Albania

Albania is located on the Balkan Peninsula in its western part. The state is home to about 2.8 million people in an area of 27.700 km2. Its immediate neighbors are Montenegro, Serbia, Greece and Macedonia. The popularity of the country is due to the access to the Ionian (in the southwestern part) and the Adriatic (from the northwest) seas. Geographically, it is divided into 12 regions.

Albania gained independence after the First Balkan War, when European countries began to recognize its independence from Turkey in 1912. This territory was occupied during the Second World War, the period of the communist regime for almost 47 years, until in the 90s it was rebuilt into a market economy and a multiparty system. Since 2009, it has been a member of NATO and is a candidate for EU membership.

Climatic conditions

Albania has a diverse climate. The coast enjoys comfortable Mediterranean conditions with an abundance of sunny days (up to 300 per year). It is warm and humid here in winter, and in the summer months it is hot and there is almost no precipitation. The southern part of the state is influenced by a subtropical climate. Tourists come on vacation from May to September, as the high temperature on the Mediterranean coast is easily tolerated.

In mountainous areas, and there are many of them here, continental conditions with cold winters and rainy summers. Forested mountains and hills provide a huge variety of fauna. One of the features of the country is the large number of lakes. Shkoder is considered the largest in the southern European part, and Ohridsky has been given the status of the oldest in the world, therefore it is protected by UNESCO.

Demographics

There is no great diversity of ethnic groups in this country, up to 95% are Albanians, and another 3% are Greeks. Slightly more than half of the population lives in cities. It is not surprising that the official and main language for communication is Albanian, along with dialects. It is followed by Greek in terms of prevalence. Muslims predominate in this state (according to various estimates from 65 to 80%), the rest are predominantly Catholics and Orthodox.

The state has a low population growth, although it is positive. The number of people who leave Albania exceeds those who want to enter and settle here for a long time. The average life expectancy is 78 years, which is associated with high consumption of vegetables and fruits, which are abundant in the Mediterranean diet. No more than 22% of young people (under 15 years old). The proportion of people in the middle category from 16 to 65 years old accounts for the bulk of the population – just over 68%. About 10% more are people aged 65+. This age distribution and life expectancy are the same among men and women.

It is noteworthy that Albania has a high literacy rate among both sexes (adult population) at the level of 96-98%.

Economy

Albania belongs to the middle category in terms of economic development. It is considered one of the poorest in Europe. This status is the result of prolonged isolation, lack of strong international and trade relations, and small investments in the economy. A quarter of the population lives below the poverty line, but the number of such people is gradually decreasing.

Despite such a start, modern Albania is showing good performance. After 2022, it has a stable transition to a market economy. Compared to other European countries, it has low public debt and good growth rates. This is due to the sufficient amount of cheap labor, and educated. The number of unemployed is gradually decreasing.

The disadvantages of Albania, which prevent it from demonstrating the best results, are a large percentage of pensioners, pronounced emigration with a low birth rate, lack of its own natural resources, corruption and weak pace of reforms.

The state receives the main profit from the service sector – more than 60%. Albania attracts tourists with its sea coast, climate, lakes, and this industry brings tangible income. There are more than 2,500 official establishments in the state (hotels, houses, apartments), it is planned to build 4 and 5 star hotels, because almost 6.5 million tourists come here every year. These are mainly residents of European countries.

Another significant area that provides about 20% of GDP is agriculture. It employs almost half of the population, which receives dairy products, cultivates cereals, vegetables and fruits, and tobacco. One of the priority, developing areas is the cultivation and processing of medicinal and aromatic plants.

Industry accounts for 18% of GDP. In addition to processing agricultural raw materials, Albania produces textiles, clothing, wood products, and cement. Mining of minerals (metal ore, oil) is underway. These goods provide revenue from the sale of about $2.4 billion.

The main partner with which Albania has established exports and imports is Italy, where the Mediterranean state sends almost half of the goods. There are also trade relations with other European countries (Germany, Spain, France) and China.

Freedom of movement

To enter the territory of Albania and stay there for up to 90 days, Russian citizens must obtain an electronic visa or have a multiple-entry Schengen, US or UK visa. The advantage of obtaining an Albanian passport is the opportunity to visit 88 countries without a visa. There are many European countries among this list, including Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, Norway, Portugal, and Poland. You can easily go to Greece, the Baltic States, Brazil, Haiti or Israel.

For another 31 countries, it is enough to issue an electronic permit upon arrival in the state. This list includes popular vacation destinations (Maldives, Seychelles, Sri Lanka) and pilgrimages (Nepal, Cambodia).