Albania vs. Kosovo
Geography
| Albania | Kosovo | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece to the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north | Southeast Europe, between Serbia and Macedonia |
| Geographic coordinates | 41 00 N, 20 00 E | 42 35 N, 21 00 E |
| Map references | Europe | Europe |
| Area | total: 28,748 sq km land: 27,398 sq km water: 1,350 sq km | total: 10,887 sq km land: 10,887 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Maryland | slightly larger than Delaware |
| Land boundaries | total: 691 km border countries (4): Greece 212 km, Kosovo 112 km, Macedonia 181 km, Montenegro 186 km | total: 714 km border countries (4): Albania 112 km, Macedonia 160 km, Montenegro 76 km, Serbia 366 km |
| Coastline | 362 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation | none (landlocked) |
| Climate | mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter | influenced by continental air masses resulting in relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall and hot, dry summers and autumns; Mediterranean and alpine influences create regional variation; maximum rainfall between October and December |
| Terrain | mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast | flat fluvial basin at an elevation of 400-700 m above sea level surrounded by several high mountain ranges with elevations of 2,000 to 2,500 m |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m mean elevation: 708 m | highest point: Gjeravica/Deravica 2,656 m lowest point: Drini i Bardhe/Beli Drim (located on the border with Albania) 297 m mean elevation: 450 m |
| Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower, arable land | nickel, lead, zinc, magnesium, lignite, kaolin, chrome, bauxite |
| Land use | agricultural land: 42.8% (2018 est.) arable land: 22.3% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 3% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 17.4% (2018 est.) forest: 28.8% (2018 est.) other: 28.2% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 52.8% (2018 est.) arable land: 27.4% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 1.9% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 23.5% (2018 est.) forest: 41.7% (2018 est.) other: 5.5% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 3,537 sq km (2014) | NA |
| Environment - current issues | deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents; air pollution from industrial and power plants; loss of biodiversity due to lack of resources for sound environmental management | air pollution (pollution from power plants and nearby lignite mines take a toll on people's health); water scarcity and pollution; land degradation |
| Geography - note | strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea) | the 41-km long Nerodimka River divides into two branches each of which flows into a different sea: the northern branch flows into the Sitnica River, which via the Ibar, Morava, and Danube Rivers ultimately flows into the Black Sea; the southern branch flows via the Lepenac and Vardar Rivers into the Aegean Sea |
| Population distribution | a fairly even distribution, with somewhat higher concentrations of people in the western and central parts of the country | population clusters exist throughout the country, the largest being in the east in and around the capital of Pristina |
Source: CIA Factbook
