Albania Geography
LocationSoutheastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro
Geographic coordinates
41 00 N, 20 00 E
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, Serbia and Montenegro 287 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: 21.09%
permanent crops: 4.42%
other: 74.49% (2001)
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, 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)
