Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast
Environment-current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents
Environment-international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 33% (male 572,430; female 532,917) 15-64 years: 61% (male 941,076; female 1,086,541) 65 years and over: 6% (male 82,184; female 115,606) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.97% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 21.35 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 7.45 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -4.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 45.01 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 68.64 years male: 65.58 years female: 71.94 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.57 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality: noun: Albanian(s) adjective: Albanian
Ethnic groups: Albanian 95%, Greeks 3%, other 2% (Vlachs, Gypsies, Serbs, and Bulgarians) (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: all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice
Languages: Albanian (Tosk is the official dialect), Greek
Literacy: definition: age 9 and over can read and write total population: 72% male: 80% female: 63% (1955 est.)
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
Administrative divisions: 36 districts (rrethe, singular-rreth); Berat, Bulquize, Delvine, Devoll (Bilisht), Dibre (Peshkopi), Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Gramsh, Has (Krume), Kavaje, Kolonje (Erseke), Korce, Kruje, Kucove, Kukes, Lac, Lezhe, Librazhd, Lushnje, Malesia e Madhe (Koplik), Mallakaster (Ballsh), Mat (Burrel), Mirdite (Rreshen), Peqin, Permet, Pogradec, Puke, Sarande, Shkoder, Skrapar (Corovode), Tepelene, Tirane, Tropoje (Bajram Curri), Vlore note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)