FACTS

Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece in the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north

Area (only Total) total: 28,748 sq km

Climate: mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter

Terrain: mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast

Population: 3,619,778

Main Language (only first): Albanian

Government type: emerging democracy

Capital (Name): Tirana (Tirane)

Capital (Time Difference): UTC+1

Independence: 28 November 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire)

National holiday: Independence Day, 28 November