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Key Demographic Features of Albania*

Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro
Map references: Europe

People

Population: 3,249,136 (July 1996 est.)
note:
Age structure:
0-14 years: 34% (male 570,978; female 529,147)
15-64 years: 60% (male 910,873; female 1,049,662)
65 years and over: 6% (male 77,799; female 110,677) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.34% (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 49.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 67.92 years
male: 64.91 years
female: 71.17 years (1996 est.)
Ethnic divisions:
note:
Religions:
note:
Languages:
Literacy: age 9 and over can read and write (1955 est.)
total population: 72%
male: 80%
female: 63%

Government

Country Abbreviation: AL
Type of government: emerging democracy
Independence: 28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire)
National holiday: Independence Day, 28 November (1912)
Constitution: an interim basic law was approved by the People's Assembly on 29 April 1991; a draft constitution was rejected by popular referendum in the fall of 1994 and a new draft is pending
Legal system: has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
President of the Republic Sali BERISHA (since 9 April 1992) was elected for a five-year term by the People's Assembly
head of government: Prime Minister of the Council of Ministers Aleksander Gabriel MEKSI (since 10 April 1992) was appointed by the president
cabinet: Council of Ministers was appointed by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral
\i People's Assembly (Kuvendi Popullor): elections 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
note: six members of the Democratic Party defected, making the present seating in the Assembly DP 86, ASP 38, SDP 7, DAP 6, RP 1, UHP 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chairman of the Supreme Court is elected by the People's Assembly
Political parties and leaders:
International organization participation: BSEC, CCC, CE, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NACC, OIC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lublin DILJA
chancery: Suite 1000, 1511 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 223-4942, 8187
FAX: [1] (202) 628-7342
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph E. LAKE
embassy: Rruga E. Labinoti 103, Tirane
mailing address: PSC 59, Box 100 (A), APO AE 09624
telephone: [355] (42) 328-75, 335-20
FAX: [355] (42) 322-22
Flag: red with a black two-headed eagle in the center

Economy

Economic overview:
GDP: purchasing power parity - $4.1 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 6% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $1,210 (1995 est.)
Unemployment rate: 19% (1994 est.)

Communications

Telephones: 55,000
Radio broadcast stations: AM 17, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios: 577,000 (1991 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 9
Televisions: 300,000 (1993 est.)

*Source: World Factbook 1996, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency

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