Albania
in Southern Europe
Europe

Location Summary
Currency and Currency Code:
Lek - ALL
Spoken languages:
Albanian, Modern Greek
Local electricity:
230 V - 50 Hz (plugs: C, F)
Mobile phone / cellular frequencies (MHz):
900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 3G, 4G
ISO 2-Letter code:
AL
Internet top level domain:
.al
Country phone prefix:
+355
Local Time (capital):
Timezone:
UTC/GMT offset: hours
Current travel safety evaluation for Albania in Southern Europe

Safety Score: 3,6 of 5.0 based on data from 9 authorites. Meaning please reconsider your need to travel to Albania.

Travel warnings are updated daily. Source: Travel Warning Albania. Last Update: 2024-03-19 07:55:12

Explore Albania

Albania with its capital Tirana is located in Europe (Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea). It covers some 28,749 square kilometers (slightly smaller than Maryland) with a population of 3,047,990. Albanian and Modern Greek are the languages spoken by people in Albania. Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia are bordering countries.

Albania is a small country in the Balkans. The relative majority of the people in Albania are of Muslim heritage (70-80%), Albania also has a large number of religious minorities (mainly Albanian Orthodox and Roman Catholic-the largest Christian minorities in Europe along with Bosnia and Herzegovina). Traditional Albanian culture honors the role and person of the guest. In return for this place of honor, respect is expected from the guest. Albanians enjoy the long walks the city streets, drinking coffee, and among the younger generations, partaking in nightlife activities such as cafe lounging and dancing. It's an extremely poor country by European standards.

Popular Destinations in Albania

Administrative regions of Albania

About the country

The topography is mostly mountains and hills with small plains along coast. The average density of population is about 106 per km². The climate in Albania can be described as mild temperatecool, cloudy, wet winters, hot, clear, dry summers, interior being cooler and wetter. Potential natural disasters are destructive earthquakes, drought, floods and tsunamis occur along southwestern coast.

To reach someone Albania dial +355 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 3G, 4G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".al". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 230 V - 50 Hz (plugs: C, F). The sign for the locally used currency Lek is ALL.

Red with a black two-headed eagle in the center; the design is claimed to be that of 15th-century hero George Kastrioti SKANDERBEG, who led a successful uprising against the Ottoman Turks that resulted in a short-lived independence for some Albanian regions (1443-78); an unsubstantiated explanation for the eagle symbol is the tradition that Albanians see themselves as descendants of the eagle; they refer to themselves as "Shqiptare," which translates as "sons of the eagle".

Flag of Albania

Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but was conquered by Italy in 1939 and occupied by Germany in 1943. Communist partisans 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, dilapidated 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. Most of Albania's post-communist elections were marred by claims of electoral fraud; however, international observers judged elections to be largely free and fair since the restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997. Albania joined NATO in April 2009 and in June 2014 became a candidate for EU accession. Albania in November 2016 received a European Commission recommendation to open EU accession negotiations conditioned upon implementation of a judicial reform package passed earlier the same year. Although Albania's economy continues to grow, it has slowed, and the country is still one of the poorest in Europe. A large informal economy and a weak energy and transportation infrastructure remain obstacles.

Geography

Area
Total (World Rank: 145) 28,748sq km
Land (World Rank: 145) 27,398sq km
Water (World Rank: 102) 1,350sq km
Forest (World Rank: 37) 40.73%
Comparative slightly smaller than Maryland
Coastline
362
Landborder
691
Elevation
Highest point (World Rank: 86) 2,764m
Agricultural land
Total (World Rank: 96) 42.86%
Arable (World Rank: 7) 52.42%
Permanent crops (World Rank: 47) 6.84%
Permanent pastures (World Rank: 37) 40.73%
Irrigated land (World Rank: 65) 3,537sq km
Map reference
Europe
Environment
Issues
  • - deforestation
  • - soil erosion
  • - water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents
Agreement party
  • - Air Pollution
  • - Biodiversity
  • - Climate Change
  • - Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
  • - Desertification
  • - Endangered Species
  • - Hazardous Wastes
  • - Law of the Sea
  • - Ozone Layer Protection
  • - Wetlands
Hazzards
  • - destructive earthquakes
  • - drought
  • - floods
  • - tsunamis occur along southwestern coast
Location
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece to the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north
Climate
mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter
Terrain
mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast

People

Population
Total (World Rank: 136) 3,047,990
Deathrate (World Rank: 137) 0.68%
Birthrate (World Rank: 144) 1.32%
Growthrate (World Rank: 166) 0.31%
Migration rate (World Rank: 144) -0.33%
Fertility rate (World Rank: 192) 1.51%
Median age
Male (World Rank: 96) 31.60
Female (World Rank: 86) 34.30
Age structure
0 14 male (World Rank: 144) 290,572
0 14 female (World Rank: 144) 259,544
15 24 male (World Rank: 132) 275,969
15 24 female (World Rank: 133) 256,416
25 54 male (World Rank: 138) 597,421
25 54 female (World Rank: 136) 653,965
55 64 male (World Rank: 125) 173,105
55 64 female (World Rank: 128) 178,575
65 x male (World Rank: 111) 169,681
65 x female (World Rank: 116) 192,739
Health
Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 122) 1.19%
Life expectancy total (World Rank: 58) 79years
Life expectancy female (World Rank: 58) 81years
Life expectancy male (World Rank: 62) 76years
Physicians per 1000 (World Rank: 100) 1.29
Hospital bed per 1000 (World Rank: 84) 2.60
Sanitation access total (World Rank: 81) 93.20%
Obesity adult (World Rank: 86) 21.70%
Drinking water access (World Rank: 155) 83.60%

Energy

Electricity
Production (World Rank: 112) 7,135,000,000kWh
Consumption (World Rank: 109) 7,094,000,000kWh
Export (World Rank: 44) 1,869,000,000kWh
Import (World Rank: 55) 1,827,000,000kWh
Source fossil (World Rank: 204) 5.20%
Source nuclear (World Rank: 7) 94.80%
Source renew (World Rank: 158) 0.10%
Crude oil
Production (World Rank: 65) 22,750bbl / day
Exports (World Rank: 52) 19,100bbl / day
Imports (World Rank: 80) 1,000bbl / day
Proved reserves (World Rank: 60) 168,300,000bbl
Refined products
Production (World Rank: 106) 290bbl / day
Consumption (World Rank: 124) 27,000bbl / day
Export (World Rank: 72) 16,250bbl / day
Import (World Rank: 132) 13,250bbl / day
Natural gas
Production (World Rank: 86) 35,000,000
Consumption (World Rank: 109) 200,000,000
Carbon footprint
4300000

Nation

Budget
Education (World Rank: 121) 4% of GDP
Military (World Rank: 95) 1% of GDP
Health (World Rank: 108) 6% of GDP
Surplus (World Rank: 76) -2% of GDP
National symbol
double-headed eagle
National colours
red
Adjective
Albanian
Noun
Albanian(s)
Background
Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but was conquered by Italy in 1939 and occupied by Germany in 1943. Communist partisans 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, dilapidated 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. Most of Albania's post-communist elections were marred by claims of electoral fraud; however, international observers judged elections to be largely free and fair since the restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997. Albania joined NATO in April 2009 and in June 2014 became a candidate for EU accession. Albania in November 2016 received a European Commission recommendation to open EU accession negotiations conditioned upon implementation of a judicial reform package passed earlier the same year. Although Albania's economy continues to grow, it has slowed, and the country is still one of the poorest in Europe. A large informal economy and a weak energy and transportation infrastructure remain obstacles.
Flag description
red with a black two-headed eagle in the center; the design is claimed to be that of 15th-century hero George Kastrioti SKANDERBEG, who led a successful uprising against the Ottoman Turks that resulted in a short-lived independence for some Albanian regions (1443-78); an unsubstantiated explanation for the eagle symbol is the tradition that Albanians see themselves as descendants of the eagle; they refer to themselves as "Shqiptare," which translates as "sons of the eagle"

Economy

Gdp
Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 125) 34,000,000,000USD
Real growth rate (World Rank: 78) 3.40%
Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 125) 11,800USD
Source agriculture (World Rank: 38) 23.00%
Source industry (World Rank: 120) 23.80%
Source service (World Rank: 161) 53.20%
Labourforce
Total (World Rank: 133) 1,358,000
In poverty (World Rank: 136) 14.30%
Products
Industries
  • - apparel
  • - basic metals
  • - cement
  • - chemicals
  • - clothing
  • - food
  • - footwear
  • - hydropower
  • - lumber
  • - mining
  • - oil
Agriculture
  • - corn
  • - dairy products
  • - fruits
  • - goats
  • - grapes
  • - meat
  • - olive oil
  • - olives
  • - potatoes
  • - sheep
  • - vegetables
  • - wheat
Exports
  • - apparel
  • - asphalt
  • - cement
  • - clothing
  • - construction materials
  • - crude oil
  • - footwear
  • - fruits
  • - metallic ores
  • - metals
  • - tobacco
  • - vegetables
Imports
  • - chemicals
  • - equipment
  • - foodstuffs
  • - machinery
  • - textiles

Communication

Phone
Landline total (World Rank: 120) 245,336
Landline per 100 (World Rank: 137) 8.00
Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 102) 111.00
Assessment 0
Internet
Users (World Rank: 111) 2,016,520
Population (World Rank: 84) 66.40%

Transport

Air
Airports paved (World Rank: 162) 4.00
Airports unpaved (World Rank: 183) 1.00
Heliports (World Rank: 68) 1.00
Rail
Total length (World Rank: 104) 677
Road
Total length (World Rank: 117) 18,000
Paved length (World Rank: 87) 7,020
Unpaved length (World Rank: 80) 10,980
Water
Total length (World Rank: 105) 41.00