Difference between revisions of "About Albania"

[[Albania]] declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but was conquered by [[Italy]] in 1939, and occupied by [[Germany]] in 1943. Communist partisans took over the country in 1944. [[Albania]] allied itself first with the USSR (until 1960), and then with [[China]] (to 1978). In the early 1990s, [[Albania]] ended 46 years of xenophobic communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven challenging as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, dilapidated infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks, and combative political opponents. [[Albania]] has made progress in its democratic development since first holding multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies remain. [[International]] observers judged elections to be largely free and fair since the restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997; however, each of [[Albania]]'s post-communist elections have been marred by claims of electoral fraud. The 2009 general elections resulted in a coalition government, the first such in the country's history. In 2013, general elections achieved a peaceful transition of power and a second successive coalition government. [[Albania]] joined NATO in April 2009 and is a potential candidate for EU accession. Although [[Albania]]'s economy continues to grow, it has slowed, and the country is still one of the poorest in Europe. A large informal economy and an inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure remain obstacles.

[[Albania]] declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but was conquered by [[Italy]] in 1939, and occupied by [[Germany]] in 1943. Communist partisans took over the country in 1944. [[Albania]] allied itself first with the USSR (until 1960), and then with [[China]] (to 1978). In the early 1990s, [[Albania]] ended 46 years of xenophobic communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven challenging as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, dilapidated infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks, and combative political opponents. [[Albania]] has made progress in its democratic development since first holding multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies remain. [[International]] observers judged elections to be largely free and fair since the restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997; however, each of [[Albania]]'s post-communist elections have been marred by claims of electoral fraud. The 2009 general elections resulted in a coalition government, the first such in the country's history. In 2013, general elections achieved a peaceful transition of power and a second successive coalition government. [[Albania]] joined NATO in April 2009 and is a potential candidate for EU accession. Although [[Albania]]'s economy continues to grow, it has slowed, and the country is still one of the poorest in Europe. A large informal economy and an inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure remain obstacles.

Source: [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/al.html]

Source: [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/al.html]