OFFICIAL NAME:

Republic of Albania

Government

Type: Parliamentary democracy.
Constitution: Adopted by popular referendum November 28, 1998.
Independence: November 28, 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire).

Geography

Area: 28,748 sq. km.
Major cities: Capital--Tirana (600,000, 2005 est.). Others--Durres (200,000, 2005 est.), Shkoder (81,000, 2005 est.), Vlore (72,000, 2005 est.).
Terrain: Situated in the southwestern region of the Balkan Peninsula, Albania is predominantly mountainous but flat along its coastline with the Adriatic Sea.
Climate: Mild, temperate; cool, wet winters; dry, hot summers.

People

Population (2007 est.): 3,600,523.
Growth rate (2007 est.): 0.529%.
Ethnic groups (2004 est., Government of Albania): Albanian 98.6%, Greeks 1.17%, others 0.23% (Vlachs, Roma, Serbs, Montenegrins, Macedonians, Balkan Egyptians, and Bulgarians).
Religions: Muslim (Sunni and Bektashi) 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, and Roman Catholic 10%.
Official language: Albanian.
Health (2007 est.): Life expectancy--males 74.95 years; females 80.53 years. Infant mortality rate--20.02 deaths per 1,000 live births.


Albania shares a border with Greece to the south/southeast, Macedonia to the east, Serbia (including Kosovo) to the northeast, and Montenegro to the northwest. Western Albania lies along the Adriatic and Ionian Sea coastlines. Albania's primary seaport is Durres, which handles 90% of its maritime cargo.

This sunny slice of mountains and southern European easy living has been ground down by years of totalitarianism. But the new Albania packs a wild punch of traditional Mediterranean charm, delightfully hospitable people and a madly colourful art-driven renaissance in the capital, Tirana.

When To Go

The best time to visit is either side of the summer peak: May, June and September stand out, when it's not too hot, too crowded or overbooked anywhere. Best of all is September, when it's warm, the days are long and the fruit and vegetables are in good supply.

The main coastal resorts in Albania get fairly busy in July and August and ski season runs from late November until March.


source: wikipedia.org, lonelyplanet.com, about.com