This is the first article in the series, "Country Focus".This feature will take a closer look at those countries that all too often suffer a lack of media exposure - especially when it comes to business, trade or international relations.
The format is still in the "trial" stage and will evolve as the series progresses.
Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro
Population: 3,563,112 (July 2005 est.) Languages: Albanian (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek, Vlach, Romani, Slavic dialects
Total Area: 28,748 sq km. Slightly smaller than Maryland.
Climate: mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter
Natural resources: petroleum, na
tural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower
Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents
Environment - international 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
National holiday: Independence Day, 28 November (1912)
Economy - brief overview: 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 annual remittances from abroad of $600-$800 million, mostly from Greece and Italy; this helps offset the towering trade deficit.
Labor force: 1.09 million (not including 352,000 emigrant workers)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 57%, non-agricultural private sector 20%, public sector 23% (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products: wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes; meat, dairy products
Industries: food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower
Oil - production: 2,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - imports: 5,500 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports: 0 bbl/day (2004 est.) Exports: $552.4 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities: textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco
Imports: $2.076 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals
Imports - partners: Italy 34.8%, Greece 19.8%, Turkey 7.7%, Germany 5.3% (2004)
Government departments: Governments on the WWW: None of the links I tried worked!
Media: Albanian Daily News
Travel Information: Lonely Planet
News headlines
Albania looks to better times - New Straits Times
Greece Committed to Improving Relations with Albania - Focus i News
Government Imposes Extensive Power Cuts Due to Drought - Seeurope.com
UN Investigate Child-Trafficking Cases - Seeurope.comOilflow technology gets Albania boost - This is North Scotland
Italy Grants Albania $21.6 Million Loan - MSN Money
None of the above links require registration or subscription.
Information source: CIA - The World Fact Book
