Finland (2004) | Albania (2001) | |
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Administrative divisions | 6 provinces (laanit, singular - laani); Aland, Etela-Suomen Laani, Ita-Suomen Laani, Lansi-Suomen Laani, Lappi, Oulun Laani | 36 districts (rrethe, singular - rreth) and 1 municipality* (bashki); Berat, Bulqize, Delvine, Devoll (Bilisht), Diber (Peshkopi), Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Gramsh, Has (Krume), Kavaje, Kolonje (Erseke), Korce, Kruje, Kucove, Kukes, Kurbin, Lezhe, Librazhd, Lushnje, Malesi e Madhe (Koplik), Mallakaster (Ballsh), Mat (Burrel), Mirdite (Rreshen), Peqin, Permet, Pogradec, Puke, Sarande, Shkoder, Skrapar (Corovode), Tepelene, Tirane (Tirana), Tirane* (Tirana), Tropoje (Bajram Curri), Vlore
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 17.5% (male 466,036; female 448,339)
15-64 years: 66.7% (male 1,760,472; female 1,719,917) 65 years and over: 15.7% (male 323,082; female 496,666) (2004 est.) |
0-14 years:
29.53% (male 536,495; female 500,026) 15-64 years: 63.48% (male 1,073,351; female 1,155,115) 65 years and over: 6.99% (male 107,476; female 138,021) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | barley, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle; fish | wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes; meat, dairy products |
Airports | 148 (2003 est.) | 11 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 75
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 27 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 13 (2004 est.) |
total:
3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 73
914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 69 (2004 est.) |
total:
8 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 4 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 338,145 sq km
land: 304,473 sq km water: 33,672 sq km |
total:
28,748 sq km land: 27,398 sq km water: 1,350 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Montana | slightly smaller than Maryland |
Background | Finland was a province and then a grand duchy under Sweden from the 12th to the 19th centuries and an autonomous grand duchy of Russia after 1809. It won its complete independence in 1917. During World War II, it was able to successfully defend its freedom and resist invasions by the Soviet Union - albeit with some loss of territory. In the subsequent half century, the Finns made a remarkable transformation from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is now on par with Western Europe. As a member of the European Union, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation in January 1999. | In 1990 Albania ended 44 years of xenophobic communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven difficult as corrupt governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, a dilapidated infrastructure, widespread gangsterism, and disruptive political opponents. International observers judged local elections in 2000 to be acceptable and a step toward democratic development, but serious deficiencies remain to be corrected before the the 2001 parliamentary elections. |
Birth rate | 10.56 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 19.01 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $87.03 billion
expenditures: $81.62 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.) |
revenues:
$393 million expenditures: $676 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.) |
Capital | Helsinki | Tirana |
Climate | cold temperate; potentially subarctic but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes | mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter |
Coastline | 1,250 km | 362 km |
Constitution | 1 March 2000 | a new constitution was adopted by popular referendum on 28 November 1998; note - the opposition Democratic Party boycotted the vote |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Finland
conventional short form: Finland local long form: Suomen Tasavalta local short form: Suomi |
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 |
Currency | euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries |
lek (ALL) |
Death rate | 9.69 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 6.5 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $30 billion (December 1993) | $1 billion (2000) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Earle I. MACK
embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14B, FIN-00140, Helsinki mailing address: APO AE 09723 telephone: [358] (9) 616250 FAX: [358] (9) 6162 5800 |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Joseph LIMPRECHT embassy: Rruga Elbasanit Labinoti 103, Tirana mailing address: PSC 59, Box 100(A), APO AE 09624 telephone: [355] (42) 32875, 33520 FAX: [355] (42) 32222 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Jukka Robert VALTASAARI
chancery: 3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 298-5800 FAX: [1] (202) 298-6030 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Petrit BUSHATI chancery: 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 223-4942 FAX: [1] (202) 628-7342 |
Disputes - international | none | the Albanian Government supports protection of the rights of ethnic Albanians outside of its borders but has downplayed them to further its primary foreign policy goal of regional cooperation; Albanian majority in Kosovo seeks independence from Yugoslavia; Albanians in The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia claim discrimination in education, access to public-sector jobs, and representation in government |
Economic aid - donor | ODA, $379 million (2001) | - |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $NA; aid for energy from China, Germany, Norway (2000) |
Economy - overview | Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free-market economy, with per capita output roughly that of the UK, France, Germany, and Italy. Its key economic sector is manufacturing - principally the wood, metals, engineering, telecommunications, and electronics industries. Trade is important, with exports equaling one-third of GDP. Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imports of raw materials, energy, and some components for manufactured goods. Because of the climate, agricultural development is limited to maintaining self-sufficiency in basic products. Forestry, an important export earner, provides a secondary occupation for the rural population. Rapidly increasing integration with Western Europe - Finland was one of the 12 countries joining the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) - will dominate the economic picture over the next several years. Growth in 2003 was held back by the global slowdown but will pick up in 2004 provided the world economy suffers no further blows. | Poor by European standards, Albania is making the difficult transition to a more open-market economy. The economy rebounded in 1993-95 after a severe depression accompanying the end of the previous centrally planned system in 1990 and 1991. However, a weakening of government resolve to maintain stabilization policies in the election year of 1996 contributed to renewal of inflationary pressures, spurred by the budget deficit which exceeded 12% of GDP. The collapse of financial pyramid schemes in early 1997 - which had attracted deposits from a substantial portion of Albania's population - triggered severe social unrest which led to more than 1,500 deaths, widespread destruction of property, and a 7% drop in GDP. The government has taken measures to curb violent crime and to revive economic activity and trade. The economy is bolstered by remittances from some 20% of the labor force that works abroad, mostly in Greece and Italy. These remittances supplement GDP and help offset the large foreign trade deficit. Most agricultural land was privatized in 1992, substantially improving peasant incomes. In 1998, Albania recovered the 7% drop in GDP of 1997 and pushed ahead by 8% in 1999 and by 7.5% in 2000. International aid helped defray the high costs of receiving and returning refugees from the Kosovo conflict. Privatization scored some successes in 2000, but other reforms lagged. |
Electricity - consumption | 76.18 billion kWh (2001) | 5.379 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 1.81 billion kWh (2001) | 100 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 11.77 billion kWh (2001) | 600 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | 71.2 billion kWh (2001) | 5.332 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
3.81% hydro: 96.19% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Halti 1,328 m |
lowest point:
Adriatic Sea 0 m highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,753 m |
Environment - current issues | air pollution from manufacturing and power plants contributing to acid rain; water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations | deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Finn 93.4%, Swede 5.7%, Russian 0.4%, Estonian 0.2%, Roma 0.2%, Sami 0.1% | Albanian 95%, Greeks 3%, other 2% (Vlachs, Gypsies, Serbs, and Bulgarians) (1989 est.)
note: in 1989, other estimates of the Greek population ranged from 1% (official Albanian statistics) to 12% (from a Greek organization) |
Exchange rates | euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999) | leke per US dollar - 146.08 (December 2000),143.71 (2000) 137.69 (1999), 150.63 (1998), 148.93 (1997), 104.50 (1996); note - leke is the plural of lek |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Tarja HALONEN (since 1 March 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Matti VANHANEN (since 24 June 2003) and Deputy Prime Minister Antti KALLIOMAKI (since 17 April 2003); note - former Prime Minister Anneli JAATTEENMAKI resigned cabinet: Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the president, responsible to Parliament elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 16 January 2000 and 6 February 2000 (next to be held February 2006); the president appoints the prime minister and deputy prime minister from the majority party or the majority coalition after Parliamentary elections and the Parliament must approve the appointment election results: Tarja HALONEN elected president; percent of vote - Tarja HALONEN (SDP) 51.6%, Esko AHO (Kesk) 48.4% note: government coalition - KESK, SDP, and SFP |
chief of state:
President of the Republic Rexhep MEIDANI (since 24 July 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Ilir META (since 29 October 1999) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and approved by the president elections: president elected by the People's Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 24 July 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Rexhep MEIDANI elected president; People's Assembly vote by number - total votes 122, for 110, against 3, abstained 2, invalid 7 |
Exports | 101,000 bbl/day (2001) | $310 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
Exports - commodities | machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals; timber, paper, pulp (1999) | textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco |
Exports - partners | Germany 11.8%, Sweden 9.9%, US 8.2%, UK 8%, Russia 7.5%, Netherlands 4.8% (2003) | Italy 67%, Greece 15%, Germany 5%, Austria 2%, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 2% (2000) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | white with a blue cross extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) | red with a black two-headed eagle in the center |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $142.2 billion (2003 est.) | purchasing power parity - $10.5 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 4.3%
industry: 32.7% services: 62.9% (2003 est.) |
agriculture:
55% industry: 24% services: 21% (2000) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $27,400 (2003 est.) | purchasing power parity - $3,000 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 1.9% (2003 est.) | 7.5% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 64 00 N, 26 00 E | 41 00 N, 20 00 E |
Geography - note | long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain | strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea) |
Heliports | - | 1 (2000 est.) |
Highways | total: 78,137 km
paved: 50,398 km (including 750 km of expressways) unpaved: 27,739 km (2003) |
total:
18,000 km paved: 5,400 km unpaved: 12,600 km (1998 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 4.2%
highest 10%: 21.6% (1991) |
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 cannabis production; ethnic Albanian narcotrafficking organizations active and rapidly expanding in Europe |
Imports | 318,300 bbl/day (2001) | $1 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, grains (1999) | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals |
Imports - partners | Germany 16.2%, Sweden 14.1%, Russia 11.7%, Netherlands 6.3%, Denmark 5.7%, UK 5.3%, France 4.3% (2003) | Italy 37%, Greece 28%, Turkey 6%, Germany 6%, Bulgaria 3% (2000) |
Independence | 6 December 1917 (from Russia) | 28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire) |
Industrial production growth rate | 0.8% (2003 est.) | 9% (2000 est.) |
Industries | metal products, electronics, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, copper refining, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing | food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower |
Infant mortality rate | total: 3.59 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 3.91 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
39.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 0.9% (2003 est.) | 1% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC | ACCT (associate), BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 7 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 640 sq km (1998 est.) | 3,410 sq km (1993 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (judges appointed by the president) | Supreme Court (chairman is elected by the People's Assembly for a four-year term) |
Labor force | 2.599 million (2003 est.) | 1.692 million (including 352,000 emigrant workers and 261,000 domestically unemployed) (1994 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture and forestry 8%, industry 22%, construction 6%, commerce 14%, finance, insurance, and business services 10%, transport and communications 8%, public services 32% | agriculture 50%, industry and services 50% |
Land boundaries | total: 2,690 km
border countries: Norway 736 km, Sweden 614 km, Russia 1,340 km |
total:
720 km border countries: Greece 282 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 151 km, Yugoslavia 287 km |
Land use | arable land: 7.19%
permanent crops: 0.03% other: 92.78% (2001) |
arable land:
21% permanent crops: 5% permanent pastures: 15% forests and woodland: 38% other: 21% (1993 est.) |
Languages | Finnish 93.4% (official), Swedish 5.9% (official), small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities | Albanian (Tosk is the official dialect), Greek |
Legal system | civil law system based on Swedish law; the president may request the Supreme Court to review laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations | has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | unicameral Parliament or Eduskunta (200 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 16 March 2003 (next to be held NA March 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - Kesk 24.7%, SDP 24.5%, Kok 18.5%, VAS 9.9%, VIHR 8%, KD 5.3%, SFP 4.6%; seats by party - Kesk 55, SDP 53, Kok 40, VAS 19, VIHR 14, KD 7, SFP 8, others 4 |
unicameral People's Assembly or Kuvendi Popullor (155 seats; most members are elected by direct popular vote and some by proportional vote for four-year terms)
elections: last held 29 June 1997 (next held 24 June 2001, 2nd round 8 July 2001) election results: percent of vote by party - PS 53.36%, PD 25.33%, PSD 2.5%, PBDNJ 2.78%, PBK 2.36%, PAD 2.85%, PR 2.25%, PLL 3.09%, PDK 1.00%, PBSD 0.84%; seats by party - PS 101, PD 27, PSD 8, PBDNJ 4, PBK 3, PAD 2, PR 2, PLL 2, PDK 1, PBSD 1, PUK 1, independents 3 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 78.24 years
male: 74.73 years female: 81.89 years (2004 est.) |
total population:
71.83 years male: 69.01 years female: 74.87 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100% (2000 est.) male: NA female: NA |
definition:
age 9 and over can read and write total population: 93% (1997 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia | Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia |
Map references | Europe | Europe |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 nm)
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm; extends to continental shelf boundary with Sweden |
continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 90 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,152,175 GRT/1,053,906 DWT
by type: bulk 9, cargo 26, chemical tanker 5, container 1, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 9, roll on/roll off 28, short-sea/passenger 10 foreign-owned: Estonia 1 registered in other countries: 39 (2004 est.) |
total:
9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 17,797 GRT/26,324 DWT ships by type: cargo 9 (2000 est.) |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force | Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Interior Ministry Troops, Border Guards |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $1.8 billion (FY98/99) | $42 million (FY99) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2% (FY98/99) | 1.5% (FY99) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 1,226,890 (2004 est.) | males age 15-49:
870,768 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 1,013,961 (2004 est.) | males age 15-49:
712,763 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | - | 19 years of age |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 32,058 (2004 est.) | males:
35,792 (2001 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 6 December (1917) | Independence Day, 28 November (1912) |
Nationality | noun: Finn(s)
adjective: Finnish |
noun:
Albanian(s) adjective: Albanian |
Natural hazards | NA | destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; drought |
Natural resources | timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone | petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, timber, nickel, hydropower |
Net migration rate | 0.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | -3.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Pipelines | gas 694 km (2004) | crude oil 145 km; petroleum products 55 km; natural gas 64 km (1991) |
Political parties and leaders | Center Party or Kesk [Matti VANHANEN]; Christian Democrats or KD [Paivi RASANEN]; Green League or VIHR [Osmo SOININVAARA]; Left Alliance or VAS composed of People's Democratic League and Democratic Alternative [Suvi-Anne SIIMES]; National Coalition (conservative) Party or Kok [Jyrki KATAINEN]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Paavo LIPPONEN]; Swedish People's Party or SFP [Jan-Erik ENESTAM] | Albanian National Front (Balli Kombetar) or PBK [Abaz ERMENJI]; Albanian Republican Party or PR [Fatmir MEDIU]; Albanian Socialist Party or PS (formerly the Albania Workers Party) [Fatos NANO, chairman]; Christian Democratic Party or PDK [Zef BUSHATI]; Democratic Alliance or PAD [Neritan CEKA]; Democratic Party or PD [Sali BERISHA]; Group of Reformist Democrats [Leonard NDOKA]; Liberal Union Party [Teodor LACO]; note - Teodor LACO of the Liberal Union Party was leader of the Social Democratic Union of Albania or PBSD; Movement of Legality Party or PLL [Nderim KUPI]; OMONIA [Vagjelis DULES]; Party of National Unity or PUK [Idajet BEQUIRI]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Skender GJINUSHI]; Unity for Human Rights Party or PBDNJ [Vasil MELO, chairman] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | 5,214,512 (July 2004 est.) | 3,510,484 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | 19.6% (1996 est.) |
Population growth rate | 0.18% (2004 est.) | 0.88% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Hamina, Helsinki, Kokkola, Kotka, Loviisa, Oulu, Pori, Rauma, Turku, Uusikaupunki, Varkaus | Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 186, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 16, FM 3, shortwave 2 (1999) |
Radios | - | 810,000 (1997) |
Railways | total: 5,851 km
broad gauge: 5,851 km 1.524-m gauge (2,400 km electrified) (2003) |
total:
447 km standard gauge: 447 km 1.435-m gauge (2001) |
Religions | Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Russian Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other 1% | 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 |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
at birth:
1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal and compulsory |
Telephone system | general assessment: modern system with excellent service
domestic: digital fiber-optic fixed-line network and an extensive cellular network provide domestic needs international: country code - 358; 1 submarine cable (Finland Estonia Connection); satellite earth stations - access to Intelsat transmission service via a Swedish satellite earth station, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Finland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) |
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 |
Telephones - main lines in use | 2.548 million (2003) | 87,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 4.7 million (2003) | 3,100 (1999) |
Television broadcast stations | 120 (plus 431 repeaters) (1999) | 9 (plus 264 repeaters) (1995) |
Terrain | mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills | mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast |
Total fertility rate | 1.73 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 2.32 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 9% (2003 est.) | 16% (2000 est.) officially; may be as high as 25% |
Waterways | 7,842 km
note: includes Saimaa Canal system of 3,577 km; southern part leased from Russia (2004) |
43 km
note: includes Albanian sections of Lake Scutari, Lake Ohrid, and Lake Prespa (1990) |