Discover Fascinating Albania Facts

Dive into the history, culture, and unique insights about Albania.

Albania

Background

🌍 Albania has an interesting history! It declared independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912. However, things changed quite a bit as it was conquered by Italy in 1939 and then occupied by Germany in 1943. In 1944, Communist partisans took control of the country. Albania had strong alliances too; it was first aligned with the USSR until 1960, and then with China until 1978.

Fast forward to today, Albania is a multiparty democracy! πŸŽ‰ It joined NATO in 2009 and officially became a candidate for EU membership in 2014. πŸ“… Isn't it fascinating how far Albania has come?

Year of Independence

1912

Year of Italian Conquest

1939

Year of German Occupation

1943

Year Communist Control Started

1944

Year ended alliance with USSR

1960

Year ended alliance with China

1978

Year Joined NATO

2009

Year Became EU Candidate

2014

Historical Milestones in Albania's Political Landscape

Exports - commodities

🌍 Albania is known for its unique exports! In 2022, the country focused on several key commodities that play a vital role in its economy. Here’s what Albania is exporting:

  • Garments πŸ‘—
  • Footwear πŸ‘Ÿ
  • Iron Alloys πŸ—οΈ
  • Electricity ⚑
  • Crude Petroleum πŸ›’οΈ

These products not only highlight Albania's industrial strengths but also showcase its contribution to global trade. Each of these commodities adds value to the country's economy and opens doors to international markets! πŸš€

Key Export Commodities in 2022

Garments, Footwear, Iron Alloys, Electricity, Crude Petroleum

Exports - partners

🌍 Let's explore Albania's export partners! In 2022, Italy was at the top of the list as Albania's biggest partner, taking a whopping 41% of exports. That's more than two-fifths! Next up is Greece, holding 10% of the share. πŸ‡¬πŸ‡· Other notable partners include Spain at 7% πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ, Germany at 5% πŸ‡©πŸ‡ͺ, and China at 4% πŸ‡¨πŸ‡³. It’s clear that Italy is leading the way in trade with Albania! πŸ†πŸ“ˆ

Largest Export Partner

Italy (41%)

Second Largest Export Partner

Greece (10%)

Third Largest Export Partner

Spain (7%)

Fourth Largest Export Partner

Germany (5%)

Fifth Largest Export Partner

China (4%)

Export Partners Share for Albania (2022)

Capital

🌟 The capital city of Albania is Tirana (also called Tirane). It’s a vibrant city known for its colorful buildings and rich history. Let’s explore some exciting facts about this lively capital! πŸ™οΈ

Imports - commodities

Albania imports a variety of commodities that keep its economy buzzing! πŸš€ Here are the major imports for the year 2022:

  • Refined Petroleum: A critical energy source!
  • Garments: Stylish clothes from around the world! πŸ‘—πŸ‘–
  • Electricity: Powering homes and businesses! ⚑
  • Cars: Bringing in new rides! πŸš—
  • Raw Iron Bars: Essential for construction and manufacturing! πŸ”©

These imports play a vital role in meeting the needs of the nation and supporting its industries.

Total Import Categories

5

Climate

🏞️ Albania enjoys a mild temperate climate! This means that winters are cool, cloudy, and wet, while summers are hot, clear, and dry β˜€οΈ. The interior regions of Albania are even cooler and wetter compared to the coastal areas 🌧️. This variety in climate helps create beautiful landscapes and diverse ecosystems across the country!

Executive branch

Executive Branch of Albania πŸ‡¦πŸ‡±

Albania's executive branch is led by two important figures: the President and the Prime Minister.

Chief of State

  • President: Bajram BEGAJ
    • In office since: 24 July 2022

Head of Government

  • Prime Minister: Edi RAMA
    • In office since: 10 September 2013

These leaders play a crucial role in guiding the country and making important decisions for its future. πŸŽ‰

Current President Since

24 July 2022

Current Prime Minister Since

10 September 2013

Legislative branch

In Albania, the Legislative branch is a unicameral Assembly, which means it has just one chamber. πŸ›οΈ This Assembly is made up of 140 seats! That's where all the important decisions about the country's laws and policies are made. πŸ“œ

Total seats in Assembly

140

Natural resources

🌍 Albania is rich in various natural resources! Here’s a fun list of what the country has to offer:

  • Petroleum: Essential for fuel and energy πŸ›’οΈ
  • Natural Gas: A key energy source for heating and electricity πŸ”₯
  • Coal: An important resource used for energy production ⛏️
  • Bauxite: This is the main ore of aluminum, used in many products πŸ“¦
  • Chromite: Used to make stainless steel and other alloys πŸ”©
  • Copper: Essential for electrical wiring and plumbing 🧲
  • Iron Ore: A fundamental resource for steelmaking πŸ—οΈ
  • Nickel: Vital in making batteries and stainless steel πŸ”‹
  • Salt: Important for food preservation and industrial processes πŸ§‚
  • Timber: A renewable resource used in construction and furniture 🌲
  • Hydropower: A clean and renewable source of energy generated from water πŸ’§
  • Arable Land: Land suitable for growing crops, which is essential for food production 🌾

Albania's natural resources are not just numbers, they play a huge role in the economy and daily life! 🌟

Economic overview

πŸ‡¦πŸ‡± Albania is an upper-middle-income Balkan economy and is on its way to becoming a member of the European Union! 🌟 The growth of its economy is mainly driven by exciting sectors like tourism, services, construction, and strong private consumption. πŸ–οΈπŸ—οΈπŸ“ˆ

However, Albania faces some challenges such as weak governance, corruption, the need for climate adaptations, and vulnerability to shocks in the energy sector. ⚠️ Additionally, there's a notable issue with emigration of workers, which impacts the local workforce. Overall, it's a country with much potential but also hurdles to overcome! 🌍✨

Economic Status

Upper-middle-income

EU Membership Status

Accession candidate

Main Growth Drivers

Tourism, services, construction, private consumption

Government type

Albania is governed as a parliamentary republic! πŸ‡¦πŸ‡± This means that the country has a system where the executive branch derives its democratic legitimacy from, and is directly accountable to, the legislature (parliament). This setup aims to balance the powers of governance and ensure that the citizens' voices are heard through their elected representatives.

Ethnic groups

In Albania, the ethnic landscape is quite diverse! 🌍 Here's the breakdown of the different ethnic groups as of 2011:

  • Albanian: A whopping 82.6% of the population identifies as Albanian! πŸ‡¦πŸ‡±
  • Greek: Only 0.9% of the people are Greek. πŸ‡¬πŸ‡·
  • Other: This category makes up 1%, including Vlach, Romani, Macedonian, Montenegrin, and Egyptian. πŸ§‘β€πŸ€β€πŸ§‘
  • Unspecified: There's also 15.5% of the population that falls under unspecified categories. ❓

These numbers paint an interesting picture of the cultural makeup of the country! πŸ–ΌοΈ

Percentage of Albanians

82.6%

Percentage of Greeks

0.9%

Percentage of Others

1%

Percentage Unspecified

15.5%

Ethnic Groups in Albania (2011 Est.)

Religions

In Albania, the religious landscape is quite diverse! 🌍 According to the latest estimates from 2011, here's how the population identifies:

  • Muslim: 56.7% πŸ•Œ
  • Roman Catholic: 10% β›ͺ
  • Orthodox: 6.8% ✝️
  • Atheist: 2.5% πŸ€”
  • Bektashi (a Sufi order): 2.1% πŸŒ™
  • Other: 5.7% πŸ”
  • Unspecified: 16.2% ❓

This breakdown shows a majority of Muslims, alongside various other beliefs, painting a colorful picture of Albania’s spiritual life!

Total Percentage of Muslims

56.7%

Total Percentage of Roman Catholics

10%

Total Percentage of Orthodox

6.8%

Total Percentage of Atheists

2.5%

Total Percentage of Bektashi

2.1%

Total Percentage of Other Religions

5.7%

Total Percentage Unspecified

16.2%

Religious Composition of Albania (2011)

Languages

In Albania, the official language is Albanian, spoken by a whopping 98.8% of the population! πŸ‡¦πŸ‡± That's a lot of people communicating in the same tongue! The Greek language follows with just 0.5%, while 0.6% of the folks speak other languages like Macedonian, Romani, Vlach, Turkish, Italian, and Serbo-Croatian. 🌍 There's also 0.1% of the population who didn't specify their language. This data is from an estimate made in 2011. πŸ“…

Percentage of Albanian speakers

98.8%

Percentage of Greek speakers

0.5%

Percentage of speakers of other languages

0.6%

Percentage of unspecified language speakers

0.1%

Year of estimate

2011

Language Distribution in Albania

Imports - partners

πŸ‡¦πŸ‡± Albania imports a variety of goods from different countries! πŸ›’ Here’s how the imports stack up for 2022:

  • Italy is the top partner with a whopping 25% of all imports!
  • Turkey follows with 14%, making them a significant player in trade.
  • Greece isn’t too far behind, with 12% of imports coming from them.
  • China provides 10% of Albania's imports, showcasing its global trade connections.
  • Finally, Germany contributes 5% to the import stats.

It's exciting to see how nations work together to meet each other's needs! 🌍

Total Import Percentage from Top 5 Partners

66%

Albania's Import Partners (2022)

Population

Albania has a total population of 3,107,100 people. That's a lot of friendly faces! 😊 With such a vibrant community, Albania is a country full of culture and history. Let’s dive into this population number a bit more! πŸ“Š

Total Population of Albania

3,107,100

Area

Did you know that Albania is home to a total area of 28,748 sq km? 🌍 That's pretty spacious! Let's break it down further:

  • Land: 27,398 sq km 🏞️
  • Water: 1,350 sq km πŸ’§

Albania boasts a lot of beautiful landscapes and resources, with water bodies making up a smaller, yet significant part of its territory. Dive into the details of Albania's area!

Total Area

28748 sq km

Total Land Area

27398 sq km

Total Water Area

1350 sq km

Distribution of Area in Albania

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP in Albania πŸ‡¦πŸ‡±

Albania's economy has been growing steadily over the past few years! Let's take a closer look at the Real GDP, which is measured in billions of dollars. πŸ“ˆ

  • In 2021, Albania's Real GDP was $45.723 billion.
  • By 2022, this figure rose to $47.943 billion, showing a promising increase! πŸš€
  • And the latest estimate for 2023 is $49.592 billion. That’s fantastic growth over just a couple of years!

This shows that Albania is making strides in its economic development. Let’s visualize this growth! πŸŽ‰

Real GDP for 2021

$45.723 billion

Real GDP for 2022

$47.943 billion

Real GDP for 2023

$49.592 billion

Albania's Real GDP Growth (2021-2023)

Real GDP per capita

πŸ’° Let's talk about how much money each person in Albania has in terms of their GDP per capita! This number shows us the average economic value per person. Here’s how it looked for the last few years:

  • 2021: $16,300
  • 2022: $17,300
  • 2023: $18,100

We can see that the GDP per capita has been growing steadily! πŸ“ˆ

Estimated GDP per Capita in 2023

$18,100

Estimated GDP per Capita in 2022

$17,300

Estimated GDP per Capita in 2021

$16,300

Real GDP per Capita in Albania (2021-2023)

Imports

πŸ“ˆ Albania's imports have been steadily growing over the last few years! Here's how the numbers stack up:

  • In 2021, Albania imported goods worth $8.004 billion.
  • This number increased to $9.016 billion in 2022.
  • And guess what? It's expected to rise even more to $10.373 billion in 2023! πŸš€

This shows a positive trend in Albania's economy and its engagement in international trade! 🌍

Imports in 2021

8004

Imports in 2022

9016

Estimated Imports in 2023

10,373

Albania's Imports Over the Years

Exports

Albania's Exports πŸ“ˆ

Albania has been increasing its exports over the last few years! Here's a fun look at the export numbers:

  • 2021: $5.612 billion
  • 2022: $7.057 billion
  • 2023: $9.178 billion

As you can see, the number has grown each year! This is a great sign for Albania's economy as it means more products are being sold to other countries. Let's visualize this growth with a bar chart! πŸ“Š

Export Value in 2021

$5.612 billion

Export Value in 2022

$7.057 billion

Export Value in 2023

$9.178 billion

Albania's Export Growth (2021-2023)

Population growth rate

🌍 Albania is experiencing a population growth rate of 0.16% as estimated for 2024! This means that the population is slowly increasing, which is a sign of some positive changes in the country. πŸ“ˆπŸ‡¦πŸ‡± Let's dive deeper into what this means for the future of Albania!

Population Growth Rate for 2024

0.16%