Albania Geography Profile 2006

Location

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro

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: 720 km
border countries: Greece 282 km, Macedonia 151 km, Montenegro 172 km, Serbia 115 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)

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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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)