Compare Albania (2008) - Sudan (2004)

Compare Albania (2008) z Sudan (2004)

	Albania (2008)	Sudan (2004)

Administrative divisions	12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Berat, Diber, Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Korce, Kukes, Lezhe, Shkoder, Tirane, Vlore	26 states (wilayat, singular - wilayah); A'ali an Nil, Al Bahr al Ahmar, Al Buhayrat, Al Jazirah, Al Khartum, Al Qadarif, Al Wahdah, An Nil al Abyad, An Nil al Azraq, Ash Shamaliyah, Bahr al Jabal, Gharb al Istiwa'iyah, Gharb Bahr al Ghazal, Gharb Darfur, Gharb Kurdufan, Janub Darfur, Janub Kurdufan, Junqali, Kassala, Nahr an Nil, Shamal Bahr al Ghazal, Shamal Darfur, Shamal Kurdufan, Sharq al Istiwa'iyah, Sinnar, Warab
Age structure	0-14 years: 24.1% (male 454,622/female 413,698) 15-64 years: 66.6% (male 1,228,497/female 1,170,489) 65 years and over: 9.3% (male 154,352/female 178,865) (2007 est.)	0-14 years: 43.7% (male 8,730,609; female 8,358,569) 15-64 years: 54.1% (male 10,588,634; female 10,571,199) 65 years and over: 2.3% (male 490,869; female 408,282) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products	wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes; meat, dairy products	cotton, groundnuts (peanuts), sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca), mangos, papaya, bananas, sweet potatoes, sesame; sheep, livestock
Airports	11 (2007)	63 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2007)	total: 12 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2004 est.)
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 (2007)	total: 63 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 33 under 914 m: 11 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 28,748 sq km land: 27,398 sq km water: 1,350 sq km	total: 2,505,810 sq km land: 2.376 million sq km water: 129,810 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Maryland	slightly more than one-quarter the size of the US
Background	Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but was conquered by Italy in 1939. Communist partizans took over the country in 1944. Albania allied itself first with the USSR (until 1960), and then with China (to 1978). In the early 1990s, 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.	Military regimes favoring Islamic-oriented governments have dominated national politics since independence from the UK in 1956. Sudan has been embroiled in a civil war for all but 10 years of this period (1972-82). The wars are rooted in northern economic, political, and social domination of non-Muslim, non-Arab southern Sudanese. Since 1983, the war and war- and famine-related effects have led to more than 2 million deaths and over 4 million people displaced. The ruling regime is a mixture of military elite and an Islamist party that came to power in a 1989 coup. Some northern opposition parties have made common cause with the southern rebels and entered the war as a part of an anti-government alliance. Peace talks gained momentum in 2002-03 with the signing of several accords, including a cease-fire agreement.
Birth rate	15.16 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)	35.79 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget	revenues: $2.752 billion expenditures: $3.129 billion (2007 est.)	revenues: $2.402 billion expenditures: $2.546 billion, including capital expenditures of $304 million (2003 est.)
Capital	name: Tirana (Tirane) geographic coordinates: 41 19 N, 19 49 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	Khartoum
Climate	mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter	tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season varies by region (April to November)
Coastline	362 km	853 km
Constitution	adopted by popular referendum on 22 November 1998; promulgated 28 November 1998	12 April 1973, suspended following coup of 6 April 1985; interim constitution of 10 October 1985 suspended following coup of 30 June 1989; new constitution implemented on 30 June 1998 partially suspended 12 December 1999 by President BASHIR
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 the Sudan conventional short form: Sudan local long form: Jumhuriyat as-Sudan local short form: As-Sudan former: Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
Currency	-	Sudanese dinar (SDD)
Death rate	5.33 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)	9.37 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external	$1.55 billion (2004)	$16.09 billion (2003 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. John L. WITHERS, II 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	chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Gerard M. GALLUCCI embassy: Sharia Abdul Latif Avenue, Khartoum mailing address: P. O. Box 699, Khartoum; APO AE 09829 telephone: [249] (11) 774611 or 774700 FAX: [249] (11) 774137 note: US Consul in Cairo is providing backup service for Khartoum (see http://usembassy.egnet.net/sudan.htm)
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	chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires, Ad Interim Khidir Haroun AHMED (since April 2001) chancery: 2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 338-8565 FAX: [1] (202) 667-2406
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; the mass emigration of unemployed Albanians remains a problem for developed countries, chiefly Greece and Italy	the north-south civil war has affected Sudan's neighbors by drawing them into the fighting and by forcing them to provide shelter to refugees, to contend with infiltration by rebel groups, and to serve as mediators; Sudan has provided shelter to Ugandan refugees and cover to Lord's Resistance Army soldiers; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting Sudanese rebel groups; efforts to demarcate the porous boundary with Ethiopia have been delayed by fighting in Sudan; Kenya's administrative boundary still extends into the Sudan, creating the "Ilemi Triangle"; Egypt and Sudan retain claims to administer the triangular areas that extend north and south of the 1899 Treaty boundary along the 22nd Parallel, but have withdrawn their military presence; Egypt is economically developing and currently effectively administers the "Hala'ib Triangle" north of the Treaty Line; Sudan has pledged to work with the Central African Republic to stem violent skirmishes over water and grazing among related pastoral populations along the border
Economic aid - recipient	ODA: $318.7 million note: top donors were Italy, EU, Germany (2005 est.)	$172 million (2001)
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 recently adopted a fiscal reform package aimed at reducing the large gray economy and attracting foreign investment. The economy is bolstered by annual remittances from abroad of $600-$800 million, mostly from Albanians residing in Greece and Italy; this helps offset the towering trade deficit. Agriculture, which accounts for more than one-fifth of GDP, is held back because of lack of modern equipment, unclear property rights, and the prevalence of small, inefficient 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 completion of a new thermal power plant near Vlore and improved transmission line between Albania and Montenegro 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, macroeconomic growth was strong in 2003-07 and inflation is low and stable.	Sudan has turned around a struggling economy with sound economic policies and infrastructure investments, yet it still faces formidable economic problems, starting from its low level of per capita output and extending to its devastating civil stife. From 1997 to date, Sudan has been implementing IMF macroeconomic reforms. In 1999, Sudan began exporting crude oil and in the last quarter of 1999 recorded its first trade surplus, which, along with monetary policy, has stabilized the exchange rate. Increased oil production, revived light industry, and expanded export processing zones helped sustain GDP growth at 6.1% in 2003 and 7% in 2004. Agriculture production remains Sudan's most important sector, employing 80% of the work force and contributing 39% of GDP, but most farms remain rain-fed and susceptible to drought. Chronic instability - including the long-standing civil war between the Muslim north and the Christian/pagan south, the ethnic purges in Darfur, adverse weather, and weak world agricultural prices - ensure that much of the population will remain at or below the poverty line for years.
Electricity - consumption	3.323 billion kWh (2005)	2.222 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	300 million kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	371 million kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	5.385 billion kWh (2005)	2.389 billion kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m	lowest point: Red Sea 0 m highest point: Kinyeti 3,187 m
Environment - current issues	deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents	inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife populations threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification; periodic drought
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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)	black 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1%
Exchange rates	leke per US dollar - 92.668 (2007), 98.384 (2006), 102.649 (2005), 102.78 (2004), 121.863 (2003)	Sudanese dinars per US dollar - 260.983 (2003), 263.306 (2002), 258.702 (2001), 257.122 (2000), 252.55 (1999)
Executive branch	chief of state: President of the Republic Bamir TOPI (since 24 July 2007) 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); four election rounds held between 8 and 20 July 2007 (next election to be held in 2012); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Bamir TOPI elected president; People's Assembly vote, fourth round (three-fifths majority (84 votes) required): Bamir TOPI 85 votes, Neritan CEKA 5 votes	chief of state: President Field Marshall Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993); First Vice President Ali Uthman Muhammad TAHA (since 17 February 1998), Second Vice President Moses MACHAR (since 12 February 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Field Marshall Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993); First Vice President Ali Uthman Muhammad TAHA (since 17 February 1998), Second Vice President Moses MACHAR (since 12 February 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - the National Congress Party or NCP (formerly the National Islamic Front or NIF) dominates al-BASHIR's cabinet elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 13-23 December 2000 (next to be held NA) election results: Field Marshall Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR reelected president; percent of vote - Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR 86.5%, Ja'afar Muhammed NUMAYRI 9.6%, three other candidates received a combined vote of 3.9%; election widely viewed as rigged; all popular opposition parties boycotted elections because of a lack of guarantees for a free and fair election note: BASHIR assumed supreme executive power in 1989 and retained it through several transitional governments in the early and mid-1990s before being popularly elected for the first time in March 1996
Exports	1,240 bbl/day (2004 est.)	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco	oil and petroleum products; cotton, sesame, livestock, groundnuts, gum arabic, sugar
Exports - partners	Italy 67.7%, Serbia and Montenegro 5.8%, Greece 5.4% (2006)	China 40.9%, Saudi Arabia 17.2%, UAE 5.4% (2003)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	red with a black two-headed eagle in the center	three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side
GDP	-	purchasing power parity - $70.95 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 21.7% industry: 20.3% services: 58% (2007 est.)	agriculture: 38.7% industry: 20.3% services: 41% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $1,900 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	5% (2007 est.)	5.9% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates	41 00 N, 20 00 E	15 00 N, 30 00 E
Geography - note	strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)	largest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile and its tributaries
Heliports	1 (2007)	2 (2003 est.)
Highways	-	total: 11,900 km paved: 4,320 km unpaved: 7,580 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 3.4% highest 10%: 24.4% (2004)	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 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.)	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals	foodstuffs, manufactured goods, refinery and transport equipment, medicines and chemicals, textiles, wheat
Imports - partners	Italy 32%, Greece 17.7%, Turkey 8.1%, Germany 5.7% (2006)	Saudi Arabia 16.3%, China 14.2%, UK 5%, Germany 4.9%, India 4.8%, France 4.1% (2003)
Independence	28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)	1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)
Industrial production growth rate	2% (2007 est.)	8.5% (1999 est.)
Industries	food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower	oil, cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, armaments, automobile/light truck assembly
Infant mortality rate	total: 20.02 deaths/1,000 live births male: 20.46 deaths/1,000 live births female: 19.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)	total: 64.05 deaths/1,000 live births male: 64.8 deaths/1,000 live births female: 63.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	3% (2007 est.)	8.8% (2003 est.)
International organization participation	BSEC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO	ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Irrigated land	3,530 sq km (2003)	19,500 sq km (1998 est.)
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 Court; Special Revolutionary Courts
Labor force	1.09 million (not including 352,000 emigrant workers) (September 2006 est.)	11 million (1996 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 58% industry: 15% services: 27% (September 2006 est.)	agriculture 80%, industry and commerce 7%, government 13% (1998 est.)
Land boundaries	total: 720 km border countries: Greece 282 km, Macedonia 151 km, Montenegro 172 km, Serbia 115 km	total: 7,687 km border countries: Central African Republic 1,165 km, Chad 1,360 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 628 km, Egypt 1,273 km, Eritrea 605 km, Ethiopia 1,606 km, Kenya 232 km, Libya 383 km, Uganda 435 km
Land use	arable land: 20.1% permanent crops: 4.21% other: 75.69% (2005)	arable land: 6.83% permanent crops: 0.18% other: 92.99% (2001)
Languages	Albanian (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek, Vlach, Romani, Slavic dialects	Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English note: program of "Arabization" in process
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 English common law and Islamic law; as of 20 January 1991, the now defunct Revolutionary Command Council imposed Islamic law in the northern states; Islamic law applies to all residents of the northern states regardless of their religion; some separate religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Legislative branch	unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; 100 members are elected by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote to serve 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	unicameral National Assembly (360 seats; 270 popularly elected, 90 elected by supra assembly of interest groups known as National Congress; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 13-22 December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2004) election results: NCP 355, others 5
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 77.6 years male: 74.95 years female: 80.53 years (2007 est.)	total population: 58.13 years male: 56.96 years female: 59.36 years (2004 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 9 and over can read and write total population: 98.7% male: 99.2% female: 98.3% (2001 census)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 61.1% male: 71.8% female: 50.5% (2003 est.)
Location	Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece in the south and Montenegro and Serbia to the north	Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea
Map references	Europe	Africa
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Merchant marine	total: 24 ships (1000 GRT or over) 56,550 GRT/85,521 DWT by type: cargo 23, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 1 (Turkey 1) registered in other countries: 3 (Georgia 2, Panama 1) (2007)	total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 20,466 GRT/26,973 DWT by type: livestock carrier 1, roll on/roll off 2 registered in other countries: 4 (2004 est.)
Military branches	Land Forces Command (Army), Naval Forces Command, Air Defense Command, General Staff Headquarters (includes Logistics Command, Training and Doctrine Command) (2007)	Sudanese People's Armed Forces (SPAF), Navy, Air Force, Popular Defense Forces
Military expenditures - dollar figure	-	$581 million (2001 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	1.49% (2005 est.)	2.5% (1999)
Military manpower - availability	-	males age 15-49: 9,339,775 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	-	males age 15-49: 5,743,783 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	-	males: 442,242 (2004 est.)
National holiday	Independence Day, 28 November (1912)	Independence Day, 1 January (1956)
Nationality	noun: Albanian(s) adjective: Albanian	noun: Sudanese (singular and plural) adjective: Sudanese
Natural hazards	destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought	dust storms and periodic persistent droughts
Natural resources	petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower	petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower
Net migration rate	-4.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)	-0.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines	gas 339 km; oil 207 km (2007)	gas 156 km; oil 2,365 km; refined products 810 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders	Agrarian Environmentalist Party or PAA [Lufter XHUVELI]; Christian Democratic Party or PDK [Nard NDOKA]; Communist Party of Albania or PKSH [Hysni MILLOSHI]; Democratic Alliance Party or AD [Neritan CEKA]; Democratic Party or PD [Sali BERISHA]; Legality Movement Party or PLL [Ekrem SPAHIA]; Liberal Union Party or BLD [Arjan STAROVA]; Movement for National Development or LZhK [Dashamir SHEHI]; National Front Party (Balli Kombetar) or PBK [Adriatik ALIMADHI]; New Democratic Party or PDR [Genc POLLO]; Party of National Unity or PUK [Idajet BEQIRI]; Republican Party or PR [Fatmir MEDIU]; Social Democracy Party of Albania or PDSSh [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]	the government allows political "associations" under a 1998 law revised in 2000; to obtain government approval parties must accept the constitution and refrain from advocating or using violence against the regime; approved parties include the National Congress Party or NCP [Ibrahim Ahmed UMAR], Popular National Congress or PNC [Hassan al-TURABI], and over 20 minor, pro-government parties
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; Omonia [Jani JANI]; Union of Independent Trade Unions of Albania or BSPSH [Gezim KALAJA]	Democratic Unionist Party [Muhammed Uthman AL-MIRGHANI]; National Congress Party [Ibrahim Ahmed UMAR]; National Democratic Alliance [Muhammed Uthman AL-MIRGHANI, chairman]; Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army [Dr. John GARANG]; Umma Party [Sadiq al-MAHDI]
Population	3,600,523 (July 2007 est.)	39,148,162 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line	25% (2004 est.)	NA (2004 est.)
Population growth rate	0.529% (2007 est.)	2.64% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors	-	Juba, Khartoum, Kusti, Malakal, Nimule, Port Sudan, Sawakin
Radio broadcast stations	AM 13, FM 46, shortwave 1 (2005)	AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)
Railways	total: 447 km standard gauge: 447 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)	total: 5,978 km narrow gauge: 4,595 km 1.067-m gauge; 1,400 km .600-m gauge for cotton plantations (2003)
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	Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), indigenous beliefs 25%, Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum)
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.099 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.863 male(s)/female total population: 1.042 male(s)/female (2007 est.)	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.2 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	17 years of age; universal, but noncompulsory
Telephone system	general assessment: despite new investment in fixed lines, the density of main lines remains low with roughly 10 lines per 100 people; however, cellular telephone use is widespread and generally effective; combined fixed line and mobile telephone density is approximately 60 telephones per 100 persons 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; Internet broadband services initiated in 2005; internet cafes are popular in Tirana and have started to spread outside the capital international: country code - 355; submarine cable provides connectivity to Italy, Croatia, and Greece; the Trans-Balkan Line, a combination submarine cable and land fiber optic system, provides additional connectivity to Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Turkey; international traffic carried by fiber-optic cable and, when necessary, by microwave radio relay from the Tirana exchange to Italy and Greece (2007)	general assessment: large, well-equipped system by regional standards and being upgraded; cellular communications started in 1996 and have expanded substantially domestic: consists of microwave radio relay, cable, radiotelephone communications, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations international: country code - 249; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (2000)
Telephones - main lines in use	353,600 (2005)	900,000 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular	1.53 million (2005)	650,000 (2003)
Television broadcast stations	65 (3 national, 62 local); 2 cable networks (2005)	3 (1997)
Terrain	mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast	generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in far south, northeast and west; desert dominates the north
Total fertility rate	2.03 children born/woman (2007 est.)	4.97 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate	13% official rate, but may exceed 30% due to preponderance of near-subsistence farming (2007 est.)	18.7% (2002 est.)
Waterways	43 km (2007)	4,068 km (1,723 km open year round on White and Blue Nile rivers) (2004)

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.