Montenegro vs. Albania
Geography
| Montenegro | Albania | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Southeastern Europe, between the Adriatic Sea and Serbia | Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece to the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north |
| Geographic coordinates | 42 30 N, 19 18 E | 41 00 N, 20 00 E |
| Map references | Europe | Europe |
| Area | total: 13,812 sq km land: 13,452 sq km water: 360 sq km | total: 28,748 sq km land: 27,398 sq km water: 1,350 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Connecticut; slightly larger than twice the size of Delaware | slightly smaller than Maryland |
| Land boundaries | total: 680 km border countries (5): Albania 186 km, Bosnia and Herzegovina 242 km, Croatia 19 km, Kosovo 76 km, Serbia 157 km | total: 691 km border countries (4): Greece 212 km, Kosovo 112 km, Macedonia 181 km, Montenegro 186 km |
| Coastline | 293.5 km | 362 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: defined by treaty | territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
| Climate | Mediterranean climate, hot dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfalls inland | mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter |
| Terrain | highly indented coastline with narrow coastal plain backed by rugged high limestone mountains and plateaus | mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Bobotov Kuk 2,522 m lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m mean elevation: 1,086 m | highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m mean elevation: 708 m |
| Natural resources | bauxite, hydroelectricity | petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower, arable land |
| Land use | agricultural land: 38.2% (2018 est.) arable land: 12.9% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 1.2% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 24.1% (2018 est.) forest: 40.4% (2018 est.) other: 21.4% (2018 est.) | 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.) |
| Irrigated land | 24 sq km (2012) | 3,537 sq km (2014) |
| Natural hazards | destructive earthquakes | destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought |
| Environment - current issues | pollution of coastal waters from sewage outlets, especially in tourist-related areas such as Kotor; serious air pollution in Podgorica, Pljevlja and Niksie; air pollution in Pljevlja is caused by the nearby lignite power plant and the domestic use of coal and wood for household heating | 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 |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note | strategic location along the Adriatic coast | strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea) |
| Population distribution | highest population density is concentrated in the south, southwest; the extreme eastern border is the least populated area | a fairly even distribution, with somewhat higher concentrations of people in the western and central parts of the country |
Source: CIA Factbook
