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| Conventional Long Form: | Republic of Albania |
| Conventional Short Form: | Albania |
| Location: | Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia |
| Capital City: | Tirana |
| Government Type: | Emerging Democracy |
| Population: | 3,510,484 (July 2001 est.) TD> |
| Area [sq.km]: | 28,748 (slightly smaller than Maryland) |
| Currency: | lek (ALL) |
| Languages: | Albanian (Tosk is the official dialect), Greek |
| National Holiday: | Independence Day, 28 November (1912) |
| Background: | In 1990 Albania ended 44 years of xenophobic communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven difficult as corrupt governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, a dilapidated infrastructure, widespread gangsterism, and disruptive political opponents. International observers judged local elections in 2000 to be acceptable and a step toward democratic development, but serious deficiencies remain to be corrected before the the 2001 parliamentary elections. |
