Albania

Broadcast media

Albania has more than 65 TV stations, including several that broadcast nationally; Albanian TV broadcasts are also available to Albanian-speaking populations in neighboring countries; many viewers have access to Italian and Greek TV broadcasts via terrestrial reception; Albania's TV stations have begun a government-mandated conversion from analog to digital broadcast; the government has pledged to provide analog-to-digital converters to low-income families affected by this decision; cable TV service is available; 2 public radio networks and roughly 78 private radio stations; several international broadcasters are available (2017)

Internet country code

.al

Internet users

total: 2,016,516 | percent of population: 66.4% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 104

Telephone system

general assessment: fixed line, teledensity continues to decline due to heavy use of mobile-cellular telephone services; mobile-cellular telephone use is widespread and generally effective; of 3.4 million active mobile telephone users, 1.3 million use mobile broadband services (3G/4G) | domestic: offsetting the shortage of fixed-line capacity, mobile-cellular phone service has been available since 1996; by 2015, four companies were providing mobile services and mobile teledensity had reached 110 per 100 persons; Internet broadband services initiated in 2005, and the penetration rate rose to over 65% by 2016; Internet cafes are popular in major urban areas | 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 (2016)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 245,336 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 123

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 3,369,756 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 111 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 133

Agriculture - products

wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, olives and olive oil, grapes; meat, dairy products; sheep and goats

Budget

revenues: $3.279 billion | expenditures: $3.494 billion (2016 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-1.8% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 85

Central bank discount rate

1.25% (31 December 2016) | 1.75% (31 December 2015) | country comparison to the world: 124

Commercial bank prime lending rate

9.65% (31 December 2016 est.) | 8.73% (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 85

Current account balance

$-899 million (2016 est.) | $-1.222 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 131

Debt - external

$8.421 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $8.269 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 116

Distribution of family income - Gini index

29 (2012 est.) | 30 (2008 est.) | country comparison to the world: 131

Economy - overview

Albania, a formerly closed, centrally-planned state, is a developing country with a modern open-market economy. Albania managed to weather the first waves of the global financial crisis but, the negative effects of the crisis caused a significant economic slowdown. Since 2014, Albania’s economy has steadily improved and economic growth is projected to increase to 3.8% in 2017. However, close trade, remittance, and banking sector ties with Greece and Italy make Albania vulnerable to spillover effects of possible debt crises and weak growth in the euro zone. | Remittances, a significant catalyst for economic growth, declined from 12-15% of GDP before the 2008 financial crisis to 5.8% of GDP in 2015, mostly from Albanians residing in Greece and Italy. The agricultural sector, which accounts for almost half of employment but only about one-fifth of GDP, is limited primarily to small family operations and subsistence farming, because of a lack of modern equipment, unclear property rights, and the prevalence of small, inefficient plots of land. Complex tax codes and licensing requirements, a weak judicial system, endemic corruption, poor enforcement of contracts and property issues, and antiquated infrastructure contribute to Albania's poor business environment making attracting foreign investment difficult. Since 2015, Albania has launched an ambitious program to increase tax compliance and bring more businesses into the formal economy. In July 2016, Albania passed constitutional amendments reforming the judicial system in order to strengthen the rule of law and to reduce deeply entrenched corruption. | Albania’s electricity supply is uneven despite upgraded transmission capacities with neighboring countries. However, the government has recently taken steps to stem non-technical losses and has begun to upgrade the distribution grid. Better enforcement of electricity contracts has improved the financial viability of the sector, decreasing its reliance on budget support. Also, with help from international donors, the government is taking steps to improve the poor road and rail networks, a long standing barrier to sustained economic growth. | Inward FDI has increased significantly in recent years as the government has embarked on an ambitious program to improve the business climate through fiscal and legislative reforms. The government is focused on the simplification of licensing requirements and tax codes, and it entered into a new arrangement with the IMF for additional financial and technical support. Albania’s three-year IMF program, an extended fund facility arrangement, was successfully concluded in February 2017. Albania’s 2017 budget aims to reach a small primary surplus, which the Albanian Government plans to achieve by strengthening tax collection amid moderate public wage and pension increases. The country continues to face high public debt, exceeding its former statutory limit of 60% of GDP in 2013 and reaching 71% in 2016.

Exchange rates

leke (ALL) per US dollar - | 124.14 (2016 est.) | 124.14 (2015 est.) | 125.96 (2014 est.) | 105.48 (2013 est.) | 108.19 (2012 est.)

Exports

$789.1 million (2016 est.) | $854.7 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 163

Exports - commodities

apparel and clothing, footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; cement and construction materials, vegetables, fruits, tobacco

Exports - partners

Italy 50.5%, Serbia 8.1%, Kosovo 7.5%, Greece 4.2% (2016)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$11.87 billion (2016 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$34 billion (2016 est.) | $32.48 billion (2015 est.) | $31.43 billion (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | unreported output may be as large as 50% of official GDP | country comparison to the world: 124

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 78.8% | government consumption: 11% | investment in fixed capital: 27.1% | investment in inventories: 0% | exports of goods and services: 28.7% | imports of goods and services: -45.6% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 23% | industry: 23.8% | services: 53.2% | (2016 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$11,800 (2016 est.) | $11,400 (2015 est.) | $11,100 (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 127

GDP - real growth rate

3.4% (2016 est.) | 2.2% (2015 est.) | 1.8% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 82

Gross national saving

15.9% of GDP (2016 est.) | 16.3% of GDP (2015 est.) | 16% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 112

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 4.1% | highest 10%: 19.6% (2015 est.)

Imports

$3.671 billion (2016 est.) | $3.402 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 131

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals

Imports - partners

Italy 29%, Germany 9.4%, China 8.7%, Greece 7.8%, Turkey 7.8%, Serbia 4.1% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate

3.2% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 77

Industries

food; footwear, apparel and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.3% (2016 est.) | 1.9% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 99

Labor force

1.358 million (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 134

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 41.8% | industry: 11.4% | services: 46.8% (December 2014 est)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

14.3% (2012 est.)

Public debt

72% of GDP (2016 est.) | 72.6% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 47

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$3.109 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $3.139 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 104

Stock of broad money

$5.75 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $5.747 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 122

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$6.056 billion (31 December 2014) | $5.459 billion (31 December 2013) | country comparison to the world: 101

Stock of domestic credit

$7.065 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $7.178 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 117

Stock of narrow money

$3.397 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $3.054 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 113

Taxes and other revenues

27% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 103

Unemployment rate

15.2% (2016 est.) | 13.3% (2015 est.) | note: these official rates may not include those working at near-subsistence farming | country comparison to the world: 133

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

4.3 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 130

Crude oil - exports

19,100 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 52

Crude oil - imports

1,000 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 80

Crude oil - production

22,750 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 66

Crude oil - proved reserves

168.3 million bbl (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 61

Electricity - consumption

7.094 billion kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 110

Electricity - exports

1.869 billion kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 45

Electricity - from fossil fuels

5.2% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 205

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

94.8% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 7

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 39

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0.1% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 163

Electricity - imports

1.827 billion kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 56

Electricity - installed generating capacity

1.897 million kW (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 115

Electricity - production

7.135 billion kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 113

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

Natural gas - consumption

200 million cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 110

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 60

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 83

Natural gas - production

35 million cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 87

Natural gas - proved reserves

821.2 million cu m (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 106

Refined petroleum products - consumption

27,000 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 125

Refined petroleum products - exports

16,250 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 75

Refined petroleum products - imports

13,250 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 135

Refined petroleum products - production

290 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 108

Area

total: 28,748 sq km | land: 27,398 sq km | water: 1,350 sq km | country comparison to the world: 145

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Maryland

Climate

mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter

Coastline

362 km

Elevation

mean elevation: 708 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m | highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m

Environment - current issues

deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents

Environment - international agreements

party to: Air Pollution, 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

Geographic coordinates

41 00 N, 20 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)

Irrigated land

3,537 sq km (2014)

Land boundaries

total: 691 km | border countries (4): Greece 212 km, Kosovo 112 km, Macedonia 181 km, Montenegro 186 km

Land use

agricultural land: 42.86% | arable land 52.42%; permanent crops 6.84%; permanent pasture 40.73% | forest: 28.19% | other: 28.95% (2014 est.)

Location

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece to the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm | continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Natural hazards

destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower, arable land

Population - distribution

a fairly even distribution, with somewhat higher concentrations of people in the western and central parts of the country

Terrain

mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast

Administrative divisions

12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Berat, Diber, Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Korce, Kukes, Lezhe, Shkoder, Tirane, Vlore

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

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no | citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Albania | dual citizenship recognized: yes | residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution

history: several previous; latest approved by the Assembly 21 October 1998, adopted by referendum 22 November 1998, promulgated 28 November 1998 | amendments: proposed by at least one-fifth of the Assembly membership; passage requires at least a two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; referendum required only if approved by two-thirds of the Assembly; amendments approved by referendum effective upon declaration by the president of the republic; amended several times, last in 2016 (2017)

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 | etymology: the English-language country name seems to be derived from the ancient Illyrian tribe of the Albani; the native name "Shqiperia" is popularly interpreted to mean "Land of the Eagles"

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Donald LU (since 13 January 2015) | embassy: Rruga e Elbasanit, 103, Tirana | mailing address: US Department of State, 9510 Tirana Place, Dulles, VA 20189-9510 | telephone: [355] (4) 2247-285 | FAX: [355] (4) 2232-222

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Floreta FABER (since 18 May 2015) | chancery: 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 223-4942 | FAX: [1] (202) 628-7342 | consulate(s) general: New York

Executive branch

chief of state: President of the Republic Ilir META (since 24 July 2017) | head of government: Prime Minister Edi RAMA (since 10 September 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Niko PELESHI | cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by the Assembly | elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by the Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); a candidate needs three-fifths majority vote of the Assembly in 1 of 3 rounds or a simple majority in 2 additional rounds to become president; election last held in 4 rounds on 19, 20, 27, and 28 April 2017 (next election to be held in 2022); prime minister appointed by the president on the proposal of the majority party or coalition of parties in the Assembly | election results: Ilir META elected president; Assembly vote - 87 - 2 in fourth round

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"

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EITI (compliant country), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of 17 judges, including the chief justice); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges, including the chairman) | judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges, including the chairman, appointed by the president with the consent of the Assembly to serve single 9-year terms; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president with the consent of the Assembly to serve single 9-year terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 3 years; chairman elected by the People's Assembly for a single 3-year term | subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance

Legal system

civil law system except in the northern rural areas where customary law known as the "Code of Leke" prevails

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms) | elections: last held on 25 June 2017 (next to be held in 2021) | election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PS 74, PD 43, LSI 19, PDIU 3, PSD 1

National anthem

name: "Hymni i Flamurit" (Hymn to the Flag) | lyrics/music: Aleksander Stavre DRENOVA/Ciprian PORUMBESCU | note: adopted 1912

National holiday

Independence Day, 28 November (1912) also known as Flag Day

National symbol(s)

double-headed eagle; national colors: red, black

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Party or PD [Lulzim BASHA] | Party for Justice, Integration and Unity or PDIU [Shpetim IDRIZI] (formerly part of APMI) | Social Democratic Party or PSD [Skender GJINUSHI] | Socialist Movement for Integration or LSI [Monika KRYEMADHI] | Socialist Party or PS [Edi RAMA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania or KSSH [Kol NIKOLLAJ] | Omonia [Leonidha PAPA] | Union of Independent Trade Unions of Albania or BSPSH [Gezim KALAJA]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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.

Military branches

Land Forces Command, Navy Force Command, Air Forces Command (2013)

Military expenditures

1.23% of GDP (2016) | 1.16% of GDP (2015) | 1.35% of GDP (2014) | 1.41% of GDP (2013) | 1.49% of GDP (2012) | country comparison to the world: 112

Military service age and obligation

19 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; 18 is the legal minimum age in case of general/partial compulsory mobilization (2012)

Age structure

0-14 years: 18.05% (male 290,572/female 259,544) | 15-24 years: 17.47% (male 275,969/female 256,416) | 25-54 years: 41.06% (male 597,421/female 653,965) | 55-64 years: 11.54% (male 173,105/female 178,575) | 65 years and over: 11.89% (male 169,681/female 192,739) (2017 est.)

Birth rate

13.2 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 149

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

6.3% (2009) | country comparison to the world: 80

Contraceptive prevalence rate

69.3% (2008/09)

Death rate

6.8 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 136

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 44 | youth dependency ratio: 26 | elderly dependency ratio: 18.1 | potential support ratio: 5.5 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 84.3% of population | rural: 81.8% of population | total: 83.6% of population | urban: 15.7% of population | rural: 18.2% of population | total: 16.4% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

3.5% of GDP (2013) | country comparison to the world: 130

Ethnic groups

Albanian 82.6%, Greek 0.9%, other 1% (including Vlach, Romani, Macedonian, Montenegrin, and Egyptian), unspecified 15.5% (2011 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 99

HIV/AIDS - deaths

<100 (2016 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

1,700 (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 118

Health expenditures

5.9% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 105

Hospital bed density

2.6 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

total: 11.9 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 13.3 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 10.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 124

Languages

Albanian 98.8% (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek 0.5%, other 0.6% (including Macedonian, Romani, Vlach, Turkish, Italian, and Serbo-Croatian), unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 78.5 years | male: 75.8 years | female: 81.4 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 59

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 97.6% | male: 98.4% | female: 96.9% (2015 est.)

Major urban areas - population

TIRANA (capital) 454,000 (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

29 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 115

Median age

total: 32.9 years | male: 31.6 years | female: 34.3 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 96

Mother's mean age at first birth

24.5 years (2014 est.)

Nationality

noun: Albanian(s) | adjective: Albanian

Net migration rate

-3.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 180

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

21.7% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 85

Physicians density

1.29 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

Population

3,047,987 (July 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 136

Population distribution

a fairly even distribution, with somewhat higher concentrations of people in the western and central parts of the country

Population growth rate

0.31% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 179

Religions

Muslim 56.7%, Roman Catholic 10%, Orthodox 6.8%, atheist 2.5%, Bektashi (a Sufi order) 2.1%, other 5.7%, unspecified 16.2% | note: all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 95.5% of population | rural: 90.2% of population | total: 93.2% of population | urban: 4.5% of population | rural: 9.8% of population | total: 6.8% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 16 years | male: 15 years | female: 16 years (2015)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.12 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.07 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 0.91 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female | total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.51 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 195

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 39.8% | male: 39.3% | female: 40.8% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 46

Urbanization

urban population: 59.3% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 1.81% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

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; significant source country for 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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

stateless persons: 4,921 (2016)

Airports

4 (2016) | country comparison to the world: 183

Airports - with paved runways

total: 4 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 1 | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2012)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

ZA (2016)

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant marine

total: 17 | by type: cargo 16, roll on/roll off 1 | foreign-owned: 1 (Turkey 1) | registered in other countries: 5 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Panama 4) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 99

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 1 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 151,632 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km (2015)

Pipelines

gas 498 km (a majority of the network is in disrepair and parts of it are missing); oil 249 km (2015)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore

Railways

total: 677 km (447 km of major railway lines and 230 km of secondary lines) | standard gauge: 677 km 1.435-m gauge (2015) | country comparison to the world: 104

Roadways

total: 18,000 km | paved: 7,020 km | unpaved: 10,980 km (2002) | country comparison to the world: 116

Waterways

41 km (on the Bojana River) (2011) | country comparison to the world: 103