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TRAVEL GUIDE & ADVICE

Buses / coaches into Malaysia (KL / Malacca) run from Brunei, Indonesian Borneo, Singapore and Thailand. Please see the relevant c... more

Malaysia overview

A former British colony, Malaysia, as the rising star of South-East Asia, neighbored with Thailand in the west, Singapore in the S... more

Taiwan Climate

Located in the subtropical climate zone, Taiwan enjoys warm weather all year round. The weather is fluctuated during spring... more

Taiwan Overview

Ilha Formosa – Beautiful Island. This is what a group of Portuguese sailors uttered upon seeing T... more

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TRAVELER HOTEL REVIEWS

Sheraton Lido Chengdu [1 Reviews]

My friend and I stayed in this Sheraton as a rest point on our way to Lijiang, Yunan. This hotel was very much "West... more

Hilton Osaka [1 Reviews]

The Osaka Hilton looks impressive. It stands out in the Osaka skyline. The hotel is walking distance from the main train... more

Ark Tokyo [1 Reviews]

The Ark Hotel Tokyo is located in Tokyo making it one of the best hotels to stay at while in town. The only problem was ... more

Holmenkollen Park Rica [2 Reviews]

The hotel is about 20-25 minutes from the city but the Metro runs often (indicated by a T in a circle - don't get confus... more

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Albania Hotels

Worldwide Hotels Europe Hotels Albania Hotels Albania

OFFICIAL NAME:
Republic of Albania

Geography
Area: 28,748 sq. km. (slightly larger than Maryland).
Major cities: Capital--Tirana (600,000, 2005 est.). Others--Durres (200,000, 2005 est.), Shkoder (81,000, 2005 est.), Vlore (72,000, 2005 est.).
Terrain: Situated in the southwestern region of the Balkan Peninsula, Albania is predominantly mountainous but flat along its coastline with the Adriatic Sea.
Climate: Mild, temperate; cool, wet winters; dry, hot summers.

People
Population (2007 est.): 3,600,523.
Growth rate (2007 est.): 0.529%.
Ethnic groups (2004 est., Government of Albania): Albanian 98.6%, Greeks 1.17%, others 0.23% (Vlachs, Roma, Serbs, Montenegrins, Macedonians, Balkan Egyptians, and Bulgarians).
Religions: Muslim (Sunni and Bektashi) 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, and Roman Catholic 10%.
Official language: Albanian.
Health (2007 est.): Life expectancy--males 74.95 years; females 80.53 years. Infant mortality rate--20.02 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Government
Type: Parliamentary democracy.
Constitution: Adopted by popular referendum November 28, 1998.
Independence: November 28, 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire).
Branches: Executive--President (chief of state), Prime Minister (head of government), Council of Ministers (cabinet). Legislative--140-seat unicameral People's Assembly or Kuvendi Popullor (100 members elected by direct popular vote; 40 by proportional vote; all serve 4-year terms). Judicial--Constitutional Court, High Court, multiple district and appeals courts.
Suffrage: Universal at age 18.
Main political parties: Democratic Party of Albania (DP); Albanian Socialist Party (SP); Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI); Albanian Republican Party (PR); Demo-Christian Party (PDK); Union for Human Rights Party (PBDNJ); New Democracy Party (PDR); Social Democratic Party (PSD); Social Democracy Party (PDS).

Economy
Real GDP growth: 6% (2007); 6% (2008 forecast).
Inflation rate (2008): 3.4%.
Unemployment rate: 12.7%.
Natural resources: Oil, gas, coal, iron, copper and chrome ores.

GEOGRAPHY
Albania shares a border with Greece to the south/southeast, Macedonia to the east, Kosovo to the northeast, and Montenegro to the northwest. Western Albania lies along the Adriatic and Ionian Sea coastlines. Albania's primary seaport is Durres, which handles 90% of its maritime cargo.

Source: www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3235.htm