Albania Passport

[Country Name] The Republic of Albania (Republika e Shqip ë ris ë).

【 Area 】 28700 square kilometers.

【 Population 】 2.76 million people (January 2023), of which 98% are Albanians. The main ethnic minorities include Greeks, Romanians, Macedonians, Roma, etc. The official language is Albanian. 56.7% of residents believe in Islam, 6.6% believe in Eastern Orthodoxy, and 10.1% believe in Catholicism.

【 Capital 】 Tirana, with a population of 930000 (January 2023).

[Head of State] President Bajram Begaj, inaugurated in July 2022 for a term of 5 years.

National Day and Independence Day: November 28th.

【 Overview 】 Located in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe, it borders Montenegro, Serbia, and North Macedonia in the north and northeast respectively, Greece in the south, the Adriatic Sea in the west, and Italy across the Strait of Otranto. Mountains and hills account for 77% of the total area, while plains make up 23%. The forest coverage rate is 36%, arable land area accounts for 24%, and pastures account for 15%. The coastline is 472 kilometers long. It belongs to the subtropical Mediterranean climate. The rainfall is abundant, with an annual average of 1300 millimeters. The average temperature is about 5 ℃ in January and about 25 ℃ in July.

In 1190, a feudal principality was established. From 1415, it was ruled by the Ottoman Empire for nearly 500 years. Independence was declared on November 28, 1912. It was occupied by the Austro Hungarian, Italian, and French armies during World War I. The Republic was established in 1925. In 1928, it switched to monarchy and remained so until the Italian invasion in April 1939. During World War II, it was successively occupied by Italian and German fascists. The country was liberated on November 29, 1944. The People's Republic of Albania was established on January 11, 1946, and was renamed the Socialist People's Republic of Albania in 1976. In 1991, the country changed its name to the Republic of Albania.

In June 2022, Albania held presidential elections, and the then Chief of the General Staff of the Albanian Army, Major General Begai, was elected and inaugurated in July. The Socialist Party has been in power continuously since 2013, with party chairman Edi RAMA serving as prime minister. In April 2021, A held parliamentary elections and the Socialist Party won again. In September, Rama was re elected as Prime Minister.

In November 1998, Albania passed a new constitution through a national referendum. The Constitution was amended in 2008. The Constitution stipulates that A is a parliamentary republic that implements free, equal, universal, and periodic elections. The President is the head of state and is elected by the parliament in an anonymous manner for a term of 5 years, with the option to serve one consecutive term. The President appoints the Prime Minister and appoints government members based on the Prime Minister's nomination.

The highest authority and legislative body of the country, the parliament, implements a unicameral system with a term of four years. The current parliament was elected in April 2021 and inaugurated in September, with a total of 140 seats, including 75 seats for the Socialist Party, 42 seats for the Democratic Party, 7 seats for the Democratic and Integration Alliance, 7 seats for the Change Alliance, and 9 independent members of parliament. Speaker Elisa SPIROPALI (female).

The government refers to the Council of Ministers, with a term of four years. The new government was established in September 2021 and underwent two large-scale reorganizations in September 2023 and July 2024. Currently, there are 19 members, as follows: Prime Minister Eddie Rama, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda BALLUKU (female), Minister of European Affairs and Foreign Affairs Igli HASANI, Minister of Defense Pirro VENGU, Minister of Interior Ervin HOXHA, Minister of Finance Petrit MALAJ, Minister of Justice Ulsi MANJA, Minister of Education and Sports Ojelta Manastirli Ogerta MANASTRLIU (female), Minister of Health and Social Welfare Albana KO Ç IU (female), Minister of Economy, Culture, and Innovation Blendi Gongjie (female) GONXHJA, Mirela KUMBARO, Minister of Tourism and Environment, Anila DENAJ, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Delina IBRAHIMAJ, Minister of State for Enterprise Protection, Taulant BALLA, Minister of State for Relations with Parliament, Adea PIRDENI, Minister of State for Public Administration and Anti Corruption, Majlinda DHUKA, Minister of State for EU Accession Negotiations, Arbyan MAzniku, Minister of State for Local Government ZNIKU), Bora MUZHAQI, Minister of State for Youth and Children, and Engjell AGACI, Secretary General of the Council of Ministers.

【 Main website 】

President Office: www.president.al

Parliament: www.parlament.al

Government: kryeministria.al

European and Foreign Affairs Department: punetejashtme.gov.al

[Administrative divisions] The country is divided into 12 states, with 61 cities under their jurisdiction.

The judicial institutions include the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the General Prosecutor's Office, the Court of Appeal, and the District Court. The Supreme Court and courts at all levels exercise judicial power. The President of the Supreme Court and the Prosecutor General of the General Prosecutor's Office are elected by the parliament. Sokol Sadushi, Acting President of the Supreme Court, Holta ZA Ç AJ, President of the Constitutional Court, and Olsian Ç ELA, Attorney General.

Currently, Albania has nearly 50 registered political parties. The main political parties are:

(1) Socialist Party (Partia Socialiste e Shqip ë ris ë): Established on June 12, 1991. Formerly known as the Albanian Labor Party.

(2) Democratic Party (Partia Demokratike e Shqip ë ris ë): Established on December 12, 1990.

(3) Liberal Party (Partia e Liris ë): formerly known as the Movement Party for an Integrated Society, founded in September 2004 and renamed in July 2022.

(4) Social Democratic Party (Partia Socialdemokrate e Shqip ë ris ë): Established in April 1991.

Key figure: Bayram Begay: President. Born on March 20th, 1967. Doctor of Medicine from the University of Tirana. He has served as the Director of the Health Supervision Bureau of the General Staff Department of the Afghan Army, the Director of the Military General Hospital, and the Commander of the Regulations and Training Command. From 2020 to 2022, served as Chief of the General Staff (Major General). Elected president in June 2022 and inaugurated in July.

Eddie Rama: Prime Minister. Born on July 4th, 1964. Graduated from Tirana Academy of Arts. Chairman of the Socialist Party. I have been teaching at the Tirana Academy of Arts since 1986. In 1996, he became a member of the Executive Board of Soros Foundation in Tirana. In 1998, he was appointed as the Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports of Albania. In 2000, he was appointed as the Mayor of Tirana. Joined the Socialist Party in 2003 and was elected as the President of the Socialist Party in October 2005. Appointed as Prime Minister in September 2013, re elected in September 2017 and September 2021.

Elisa Spiropalli: Speaker. Born on March 15th, 1983. Graduated from Mount Holyoke College in the United States. Served as a member of the Albanian Parliament since 2013. From 2019 to 2024, served as the Minister of State for Relations with Parliament. Appointed as Speaker in July 2024.

The transition from a planned economy to a market economy began in the early 1990s. In recent years, the Albanian economy has maintained stable growth. The main economic data for 2023 are as follows:

Gross Domestic Product: 23.3 billion US dollars.

Per capita Gross Domestic Product: 8800 US dollars.

Gross Domestic Product Growth Rate: 3.6%.

Currency name: Lek ë.

Exchange rate: 1 US dollar ≈ 95 leks; 1 Euro ≈ 104 Lek (January 2024).

Inflation rate: 4.8%.

Unemployment rate: 10.7%.

(Source: Ministry of Finance and Economy, National Bureau of Statistics, Central Bank of Afghanistan, World Bank, etc.)

The main mineral deposits include oil, chromium, copper, nickel, iron, coal, etc. The proven oil reserves are about 437 million tons, and the chromite reserves are 37.3 million tons. Water resources are relatively abundant.

The main industrial sectors include food, textiles, wood, petroleum, cement, mining, etc. The industrial added value in 2022 was 4.05 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 8.9%. The power generation in 2022 was 7003 gigawatt hours, a year-on-year decrease of 21.9%.

In recent years, A has set the goal of developing organic agriculture. The cultivated land covers an area of 620000 hectares. The main agricultural and animal husbandry products produced in 2023 are: 1.38 million tons of vegetables, 700000 tons of grains, 270000 tons of potatoes, 20000 tons of kidney beans, and 6.94 million tons of forage. Main livestock breeding situation in 2023: 260000 cattle (230000 cows), 1.01 million sheep, 640000 goats, and 110000 pigs.

In recent years, the Afghan government has prioritized the development of the tourism industry. In 2023, the number of foreign tourists entering Albania reached 10.156 million, a year-on-year increase of 34.6%.

Transportation mainly relies on road transportation, with a total length of approximately 28000 kilometers. The total length of the actual operating railway line is 334 kilometers. In 2023, the railway passenger volume was 7363, a year-on-year decrease of 33.1%, and the railway freight volume was 550000 tons. There are four seaports in the country, namely Durres, Farola, Saranda, and Shenjin. Among them, Durres Port is the largest seaport, connecting with the ports of Trieste and Bari in Italy. In 2022, the national port cargo throughput was 3.8 million tons, a year-on-year decrease of 20.4%. There are Mother Teresa International Airport and Kukes International Airport in Tirana throughout the country. In 2023, the passenger volume of AirAsia reached 7.28 million, a year-on-year increase of 38.9%.

In 2023, Afghanistan's fiscal revenue will be 643.4 billion leks, expenditure will be 674.7 billion leks, and the fiscal deficit will be 31.3 billion leks. As of 2023, the balance of public debt in Afghanistan is 1369 billion leks, accounting for approximately 59.2% of the country's gross domestic product. Foreign exchange reserves are 5.946 billion US dollars, and the balance of external debt is 620.9 billion leks.

In 2023, the total foreign trade volume of Afghanistan reached 13.76 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 2.3%. Among them, Afghanistan's export volume was 4.61 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 1.1%, and its import volume was 9.15 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 2.9%, resulting in a deficit of 4.53 billion US dollars. Main export commodities: textiles, shoes, building materials. Main imported goods: machinery and equipment, food, beverages, tobacco, metals. Main trading partners: Italy, Türkiye and China.

[Foreign capital] In 2022, it will attract 1.37 billion US dollars of foreign investment. The top five sources of foreign investment are Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada, Italy and Türkiye.

In 1992, the Albanian People's Army was renamed the National Army, and Army Day was celebrated on December 4th. The highest military command authority is the General Staff Department. The A Army implements a voluntary military service system, consisting of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Support Command, Doctrine and Training Command, with a total of approximately 12500 personnel. In 2023, Albania's defense budget is approximately $400 million, accounting for 1.72% of its gross domestic product. The current Minister of National Defense, Wen Gu. Major General Arben KINGJI, Chief of the General Staff of the Argentine Army.

Education: Implement a nine-year compulsory education system, and education is relatively popular. There are over 5000 schools nationwide, with 66711 registered students in preschool education for the 2023/2024 academic year, 258072 registered students in nine-year basic education, 91755 registered middle school students, and 116994 registered students in higher education. There are 15 public universities and 26 private universities. Tirana University is a renowned comprehensive university in Albania.

There are more than 200 types of newspapers and magazines across the country, including the main ones such as Panorama, Albanian, Contemporary, Albanian, Albanian Daily, and Tirana Times. The Albanian Telecommunications Agency (ATA) is the national news agency. At present, the most influential television stations in China include RTSH, Top Channel, TV Klan, Ora News, and private radio stations such as Top Albania Radio and+2 Radio.