*Albania, Economy
Overview:
The Albanian economy, already providing the lowest standard of living in
Europe, contracted sharply in 1991, with most industries producing at only a
fraction of past levels and an unemployment rate estimated at 40%. For over
40 years, the Stalinist-type economy operated on the principle of central
planning and state ownership of the means of production. Fitful economic
reforms begun during 1991, including the liberalization of prices and trade,
the privatization of shops and transport, and land reform, were crippled by
widespread civil disorder. Following its overwhelming victory in the 22
March 1992 elections, the new Democratic government announced a program of
shock therapy to stabilize the economy and establish a market economy. In an
effort to expand international ties, Tirane has reestablished diplomatic
relations with the major republics of the former Soviet Union and the US and
has joined the IMF and the World Bank. The Albanians have also passed
legislation allowing foreign investment, but not foreign ownership of real
estate. Albania possesses considerable mineral resources and, until 1990,
was largely self-sufficient in food; however, the breakup of cooperative
farms in 1991 and general economic decline forced Albania to rely on foreign
aid to maintain adequate supplies. In 1992 the government tightened
budgetary contols leading to another drop in domestic output. The
agricultural sector is steadily gaining from the privatization process. Low
domestic output is supplemented by remittances from the 200,000 Albanians
working abroad.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $2.5 billion (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
-10% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
$760 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
210% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
40% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues $1.1 billion; expenditures $1.4 billion, including capital
expenditures of $70 million (1991 est.)
Exports:
$45 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
asphalt, metals and metallic ores, electricity, crude oil, vegetables,
fruits, tobacco
partners:
Italy, Macedonia, Germany, Greece, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania,
Bulgaria, Hungary
Imports:
$120 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
machinery, consumer goods, grains
partners:
Italy, Macedonia, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Poland, Hungary,
Bulgaria, Greece
External debt:
$500 million (1992 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate -55% (1991 est.)
Electricity: 1,690,000 kW capacity; 5,000 million kWh produced, 1,520 kWh per capita
(1992)
*Albania, Economy
Industries:
food processing, textiles and clothing, lumber, oil, cement, chemicals,
mining, basic metals, hydropower
Agriculture:
arable land per capita among lowest in Europe; over 60% of arable land now
in private hands; one-half of work force engaged in farming; wide range of
temperate-zone crops and livestock
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route
Economic aid:
recipient - $190 million humanitarian aid, $94 million in
loans/guarantees/credits
Currency:
1 lek (L) = 100 qintars
Exchange rates:
leke (L) per US$1 - 97 (January 1993), 50 (January 1992), 25 (September
1991)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
*Albania, Communications
Railroads:
543 km total; 509 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, single track and 34 km
narrow gauge, single track (1990); line connecting Titograd (Serbia and
Montenegro) and Shkoder (Albania) completed August 1986
Highways:
16,700 km total; 6,700 km highways, 10,000 km forest and agricultural cart
roads (1990)
Inland waterways:
43 km plus Albanian sections of Lake Scutari, Lake Ohrid, and Lake Prespa
(1990)
Pipelines:
crude oil 145 km; petroleum products 55 km; natural gas 64 km (1991)
Ports:
Durres, Sarande, Vlore
Merchant marine:
11 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 52,967 GRT/76,887 DWT
Airports:
total:
12
usable:
10
with permanent-surface runways:
3
with runways over 3,659 m:
0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
6
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
4
Telecommunications:
inadequate service; 15,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 13 AM, 1 TV;
514,000 radios, 255,000 TVs (1987 est.)
*Albania, Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Interior Ministry Troops
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 896,613; fit for military service 739,359; reach military
age (19) annually 32,740 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
215 million leke, NA% of GNP (1993 est.); note - conversion of defense
expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce
misleading results
*Algeria, Geography
Location:
Northern Africa, along the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia
Map references:
Africa, Europe
Area:
total area:
2,381,740 km2
land area:
2,381,740 km2
comparative area:
slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total 6,343 km, Libya 982 km, Mali 1,376 km, Mauritania 463 km, Morocco
1,559 km, Niger 956 km, Tunisia 965 km, Western Sahara 42 km
Coastline:
998 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
Libya claims part of southeastern Algeria; land boundary disputes with
Tunisia under discussion
Climate:
arid to semiarid; mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers along coast; drier
with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau; sirocco is a hot,
dust/sand-laden wind especially common in summer
Terrain:
mostly high plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow, discontinuous
coastal plain
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc
Land use:
arable land:
3%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
13%
forest and woodland:
2%
other:
82%
Irrigated land:
3,360 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; desertification
Note:
second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)