Albania Country & Tourist Information

Location
Eastern Europe, Adriatic and Ionian Coast.

Area
27,398 sq km (11,100 sq miles).

Population
3.2 million (UN estimate 2005).

Population Density
116.8 per sq km.

Capital
Tirana.
Population: 585,700 (2005).

Government
Democratic Republic since 1991.

Language
The official language is Albanian (Tosk is the official dialect). Some Albanians also speak Italian and English. Greek is widely spoken in the Gjirokastra and Saranda districts in south Albania.

Religion
Three religions coexist in Albania: Islam, Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity. The majority of the population is Muslim.

Time
GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).

Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz.

Head of Government
Prime Minister Sali Berisha since July 2005.

Head of State
President Alfred Moisiu since 2002.

Telephone
Country code: 355. City codes: Tirana 42, Durresi 52, Elbasan 545, Shkodra 224, Gjirokastra 726, Korça 824, Kavaja 574. For other regions, international connections are made through the nearest city.

Mobile Telephone
Coverage is limited to main towns and coastal areas.

Internet
Internet cafes available in most towns.

Media
The public broadcaster, Albanian Radio and TV (RTSh), operates national radio and TV networks. It faces competition from private stations, which have mushroomed since the late 1990s. Political parties, religious groups and state bodies are not allowed to own private TV and radio stations.

Post
All mail to and from Albania is subject to delays. Letters can be sent recorded delivery to avoid loss. There are DHL offices in Tirana and Durres, offering services between Albania and other countries. The postal and telecommunications systems are undergoing extensive modernization.

Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0700-1400 and Sat 0800-1300.

Press
• There are now about 400 newspapers and periodicals, many of which are independent.
• The main newspapers are published daily.
• Rilindja Demokratike, the organ of the ruling Democratic Party, has a circulation of 50,000.
• English-language newspapers published in Albania include the Albanian Daily News.
• Some Albanian newspapers contain a few pages in English; these include Gazeta Shqiptare.
• Foreign newspapers are on sale in main towns.

Radio
Radio services from the BBC, Deutsche Welle, Radio France Internationale, Radio Free Europe and the Voice of America are available on FM or mediumwave (AM).

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2007-December 2008 period.

2007
1 Jan New Year’s Day. 
6 Apr Good Friday.
9 Apr Easter Monday.
1 May May Day.
13 Oct Lesser Bairam (End of Ramadan).
28 Nov Independence and Liberation Day.
20 Dec Greater Bairam (Feast of the Sacrifice).
25 Dec Christmas Day.

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day. 
21 Mar Good Friday. 
23 Mar Easter Monday.
1 May May Day.
2 Oct Lesser Bairam (End of Ramadan).
28 Nov Independence and Liberation Day.
9 Dec Greater Bairam (Feast of the Sacrifice).
25 Dec Christmas Day.

Note
Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Lesser Bairam (Eid al-Fitr), Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Some disruption may continue into Lesser Bairam itself. Lesser Bairam and Greater Bairam (Eid al-Adha) may last anything from two to 10 days, depending on the region.

Contact Information:

Ministry of Territory and Tourism
Bulevard Dëshmorët Tirana, Albania
Tel: (42) 223 206.
Website: www.albaniantourism.com

Embassy of the Republic of Albania in the UK
2nd Floor, 24 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6LB, UK
Tel: (020) 7828 8897.
Website: www.albanianembassy.co.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1530 (general enquiries); 0900-1200 (consular section).

Embassy of the Republic of Albania in the USA
2100 S Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 223 4942.
Website: www.albaniaembassy.org


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