Black double-headed eagle; national colors: red, black.
Title | "Hymni i Flamurit" (Hymn to the Flag) |
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Lyric/music | Aleksander Stavre DRENOVA/Ciprian PORUMBESCU |
Date of Independence | 28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire) |
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National holiday | Independence Day, 28 November (1912), also known as Flag Day |
Legal system | civil law system except in the northern rural areas where customary law known as the "Code of Leke" is still present |
International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
Constitution | |
History | Several previous; latest approved by the Assembly 21 October 1998, adopted by referendum 22 November 1998, promulgated 28 November 1998 |
Amendments | Proposed by at least one-fifth of the Assembly membership; passage requires at least a two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; referendum required only if approved by two-thirds of the Assembly; amendments approved by referendum effective upon declaration by the president of the republic; amended several times, last in 2020 |
Citizenship | |
Citizenship by birth | no |
Citizenship by descent only | at least one parent must be a citizen of Albania |
Dual citizenship recognized | yes |
Residency requirement for naturalization | 5 years |
Executive Branch | |
Chief of state | President Bajram BEGAJ (since 24 July 2022) |
Head of government | Prime Minister Edi RAMA (since 10 September 2013) |
Cabinet | Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and approved by the Assembly |
Elections/appointments | president indirectly elected by the Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); a candidate needs three-fifths majority vote of the Assembly in 1 of 3 rounds or a simple majority in 2 additional rounds to become president; election last held in 4 rounds on 16, 23, and 30 May and 4 June 2022 (next election to be held in 2027); prime minister appointed by the president on the proposal of the majority party or coalition of parties in the Assembly |
Election results | 2022: Bajram BEGAJ elected president in the fourth round; Assembly vote - 78-4, opposition parties boycotted 2017: Ilir META elected president in the fourth round; Assembly vote - 87-2 |
Legislative branch | |
Description | Unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by open party-list proportional representation vote using the D'Hondt method; members serve 4-year terms) |
Elections | Last held on 25 April 2021 (next to be held in 2025) |
Election results | Percent of vote by party/coalition - PS 48.7%, PD-Alliance for Change 39.4%, LSI 6.8%, PSD 2.3%, other 2.8%; seats by party/coalition - PS 74, PD-Alliance for Change 59, LSI 4, PSD 3; composition - men 90, women 50, percentage 35.7% |
Judicial branch | |
Highest court(s) | Supreme Court (consists of 19 judges, including the chief justice); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges, including the chairman) |
Judge selection and term of office | Supreme Court judges appointed by the High Judicial Council with the consent of the president to serve single 9-year terms; Supreme Court chairman is elected for a single 3-year term by the court members; appointments of Constitutional Court judges are rotated among the president, Parliament, and Supreme Court from a list of pre-qualified candidates (each institution selects 3 judges), to serve single 9-year terms; candidates are pre-qualified by a randomly selected body of experienced judges and prosecutors; Constitutional Court chairman is elected by the court members for a single, renewable 3-year term |
Subordinate courts | Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; specialized courts: Court for Corruption and Organized Crime, Appeals Court for Corruption and Organized Crime (responsible for corruption, organized crime, and crimes of high officials) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | |
Chief of mission | Ambassador Ervin BUSHATI (since 15 September 2023) |
Chancery | 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
Telephone | [1] (202) 223-4942 |
FAX | [1] (202) 628-7342 |
Email address and website | [email protected] http://www.ambasadat.gov.al/usa/en |
Consulate(s) general | New York |
Diplomatic representation from the US | |
Chief of mission | Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Nancy VANHORN (since August 2024) |
Embassy | Rruga Stavro Vinjau, No. 14, Tirana |
Mailing address | 9510 Tirana Place, Washington DC 20521-9510 |
Telephone | [355] 4 2247-285 |
FAX | [355] 4 2232-222 |
Email address and website | [email protected] https://al.usembassy.gov/ |
National heritage | |
Total World Heritage Sites | 4 (2 cultural, 1 natural, 1 mixed) |
Selected World Heritage Site locales | Butrint (c); Historic Berat and Gjirokastër (c); Primeval Beech Forests (n); Lake Ohrid Region (m) |
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