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Compare Albania (2006) - Pacific Ocean (2007)

Compare Albania (2006) z Pacific Ocean (2007)

 Albania (2006)Pacific Ocean (2007)
 AlbaniaPacific Ocean
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 -
Age structure 0-14 years: 24.8% (male 464,954/female 423,003)


15-64 years: 66.3% (male 1,214,942/female 1,158,562)


65 years and over: 8.9% (male 148,028/female 172,166) (2006 est.)
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Agriculture - products wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes; meat, dairy products -
Airports 11 (2006) -
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2006)
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Airports - with unpaved runways total: 8


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 4 (2006)
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Area total: 28,748 sq km


land: 27,398 sq km


water: 1,350 sq km
total: 155.557 million sq km


note: includes Bali Sea, Bering Sea, Bering Strait, Coral Sea, East China Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Gulf of Tonkin, Philippine Sea, Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, South China Sea, Tasman Sea, and other tributary water bodies
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maryland about 15 times the size of the US; covers about 28% of the global surface; larger than the total land area of the world
Background Between 1990 and 1992 Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic Communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven challenging as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, a dilapidated physical infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks, and combative political opponents. Albania has made progress in its democratic development since first holding multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies remain. International observers judged elections to be largely free and fair since the restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997. In the 2005 general elections, the Democratic Party and its allies won a decisive victory on pledges of reducing crime and corruption, promoting economic growth, and decreasing the size of government. The election, and particularly the orderly transition of power, was considered an important step forward. Although Albania's economy continues to grow, the country is still one of the poorest in Europe, hampered by a large informal economy and an inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure. Albania has played a largely helpful role in managing inter-ethnic tensions in southeastern Europe, and is continuing to work toward joining NATO and the EU. Albania, with troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, has been a strong supporter of the global war on terrorism. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the world's five oceans (followed by the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). Strategically important access waterways include the La Perouse, Tsugaru, Tsushima, Taiwan, Singapore, and Torres Straits. The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Pacific Ocean south of 60 degrees south.
Birth rate 15.11 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) -
Budget revenues: $1.96 billion


expenditures: $2.377 billion; including capital expenditures of $500 million (2005 est.)
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Capital name: Tirana (Tirane)


geographic coordinates: 41 20 N, 19 50 E


time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
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Climate mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter planetary air pressure systems and resultant wind patterns exhibit remarkable uniformity in the south and east; trade winds and westerly winds are well-developed patterns, modified by seasonal fluctuations; tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico from June to October and affect Mexico and Central America; continental influences cause climatic uniformity to be much less pronounced in the eastern and western regions at the same latitude in the North Pacific Ocean; the western Pacific is monsoonal - a rainy season occurs during the summer months, when moisture-laden winds blow from the ocean over the land, and a dry season during the winter months, when dry winds blow from the Asian landmass back to the ocean; tropical cyclones (typhoons) may strike southeast and east Asia from May to December
Coastline 362 km 135,663 km
Constitution adopted by popular referendum on 28 November 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
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Death rate 5.22 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) -
Debt - external $1.55 billion (2004) -
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Marcie B. RIES


embassy: Rruga e Elbasanit, Labinoti #103, Tirana


mailing address: US Department of State, 9510 Tirana Place, Dulles, VA 20189-9510


telephone: [355] (4) 247285


FAX: [355] (4) 232222
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Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Aleksander SALLABANDA


chancery: 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 223-4942


FAX: [1] (202) 628-7342
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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; thousands of unemployed Albanians emigrate annually to nearby Italy and other developed countries some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
Economic aid - recipient ODA: $366 million (top donors were Italy, EU, Germany) (2003 est.) -
Economy - overview Lagging behind its Balkan neighbors, 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 annual remittances from abroad of $600-$800 million, mostly from Greece and Italy; this helps offset the towering trade deficit. Agriculture, which accounts for about one-quarter of GDP, is held back because of frequent drought and the need to modernize equipment, to clarify property rights, and to consolidate small plots of land. Energy shortages and antiquated and inadequate infrastructure contribute to Albania's poor business environment, which make it difficult to attract and sustain foreign investment. The planned construction of a new thermal power plant near Vlore and improved transmission and distribution facilities will help relieve the energy shortages. Also, the government is moving slowly to improve the poor national road and rail network, a long-standing barrier to sustained economic growth. On the positive side: growth was strong in 2003-05 and inflation is not a problem. The Pacific Ocean is a major contributor to the world economy and particularly to those nations its waters directly touch. It provides low-cost sea transportation between East and West, extensive fishing grounds, offshore oil and gas fields, minerals, and sand and gravel for the construction industry. In 1996, over 60% of the world's fish catch came from the Pacific Ocean. Exploitation of offshore oil and gas reserves is playing an ever-increasing role in the energy supplies of the US, Australia, NZ, China, and Peru. The high cost of recovering offshore oil and gas, combined with the wide swings in world prices for oil since 1985, has led to fluctuations in new drillings.
Electricity - consumption 6.76 billion kWh (2004) -
Electricity - exports 200 million kWh (2003) -
Electricity - imports 1.08 billion kWh (2004 est.) -
Electricity - production 5.68 billion kWh (2004) -
Elevation extremes lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m


highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m
lowest point: Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench -10,924 m


highest point: sea level 0 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents endangered marine species include the dugong, sea lion, sea otter, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in Philippine Sea and South China Sea
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
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Ethnic groups Albanian 95%, Greek 3%, other 2% (Vlach, Roma (Gypsy), Serb, Macedonian, Bulgarian) (1989 est.)


note: in 1989, other estimates of the Greek population ranged from 1% (official Albanian statistics) to 12% (from a Greek organization)
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Exchange rates leke per US dollar - 102.649 (2005), 102.78 (2004), 121.863 (2003), 140.155 (2002), 143.485 (2001) -
Executive branch chief of state: President of the Republic Alfred MOISIU (since 24 July 2002)


head of government: Prime Minister Sali BERISHA (since 10 September 2005)


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 (eligible for a second term); election last held 24 June 2002 (next to be held 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
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Exports 0 bbl/day (2005 est.) -
Exports - commodities textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco -
Exports - partners Italy 72.4%, Greece 10.5%, Serbia and Montenegro 5% (2005) -
Fiscal year calendar year -
Flag description red with a black two-headed eagle in the center -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 23.2%


industry: 18.8%


services: 57.9% (2005 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate 5.5% (2005 est.) -
Geographic coordinates 41 00 N, 20 00 E 0 00 N, 160 00 W
Geography - note strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea) the major chokepoints are the Bering Strait, Panama Canal, Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides the Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean
Heliports 1 (2006) -
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
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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 -
Imports 21,600 bbl/day (2005 est.) -
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals -
Imports - partners Italy 29.3%, Greece 16.4%, Turkey 7.5%, China 6.6%, Germany 5.4%, Russia 4% (2005) -
Independence 28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire) -
Industrial production growth rate 3.1% (2004 est.) -
Industries food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower -
Infant mortality rate total: 20.75 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 21.2 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 20.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.4% (2005 est.) -
International organization participation BSEC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO -
Irrigated land 3,530 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 -
Labor force 1.09 million (not including 352,000 emigrant workers) (2004 est.) -
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 58%


industry: 19%


services: 23% (2004 est.)
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Land boundaries total: 720 km


border countries: Greece 282 km, Macedonia 151 km, Montenegro 172 km, Serbia 115 km
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Land use arable land: 20.1%


permanent crops: 4.21%


other: 75.69% (2005)
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Languages Albanian (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek, Vlach, Romani, Slavic dialects -
Legal system has a civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; has accepted jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court for its citizens -
Legislative branch unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; 100 are elected by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote for four-year terms)


elections: last held 3 July 2005 (next to be held in 2009)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PD 56, PS 42, PR 11, PSD 7, LSI 5, other 19
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Life expectancy at birth total population: 77.43 years


male: 74.78 years


female: 80.34 years (2006 est.)
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Literacy definition: age 9 and over can read and write


total population: 86.5%


male: 93.3%


female: 79.5% (2003 est.)
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Location Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro body of water between the Southern Ocean, Asia, Australia, and the Western Hemisphere
Map references Europe Political Map of the World
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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Merchant marine total: 24 ships (1000 GRT or over) 52,987 GRT/79,863 DWT


by type: cargo 23, roll on/roll off 1


foreign-owned: 1 (Turkey 1)


registered in other countries: 1 (Georgia 1) (2006)
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Military branches General Staff Headquarters, Land Forces Command (Army), Naval Forces Command, Air Defense Command, Logistics Command, Training and Doctrine Command -
Military expenditures - dollar figure $56.5 million (FY02) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.49% (FY02) -
National holiday Independence Day, 28 November (1912) -
Nationality noun: Albanian(s)


adjective: Albanian
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Natural hazards destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought surrounded by a zone of violent volcanic and earthquake activity sometimes referred to as the "Pacific Ring of Fire"; subject to tropical cyclones (typhoons) in southeast and east Asia from May to December (most frequent from July to October); tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico and strike Central America and Mexico from June to October (most common in August and September); cyclical El Nino/La Nina phenomenon occurs in the equatorial Pacific, influencing weather in the Western Hemisphere and the western Pacific; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme north from October to May; persistent fog in the northern Pacific can be a maritime hazard from June to December
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower oil and gas fields, polymetallic nodules, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, fish
Net migration rate -4.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) -
Pipelines gas 339 km; oil 207 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 DAP [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 BNK [Adriatik ALIMADHI]; New Democratic Party or PDR [Genc POLLO]; Party of National Unity or PUK [Idajet BEQIRI]; Renewed Democratic Party or PDRN [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 [Edi RAMA]; Union for Human Rights Party or PBDNj [Vangjel DULE] -
Political pressure groups and leaders Citizens Advocacy Office [Kreshnik SPAHIU]; Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania or KSSH [Kastriot MUCO]; Front for Albanian National Unification or FBKSH [Gafur ADILI]; Mjaft Movement [Erion VELIAJ]; Omonia [Jani JANI]; Union of Independent Trade Unions of Albania or BSPSH [Gezim KALAJA] -
Population 3,581,655 (July 2006 est.) -
Population below poverty line 25% (2004 est.) -
Population growth rate 0.52% (2006 est.) -
Radio broadcast stations AM 13, FM 46 (3 national, 62 local), shortwave 1 (2005) -
Railways total: 447 km


standard gauge: 447 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)
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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
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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: 0.86 male(s)/female


total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
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Suffrage 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 seven 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 fiber optic cable and, when necessary, by microwave radio relay from the Tirana exchange to Italy and Greece (2003)
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Telephones - main lines in use 255,000 (2003) -
Telephones - mobile cellular 1.259 million (2004) -
Television broadcast stations 65 (3 national, 62 local); note - 2 cable networks (2005) -
Terrain mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast surface currents in the northern Pacific are dominated by a clockwise, warm-water gyre (broad circular system of currents) and in the southern Pacific by a counterclockwise, cool-water gyre; in the northern Pacific, sea ice forms in the Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk in winter; in the southern Pacific, sea ice from Antarctica reaches its northernmost extent in October; the ocean floor in the eastern Pacific is dominated by the East Pacific Rise, while the western Pacific is dissected by deep trenches, including the Mariana Trench, which is the world's deepest
Total fertility rate 2.03 children born/woman (2006 est.) -
Transportation - note - Inside Passage offers protected waters from southeast Alaska to Puget Sound (Washington state)
Unemployment rate 14.3% official rate, but may exceed 30% (2005 est.) -
Waterways 43 km (2006) -
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