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

Geographic coordinates:
41 00 N, 20 00 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 28,748 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 27,398 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 1,350 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 145

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries:
total: 691 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (4): Greece 212 km, Kosovo 112 km, Macedonia 181 km, Montenegro 186 km

Coastline:
362 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ]
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
[see also: Maritime claims - continental shelf country ranks ]

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

Terrain:
mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast

Elevation:
mean elevation: 708 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: 0 m lowest point: Adriatic Sea
2764 highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab)

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower, arable land

Land use:
agricultural land: 43.1% (2016 est.)
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
arable land: 22.6% (2016 est.)
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 3% (2016 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
permanent pasture: 17.5% (2016 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent pasture country ranks ]
forest: 28.12% (2016 est.)
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 28.75% (2016 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
3,537 sq km (2014)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population distribution:
a fairly even distribution, with somewhat higher concentrations of people in the western and central parts of the country

Natural hazards:
destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents; air pollution from industrial and power plants; loss of biodiversity due to lack of resources for sound environmental management

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)