Railroads:
9.6 km (single track) 1.524-meter gauge from Kushka (Turkmenistan) to
Towraghondi and 15.0 km from Termez (Uzbekistan) to Kheyrabad transshipment
point on south bank of Amu Darya
Highways:
21,000 km total (1984); 2,800 km hard surface, 1,650 km bituminous-treated
gravel and improved earth, 16,550 km unimproved earth and tracks
Inland waterways:
total navigability 1,200 km; chiefly Amu Darya, which handles steamers up to
about 500 metric tons
Pipelines:
petroleum products - former USSR to Bagram and former USSR to Shindand;
natural gas 180 km
Ports:
Shir Khan and Kheyrabad (river ports)
Civil air:
2 Tu-154, 2 Boeing 727, 4 Yak-40, assorted smaller transports
Airports:
41 total, 37 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 10 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 18 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
limited telephone, telegraph, and radiobroadcast services; television
introduced in 1980; 31,200 telephones; broadcast stations - 5 AM, no FM, 1
TV; 1 satellite earth station

:Afghanistan Defense Forces

Branches:
the military currently is being reorganized by the new government and does
not yet exist on a national scale; some elements of the former Army, Air and
Air Defense Forces, National Guard, Border Guard Forces, National Police
Force (Sarandoi), and Tribal Militias remain intact and are supporting the
new government; the government has asked all military personnel to return to
their stations; a large number of former resistance groups also field
irregular military forces; the Ministry of State Security (WAD) has been
disbanded
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 3,989,232; 2,139,771 fit for military service; 150,572 reach
military age (22) annually
Defense expenditures:
the new government has not yet adopted a defense budget

:Albania Geography

Total area:
28,750 km2
Land area:
27,400 km2
Comparative area:
slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries:
720 km total; Greece 282 km, Macedonia 151 km, Serbia and Montenegro 287 km
(114 km with Serbia, 173 km with Montenegro)
Coastline:
362 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf:
not specified
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
Kosovo question with Serbia and Montenegro; Northern Epirus question with
Greece
Climate:
mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior
is cooler and wetter
Terrain:
mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast
Natural resources:
crude oil, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, timber, nickel
Land use:
arable land 21%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 15%; forest and
woodland 38%; other 22%; includes irrigated 1%
Environment:
subject to destructive earthquakes; tsunami occur along southwestern coast
Note:
strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea
and Mediterranean Sea)

:Albania People

Population:
3,285,224 (July 1992), growth rate 1.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
23 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
—6 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
27 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
71 years male, 78 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
2.8 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Albanian(s); adjective - Albanian
Ethnic divisions:
Albanian 90%, Greeks 8%, other 2% (Vlachs, Gypsies, Serbs, and Bulgarians)
(1989 est.)
Religions:
all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances
prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious
practice; estimates of religious affiliation - Muslim 70%, Greek Orthodox
20%, Roman Catholic 10%
Languages:
Albanian (Tosk is official dialect), Greek
Literacy:
72% (male 80%, female 63%) age 9 and over can read and write (1955)
Labor force:
1,500,000 (1987); agriculture about 60%, industry and commerce 40% (1986)
Organized labor:
Independent Trade Union Federation of Albania; Confederation of Trade Unions

:Albania Government

Long-form name:
Republic of Albania
Type:
nascent democracy
Capital:
Tirane
Administrative divisions:
26 districts (rrethe, singular - rreth); Berat, Dibre, Durres, Elbasan,
Fier, Gjirokaster, Gramsh, Kolonje, Kore, Kruje, Kukes, Lezhe, Librazhd,
Lushnje, Mat, Mirdite, Permet, Pogradec, Puke, Sarande, Shkoder, Skrapar,
Tepelene, Tirane, Tropoje, Vlore
Independence:
28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire); People's Socialist Republic of
Albania declared 11 January 1946
Constitution:
an interim basic law was approved by the People's Assembly on 29 April 1991;
a new constitution is to be drafted for adoption in 1992
Legal system:
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
Liberation Day, 29 November (1944)
Executive branch:
president, prime minister of the Council of Ministers, two deputy prime
ministers of the Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
unicameral People's Assembly (Kuvendi Popullor)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President of the Republic Sali BERISHA (since 9 April 1992)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister of the Council of Ministers Aleksander MEKSI (since 10 April
1992)
Political parties and leaders:
there are at least 18 political parties; most prominent are the Albanian
Socialist Party (ASP), Fatos NANO, first secretary; Democratic Party (DP),
Eduard SELAMI, chairman; Albanian Republican Party (RP), Sabri GODO; Omonia
(Greek minority party), leader NA (ran in 1992 election as Unity for Human
Rights Party (UHP)); Social Democratic Party (SDP), Skender GJINUSHI; note -
in December 1990 then President ALIA allowed new political parties to be
formed in addition to the then AWP for the first time since 1944
Suffrage:
universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections:
People's Assembly:
last held 22 March 1992; results - DP 62.29%, ASP 25.57%, SDP 4.33%, RP
3.15%, UHP 2.92%, other 1.74%; seats - (140 total) DP 92, ASP 38, SDP 7, RP
1, UHP 2
Member of:
CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, OIC,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Minister-Counselor, Charge d'Affaires ad interim (30 April 1991) Sazan Hyda
BEJO; chancery (temporary) at 320 East 79th Street, New York, NY 10021;
telephone (212) 249-2059
US:
Ambassador (vacant); Embassy at Rruga Labinoti 103, room 2921, Tirane
(mailing address is APO AE 09624); telephone 355-42-32875; FAX 355-42-32222

:Albania Government