ew of the
various social, political, and economic aspects of the country as they
appeared in 1970. The leaders of the Communist Party have gone to
extremes to maintain an aura of secrecy about their nation and their
efforts to govern it. Material on Albania is scanty and some that is
available is not reliable but, using their own judgments on sources, the
authors have striven for objectivity in this effort to depict Albanian
society in 1970.

The spelling of place names conforms to the rulings of the United States
Board on Geographic Names, with the exception that no diacritical marks
have been used in this volume. The metric system has been used only for
tonnages.

COUNTRY SUMMARY

1. COUNTRY: People's Republic of Albania (Albania). Called Shqiperia by
Albanians. A national state since 1912. Under Communist control after
1944.

2. GOVERNMENT: Functions much like Party-state model of Soviet Union.
Constitution designates People's Assembly as highest state organ; its
Presidium conducts state affairs between Assembly sessions. People's
Council highest organ at district and lower echelons. Communist Party
(officially, the Albanian Workers' Party) organizations parallel
government organizations and control them from national to local levels.
Party members hold all key positions in government.

3. SIZE AND LOCATION: Area, 11,100 square miles; smallest of the
European Communist states. Extends 210 miles from southern to northern
extremities; 90 miles on longest east-west axis. Bordered on north and
east by Yugoslavia; on southeast and south by Greece; and on west by
Adriatic and Ionian seas.

4. TOPOGRAPHY: A narrow strip of lowland borders Adriatic Sea; remainder
of country is mountainous and hilly, intersected by streams that flow in
westerly or northwesterly direction. Terrain is generally rugged.

5. CLIMATE: Unusually varied. Coastal lowlands have Mediterranean-type
climate. Inland fluctuations common, but continental influences
predominate. Annual precipitation is 40 to 100 inches according to area;
highly seasonal; summer droughts common. Temperatures vary widely
because of differences in elevation and the changes in prevailing
Mediterranean and continental air currents.

6. ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS: Twenty-six districts. Economic and social
factors played important role in shaping delineations. Control and
direction is from Tirana.

7. POPULATION: Estimated 2.1 million in January 1970. Growth unusu