The Albanian capital, Tirana, is home to 750,000 of the country's 3.5 million population. More than twice the size of Durres, the country's main port, Tirana is the political, administrative, business and industrial centre of the country. The city has more than trebled in size in the past fifteen years, and as a result of the opening of the country in the post-communist era Tirana is now undergoing a development boom as its telecommunications, transport and utilities' infrastructure is being revamped.

The country is predominantly Albanian by ethnic origin, with less than 5% of the population a mix of citizens of Greek, Vlach, Roma, Serb, Macedonian, or Bulgarian origin. Literacy rates are high at all schooling levels and great emphasis is placed on the benefits of higher education.

The country is relatively small by European standards, just over 10,500 square miles (28,500 square kilometres). Predominantly hilly, we have several hundred miles of coastline bordering the Adriatic and Ionian Sea, some of the last remaining unspoiled and undiscovered areas in the Mediterranean. Our pleasant climate will be familiar to anyone who has holidayed in southern Europe.


[Download a PDF containing background details about Albania's regions]
[Download a PDF containing details about improvements to Albania's transportation networks]