal system | has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | English common law |
Legislative branch | unicameral People's Assembly or Kuvendi Popullor (140 seats; 100 are elected by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote for four-year terms)
elections: last held 24 June with subsequent rounds on 8 July, 22 July, 29 July, 19 August 2001 (next to be held NA June 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - PS 41.5%, PD and coalition allies 36.8%, NDP 5.2%, PSD 3.6%, PBDNJ 2.6%, PASH 2.6%, PAD 2.5%; seats by party - PS 73, PD and coalition allies 46, NDP 6, PSD 4, PBDNJ 3, PASH 3, PAD 3, independents 2 |
unicameral Legislative Council (10 seats - 2 ex officio, 8 elected by popular vote, members serve four-year terms); presided over by the governor
elections: last held 22 November 2001 (next to be held NA November 2005) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 8; note - 71% voter turnout |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 72.1 years
male: 69.27 years female: 75.14 years (2002 est.) |
total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years |
Literacy | definition: age 9 and over can read and write
total population: 93% (1997 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
- |
Location | Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro | Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of southern Argentina |
Map references | Europe | South America |
Maritime claims | continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 12 NM |
continental shelf: 200 NM
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 13,423 GRT/20,837 DWT
ships by type: cargo 7, includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Croatia 1, Honduras 1 (2002 est.) |
none (2002 est.) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Interior Ministry Troops, Border Guards | British Forces Falkland Islands no regular indigenous military forces; (includes Army, Royal Air Force, and Royal Navy), Police Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $56.5 million (FY02) | $NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.49% (FY02) | NA% |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 888,086 (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 727,406 (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - military age | 19 years of age (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 35,792 (2002 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 28 November (1912) | Liberation Day, 14 June (1982) |
Nationality | noun: Albanian(s)
adjective: Albanian |
noun: Falkland Islander(s)
adjective: Falkland Island |
Natural hazards | destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought | strong winds persist throughout the year |
Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, timber, nickel, hydropower | fish, wildlife |
Net migration rate | -1.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population |
Pipelines | crude oil 196 km; petroleum products 55 km; natural gas 64 km (1996) | - |
Political parties and leaders | Agrarian Party or PASH [Lufter XHUVELI]; Albanian National Front (Balli Kombetar) or PBK [Shptim ROQI]; 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 [Nerltan CEKA]; Democratic Party or PD [Sali BERISHA]; Group of Reformist Democrats [Leonard NDOKA]; Legality Movement Party or PLL [Ekrem SPAHIA]; Liberal Union Party or PBL [Teodor LACO]; New Democratic Party or NDP [Genc POLLO]; 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] | none; all independents |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | none |
Population | 3,544,841 (July 2002 est.) | 2,967 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 30% (2001 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.06% (2002 est.) | 2.44% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore | Stanley |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 13, FM 4, shortwave 2 (2001) | AM 1, FM 7, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 1 million (2001) | 1,000 (1997) |
Railways | total: 447 km
standard gauge: 447 km 1.435-m gauge (2001 est.) |
0 km |
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 |
primarily Anglican, Roman Catholic, United Free Church, Evangelist Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2002 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: NA
domestic: government-operated radiotelephone and private VHF/CB radiotelephone networks provide effective service to almost all points on both islands international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) with links through London to other countries |
Telephones - main lines in use | 120,000 (2001) | NA |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 250,000 (2001) | NA |
Television broadcast stations | 3 (plus 58 repeaters) (2001) | 2 (operated by the British Forces Broadcasting Service)
note: cable television is available in Stanley (2002) |
Terrain | mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast | rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains |
Total fertility rate | 2.27 children born/woman (2002 est.) | NA children born/woman |
Unemployment rate | 17% officially (2001 est.); may be as high as 30% (2001) | full employment; labor shortage |
Waterways | 43 km
note: includes Albanian sections of Lake Scutari, Lake Ohrid, and Lake Prespa (1990) |
none |