| AREA |
28,748
sq km (11,100 sq miles). |
| POPULATION |
3,670,000 (1997). |
| POPULATION DENSITY |
127.7 per sq km. |
| CAPITAL |
Tirana |
| CAPITAL
POPULATION |
427,000 (1995). |
| GEOGRAPHY |
Albania shares borders
with Montenegro and Serbia to the north,
with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
to the northeast, and with Greece to the
south; to the west are the Adriatic and
Ionian Seas. Most of the country is wild
and mountainous, with extensive forests.
There are fine sandy beaches and, inland,
many beautiful lakes. |
| GOVERNMENT |
Democratic Republic
since 1991. Head of State: President Rexhep
Mejdani (Socialist Party of Albania) since
1997. Head of Government: Prime Minister
Fatos Nano (Socialist Party of Albania)
since 1997. Gained independence in 1912. |
| LANGUAGE |
The official language
is Albanian. Many Albanians also speak Italian
and English. Greek is widely spoken in the
Gjirokastra and Saranda districts in south
Albania. |
| RELIGION |
Three religions coexist
in Albania: Islam, Catholicism and Eastern
Orthodox Christianity. The majority of the
population is Muslim. |
| STANDARD TIME |
GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from
last Sunday in March to Saturday before
last Sunday in October). |
| ELECTRICITY |
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| COMMUNICATIONS |
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