• Albania is a southern European country which shares borders with Greece, Montenegro, Kosovo and Macedonia. It has coasts on the Adriatic Sea and on the Ionian Sea.

  In 1912 Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire but was conquered by Italy in 1939. Communist partisans took over the country in 1944 and Albania allied itself with the USSR until 1960 and then with China until 1978. In the early 1990s Albania established a Multi-Party Democracy which has faced considerable odds dealing with high unemployment, widespread corruption, a dilapidated physical infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks, and a combative political environment. In April 2008 Albania received an invitation to join NATO and is a potential candidate for membership in the European Union.

• 1. Full name: The Republic of Albania
  2. Capital: Tirana
  3. Government: Parlimentary democracy
  4. Population: 3,619,778 (2008 est.)CIA: The World Fact Book -- Albania
  5. Currency: Albanian Lek
  6. Major religions: Islam, Christianity
  7. Monetary unit: 1 lek = 100 qindarsBBC News: Country profile: Albania
  8. Life expectancy: 73 years (men), 80 years (women) (UN)Marfortec: EU overview
  9. Main exports: Chromium and chrome products, processed foodstuffs
  10. International dialing code: + 355
  11. Official language: Albanian
  12. GNI per capita: US $3,290 (World bank, 2007)BBC News: Country profile: Albania

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