Albania Geography Profile 2009

Location

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece in the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north

Geographic coordinates

41 00 N, 20 00 E

Map references

Europe

Area

total: 28,748 sq km
land: 27,398 sq km
water: 1,350 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries

total: 717 km
border countries: Greece 282 km, Macedonia 151 km, Montenegro 172 km, Kosovo 112 km

Coastline

362 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

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

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower

Land use

arable land: 20.1%
permanent crops: 4.21%
other: 75.69% (2005)

Irrigated land

3,530 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources

41.7 cu km (2001)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 1.71 cu km/yr (27%/11%/62%)
per capita: 546 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards

destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought

Environment - current issues

deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents

Environment - international agreements

party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note

strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)