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General Information Area: 28,748 sq km (11,100 sq miles). Population: 3,791,000 (official estimate 1999). Population Density: 131.9 per sq km. Capital: Tirana. Population: 427,000 (1995). GEOGRAPHY: Albania shares borders with Montenegro and Serbia to the north, with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the northeast, and with Greece to the south; to the west are the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. Most of the country is wild and mountainous, with extensive forests. There are fine sandy beaches and, inland, many beautiful lakes. Government: Democratic Republic since 1991. Head of State: President Alfred Moisiu since 2002. Head of Government: Prime Minister Fatos Nano since 1999. Gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912. Language: The official language is Albanian. Some Albanians also speak Italian and English. Greek is widely spoken in the Gjirokastra and Saranda districts in south Albania. Religion: Three religions coexist in Albania: Islam, Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity. The majority of the population is Muslim. Time: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October). Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Communications:   Telephone IDD is available to major towns. Country code: 355. Outgoing international code: 00. City codes: Tirana 42, Durresi 52, Elbasan 545, Shkodra 224, Gjirokastra 726, Korça 824, Kavaja 574. For other regions, international connections are made through the nearest city. Mobile telephone GSM 900/1800 networks. Coverage is limited to main towns and coastal areas. Main network operators are Albanian Mobile Communications (website: www.amc.al) and Vodafone Albania (website: www.vodafone.al). Internet Main ISPs include Albania Online (website: www.albaniaonline.net), and Adanet (website: www.albnet.net). Internet cafes exist in most towns. Telegram/fax These services are offered in post offices and major hotels. Post All mail to and from Albania is subject to delays. Letters can be sent recorded delivery to avoid loss. There are DHL offices in Tirana and Durres, offering services between Albania and other countries. The postal and telecommunications systems are undergoing extensive modernisation. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0700-1400 and Sat 0800-1300. Press There are now about 400 newspapers and periodicals, many of which are independent. The main newspapers are published daily. Rilindja Demokratike, the organ of the ruling Democratic Party, has a circulation of 50,000. English-language newspapers published in Albania include the Albanian Daily News. Some Albanian newspapers contain a few pages in English; these include Albania, Gazeta Shqiptare, Shekulli and Ekonomia. Foreign newspapers are on sale in main towns. BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change. BBC (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice): MHz 17.64 12.10 9.410 6.195 Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov): MHz 15.21 11.82 9.760 1.197 From www.columbusguides.com, Copyright © 2004 Highbury Columbus Travel Publishing Terms and Conditions apply.