World Factbook
Albania
Republika e Shqiperise
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Flag
description: red with a black two-headed eagle in the center meaning: Albanians traditionally see themselves as descendants of the eagle; they refer to themselves as "Shqiptare," which translates as "sons of the eagle" history: the design is said to originate with 15th-century Albanian hero Georgi Kastrioti SKANDERBEG, who led a successful uprising against the Ottoman Turks
Capital
name
Tirana (Tirane)
etymology
the name "Tirana" first appears in a 1418 Venetian document; the origin of the name is unclear
time difference
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
geographic coordinates
41 19 N, 19 49 E
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
citizenship by birth
no
citizenship by descent only
at least one parent must be a citizen of Albania
dual citizenship recognized
yes
residency requirement for naturalization
5 years
Constitution
history
several previous; latest approved by the Assembly 21 October 1998, adopted by referendum 22 November 1998, promulgated 28 November 1998
amendment process
proposed by at least one-fifth of the Assembly membership; passage requires at least a two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; referendum required only if approved by two-thirds of the Assembly; amendments approved by referendum effective upon declaration by the president of the republic
Country name
former
People's Socialist Republic of Albania
etymology
name may be derived from the pre-Celtic word alb , meaning "hill," or from the Indo-European root word albh , meaning "white;" the local name "Shqiperia" is derived from the Albanian word shqiponje ("eagle") and is popularly interpreted to mean "Land of the Eagles"
local long form
Republika e Shqiperise
local short form
Shqiperia
conventional long form
Republic of Albania
conventional short form
Albania
Independence
28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)
Legal system
civil law system except in the northern rural areas where customary law known as the "Code of Leke" is still present
Government type
parliamentary republic
Judicial branch
highest court(s)
Supreme Court (consists of 19 judges, including the chief justice); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges, including the chairman)
subordinate courts
Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; specialized courts: Court for Corruption and Organized Crime, Appeals Court for Corruption and Organized Crime (responsible for corruption, organized crime, and crimes of high officials)
judge selection and term of office
Supreme Court judges appointed by the High Judicial Council with the consent of the president to serve single 9-year terms; Supreme Court chairman is elected for a single 3-year term by the court members; appointments of Constitutional Court judges are rotated among the president, Parliament, and Supreme Court from a list of pre-qualified candidates (each institution selects 3 judges), to serve single 9-year terms; candidates are pre-qualified by a randomly selected body of experienced judges and prosecutors; Constitutional Court chairman is elected by the court members for a single, renewable 3-year term
Executive branch
cabinet
Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by the Assembly
chief of state
President Bajram BEGAJ (since 24 July 2022)
election results
2022: Bajram BEGAJ elected president in the fourth round; Assembly vote - 78-4, opposition parties boycotted 2017: Ilir META elected president in the fourth round; Assembly vote - 87-2
head of government
Prime Minister Edi RAMA (since 10 September 2013)
most recent election date
held in 4 rounds on 16, 23, and 30 May and 4 June 2022
election/appointment process
president indirectly elected by the Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); a candidate needs three-fifths majority vote of the Assembly in 1 of 3 rounds or a simple majority in 2 additional rounds to become president; prime minister appointed by the president on the proposal of the majority party or coalition of parties in the Assembly
expected date of next election
2027
National holiday
Independence Day, 28 November (1912), also known as Flag Day
National color(s)
red, black
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites
4 (2 cultural, 1 natural, 1 mixed)
selected World Heritage Site locales
Butrint (c); Historic Berat and Gjirokastër (c); Primeval Beech Forests (n); Lake Ohrid Region (m)
Political parties
Alliance for Change (electoral coalition led by PD) Democratic Party or PD Party for Justice, Integration and Unity or PDIU (part of the Alliance for Change) Social Democratic Party or PSD Freedom Party of Albania or PL (formerly the Socialist Movement for Integration or LSI) Socialist Party or PS
Legislative branch
chamber name
Parliament (Kuvendi)
term in office
4 years
number of seats
140 (all directly elected)
electoral system
proportional representation
legislature name
Albanian Parliament
scope of elections
full renewal
legislative structure
unicameral
most recent election date
5/11/2025
expected date of next election
May 2029
percentage of women in chamber
35%
parties elected and seats per party
Socialist Party of Albania (PS) (83); Democratic Party - Alliance for a Greater Albania (PD-ASHM) (50); Other (7)
National anthem(s)
title
"Hymni i Flamurit" (Hymn to the Flag)
history
adopted 1912; only the first two stanzas of the original poem are used, with the second stanza as a chorus
lyrics/music
Aleksander Stavre DRENOVA/Ciprian PORUMBESCU
National symbol(s)
black double-headed eagle
National coat of arms
adopted in 1998 and features the national symbol, the double-headed black eagle, in the national colors of red and black; red represents the courage and strength of the Albanian people, and the golden border represents the country’s wealth; the helmet above the eagle is modeled on the helmet of Skanderbeg, a 15th-century Albanian military hero who led a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire; the goat on top of the helmet represents defiance and resistance
Administrative divisions
12 counties ( qarqe , singular - qark ); Berat, Diber, Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Gjirokaster, Korce, Kukes, Lezhe, Shkoder, Tirane (Tirana), Vlore
Diplomatic representation in the US
FAX
[1] (202) 628-7342
chancery
2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone
[1] (202) 223-4942
chief of mission
Ambassador Ervin BUSHATI (since 15 September 2023)
consulate(s) general
New York
email address and website
embassy.washington@mfa.gov.al http://www.ambasadat.gov.al/usa/en
Diplomatic representation from the US
FAX
[355] 4 2232-222
embassy
Rruga Stavro Vinjau, No. 14, Tirana
telephone
[355] 4 2247-285
mailing address
9510 Tirana Place, Washington DC 20521-9510
chief of mission
Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Nancy VANHORN (since August 2024)
email address and website
ACSTirana@state.gov https://al.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation
BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EITI (compliant country), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
note: Albania is an EU candidate country and must complete accession criteria before being granted full membership
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction