The 1992 CIA World Factbook | Page 5

to their stations; a

large number of former resistance groups also field irregular military
forces; the Ministry of State Security (WAD) has been disbanded
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 3,989,232; 2,139,771 fit for
military service; 150,572 reach military age (22) annually Defense
expenditures: the new government has not yet adopted a defense budget
:Albania Geography
Total area: 28,750 km2 Land area: 27,400 km2 Comparative area:
slightly larger than Maryland Land boundaries: 720 km total; Greece
282 km, Macedonia 151 km, Serbia and Montenegro 287 km (114 km
with Serbia, 173 km with Montenegro) Coastline: 362 km Maritime
claims: Continental shelf: not specified Territorial sea: 12 nm Disputes:
Kosovo question with Serbia and Montenegro; Northern Epirus
question with Greece 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 Natural resources:
crude oil, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, timber, nickel Land use:
arable land 21%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 15%;
forest and woodland 38%; other 22%; includes irrigated 1%
Environment: subject to destructive earthquakes; tsunami occur along
southwestern coast Note: strategic location along Strait of Otranto
(links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)
:Albania People
Population: 3,285,224 (July 1992), growth rate 1.1% (1992) Birth rate:
23 births/1,000 population (1992) Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population
(1992) Net migration rate: --6 migrants/1,000 population (1992) Infant
mortality rate: 27 deaths/1,000 live births (1992) Life expectancy at
birth: 71 years male, 78 years female (1992) Total fertility rate: 2.8
children born/woman (1992) Nationality: noun - Albanian(s); adjective
- Albanian Ethnic divisions: Albanian 90%, Greeks 8%, other 2%
(Vlachs, Gypsies, Serbs, and Bulgarians) (1989 est.) Religions: all
mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances
prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private
religious practice; estimates of religious affiliation - Muslim 70%,
Greek Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10% Languages: Albanian
(Tosk is official dialect), Greek Literacy: 72% (male 80%, female 63%)
age 9 and over can read and write (1955) Labor force: 1,500,000 (1987);
agriculture about 60%, industry and commerce 40% (1986) Organized

labor: Independent Trade Union Federation of Albania; Confederation
of Trade Unions
:Albania Government
Long-form name: Republic of Albania Type: nascent democracy
Capital: Tirane Administrative divisions: 26 districts (rrethe, singular -
rreth); Berat, Dibre, Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Gramsh,
Kolonje, Kore, Kruje, Kukes, Lezhe, Librazhd, Lushnje, Mat, Mirdite,
Permet, Pogradec, Puke, Sarande, Shkoder, Skrapar, Tepelene, Tirane,
Tropoje, Vlore Independence: 28 November 1912 (from Ottoman
Empire); People's Socialist Republic of Albania declared 11 January
1946 Constitution: an interim basic law was approved by the People's
Assembly on 29 April 1991; a new constitution is to be drafted for
adoption in 1992 Legal system: has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction National holiday: Liberation Day, 29 November (1944)
Executive branch: president, prime minister of the Council of Ministers,
two deputy prime ministers of the Council of Ministers Legislative
branch: unicameral People's Assembly (Kuvendi Popullor) Judicial
branch: Supreme Court Leaders: Chief of State: President of the
Republic Sali BERISHA (since 9 April 1992) Head of Government:
Prime Minister of the Council of Ministers Aleksander MEKSI (since
10 April 1992) Political parties and leaders: there are at least 18
political parties; most prominent are the Albanian Socialist Party (ASP),
Fatos NANO, first secretary; Democratic Party (DP), Eduard SELAMI,
chairman; Albanian Republican Party (RP), Sabri GODO; Omonia
(Greek minority party), leader NA (ran in 1992 election as Unity for
Human Rights Party (UHP)); Social Democratic Party (SDP), Skender
GJINUSHI; note - in December 1990 then President ALIA allowed
new political parties to be formed in addition to the then AWP for the
first time since 1944 Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections: People's Assembly: last held 22 March 1992; results - DP
62.29%, ASP 25.57%, SDP 4.33%, RP 3.15%, UHP 2.92%, other
1.74%; seats - (140 total) DP 92, ASP 38, SDP 7, RP 1, UHP 2
Member of: CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, IMF,
INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO Diplomatic representation:
Minister-Counselor, Charge d'Affaires ad interim (30 April 1991)
Sazan Hyda BEJO; chancery (temporary) at 320 East 79th Street, New

York, NY 10021; telephone (212) 249-2059 US: Ambassador (vacant);
Embassy at Rruga Labinoti 103, room 2921, Tirane (mailing address is
APO AE 09624); telephone 355-42-32875; FAX 355-42-32222
:Albania Government
Flag: red with a black two-headed eagle in the center
:Albania Economy
Overview: The Albanian economy, already providing the lowest
standard of living in Europe, contracted sharply in 1991, with most
industries producing at only a fraction of past levels and an
unemployment rate estimated at 40%. For over 40 years, the
Stalinist-type economy has operated on the principle of central
planning and state ownership of the means of production. Albania
began fitful economic reforms during 1991, including the liberalization
of