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Compare Western Sahara (2001) - Albania (2004)

Compare Western Sahara (2001) z Albania (2004)

 Western Sahara (2001)Albania (2004)
 Western SaharaAlbania
Administrative divisions none (under de facto control of Morocco) 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:
NA%

15-64 years:
NA%

65 years and over:
NA%
0-14 years: 26.4% (male 489,363; female 446,586)


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


65 years and over: 8.3% (male 135,177; female 158,947) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads) wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes; meat, dairy products
Airports 11 (2000 est.) 11 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total:
3

2,438 to 3,047 m:
3 (2000 est.)
total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
8

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
4

under 914 m:
3 (2000 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 (2004 est.)
Area total:
266,000 sq km

land:
266,000 sq km

water:
0 sq km
total: 28,748 sq km


land: 27,398 sq km


water: 1,350 sq km
Area - comparative about the size of Colorado slightly smaller than Maryland
Background Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Rabat's sovereignty ended in a 1991 cease-fire; a referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed and is not expected to occur until at least 2002. Between 1990 and 1992 Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic Communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven difficult as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, a dilapidated infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks with links to high government officials, and disruptive political opponents. International observers judged parliamentary elections in 2001 and local elections in 2003 to be acceptable and a step toward democratic development, but identified serious deficiencies. Many of these deficiencies have been addressed through bi-partisan changes to the electoral code in 2003 and 2005, but implementation of these changes will not be demonstrated until parliamentary elections in July 2005.
Birth rate - 15.08 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues:
$NA

expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
revenues: $1.36 billion


expenditures: $1.627 billion, including capital expenditures of $406 million (2003 est.)
Capital none Tirana
Climate hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter
Coastline 1,110 km 362 km
Constitution - a constitution was adopted by popular referendum on 28 November 1998
Country name conventional long form:
none

conventional short form:
Western Sahara

former:
Spanish Sahara
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 Moroccan dirham (MAD) lek (ALL)
Death rate - 5.02 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $NA $1.41 billion (2003)
Diplomatic representation from the US none chief of mission: Ambassador Marcie B. RIES


embassy: Rruga Elbasanit, Labinoti #103, Tirana


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


telephone: [355] (4) 247285


FAX: [355] (4) 374957 and [355] (4) 232222
Diplomatic representation in the US none chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Fatos TARIFA


chancery: 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 223-4942


FAX: [1] (202) 628-7342
Disputes - international claimed and administered by Morocco, but sovereignty is unresolved and the UN is attempting to hold a referendum on the issue; the UN-administered cease-fire has been in effect since September 1991 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
Economic aid - recipient $NA ODA: $315 million (top donors were Italy, EU, Germany) (2000 est.)
Economy - overview Western Sahara, a territory poor in natural resources and lacking sufficient rainfall, depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population. Most of the food for the urban population must be imported. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan Government. Incomes and standards of living are substantially below the Moroccan level. Poor and backward by European standards, Albania is making the difficult transition to a more modern open-market economy. The government has taken measures to curb violent crime and to spur economic activity and trade. The economy is bolstered by remittances from abroad of $400-$600 million annually, mostly from Greece and Italy; this helps offset the sizable trade deficit. Agriculture, which accounts for one-half of GDP, is held back because of frequent drought and the need to modernize equipment and consolidate small plots of land. Severe energy shortages and antiquated and inadequate infrastructure make it difficult to attract and sustain foreign investment. The government plans to boost energy imports to relieve the shortages and is moving slowly to improve the poor national road and rail network, a long-standing barrier to sustained economic growth.
Electricity - consumption 83.7 million kWh (1999) 5.898 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (1999) 221 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (1999) 1.2 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 90 million kWh (1999) 5.289 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
100%

hydro:
0%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Sebjet Tah -55 m

highest point:
unnamed location 463 m
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m


highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m
Environment - current issues sparse water and lack of arable land deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents
Environment - international agreements party to:
none of the selected agreements

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


note: in 1989, other estimates of the Greek population ranged from 1% (official Albanian statistics) to 12% (from a Greek organization)
Exchange rates Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 10.590 (January 2001), 10.626 (2000), 9.804 (1999), 9.604 (1998), 9.527 (1997), 8.716 (1996) leke per US dollar - 121.863 (2003), 140.155 (2002), 143.485 (2001), 143.709 (2000), 137.691 (1999)
Executive branch none chief of state: President of the Republic Alfred MOISIU (since 24 July 2002)


head of government: Prime Minister Fatos NANO (since 31 July 2002)


cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by Parliament


elections: president elected by the People's Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 24 June 2002 (next to be held NA June 2007); prime minister appointed by the president


election results: Alfred MOISIU elected president; People's Assembly vote by number - total votes 116, for 97, against 19
Exports $NA NA (2001)
Exports - commodities phosphates 62% textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco
Exports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts Italy 74.9%, Greece 12.8%, Germany 3.4% (2003)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description - red with a black two-headed eagle in the center
GDP purchasing power parity - $NA purchasing power parity - $16.13 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
NA%

industry:
NA%

services:
40%-45% (1996 est.)
agriculture: 47.5%


industry: 24.6%


services: 27.8% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $NA purchasing power parity - $4,500 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate NA% 7% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates 24 30 N, 13 00 W 41 00 N, 20 00 E
Geography - note - strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)
Heliports 1 (2000 est.) 1 (2003 est.)
Highways total:
6,200 km

paved:
1,350 km

unpaved:
4,850 km (1991 est.)
total: 18,000 km


paved: 5,400 km


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

highest 10%:
NA%
lowest 10%: 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 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 NA (2001)
Imports - commodities fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals
Imports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts Italy 33.6%, Greece 20.2%, Turkey 6.6%, Germany 5.7% (2003)
Independence - 28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 2.7% (2003 est.)
Industries phosphate mining, handicrafts food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower
Infant mortality rate - total: 22.31 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 23.01 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 21.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA% 2.4% (2003)
International organization participation none ACCT, BSEC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) -
Irrigated land NA sq km 3,400 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
Labor force 12,000 1.35 million (not including 352,000 emigrant workers) (2003 est.)
Labor force - by occupation animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50% agriculture 57%, non-agricultural private sector 20%, public sector 23% (2003 est.)
Land boundaries total:
2,046 km

border countries:
Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
total: 720 km


border countries: Greece 282 km, Macedonia 151 km, Serbia and Montenegro 287 km
Land use arable land:
0%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
19%

forests and woodland:
0%

other:
81%
arable land: 21.09%


permanent crops: 4.42%


other: 74.49% (2001)
Languages Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic 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 People's Assembly or Kuvendi Popullor (140 seats; 100 are elected by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote for four-year terms)


elections: last held 24 June 2001 with subsequent rounds on 8 July, 22 July, 29 July, 19 August 2001 (next to be held July 2005)


election results: percent of vote by party - PS 41.5%, PD and coalition allies 36.8%, PDR 5.2%, PSD 3.6%, PBDNJ 2.6%, PASH (now PAA) 2.6%, PAD 2.5%; seats by party - PS 73, PD and coalition allies 46, PDR 6, PSD 4, PBDNJ 3, PASH (now PAA) 3, PAD 3, independents 2; note - seats by party as of January 2005: PS 65, PD and coalition allies 46, LSI 9, PDR 6, PSD 3, PBDNJ 3, PASH (now PAA) 3, PAD 3, PDS 1, independents 1
Life expectancy at birth - total population: 77.06 years


male: 74.37 years


female: 80.02 years (2004 est.)
Literacy definition:
NA

total population:
NA%

male:
NA%

female:
NA%
definition: age 9 and over can read and write


total population: 86.5%


male: 93.3%


female: 79.5% (2003 est.)
Location Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro
Map references Africa Europe
Maritime claims contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue territorial sea: 12 nm


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Merchant marine - total: 22 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 40,878 GRT/62,676 DWT


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


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


registered in other countries: 7 (2004 est.)
Military branches NA General Staff Headquarters, Land Forces Command (Army), Naval Forces Command, Air Forces Command, Doctrine and Exercises Command, Logistics Support Command
Military expenditures - dollar figure $NA $56.5 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA% 1.49% (FY02)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 956,107 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 775,422 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 36,584 (2004 est.)
National holiday - Independence Day, 28 November (1912)
Nationality noun:
Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)

adjective:
Sahrawian, Sahraouian
noun: Albanian(s)


adjective: Albanian
Natural hazards hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought
Natural resources phosphates, iron ore petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower
Net migration rate - -4.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines - gas 339 km; oil 207 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders - Agrarian Environmentalist Party or PAA [Lufter XHUVELI]; Christian Democratic Party or PDK [Nikolle LESI]; Communist Party of Albania or PKSH [Hysni MILLOSHI]; Democratic Alliance Party or PAD [Neritan CEKA]; Democratic Party or PD [Sali BERISHA]; Legality Movement Party or PLL [Ekrem SPAHIU]; Liberal Union Party or PBL [Arjan STAROVA]; National Front Party (Balli Kombetar) or PBK [Adriatik ALIMADHI]; New Democratic Party or PDR [Genc POLLO]; Party of National Unity or PUK [Idajet BEQIRI]; Renewed Democratic Party or PDR [Dashamir SHEHI]; Republican Party or PR [Fatmir MEDIU]; Social Democracy Party or PDS [Paskal MILO]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Skender GJINUSHI]; Socialist Movement for Integration or LSI [Ilir META]; Socialist Party or PS (formerly the Albanian Party of Labor) [Fatos NANO]; Union for Human Rights Party or PBDNJ [Vangjel DULE]
Political pressure groups and leaders none Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania or KSSH [Kastriot MUCO]; Front for Albanian National Unification or FBKSH [Gafur ADILI]; Omonia [Jani JANI]; Union of Independent Trade Unions of Albania or BSPSH [Gezim KALAJA]
Population 250,559 (July 2001 est.) 3,544,808 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 30% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate - 0.51% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun) Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 13, FM 4, shortwave 2 (2001)
Radios 56,000 (1997) -
Railways 0 km total: 447 km


standard gauge: 447 km 1.435-m gauge (2003)
Religions Muslim 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: 1.1 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female


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


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


total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign has yet to be completed 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment:
sparse and limited system

domestic:
NA

international:
tied into Morocco's system by microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to Rabat, Morocco
general assessment: Despite new investment in fixed lines, the density of main lines remains the lowest in Europe with roughly 8 lines per 100 people. However, cellular telephone use is widespread and generally effective.


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


international: country code - 355; inadequate fixed main lines; adequate cellular connections; international traffic carried by microwave radio relay from the Tirana exchange to Italy and Greece (2003)
Telephones - main lines in use about 2,000 (1999 est.) 255,000 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular 0 (1999) 1.1 million (2003)
Television broadcast stations NA 3 (plus 58 repeaters) (2001)
Terrain mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast
Total fertility rate - 2.05 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 15.8% officially; may be as high as 30% (2003 est.)
Waterways none 43 km (2004)
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