The Republic of Albania is located in southeastern Europe bordering Greece to the south, F.Y.R.O.M (Former Republic of Macedonia) to the east and Kosovo and Montenegro to the north.
The capital city is Tirana (metro area population 433,000), the currency is the leke and the official language is Albanian but English, Greek and Italian are common among the country's 3 million people.
Albania first gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912 but was then under Communist rule from 1944 to 1992 which stifled modernization and economic growth. Now a Parliamentary Republic, Albania has embarked on reforms to build its economy including encouraging foreign investment and privatizing industries. Modern oil and gas exploration efforts commenced in the early 1990s when international companies were invited back into the country.
Albania is a member of the United Nations, joined NATO in 2009 and is a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Stability Pact, the Adriatic Charter and the World Trade Organization. Albania filed its application for EU Albania has an extensive western coastline along the Adriatic Sea providing access to the entire Mediterranean. The government has embarked on an ambitious program to improve the business climate by undertaking fiscal and legislative reforms and by improving infrastructure.
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