The Republic of Albania - a Rugged Country Along the Adriatic Sea

Albania, officially known as the Republic of Albania, is located in southeastern Europe and is bordered by the neighboring nations of Macedonia, Serbia, Greece, and Montenegro. Tirana is the capital and largest city in Albania with a population surpassing 345,000 people. Albania has a population of approximately 3,560,000 people and ranked as the 133^rd most populous country in the world. The Republic of Albania encompasses 11,082 square miles of geographic area, making the Republic of Albania the 143^rd smallest country by geographic area. Albania has a long and fruitful history, dating back to as early as pre-Roman rule, though it also has an eventful recent history. Albania declared independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912 and became a sovereign republic in 1925, however during and after World War II, Albania was annexed into the Soviet Union and became a Soviet satellite. Albania, once again declared its independence in 1992, this time from the Soviet Union.

The culture in Albania is relatively homogeneous and the single official language that's spoken throughout the country is Albania. Additionally, there are only two main ethnic groups that are present in Albania, and they are the Tosks and the Ghegs. The demographic make-up is approximately 90 percent ethnic Albanian, 10 percent Greek, and the remaining minorities include Gypsy, Serb, Bulgarian, and Macedonian. While under Soviet rule, Albania was officially recognized as an atheist country with no official or predominant religion. After its independence from USSR, Islam emerged as the predominant religion and now more than 70 percent of the national population practices Islam. The remaining 30 percent of the population is comprised of 20 percent Orthodox Christian and 10 percent Roman Catholic.

The geographic terrain in contrast to the lack of ethnic variety is relatively more diverse. Albania has several different terrains present in the country, including a rugged mountainous region, a coastal area along the Mediterranean, forests and swampland, pasture, and cultivated land. As a result of its Soviet history in combination of its relative seclusion from its neighboring countries, Albania has one of the least-developed and poorest economies in Europe. Of the nation's labor force, approximately 60 percent of them work in the agricultural sector, and thus the economy is heavily reliant on the agricultural industry. Upon its independence from USSR, Albania had an astounding 40 percent unemployment rate, and has steadily worked to decrease that rate. At the onset of the 21^st century, the unemployment rate in Albania was a mere 20 percent (in contrast to previous years). The chief agricultural products that are produced are wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, and livestock raising. The mining industry in Albania is also flourishing, as there are large amounts of petroleum, natural gas, bauxite, coal, chromite, nickel, copper salt, and iron ore reserves in the country. As Albania is situated along the Adriatic Sea, a part of the greater Mediterranean, a lot of business and trade is done via the shipping industry. The chief ports in Albania are Durres and Vlore, which have a strong economic impact on the national economy.

The Albanian government is directed by a written constitution that was drafted in 1998. The constitution calls for an establishment of a unicameral assembly composed of 140 representatives, as well as a president that is elected by the assembly to serve a five-year term. Consequently, it is the president's responsibility to appoint a prime minister to assist in the daily operations of the government. The government is also comprised of a council of ministers (advisors) that assist in the government functions; the ministers must be appointed by the president and approved by the legislative assembly. The current President of Albania is Alfred Moisiu, who was elected in 2002 by the assembly. The current Prime Minister of Albania, appointed by President Moisiu in 2002 as well, is Fatos Nano.