to 157,000 hectares in 2008 but remains at a historically high
level; less favorable growing conditions in 2008 reduced potential
opium production to 5,500 metric tons, down 31 percent from 2007; if
the entire opium crop were processed, 648 metric tons of pure heroin
potentially could be produced; the Taliban and other antigovernment
groups participate in and profit from the opiate trade, which is a
key source of revenue for the Taliban inside Afghanistan; widespread
corruption and instability impede counterdrug efforts; most of the
heroin consumed in Europe and Eurasia is derived from Afghan opium;
vulnerable to drug money laundering through informal financial
networks; regional source of hashish (2008)
page last updated on January 13, 2011
======================================================================
@Akrotiri (Europe)
Introduction ::Akrotiri
Background:
By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the
independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and
jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers -
Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The southernmost and smallest of these is the
Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the
Western Sovereign Base Area.
Geography ::Akrotiri
Location:
Eastern Mediterranean, peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus
Geographic coordinates:
34 37 N, 32 58 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 123 sq km
country comparison to the world: 223
note: includes a salt lake and wetlands
Area - comparative:
about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
total: 47.4 km
border countries: Cyprus 47.4 km
Coastline:
56.3 km
Climate:
temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters
Environment - current issues:
hunting around the salt lake; note - breeding place for loggerhead
and green turtles; only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on
the base
Geography - note:
British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small
off-post sites scattered across Cyprus; of the Sovereign Base Area
(SBA) land, 60% is privately owned and farmed, 20% is owned by the
Ministry of Defense, and 20% is SBA Crown land
People ::Akrotiri
Population:
approximately 15,700 live on the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri
and Dhekelia including 7,700 Cypriots, 3,600 Service and UK-based
contract personnel, and 4,400 dependents
country comparison to the world: 219
Languages:
English, Greek
Government ::Akrotiri
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Akrotiri
Dependency status:
a special form of UK overseas territory; administered by an
administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus
Capital:
name: Episkopi Cantonment (base administrative center for Akrotiri
and Dhekelia)
geographic coordinates: 34 40 N, 32 51 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October
Constitution:
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960,
effective 16 August 1960, functions as a basic legal document
Legal system:
the Sovereign Base Area Administration has its own court system to
deal with civil and criminal matters; laws applicable to the Cypriot
population are, as far as possible, the same as the laws of the
Republic of Cyprus
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Administrator Major General Jamie GORDON (since
October 2008); note - reports to the British Ministry of Defense
elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; the administrator
appointed by the monarch
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description:
the flag of the UK is used
National anthem:
note: as a United Kingdom area of special sovereignty, "God Save the
Queen" is official (see United Kingdom)
Economy ::Akrotiri
Economy - overview:
Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military
and their families located in Akrotiri. All food and manufactured
goods must be imported.
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7715 (2010), 0.7338 (2009), 0.6827
(2008)
note: on 1 January 2008 Akrotiri and Dhekelia adopted the euro along
with the rest of Cyprus
Communications ::Akrotiri
Broadcast media:
British Forces Broadcast Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel
satellite TV service as well as BFBS radio broadcasts to the
Akrotiri Sovereign Base (2009)
Military ::Akrotiri
Military - note:
Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British Forces
Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit
page last updated on January 12, 2011
======================================================================
@Albania (Europe)
Introduction ::Albania
Background:
Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912,
but was conquered by Italy in 1939. Communist partisans took over
the country in 1944. Albania allied itself first with the USSR
(until 1960), and then with China (to 1978). In the early 1990s,
Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic Communist rule and established
a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven challenging as
successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment,
widespread corruption, a dilapidated physical infrastructure,
powerful organized crime networks, and combative political
opponents. Albania has made progress in its democratic development
since first holding multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies
remain. International observers judged elections to be largely free
and fair since the restoration of political stability following the
collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997; however, there have been claims
of electoral fraud in every one of Albania's post-communist
elections. In the 2005 general elections, the Democratic Party and
its allies won a decisive victory on pledges to reduce crime and
corruption, promote economic growth, and decrease the size of
government. The election, and particularly the orderly transition of
power, was considered an important step forward. Albania joined NATO
in April 2009 and is a potential candidate for EU accession.
Although Albania's economy continues to grow, the country is still
one of the poorest in Europe, hampered by a large informal economy
and an inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure.
Geography ::Albania
Location:
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea,
between Greece in the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north
Geographic coordinates:
41 00 N, 20 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 28,748 sq km
country comparison to the world: 144
land: 27,398 sq km
water: 1,350 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total: 717 km
border countries: Greece 282 km, Macedonia 151 km, Montenegro 172
km, Kosovo 112 km
Coastline:
362 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers;
interior is cooler and wetter
Terrain:
mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore,
nickel, salt, timber, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 20.1%
permanent crops: 4.21%
other: 75.69% (2005)
Irrigated land:
3,530 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
41.7 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 1.71 cu km/yr (27%/11%/62%)
per capita: 546 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast;
floods; drought
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and
domestic effluents
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to
Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)
People ::Albania
Population:
2,986,952 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 135
Age structure:
0-14 years: 23.1% (male 440,528/female 400,816)
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 1,251,001/female 1,190,841)
65 years and over: 9.8% (male 165,557/female 190,710) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 30 years
male: 28.9 years
female: 31.1 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.249% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
Birth rate:
11.88 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
Death rate:
6.04 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
Net migration rate:
-3.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189
Urbanization:
urban population: 47% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.123 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 15.11 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 123
male: 16.79 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.22 years
country comparison to the world: 59
male: 74.65 years
female: 80.11 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.47 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Albanian(s)
adjective: Albanian
Ethnic groups:
Albanian 95%, Greek 3%, other 2% (Vlach, Roma (Gypsy), Serb,
Macedonian, Bulgarian) (1989 est.)
note: in 1989, other estimates of the Greek population ranged from
1% (official Albanian statistics) to 12% (from a Greek organization)
Religions:
Muslim 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10%
note: percentages are estimates; there are no available current
statistics on religious affiliation; all mosques and churches were
closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November
1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice
Languages:
Albanian (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek, Vlach,
Romani, Slavic dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 9 and over can read and write
total population: 98.7%
male: 99.2%
female: 98.3% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years
male: 11 years
female: 11 years (2004)
Education expenditures:
2.9% of GDP (2002)
country comparison to the world: 148
Government ::Albania
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Albania
conventional short form: Albania
local long form: Republika e Shqiperise
local short form: Shqiperia
former: People's Socialist Republic of Albania
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Tirana (Tirane)
geographic coordinates: 41 19 N, 19 49 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Berat, Diber, Durres, Elbasan,
Fier, Gjirokaster, Korce, Kukes, Lezhe, Shkoder, Tirane, Vlore
Independence:
28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 28 November (1912)
Constitution:
approved by parliament on 21 October 1998; adopted by popular
referendum on 22 November 1998; promulgated 28 November 1998
Legal system:
has a civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction; has accepted jurisdiction of the International
Criminal Court for its citizens
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President of the Republic Bamir TOPI (since 24 July
2007)
head of government: Prime Minister Sali BERISHA (since 10 September
2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister,
nominated by the president, and approved by parliament
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: president elected by the Assembly for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); four election rounds held between 8
and 20 July 2007 (next election to be held in 2012); prime minister
appointed by the president
election results: Bamir TOPI elected president; Assembly vote,
fourth round (three-fifths majority, 84 votes, required): Bamir TOPI
85 votes, Neritan CEKA 5 votes
Legislative branch:
unicameral 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: 27% (September 2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
12.7% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
12.8% (2009 est.)
note: these are official rates, but actual rates may exceed 30% due
to preponderance of near-subsistence farming
Population below poverty line:
25% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.2%
highest 10%: 25.9% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
26.7 (2005)
country comparison to the world: 126
Investment (gross fixed):
29.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
Public debt:
59.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
58.1% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.4% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
2.2% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
5.25% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 71
6.25% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
12.66% (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
13.02% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$2.708 billion (31 December 2010 est)
country comparison to the world: 113
$2.995 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$9.096 billion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 105
$9.279 billion (31 December 2008)
Stock of domestic credit:
$7.701 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104
$8.231 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes;
meat, dairy products
Industries:
food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement,
chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower
Industrial production growth rate:
3% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
Electricity - production:
2.888 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124
Electricity - consumption:
3.603 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
2.475 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
5,400 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
Oil - consumption:
36,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108
Oil - exports:
749 bbl/day (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122
Oil - imports:
24,080 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
Oil - proved reserves:
199.1 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
Natural gas - production:
30 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
Natural gas - consumption:
30 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
Natural gas - proved reserves:
849.5 million cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
Current account balance:
-$1.245 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 143
-$1.845 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$1.339 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
$1.048 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude oil;
vegetables, fruits, tobacco
Exports - partners:
Italy 58.75%, Greece 9.69%, Austria 6.73%, China 5.68% (2009)
Imports:
$4.337 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
$4.264 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Italy 29.94%, Greece 14.05%, Turkey 7.1%, Germany 6.9%, China 5.39%
(2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.992 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
$2.37 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.55 billion (2004)
country comparison to the world: 143
Exchange rates:
leke (ALL) per US dollar - 106.5 (2010), 94.979 (2009), 79.546
(2008), 92.668 (2007), 98.384 (2006)
Communications ::Albania
Telephones - main lines in use:
363,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 107
Telephones - mobile cellular:
4.162 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 102
Telephone system:
general assessment: despite new investment in fixed lines
teledensity remains low with roughly 10 fixed lines per 100 people;
mobile-cellular telephone use is widespread and generally effective;
combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is now exceeds
100 per 100 persons
domestic: offsetting the shortage of fixed line capacity,
mobile-cellular phone service has been available since 1996; by
2003, two companies were providing mobile services at a greater
teledensity than some of Albania's neighbors; Internet broadband
services initiated in 2005; Internet cafes are popular in Tirana and
have started to spread outside the capital
international: country code - 355; submarine cable provides
connectivity to Italy, Croatia, and Greece; the Trans-Balkan Line, a
combination submarine cable and land fiber-optic system, provides
additional connectivity to Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Turkey;
international traffic carried by fiber-optic cable and, when
necessary, by microwave radio relay from the Tirana exchange to
Italy and Greece (2009)
Broadcast media:
2 public television networks, one of which transmits by satellite to
Albanian-language communities in neighboring countries; more than 60
private television stations operating; many viewers can pick up
Italian and Greek TV broadcasts via terrestrial reception; cable TV
service is available; 2 public radio networks and roughly 50 private
radio stations; several international broadcasters are available
(2008)
Internet country code:
.al
Internet hosts:
15,098 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 117