Compare Swaziland (2004) - Albania (2008)

Compare Swaziland (2004) z Albania (2008)

	Swaziland (2004)	Albania (2008)

Administrative divisions	4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni	12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Berat, Diber, Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Korce, Kukes, Lezhe, Shkoder, Tirane, Vlore
Age structure	0-14 years: 41% (male 242,090; female 237,395) 15-64 years: 55.3% (male 323,004; female 324,029) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 18,685; female 24,038) (2004 est.)	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.)
Agriculture - products	sugarcane, cotton, corn, tobacco, rice, citrus, pineapples, sorghum, peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep	wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes; meat, dairy products
Airports	18 (2003 est.)	11 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)	total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 10 (2004 est.)	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)
Area	total: 17,363 sq km land: 17,203 sq km water: 160 sq km	total: 28,748 sq km land: 27,398 sq km water: 1,350 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than New Jersey	slightly smaller than Maryland
Background	Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed by the British in the late 19th century; independence was granted in 1968. Student and labor unrest during the 1990s pressured the monarchy (one of the oldest on the continent) to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known rates of HIV/AIDS infection	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.
Birth rate	28.55 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)	15.16 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $462.4 million expenditures: $563.4 million, including capital expenditures of $147 million (2003)	revenues: $2.752 billion expenditures: $3.129 billion (2007 est.)
Capital	Mbabane; note - Lobamba is the royal and legislative 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
Climate	varies from tropical to near temperate	mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter
Coastline	0 km (landlocked)	362 km
Constitution	a constitution was adopted 14 November 2003	adopted by popular referendum on 22 November 1998; promulgated 28 November 1998
Country name	conventional long form: Kingdom of Swaziland conventional short form: Swaziland	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	lilangeni (SZL)	-
Death rate	23.06 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)	5.33 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$320 million (2002 est.)	$1.55 billion (2004)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador James D. McGEE embassy: Central Bank Building, Warner Street, Mbabane mailing address: P. O. Box 199, Mbabane telephone: [268] 404-6441 through 404-6445 FAX: [268] 404-5959	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
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Madzandza KANYA chancery: 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 362-6683 FAX: [1] (202) 244-8059	chief of mission: Ambassador Aleksander SALLABANDA chancery: 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 223-4942 FAX: [1] (202) 628-7342
Disputes - international	none	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
Economic aid - recipient	$104 million (2001)	ODA: $318.7 million note: top donors were Italy, EU, Germany (2005 est.)
Economy - overview	In this small, landlocked economy, subsistence agriculture occupies more than 80% of the population. The manufacturing sector has diversified since the mid-1980s. Sugar and wood pulp remain important foreign exchange earners. Mining has declined in importance in recent years with only coal and quarry stone mines remaining active. Surrounded by South Africa, except for a short border with Mozambique, Swaziland is heavily dependent on South Africa from which it receives about nine-tenths of its imports and to which it sends nearly three-quarters of its exports. Customs duties from the Southern African Customs Union and worker remittances from South Africa substantially supplement domestically earned income. The government is trying to improve the atmosphere for foreign investment. Overgrazing, soil depletion, drought, and sometimes floods persist as problems for the future. More than one-fourth of the population needed emergency food aid in 2002 because of drought, and more than one-third of the adult population was infected by HIV/AIDS.	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.
Electricity - consumption	962.9 million kWh (2001)	3.323 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	300 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	639 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2001)	371 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - production	348.3 million kWh (2001)	5.385 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Great Usutu River 21 m highest point: Emlembe 1,862 m	lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m
Environment - current issues	limited supplies of potable water; wildlife populations being depleted because of excessive hunting; overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion	deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea	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
Ethnic groups	African 97%, European 3%	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)
Exchange rates	emalangeni per US dollar - 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001), 6.9398 (2000), 6.1095 (1999)	leke per US dollar - 92.668 (2007), 98.384 (2006), 102.649 (2005), 102.78 (2004), 121.863 (2003)
Executive branch	chief of state: King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986) head of government: Prime Minister Absolom Themba DLAMINI (since 14 November 2003) cabinet: Cabinet recommended by the prime minister and confirmed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch	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
Exports	NA (2001)	1,240 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities	soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit	textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco
Exports - partners	South Africa 72%, EU 14.2%, Mozambique 3.7%, US 3.5% (1999)	Italy 67.7%, Serbia and Montenegro 5.8%, Greece 5.4% (2006)
Fiscal year	1 April - 31 March	calendar year
Flag description	three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the red band is edged in yellow; centered in the red band is a large black and white shield covering two spears and a staff decorated with feather tassels, all placed horizontally	red with a black two-headed eagle in the center
GDP	purchasing power parity - $5.702 billion (2003 est.)	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 16.2% industry: 43.2% services: 40.5% (2003 est.)	agriculture: 21.7% industry: 20.3% services: 58% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $4,900 (2003 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	2.2% (2003 est.)	5% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates	26 30 S, 31 30 E	41 00 N, 20 00 E
Geography - note	landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa	strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)
Heliports	-	1 (2007)
Highways	total: 3,247 km paved: NA unpaved: NA (1998)	-
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 1% highest 10%: 50.2% (1995)	lowest 10%: 3.4% highest 10%: 24.4% (2004)
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	NA (2001)	21,600 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities	motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals	machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals
Imports - partners	South Africa 88.8%, EU 5.6%, Japan 0.6%, Singapore 0.4% (1999)	Italy 32%, Greece 17.7%, Turkey 8.1%, Germany 5.7% (2006)
Independence	6 September 1968 (from UK)	28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)
Industrial production growth rate	3.7% (FY95/96)	2% (2007 est.)
Industries	mining (coal), wood pulp, sugar, soft drink concentrates, textile and apparel	food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower
Infant mortality rate	total: 68.35 deaths/1,000 live births male: 71.64 deaths/1,000 live births female: 64.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)	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.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	7.3% (2003 est.)	3% (2007 est.)
International organization participation	ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO	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
Irrigated land	690 sq km (1998 est.)	3,530 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	High Court; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts are appointed by the monarch	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	383,200 (2000)	1.09 million (not including 352,000 emigrant workers) (September 2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	NA	agriculture: 58% industry: 15% services: 27% (September 2006 est.)
Land boundaries	total: 535 km border countries: Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km	total: 720 km border countries: Greece 282 km, Macedonia 151 km, Montenegro 172 km, Serbia 115 km
Land use	arable land: 10.35% permanent crops: 0.7% other: 88.95% (2001)	arable land: 20.1% permanent crops: 4.21% other: 75.69% (2005)
Languages	English (official, government business conducted in English), siSwati (official)	Albanian (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek, Vlach, Romani, Slavic dialects
Legal system	based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts and Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	has a civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; has accepted jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court for its citizens
Legislative branch	bicameral Parliament or Libandla, an advisory body, consists of the Senate (30 seats - 10 appointed by the House of Assembly and 20 appointed by the monarch; members serve five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (65 seats - 10 appointed by the monarch and 55 elected by popular vote; members serve five-year terms) elections: House of Assembly - last held 18 October 2003 (next to be held NA October 2008) election results: House of Assembly - balloting is done on a nonparty basis; candidates for election are nominated by the local council of each constituency and for each constituency the three candidates with the most votes in the first round of voting are narrowed to a single winner by a second round	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
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 37.54 years male: 39.1 years female: 35.94 years (2004 est.)	total population: 77.6 years male: 74.95 years female: 80.53 years (2007 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 81.6% male: 82.6% female: 80.8% (2003 est.)	definition: age 9 and over can read and write total population: 98.7% male: 99.2% female: 98.3% (2001 census)
Location	Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa	Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece in the south and Montenegro and Serbia to the north
Map references	Africa	Europe
Maritime claims	none (landlocked)	territorial sea: 12 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)
Military branches	Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (Army, including Air Wing)	Land Forces Command (Army), Naval Forces Command, Air Defense Command, General Staff Headquarters (includes Logistics Command, Training and Doctrine Command) (2007)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$29 million (2003)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	1.8% (2003)	1.49% (2005 est.)
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 289,985 (2004 est.)	-
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 168,257 (2004 est.)	-
National holiday	Independence Day, 6 September (1968)	Independence Day, 28 November (1912)
Nationality	noun: Swazi(s) adjective: Swazi	noun: Albanian(s) adjective: Albanian
Natural hazards	drought	destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought
Natural resources	asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc	petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)	-4.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines	-	gas 339 km; oil 207 km (2007)
Political parties and leaders	political parties are banned by the constitution - the following are considered political associations; Imbokodvo National Movement or INM [leader NA]; Ngwane National Liberatory Congress or NNLC [Obed DLAMINI, president]; People's United Democratic Movement or PUDEMO [Mario MASUKU, president]; Swaziland National Front or SWANAFRO [Elmond SHONGWE, president]	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]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	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]
Population	1,169,241 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.)	3,600,523 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	40% (1995)	25% (2004 est.)
Population growth rate	0.55% (2004 est.)	0.529% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors	none	-
Radio broadcast stations	AM 3, FM 2 plus 4 repeaters, shortwave 3 (2001)	AM 13, FM 46, shortwave 1 (2005)
Railways	total: 301 km narrow gauge: 301 km 1.067-m gauge (2003)	total: 447 km standard gauge: 447 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)
Religions	Zionist (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship) 40%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, Anglican, Bahai, Methodist, Mormon, Jewish and other 30%	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
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)	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.)
Suffrage	18 years of age	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: a somewhat modern but not an advanced system domestic: system consists of carrier-equipped, open-wire lines and low-capacity, microwave radio relay international: country code - 268; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)	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)
Telephones - main lines in use	46,200 (2003)	353,600 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular	88,000 (2003)	1.53 million (2005)
Television broadcast stations	5 plus 7 relay stations (2001)	65 (3 national, 62 local); 2 cable networks (2005)
Terrain	mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains	mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast
Total fertility rate	3.81 children born/woman (2004 est.)	2.03 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	34% (2000 est.)	13% official rate, but may exceed 30% due to preponderance of near-subsistence farming (2007 est.)
Waterways	-	43 km (2007)

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