National Assembly or Kuvendi (140 deputies; 100 deputies elected directly in single member electoral zones with an approximate number of voters; 40 deputies elected from multi-name lists of parties or party coalitions according to their respective order)
elections: last held on 28 June 2009 (next to be held in 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PD 68, PS 65, LSI 4, other 3
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court, Supreme Court (chairman is elected by the People's Assembly for a four-year term) and multiple appeals and district courts
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party or PD [Sali BERISHA]; Party for Justice and
Integration or PDI [Tahir MUCHEDINI]; Republican Party or PR [Fatmir
MEDIU]; Socialist Movement for Integration or LSI [Ilir META];
Socialist Party or PS [Edi RAMA]; Unity for Humen Rights Party or
PBDNJ [Vangjel DULE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Citizens Advocacy Office [Kreshnik SPAHIU]; Confederation of Trade
Unions of Albania or KSSH [Kastriot MUCO]; Front for Albanian
National Unification or FBKSH [Gafur ADILI]; Mjaft Movement [Elton
KACIDHJA]; Omonia [Ligorag KARAMELO]; Union of Independent Trade
Unions of Albania or BSPSH [Gezim KALAJA]
International organization participation:
BSEC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, SECI,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Gilbert GALANXHI
chancery: 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 223–4942
FAX: [1] (202) 628–7342
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Alexander ARVIZU
embassy: Rruga e Elbasanit, Labinoti #103, Tirana
mailing address: US Department of State, 9510 Tirana Place, Dulles, VA 20189–9510
telephone: [355] (4) 2247285
FAX: [355] (4) 2232222
Flag description:
red with a black two-headed eagle in the center; the design is claimed to be that of 15th-century hero George Castriota SKANDERBERG, who led a successful uprising against the Turks that resulted in a short-lived independence for some Albanian regions (1443–1478); an unsubstantiated explanation for the eagle symbol is the tradition that Albanians see themselves as descendants of the eagle; they refer to themselves as "Shkypetars," which translates as "sons of the eagle"
National anthem:
name: "Hymni i Flamurit" (Hymn to the Flag)
lyrics/music: Aleksander Stavre DRENOVA/Ciprian PORUMBESCU
note: adopted 1912
Economy ::Albania
Economy - overview:
Albania, a formerly closed, centrally-planned state, is making the difficult transition to a more modern open-market economy. Macroeconomic growth averaged around 6% between 2004–08, but declined to about 3% in 2009–10. Inflation is low and stable. The government has taken measures to curb violent crime, and recently adopted a fiscal reform package aimed at reducing the large gray economy and attracting foreign investment. The economy is bolstered by annual remittances from abroad representing about 15% of GDP, mostly from Albanians residing in Greece and Italy; this helps offset the towering trade deficit. The agricultural sector, which accounts for over half of employment but only about one-fifth of GDP, is limited primarily to small family operations and subsistence farming because of lack of modern equipment, unclear property rights, and the prevalence of small, inefficient plots of land. Energy shortages because of a reliance on hydropower, and antiquated and inadequate infrastructure contribute to Albania's poor business environment and lack of success in attracting new foreign investment needed to expand the country's export base. The completion of a new thermal power plant near Vlore has helped diversify generation capacity, and plans to upgrade transmission lines between Albania and Montenegro and Kosovo would help relieve the energy shortages. Also, with help from EU funds, the government is taking steps to improve the poor national road and rail network, a long-standing barrier to sustained economic growth.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$23.95 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 115 $23.23 billion (2009 est.)
$22.49 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
Albania has an informal, and unreported, sector that may be as large as 50% of official GDP
GDP (official exchange rate):
$11.58 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.1% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 114 3.3% (2009 est.)
7.8% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$8,000 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 123 $7,800 (2009 est.)
$7,500 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 21.2%
industry: 19.5%
services: 59.3% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
1.1 million (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 140
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 58%
industry: 15%
services:
