Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
Jah-Jah.pl / Index countries / Albania (2004) - China (2007) / Compare countries
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare Albania (2004) - China (2007)

Compare Albania (2004) z China (2007)

 Albania (2004)China (2007)
 AlbaniaChina
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 23 provinces (sheng, singular and plural), 5 autonomous regions (zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 4 municipalities (shi, singular and plural)


provinces: Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang; (see note on Taiwan)


autonomous regions: Guangxi, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Xinjiang Uygur, Xizang (Tibet)


municipalities: Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin


note: China considers Taiwan its 23rd province; see separate entries for the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau
Age structure 0-14 years: 26.4% (male 489,363; female 446,586)


15-64 years: 65.3% (male 1,184,670; female 1,130,065)


65 years and over: 8.3% (male 135,177; female 158,947) (2004 est.)
0-14 years: 20.4% (male 143,527,634/female 126,607,344)


15-64 years: 71.7% (male 487,079,770/female 460,596,384)


65 years and over: 7.9% (male 49,683,856/female 54,356,900) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes; meat, dairy products rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, peanuts, tea, millet, barley, apples, cotton, oilseed; pork; fish
Airports 11 (2003 est.) 467 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2004 est.)
total: 403


over 3,047 m: 58


2,438 to 3,047 m: 128


1,524 to 2,437 m: 130


914 to 1,523 m: 20


under 914 m: 67 (2007)
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 (2004 est.)
total: 64


over 3,047 m: 4


2,438 to 3,047 m: 4


1,524 to 2,437 m: 13


914 to 1,523 m: 17


under 914 m: 26 (2007)
Area total: 28,748 sq km


land: 27,398 sq km


water: 1,350 sq km
total: 9,596,960 sq km


land: 9,326,410 sq km


water: 270,550 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maryland slightly smaller than the US
Background Between 1990 and 1992 Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic Communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven difficult as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, a dilapidated infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks with links to high government officials, and disruptive political opponents. International observers judged parliamentary elections in 2001 and local elections in 2003 to be acceptable and a step toward democratic development, but identified serious deficiencies. Many of these deficiencies have been addressed through bi-partisan changes to the electoral code in 2003 and 2005, but implementation of these changes will not be demonstrated until parliamentary elections in July 2005. For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, his successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight.
Birth rate 15.08 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) 13.45 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $1.36 billion


expenditures: $1.627 billion, including capital expenditures of $406 million (2003 est.)
revenues: $482.2 billion


expenditures: $515.8 billion (2006 est.)
Capital Tirana name: Beijing


geographic coordinates: 39 55 N, 116 23 E


time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


note: despite its size, all of China falls within one time zone
Climate mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north
Coastline 362 km 14,500 km
Constitution a constitution was adopted by popular referendum on 28 November 1998 most recent promulgation 4 December 1982
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: People's Republic of China


conventional short form: China


local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo


local short form: Zhongguo


abbreviation: PRC
Currency lek (ALL) -
Death rate 5.02 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) 7 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $1.41 billion (2003) $315 billion (2006 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Marcie B. RIES


embassy: Rruga Elbasanit, Labinoti #103, Tirana


mailing address: U. S. Department of State, 9510 Tirana Place, Dulles, VA 20189-9510


telephone: [355] (4) 247285


FAX: [355] (4) 374957 and [355] (4) 232222
chief of mission: Ambassador Clark T. RANDT, Jr.


embassy: Xiu Shui Bei Jie 3, 100600 Beijing


mailing address: PSC 461, Box 50, FPO AP 96521-0002


telephone: [86] (10) 6532-3831


FAX: [86] (10) 6532-3178


consulate(s) general: Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau, Shanghai, Shenyang
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
chief of mission: Ambassador ZHOU Wenzhong


chancery: 2300 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 328-2500


FAX: [1] (202) 328-2582


consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco
Disputes - international the Albanian Government calls for the protection of the rights of ethnic Albanians in neighboring countries, and the peaceful resolution of interethnic disputes; some ethnic Albanian groups in neighboring countries advocate for a "greater Albania," but the idea has little appeal among Albanian nationals based on principles drafted in 2005, China and India continue discussions to resolve all aspects of their extensive boundary and territorial disputes together with a security and foreign policy dialogue to consolidate discussions related to the boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, and other matters; recent talks and confidence-building measures have begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; lacking any treaty describing the boundary, Bhutan and China continue negotiations to establish a boundary alignment to resolve substantial cartographic discrepancies, the largest of which lies in Bhutan's northwest; China asserts sovereignty over the Spratly Islands together with Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" eased tensions in the Spratly's but is not the legally binding "code of conduct" sought by some parties; Vietnam and China continue to expand construction of facilities in the Spratly's and in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord on marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; China occupies some of the Paracel Islands also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; China and Taiwan continue to reject both Japan's claims to the uninhabited islands of Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and Japan's unilaterally declared equidistance line in the East China Sea, the site of intensive hydrocarbon prospecting; certain islands in the Yalu and Tumen rivers are in dispute with North Korea; China seeks to stem illegal migration of North Koreans; China and Russia have demarcated the once disputed islands at the Amur and Ussuri confluence and in the Argun River in accordance with their 2004 Agreement; in 2006, China and Tajikistan pledged to commence demarcation of the revised boundary agreed to in the delimitation of 2002; demarcation of the China-Vietnam land boundary proceeds slowly and although the maritime boundary delimitation and fisheries agreements were ratified in June 2004, implementation remains stalled; in 2004, international environmentalist and political pressure from Burma and Thailand prompted China to halt construction of 13 dams on the Salween River
Economic aid - recipient ODA: $315 million (top donors were Italy, EU, Germany) (2000 est.) $NA (2005)
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 spur economic activity and trade. The economy is bolstered by remittances from abroad of $400-$600 million annually, mostly from Greece and Italy; this helps offset the sizable trade deficit. Agriculture, which accounts for one-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 and antiquated and inadequate infrastructure make it difficult to attract and sustain foreign investment. The government plans to boost energy imports to relieve the shortages and is moving slowly to improve the poor national road and rail network, a long-standing barrier to sustained economic growth. China's economy during the last quarter century has changed from a centrally planned system that was largely closed to international trade to a more market-oriented economy that has a rapidly growing private sector and is a major player in the global economy. Reforms started in the late 1970s with the phasing out of collectivized agriculture, and expanded to include the gradual liberalization of prices, fiscal decentralization, increased autonomy for state enterprises, the foundation of a diversified banking system, the development of stock markets, the rapid growth of the non-state sector, and the opening to foreign trade and investment. China has generally implemented reforms in a gradualist or piecemeal fashion, including the sale of equity in China's largest state banks to foreign investors and refinements in foreign exchange and bond markets in 2005. The restructuring of the economy and resulting efficiency gains have contributed to a more than tenfold increase in GDP since 1978. Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis, China in 2006 stood as the second-largest economy in the world after the US, although in per capita terms the country is still lower middle-income and 130 million Chinese fall below international poverty lines. Economic development has generally been more rapid in coastal provinces than in the interior, and there are large disparities in per capita income between regions. The government has struggled to: (a) sustain adequate job growth for tens of millions of workers laid off from state-owned enterprises, migrants, and new entrants to the work force; (b) reduce corruption and other economic crimes; and (c) contain environmental damage and social strife related to the economy's rapid transformation. From 100 million to 150 million surplus rural workers are adrift between the villages and the cities, many subsisting through part-time, low-paying jobs. One demographic consequence of the "one child" policy is that China is now one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world. Another long-term threat to growth is the deterioration in the environment - notably air pollution, soil erosion, and the steady fall of the water table, especially in the north. China continues to lose arable land because of erosion and economic development. China has benefited from a huge expansion in computer Internet use, with more than 100 million users at the end of 2005. Foreign investment remains a strong element in China's remarkable expansion in world trade and has been an important factor in the growth of urban jobs. In July 2005, China revalued its currency by 2.1% against the US dollar and moved to an exchange rate system that references a basket of currencies. In 2006 China had the largest current account surplus in the world - nearly $180 billion. More power generating capacity came on line in 2006 as large scale investments were completed. Thirteen years in construction at a cost of $24 billion, the immense Three Gorges Dam across the Yangtze River was essentially completed in 2006 and will revolutionize electrification and flood control in the area. The 11th Five-Year Program (2006-10), approved by the National People's Congress in March 2006, calls for a 20% reduction in energy consumption per unit of GDP by 2010 and an estimated 45% increase in GDP by 2010. The plan states that conserving resources and protecting the environment are basic goals, but it lacks details on the policies and reforms necessary to achieve these goals.
Electricity - consumption 5.898 billion kWh (2001) 2.197 trillion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 221 million kWh (2001) 11.19 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 1.2 billion kWh (2001) 5.011 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 5.289 billion kWh (2001) 2.372 trillion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m


highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m
lowest point: Turpan Pendi -154 m


highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents air pollution (greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide particulates) from reliance on coal produces acid rain; water shortages, particularly in the north; water pollution from untreated wastes; deforestation; estimated loss of one-fifth of agricultural land since 1949 to soil erosion and economic development; desertification; trade in endangered species
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Albanian 95%, Greek 3%, other 2% (Vlach, Roma (Gypsy), Serb, and Macedonian or Bulgarian) (1989 est.)


note: in 1989, other estimates of the Greek population ranged from 1% (official Albanian statistics) to 12% (from a Greek organization)
Han Chinese 91.9%, Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other nationalities 8.1%
Exchange rates leke per US dollar - 121.863 (2003), 140.155 (2002), 143.485 (2001), 143.709 (2000), 137.691 (1999) yuan per US dollar - 7.97 (2006), 8.1943 (2005), 8.2768 (2004), 8.277 (2003), 8.277 (2002)
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 proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by Parliament


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: President HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003); Vice President ZENG Qinghong (since 15 March 2003)


head of government: Premier WEN Jiabao (since 16 March 2003); Vice Premier WU Yi (17 March 2003), Vice Premier ZENG Peiyan (since 17 March 2003), and Vice Premier HUI Liangyu (since 17 March 2003)


cabinet: State Council appointed by the National People's Congress (NPC)


elections: president and vice president elected by the National People's Congress for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held 15-17 March 2003 (next to be held in mid-March 2008); premier nominated by the president, confirmed by the National People's Congress


election results: HU Jintao elected president by the 10th National People's Congress with a total of 2,937 votes (4 delegates voted against him, 4 abstained, and 38 did not vote); ZENG Qinghong elected vice president by the 10th National People's Congress with a total of 2,578 votes (177 delegates voted against him, 190 abstained, and 38 did not vote); 2 seats were vacant
Exports NA (2001) 443,300 bbl/day (2005)
Exports - commodities textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco machinery and equipment, plastics, optical and medical equipment, iron and steel
Exports - partners Italy 74.9%, Greece 12.8%, Germany 3.4% (2003) US 21%, Hong Kong 16%, Japan 9.5%, South Korea 4.6%, Germany 4.2% (2006)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description red with a black two-headed eagle in the center red with a large yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of the flag) in the upper hoist-side corner
GDP purchasing power parity - $16.13 billion (2003 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 47.5%


industry: 24.6%


services: 27.8% (2003 est.)
agriculture: 11.7%


industry: 48.9%


services: 39.3%


note: industry includes construction (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $4,500 (2003 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 7% (2003 est.) 11.1% (official data) (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates 41 00 N, 20 00 E 35 00 N, 105 00 E
Geography - note strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea) world's fourth largest country (after Russia, Canada, and US); Mount Everest on the border with Nepal is the world's tallest peak
Heliports 1 (2003 est.) 35 (2007)
Highways total: 18,000 km


paved: 5,400 km


unpaved: 12,600 km (2000)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%: 1.6%


highest 10%: 34.9% (2004)
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 expanding in Europe; vulnerable to money laundering associated with regional trafficking in narcotics, arms, contraband, and illegal aliens major transshipment point for heroin produced in the Golden Triangle region of Southeast Asia; growing domestic drug abuse problem; source country for chemical precursors, despite new regulations on its large chemical industry
Imports NA (2001) 3.181 million bbl/day (2005)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals machinery and equipment, oil and mineral fuels, plastics, optical and medical equipment, organic chemicals, iron and steel
Imports - partners Italy 33.6%, Greece 20.2%, Turkey 6.6%, Germany 5.7% (2003) Japan 14.6%, South Korea 11.3%, Taiwan 10.9%, US 7.5%, Germany 4.8% (2006)
Independence 28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire) 221 BC (unification under the Qin or Ch'in Dynasty); 1 January 1912 (Manchu Dynasty replaced by a Republic); 1 October 1949 (People's Republic established)
Industrial production growth rate 2.7% (2003 est.) 22.9% (2006 est.)
Industries food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower mining and ore processing, iron, steel, aluminum, and other metals, coal; machine building; armaments; textiles and apparel; petroleum; cement; chemicals; fertilizers; consumer products, including footwear, toys, and electronics; food processing; transportation equipment, including automobiles, rail cars and locomotives, ships, and aircraft; telecommunications equipment, commercial space launch vehicles, satellites
Infant mortality rate total: 22.31 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 23.01 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 21.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
total: 22.12 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 20.01 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 24.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.4% (2003) 1.7% (2006 est.)
International organization participation ACCT, BSEC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO AfDB, APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BCIE, BIS, CDB, EAS, FAO, G-24 (observer), G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SCO, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Irrigated land 3,400 sq km (1998 est.) 545,960 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Constitutional Court, Supreme Court (chairman is elected by the People's Assembly for a four-year term), and multiple appeals and district courts Supreme People's Court (judges appointed by the National People's Congress); Local People's Courts (comprise higher, intermediate, and local courts); Special People's Courts (primarily military, maritime, and railway transport courts)
Labor force 1.35 million (not including 352,000 emigrant workers) (2003 est.) 795.3 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 57%, non-agricultural private sector 20%, public sector 23% (2003 est.) agriculture: 45%


industry: 24%


services: 31% (2005 est.)
Land boundaries total: 720 km


border countries: Greece 282 km, Macedonia 151 km, Serbia and Montenegro 287 km
total: 22,117 km


border countries: Afghanistan 76 km, Bhutan 470 km, Burma 2,185 km, India 3,380 km, Kazakhstan 1,533 km, North Korea 1,416 km, Kyrgyzstan 858 km, Laos 423 km, Mongolia 4,677 km, Nepal 1,236 km, Pakistan 523 km, Russia (northeast) 3,605 km, Russia (northwest) 40 km, Tajikistan 414 km, Vietnam 1,281 km


regional borders: Hong Kong 30 km, Macau 0.34 km
Land use arable land: 21.09%


permanent crops: 4.42%


other: 74.49% (2001)
arable land: 14.86%


permanent crops: 1.27%


other: 83.87% (2005)
Languages Albanian (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek, Vlach, Romani, Slavic dialects Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry)
Legal system has a civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; has accepted jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court for its citizens based on civil law system; derived from Soviet and continental civil code legal principles; legislature retains power to interpret statutes; constitution ambiguous on judicial review of legislation; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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 2001 with subsequent rounds on 8 July, 22 July, 29 July, 19 August 2001 (next to be held July 2005)


election results: percent of vote by party - PS 41.5%, PD and coalition allies 36.8%, PDR 5.2%, PSD 3.6%, PBDNJ 2.6%, PASH (now PAA) 2.6%, PAD 2.5%; seats by party - PS 73, PD and coalition allies 46, PDR 6, PSD 4, PBDNJ 3, PASH (now PAA) 3, PAD 3, independents 2; note - seats by party as of January 2005: PS 65, PD and coalition allies 46, LSI 9, PDR 6, PSD 3, PBDNJ 3, PASH (now PAA) 3, PAD 3, PDS 1, independents 1
unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui (2,985 seats; members elected by municipal, regional, and provincial people's congresses to serve five-year terms)


elections: last held December 2002-February 2003 (next to be held in late 2007-February 2008)


election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - NA
Life expectancy at birth total population: 77.06 years


male: 74.37 years


female: 80.02 years (2004 est.)
total population: 72.88 years


male: 71.13 years


female: 74.82 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 9 and over can read and write


total population: 86.5%


male: 93.3%


female: 79.5% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 90.9%


male: 95.1%


female: 86.5% (2000 census)
Location Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam
Map references Europe Asia
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Merchant marine total: 22 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 40,878 GRT/62,676 DWT


by type: bulk 1, cargo 19, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1


foreign-owned: Denmark 1, Honduras 1, Netherlands 1


registered in other countries: 7 (2004 est.)
total: 1,775 ships (1000 GRT or over) 22,219,786 GRT/33,819,636 DWT


by type: barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 415, cargo 689, carrier 3, chemical tanker 62, combination ore/oil 2, container 157, liquefied gas 35, passenger 8, passenger/cargo 84, petroleum tanker 250, refrigerated cargo 33, roll on/roll off 9, specialized tanker 8, vehicle carrier 17


foreign-owned: 12 (Ecuador 1, Greece 1, Hong Kong 6, Japan 2, South Korea 1, Norway 1)


registered in other countries: 1,366 (Bahamas 9, Bangladesh 1, Belize 107, Bermuda 10, Bolivia 1, Cambodia 166, Cyprus 10, France 5, Georgia 4, Germany 2, Honduras 3, Hong Kong 309, India 1, Indonesia 2, Liberia 32, Malaysia 1, Malta 13, Marshall Islands 3, Mongolia 3, Norway 47, Panama 473, Philippines 2, Sierra Leone 8, Singapore 19, St Vincent and The Grenadines 106, Thailand 1, Turkey 1, Tuvalu 25, unknown 33) (2007)
Military branches General Staff Headquarters, Land Forces Command (Army), Naval Forces Command, Air Forces Command, Doctrine and Exercises Command, Logistics Support Command People's Liberation Army (PLA): Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines and naval aviation), Air Force (includes airborne forces), and Second Artillery Corps (strategic missile force); People's Armed Police (PAP); Reserve and Militia Forces (2006)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $56.5 million (FY02) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.49% (FY02) 4.3% (2006)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 956,107 (2004 est.) -
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 775,422 (2004 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 36,584 (2004 est.) -
National holiday Independence Day, 28 November (1912) Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China, 1 October (1949)
Nationality noun: Albanian(s)


adjective: Albanian
noun: Chinese (singular and plural)


adjective: Chinese
Natural hazards destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern and eastern coasts); damaging floods; tsunamis; earthquakes; droughts; land subsidence
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, uranium, hydropower potential (world's largest)
Net migration rate -4.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) -0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines gas 339 km; oil 207 km (2004) gas 22,664 km; oil 15,256 km; refined products 6,106 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders Agrarian Environmentalist Party or PAA [Lufter XHUVELI]; Christian Democratic Party or PDK [Nikolle LESI]; Communist Party of Albania or PKSH [Hysni MILLOSHI]; Democratic Alliance Party or PAD [Neritan CEKA]; Democratic Party or PD [Sali BERISHA]; Legality Movement Party or PLL [Ekrem SPAHIU]; Liberal Union Party or PBL [Arjan STAROVA]; National Front Party (Balli Kombetar) or PBK [Adriatik ALIMADHI]; New Democratic Party or PDR [Genc POLLO]; Party of National Unity or PUK [Idajet BEQIRI]; Renewed Democratic Party or PDR [Dashamir SHEHI]; Republican Party or PR [Fatmir MEDIU]; Social Democracy Party or PDS [Paskal MILO]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Skender GJINUSHI]; Socialist Movement for Integration or LSI [Ilir META]; Socialist Party or PS (formerly the Albanian Party of Labor) [Fatos NANO]; Union for Human Rights Party or PBDNJ [Vangjel DULE] Chinese Communist Party or CCP [HU Jintao]; eight registered small parties controlled by CCP
Political pressure groups and leaders Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania or KSSH [Kastriot MUCO]; Front for Albanian National Unification or FBKSH [Gafur ADILI]; Omonia [Jani JANI]; Union of Independent Trade Unions of Albania or BSPSH [Gezim KALAJA] no substantial political opposition groups exist, although the government has identified the Falungong spiritual movement and the China Democracy Party as subversive groups
Population 3,544,808 (July 2004 est.) 1,321,851,888 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 30% (2001 est.) 10% (2004 est.)
Population growth rate 0.51% (2004 est.) 0.606% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore -
Radio broadcast stations AM 13, FM 4, shortwave 2 (2001) AM 369, FM 259, shortwave 45 (1998)
Railways total: 447 km


standard gauge: 447 km 1.435-m gauge (2003)
total: 75,438 km


standard gauge: 75,438 km 1.435-m gauge (20,151 km electrified) (2005)
Religions 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
Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Christian 3%-4%, Muslim 1%-2%


note: officially atheist (2002 est.)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female


total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
at birth: 1.11 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.134 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.057 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.914 male(s)/female


total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: Despite new investment in fixed lines, the density of main lines remains the lowest in Europe with roughly 8 lines per 100 people. However, cellular telephone use is widespread and generally effective.


domestic: offsetting the shortage of fixed line capacity, mobile phone service has been available since 1996; by 2003 two companies were providing mobile services at a greater density than some of Albania's Balkan neighbors


international: country code - 355; inadequate fixed main lines; adequate cellular connections; international traffic carried by microwave radio relay from the Tirana exchange to Italy and Greece (2003)
general assessment: domestic and international services are increasingly available for private use; unevenly distributed domestic system serves principal cities, industrial centers, and many towns; China continues to develop its telecommunications infrastructure, and is partnering with foreign providers to expand its global reach; 3 of China's 6 major telecommunications operators are part of an international consortium which, in December 2006, signed an agreement with Verizon Business to build the first next-generation optical cable system directly linking the US mainland and China


domestic: interprovincial fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular telephone systems have been installed; mobile-cellular subscribership is increasing rapidly; broadband Internet subscribership reached 50 million in 2006; a domestic satellite system with 55 earth stations is in place


international: country code - 86; a number of submarine cables provide connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the US; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions) (2007)
Telephones - main lines in use 255,000 (2003) 368 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1.1 million (2003) 461.1 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 3 (plus 58 repeaters) (2001) 3,240 (of which 209 are operated by China Central Television, 31 are provincial TV stations, and nearly 3,000 are local city stations) (1997)
Terrain mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains, deltas, and hills in east
Total fertility rate 2.05 children born/woman (2004 est.) 1.75 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 15.8% officially; may be as high as 30% (2003 est.) 4.2% official registered unemployment in urban areas in 2005; substantial unemployment and underemployment in rural areas (2005)
Waterways 43 km (2004) 124,000 km navigable (2006)
Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.