ALBANIA - INFO

BASIC

• Surface Area: 28 748 sq km
• Borders: Montenegro, Serbia, FYROM and Greece
• Capital City: Tirana
• Population: 3 161 337 (2007)
• Official language: Albanian
• Population (Age structure & projected population growth):
  • Population aged (0-14) - 24.5%
  • Population aged (15-64) - 66.5%
  • Population aged (65+) - 9.0%
  • Population growth rate: 0.37% (medium variant from 2005-2010)

ECONOMIC

• Natural Resources:
  Petrol, natural gas, chrome, coal, copper, iron-nickel, ores, marble stone; Considerable Hydro Resources; Considerable Areas of Woods and Pasturage (about 38% of the territory of the country).
• Industries:
  Food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower.
• Agriculture – products: Wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes; meat, dairy products.
• Currency & Code : Currency: LEK; Code: ALL
• Industrial Growth: n/a
• GDP (in currency): 7.87 EUR billions (2007)
• GDP Growth:: 6% (2007)
• GDP per capita: 1,879.174 EUR
• Consumer Inflation: 3% (2007)
• Unemployment: 13.8% (2006)
• Foreign Direct Investment: (in currency): n/a
• Current Account(in currency): minus 0.712 EUR billions
• Public Debt: (as % of GDP): n/a
• External debt(in currency): 18.99 EUR billions
• Exports(in currency): 1.958 EUR millions
• Imports(in currency): 3.859 EUR millions

TRAVEL TIPS

CLIMATE

• Coastal areas: Central Mediterranean, mild and wet winter, hot and dry summer.
• Alpine areas: Central Continental, cold and wild winter, wet summer.

GETTING AROUND

• Car Rental Companies: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, National, Thrifty
• Taxi Companies: Radio Taxi, Airport Express Taxi
• Banks: Bank of Albania,Tirana Bank, Raiffeisen Bank, Banca Italo-Albanese, Banko of Albania, Banka Popullore

WHERE TO STAY

• Luxury Hotels: Sheraton Hotel, Rogner Europark Hotel, Mondial Hotel, Diplomat Hotel, Hotel Xheko Imperial

WHAT TO SEE

• Main Squares: Skenderberg Square
• History and Culture: Palace of Culture, Museum of National History, The Mosque of Ethem Mey
• Shopping: Myslym Shyri Street
• Parks and Gardens: Tirana Great Park