Location Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Geographic coordinates 41 00 N, 20 00 E

Map references Europe

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

Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries
total: 720 km
border countries: Greece 282 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 151 km, Yugoslavia 287 km

Coastline 362 km

Maritime claims
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 12 NM

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) 2,753 m

Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, timber, nickel, hydropower

Land use
arable land: 21%
permanent crops: 4%
other: 75% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 3,400 sq km (1998 est.)

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, Hazardous Wastes, 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)

NOTE: The information regarding Albania on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Albania Geography 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Albania Geography 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.