Having been declared an independent state in 1912, Albania was temporarily occupied by Italy between 1915 and 1920 and was gradually subdued from 1928 until it was formally annexed by Fascist Italy in 1939. The country regained its independence in 1944 and for a few decades, after the creation of the Socialist People’s Republic of Albania (1946), came under the rule of a rigid Communist regime which isolated it from the rest of the world.
In December 1990, amid an economic crisis and popular protest, the regime gave way to a process of transition towards a parliamentary democracy, marked by mass migration, political and social crises, resulting in armed revolution. The intervention of a UN military mission (April 1997) enabled the country to regain its stability and, in the same year, for political elections to be held. From that moment on, the change in governments had helped aid normalization in the country, up until the tensions registered in recent years. Albania has been a full NATO member since 2009. In June 2014, it formally obtained candidate country status in the process to become a member state of the European Union: in 2020, the EU finally approved the opening of accession negotiations.
According to the new Constitution approved by a referendum on 22 November 1998, legislative power lies in the hands of the People’s Assembly of the Republic of Albania or the Kuvendi (140 elected members with a four-year mandate), which elects the President of the Republic (in office for a five-year term, who can only be re-elected once) and controls the work of the government by expressing confidence in its operations.

Population by age and gender (% - 2020)
	75+ 60-74 45-59 30-44 15-29 0-14
MALE	AGE	FEMALE

The percentage of urban population is one of the lowest in Europe, while the birth rate remains one of the highest. Many Albanians are now living in Kosovo, in Greece and in the Republic of North Macedonia.

Economic situation.
After the decline in GDP of 3.5% in 2020 due to the effects of the pandemic, the International Monetary Fund estimates a rebound of the economy in 2021 (+5%).

Primary sector.
Agriculture continues to represent a significant sector. Olives, grape, tobacco, sugar beet, cotton, sunflower seed and timber production is relatively strong; authorities aim to reduce the illegal cultivation of marijuana.
In mountainous areas, sheep farming is common; fishing, both along the coasts and inland is quite highly developed.

Albania has healthy reserves of lignite, oil and natural gas; it also produces chromite, cupreous pyrites, nickel and bitumen. Almost all of the electricity is produced by hydroelectric plants.
A thermal power plant operates in Vlorë.
The main industries are based on the processing of fish and agricultural produce (sugar refineries, timber- and tobacco-processing), and on textile manufacturing.
Still in operation are some cement factories, metal-working plants (copper), refineries (at Ballsh and Fier) and paper mills.
The country is a crucial hub for the new TAP gas pipeline, opened in October 2020, which transports gas from the Caucasus to Italy, and for the IAP gas pipeline to Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia.
A number of Italian companies have moved some of their customer support services to Albania.
To boost tourism, the country has started construction of its third international airport in Vlorë.

Main exports (M US$ - 2017) 
apparel and accessories 483, footwear and parts thereof 467, iron and steel 217, petroleum products 198, fresh and preserved fish 93, chromite 86, electrical and electronic equipment 77, aluminium 67, fruit and vegetables 66