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Albania, officially the Republic of Albania, is a country in Southeastern Europe. The country spans 28,748 km² and had a total population of 3 million people as of 2016. It is a unitary parliamentary constitutional republic with the capital in Tirana, the country's most populous city and main economic and commercial centre. The country's other major cities include Durrës, Vlorë, Sarandë, Shkodër, Berat, Korçë, Gjirokastër and Fier.

Albania lies in the southwestern portion of the Balkan Peninsula bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east, and Greece to the south and southeast. Most of the country is mountainous, including the Albanian Alps in the north, the Korab Mountains in the east, the Ceraunian Mountains in the south and the Skanderbeg Mountains in the center. The country's coast touches the Adriatic Sea to the northwest and the Ionian Sea to the southwest including the Albanian Riviera. It is less than 72 km from Italy across the Strait of Otranto that connects the Adriatic to the Ionian.

Geography

Albania occupies the southwestern portion of the Balkan Peninsula. The country is located in Southeastern and Southern Europe, with Montenegro bordering to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south. The Mediterranean Sea make up the entire west border of Albania. The country lies mostly between latitudes 42° and 39° N, and longitudes 21° and 19° E. Its territory covers 28,748 km². By territory, Albania is the 14th largest country in the mediterranean and the 145th largest country in the world. It's coastline length is 476 km and extends along the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, both within the Mediterranean Sea.

Albania's northernmost point is Vërmosh at 42° 35' 34" northern latitude; the southernmost is Konispol at 39° 40' 0" northern latitude; the westernmost point is Sazan Island at 19° 16' 50" eastern longitude; and the easternmost point is Vërnik at 21° 1' 26" eastern longitude. The highest natural point is Mount Korab, standing at 2,764 metres above the Adriatic. The lowest natural point is the Adriatic Sea, at 0 metres. The distance from east to west is 148 kilometres, from north to south 340 kilometres.

Despite its small size, Albania is dominated by mountainous or high terrain, with a wide variety of natural features including valleys, plains, canyons and caves. Topographically, the mountains run the length of the country from north to south; the Albanian Alps in the north, Sharr Mountains in the northeast, Skanderbeg Mountains in the center, Korab Mountains in the east, Pindus Mountains in the southeast and the Ceraunian Mountains in the southwest along the Albanian Riviera.

Climate

Albania comprises a wide range of climatic conditions across its small territory and varied topography, although most of the country experiences mediterranean climate, characterised by mild winters and hot, dry summers. As defined by the Köppen climate classification, the country hosts five major climatic subtypes, including mediterranean, subtropical, oceanic, continental and subarctic. Between the north and south, the west and east there can be a considerable difference in climate.

In general, northern parts of the country are characterized by cold winters and cool summers, while the southern parts by predominantly mild wet winters and very hot, dry summers. The highest temperature of 43.9 °C was recorded in Kuçovë on 18 July 1973 and the lowest temperature of −29 °C was registered in the village of Shtyllë, Librazhd on 9 January 2017.

The climate in the lowlands is typically mediterranean, while in the hinterlands it is continental. The warmest areas of the country are at the Adriatic and Ionian coast in the lowlands, where climate is profoundly affected by the sea. The coldest parts of the country are at the northern and eastern hinterlands, where snowy forested climate is prevalent in the areas above 1,500 metres (4,900 feet) above the Adriatic. Temperature is affected more by differences in longitude than by latitude or any other factor. Average summer temperatures are lower in the hinterlands than in the lowlands, but daily fluctuations are greater. The mean monthly temperature ranges between −1 °C in winter and 21.8 °C in summer.

Demographics

The population of Albania, as defined by Institute of Statistics, was estimated in 2016 to be approximately 2,886,026. The country's total fertility rate of 1.51 children born per woman is one of the lowest in the world. Its population density stands at 259 inhabitants per square kilometre. The overall life expectancy at birth is 78.5 years; 75.8 years for males and 81.4 years for females. The country is the 8th most populous country in the Balkans and ranks as the 137th most populous country in the world. The population of the country rose steadily from 2,5 million in 1979 until 1989, when it peaked at 3.1 million. It is forecasted that the population should not reach its peak number of 1989 until 2031, depending on the actual birth rate and the level of net migration.

The explanation for the recent population decrease is the fall of communism in Albania. It was marked by large economic mass emigration from Albania to Greece, Italy and the United States. 40 years of isolation from the world, combined with its disastrous economic, social and political situation, had caused this exodus. The external migration was prohibited outright during the communism, while internal migration was quite limited, hence this was a new phenomenon. At least, 900,000 people left Albania during this period, about 600,000 of them settling in Greece. The migration affected the country's internal population distribution. It decreased particularly in the north and south, while it increased in the center within the cities of Tirana and Durrës. According to the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) as of 1 January 2015, the population of Albania is 2,893,005.

About 53.4% of the country's population is living in cities. The three largest counties by population account for half of the total population. Almost 30% of the total population is found in Tirana County followed by Fier County with 11% and Durrës County with 10%. Over 1 million people are concentrated in Tirana and Durrës, making it the largest urban area in Albania. Tirana is one of largest cities in the Balkan Peninsula and ranks 7th with a population about 800,000. The second largest city in the country by population is Durrës, with a population of 201.110, followed by Vlorë with a population of 141.513.

Language

Albanian is the official language of the Republic of Albania. Its standard spoken and written form is revised and merged from the two main dialects, Gheg and Tosk, though it is notably based more on the Tosk dialect. The Shkumbin river is the rough dividing line between the two dialects. Also a dialect of Greek that preserves features now lost in standard modern Greek is spoken in areas inhabited by the Greek minority. Other languages spoken by ethnic minorities in Albania include Aromanian, Serbian, Macedonian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Gorani, and Roma. Macedonian is official in the Pustec Municipality in East Albania. According to the 2011 population census, 2,765,610 or 98.767% of the population declared Albanian as their mother tongue (mother tongue is defined as the first or main language spoken at home during childhood)

Religion

Albania is a secular state without an official religion, with the freedom of religion being a constitutional right. The 2011 census, for the first time since 1930, included an optional open-ended question on religion; the census recorded a majority of Muslims (58.79%), which include Sunni (56.70%) and Bektashi Muslims (2.09%). Christians, making up 16.92% of the population, include Roman Catholics (10.03%), Orthodox (6.75%) and evangelical Protestants (0.14%). Atheists accounted for 2.5% of the population and 5.49% were non-affiliated believers, while 13.79% preferred not to answer