Background Note: Albania
PROFILE
OFFICIAL NAME:
Geography
Area: 28,748 sq. km. (slightly larger than Maryland).
Major cities: Capital--Tirana (600,000, 2005 est.). Others--Durres (200,000, 2005 est.), Shkoder (81,000, 2005 est.), Vlore (72,000, 2005 est.).
Terrain: Situated in the southwestern region of the Balkan Peninsula, Albania is predominantly mountainous but flat
along its coastline with the Adriatic Sea. Climate: Mild, temperate; cool, wet winters; dry, hot summers.
People
Population (2007 est.): 3,600,523.
Growth rate (2007 est.): 0.529%.
Ethnic groups (2004 est., Government of Albania): Albanian 98.6%, Greeks 1.17%, others 0.23% (Vlachs, Roma, Serbs,
Montenegrins, Macedonians, Balkan Egyptians, and Bulgarians).
Religions: Muslim (Sunni and Bektashi) 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, and Roman Catholic 10%.
Official language: Albanian.
Health (2007 est.): Life expectancy--males 74.95 years; females 80.53 years. Infant mortality rate--20.02 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Government
Type: Parliamentary democracy.
Constitution: Adopted by popular referendum November 28, 1998.
Independence: November 28, 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire).
Branches: Executive--President (chief of state), Prime Minister (head of government), Council of Ministers (cabinet). Legislative--Unicameral People's Assembly or Kuvendi Popullor--140 seats (100 members elected by direct popular vote; 40 by
proportional vote; all serve 4-year terms). Judicial--Constitutional Court, High Court, multiple district and appeals courts.
Suffrage: Universal at age 18.
Main political parties: Democratic Party of Albania (PD); Albanian Socialist Party (PS); Socialist Movement for
Integration (LSI); Albanian Republican Party (PR); Demo-Christian Party (PDK); Union for Human Rights Party (PBDNJ); New
Democracy Party (PDR); Social Democratic Party (PSD); Social Democracy Party (PDS).
Economy
Real GDP growth (2007): 6%; 6% (2008 forecast)
Inflation rate (2007): 3% (average year-on-year annual)
Unemployment rate (Q2 2007): 13.5%.
Natural resources: Oil, gas, coal, iron, copper and chrome ores.
GEOGRAPHY
Albania shares a border with Greece to the south/southeast, Macedonia to the east, Kosovo to the northeast, and
Montenegro to the northwest. Western Albania lies along the Adriatic and Ionian Sea coastlines. Albania's primary
seaport is Durres, which handles 90% of its maritime cargo.
PEOPLE AND HISTORY
Over 90% of Albania's people are ethnic Albanian, and Albanian is the official language. Religions include Muslim (Sunni
and Bektashi), Albanian Orthodox, and Roman Catholic.
Scholars believe the Albanian people are descended from a non-Slavic, non-Turkic group of tribes known as Illyrians, who
arrived in the Balkans around 2000 BC. After falling under Roman authority in 165 BC, Albania was controlled nearly
continuously by a succession of foreign powers until the mid-20th century, with only brief periods of self-rule.
Following the split of the Roman Empire in 395, the Byzantine Empire established control over present-day Albania. In
the 11th century, Byzantine Emperor Alexius I Comnenus made the first recorded reference to a distinct area of land
known as Albania and to its people.
The Ottoman Empire ruled Albania from 1385-1912. During this time, much of the population converted to the Islamic
faith, and Albanians also emigrated to Italy, Greece, Egypt and Turkey. Although its control was briefly disrupted
during the 1443-78 revolt, led by Albania's national hero, Gjergj Kastrioti Skenderbeu, the Ottomans eventually
reasserted their dominance.
The League of Prizren (1878) promoted the idea of an Albanian nation-state and established the modern Albanian alphabet,
updating a language that survived the hundreds of years of Ottoman rule despite being outlawed. By the early 20th
century, the weakened Ottoman Empire was no longer able to suppress Albanian nationalism. Following the conclusion of
the First Balkan War, Albanians issued the Vlore Proclamation of November 28, 1912, declaring independence and the Great
Powers established Albania's borders in 1913. Albania's territorial integrity was confirmed at the Paris Peace
Conference in 1919, after U.S. President Woodrow Wilson dismissed a plan by the European powers to divide Albania among
its neighbors.
During the Second World War, Albania was occupied first by Italy (1939-43) and then by Germany (1943-44). After the war,
Communist Party leader Enver Hoxha, through a combination of ruthlessness and strategic alliances, managed to preserve
Albania's territorial integrity during the next 40 years, but exacted a terrible price from the population, which was
subjected to purges, shortages, repression of civil and political rights, a total ban on religious observance, and
increased isolation. Albania adhered to a strict Stalinist philosophy, eventually withdrawing from the Warsaw Pact in
1968 and alienating its final remaining ally, China, in 1978.
Following Hoxha's death in 1985 and the subsequent fall of Communism in 1991, Albanian society struggled to overcome its
historical isolation and underdevelopment. During the initial transition period, the Albanian Government sought closer
ties with the West in order to improve economic conditions and introduced basic democratic reforms, including a
multi-party system.
In 1992, after the sweeping electoral victory of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha became the first democratically
elected President of Albania. Berisha began a more deliberate program of economic and democratic reform but progress on
these issues stalled in the mid-1990s, due to political gridlock. At the same time, unscrupulous investment companies
defrauded investors all over Albania using pyramid schemes. In early 1997, several of these pyramid schemes collapsed,
leaving thousands of people bankrupt, disillusioned, and angry. Armed revolts broke out across the country, leading to
the near-total collapse of government authority. During this time, Albania's already inadequate and antiquated
infrastructure suffered tremendous damage, as people looted public works for building materials. Weapons depots all over
the country were raided. The anarchy of early 1997 alarmed the world and prompted intensive international mediation.
A UN Multinational Protection Force restored order, and an interim national reconciliation government oversaw the
general elections of June 1997, which returned the Socialists and their allies to power at the national level. President
Berisha resigned, and the Socialists elected Rexhep Meidani as President of the Republic.
During the transitional period of 1997-2002, a series of short-lived Socialist-led governments succeeded one another as
Albania's fragile democratic structures were strengthened. Additional political parties formed, media outlets expanded,
non-governmental organizations and business associations developed. In 1998, Albanians ratified a new constitution via
popular referendum, guaranteeing the rule of law and the protection of fundamental human rights and religious freedom.
Fatos Nano, Chairman of the Socialist Party, emerged as Prime Minister in July 2002.
On July 24, 2002, Alfred Moisiu was sworn in as President of the Republic. A nonpartisan figure, he was elected as a
consensus candidate of the ruling and opposition parties. The peaceful transfer of power from President Meidani to
President Moisiu was the result of an agreement between the parties to engage each other within established
parliamentary structures. This "truce" ushered in a new period of political stability in Albania, making possible
significant progress in democratic and economic reforms, rule of law initiatives, and the development of Albania's
relations with its neighbors and the U.S.
The "truce" between party leaders began to fray in summer 2003 and progress on economic and political reforms suffered
noticeably due to political infighting. The municipal elections of 2003 and national elections of 2005 were an
improvement over past years, adding to the consolidation of democracy despite the continued presence of administrative
errors and inaccuracies in voter lists.
In 2005, the Democratic Party and its allies returned to power, pledging to fight crime and corruption, decrease the
size and scope of government, and promote economic growth. Their leader, Sali Berisha, was sworn in as Prime Minister on
September 11, 2005.
Since the election, Prime Minister Berisha's government has made the fight against corruption and organized crime a
priority, although the former has met with limited success. The opposition has criticized the government's approach to
fighting corruption and crime as unconstitutional and an attempt to undermine independent institutions. While previously
relations between the government and opposition SP party were characterized as antagonistic, both sides have at times
shown willingness to work together to achieve major policy objectives, such as the constitutional reforms of early 2008.
Another politically contentious process was the pre-electoral period prior to the 2007 local elections. Although the
February 18, 2007 local elections were generally peaceful and democratic, over-politicized debate during the preceding
months resulted in procedural and administrative problems during the conduct of the elections. A major positive step
forward was the performance of the police force.
The fragility of the Albanian electoral system was tested again during the parliamentary by-election in zone 26 (Shijak)
on March 11, 2007. The left-wing opposition parties withdrew their commissioners from the polling stations and the
counting center, in spite of prior concessions from the Central Elections Commission (CEC) to the opposition's demands.
Opposition commissioners left and took with them one of the seals that mark the ballots. By midday, the opposition
candidate also announced his withdrawal from the parliamentary race. However, the right of citizens to vote prevailed
and the process continued thanks to the technical arrangements of the CEC. The only visible sign of violence was the
wounding of a Democratic Party commissioner, who was fired upon by a militant.
Both elections were an indication of lack of political will to cooperate and of the imminent need for a comprehensive
electoral reform of the present Albanian electoral system.
On July 20, 2007 President Bamir Topi was elected within Parliament after six members of the opposition coalition broke
ranks to vote for his candidacy. Out of 90 deputies present at the session, 85 voted for Topi, while Neritan Ceka, head
of the opposition Democratic Alliance party, won five votes. Topi, 50, a former agriculture minister, now succeeds
President Alfred Moisiu for a five-year mandate.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
The unicameral People's Assembly (Kuvendi Popullor) consists of 140 seats, 100 of which are determined by direct popular
vote. The remaining seats are distributed by proportional representation. All members serve 4-year terms. The Speaker of
Parliament (Jozefina Topalli) has two deputies, who along with eight permanent parliamentary commissions assist in the
process of legislating Albanian affairs.
The President is the head of state and elected by a three-fifths majority vote of all Assembly members. The President
serves a term of 5 years with the right to one re-election. Although the position is largely ceremonial, the
Constitution gives the President authority to appoint and dismiss some high-ranking civil servants in the executive and
judicial branches, and this authority can have political implications. The President is also commander in chief of the
armed forces, and chairs the National Security Commission. The current President's term expires on July 23, 2012.
The Prime Minister is appointed by the President and approved by a simple majority of all members of the Assembly. The
Prime Minister serves as the Chairman of the Council of Ministers (cabinet), which consists of the Prime Minister,
Deputy Prime Minister, and other ministers. Members of the Council of Ministers are nominated by the Prime Minister,
decreed by the President, and approved by a parliamentary vote.
Albania's civil law system is similar to that of other European countries. The court structure consists of a
Constitutional Court, a Supreme Court, and multiple appeal and district courts. The Constitutional Court is comprised of
nine members appointed by the Assembly for one 9-year term. The Constitutional Court interprets the Constitution,
determines the constitutionality of laws, and resolves disagreements between local and federal authorities. The Supreme
Court is the highest court of appeal and consists of 11 members appointed by the President with the consent of the
Assembly for 9-year terms. The President chairs the High Council of Justice, which is responsible for appointing and
dismissing other judges. The High Council of Justice is comprised of 15 members--the President of the Republic, the
Chairman of the High Court, the Minister of Justice, three members elected by the Assembly, and nine judges of all
levels elected by the National Judicial Conference.
The remaining courts are divided into three jurisdictions: criminal, civil, and military. There are no jury trials under
the Albanian system of justice. A college of three judges, who are sometimes referred to as a "jury" by the Albanian
press, render court verdicts.
Principal Government Officials
President--Bamir Topi
Prime Minister--Sali Berisha
Deputy Prime Minister--Genc Pollo
Minister of Defense --Gazmend Oketa
Minister of Foreign Affairs--Lulzim Basha
ECONOMY
Albania remains one of the poorest countries in Europe. According to the Bank of Albania, per capita income was U.S.
$3,500 in 2008. The official unemployment rate is 13.5%, and 18.5% of the population lives below the poverty line
according to the World Bank's 2005 Poverty Assessment. Almost 60% of all workers are employed in the agricultural
sector, although the construction and service industries have been expanding recently, the latter boosted significantly
by ethnic Albanian tourists from throughout the Balkans. The GDP is comprised of agriculture (approximately 24%),
industry (approximately 13%), service sector (approximately 39%), transport and communication (12%), construction (11%),
and remittances from Albanian workers abroad--mostly in Greece and Italy (approximately 12.8%).
Albania was the last of the central and eastern European countries to embark upon democratic and free market reforms.
Further, Albania started from a comparatively disadvantaged position, due to Hoxha's catastrophic economic policies.
Transition from a centrally planned economy to a market-orientated system has been almost as difficult for Albania as
the country's communist period.
The democratically elected government that assumed office in April 1992 launched an ambitious economic reform program
meant to halt economic deterioration and put the country on the path toward a market economy. Key elements included
price and exchange system liberalization, fiscal consolidation, monetary restraint, and a firm income policy. These were
complemented by a comprehensive package of structural reforms, including privatization, enterprise and financial sector
reform, and creation of the legal framework for a market economy and private sector activity.
Results of Albania's efforts were initially encouraging. Led by the agricultural sector, real GDP grew, and Albania's
currency, the lek, stabilized. The speed and vigor of private entrepreneurial response to Albania's opening and
liberalizing was better than expected. Beginning in 1995, however, progress stalled. The collapse of the infamous
pyramid schemes of the 1990s and the instability that followed were a tremendous setback, from which Albania's economy
continues to recover.
In recent years the Albanian economy has improved, although infrastructure development and major reforms in areas such
as tax collection, property laws, and for improving the business climate in general are proceeding slowly. Between
2003-2007, Albania experienced an average 5.5% annual growth in GDP. Fiscal and monetary discipline has kept inflation
relatively low, averaging roughly 2.5% per year between 2004-2006. In 2007, inflation increased to 3%, still within the
target range set by the Bank of Albania. Albania's public debt reached 54.1% of GDP in 2007, and the growing trade
deficit was estimated at 22% of GDP in 2007. Economic reform has also been hampered by Albania's very large informal
economy, which the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates equals 50% of GDP.
Albania's trade imbalance is severe. In 2007, Albanian trade had U.S. $4.15 billion in imports, and U.S. $1 billion in
exports. Albania has concluded Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with Macedonia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania, Bosnia, and
Moldova. Albania also previously established an FTA with the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), which
is expected to transfer to the Republic of Kosovo sometime in 2009. In April 2006, these bilateral agreements were
replaced by a multiregional agreement that entered into force in May 2007 and that is based on the Central European Free
Trade Agreement (CEFTA) model. However, combined trade with all these countries constitutes a small percentage of
Albania's trade, while trade with EU member states (mainly Greece and Italy) accounts for nearly 68%. U.S. two-way trade
with Albania is very low. In 2006, U.S. exports to Albania totaled $46.6 million. U.S. imports, during the same time
period, totaled $3.44 million, making the U.S. the 17th overall trade partner of Albania However, there are some
discrepancies between U.S. and Albanian trade figures. Major U.S. investment to date has been limited to large-scale
infrastructure contracts with the government; Lockheed Martin and Bechtel are principal U.S. participants. The Albanian
Government signed a FTA with the EU as part of its Stabilization and Association Agreement negotiations. The interim
agreement entered into force in December 2006, and it foresees a duty-free regime for almost 90% of agricultural and
industrial products. On the fiscal side it will also significantly reduce revenue collection.
Albania is trying to attract foreign investment and promote domestic investment, but significant impediments exist. The
Albanian Government faces the daunting task of rationalizing and uniformly applying business laws, improving
transparency in business procedures, restructuring the tax systems (including tax collection), reducing corruption in
the bureaucracy, and resolving property ownership disputes.
Business growth is further hampered by Albania's inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure. The capital,
Tirana, and the main port of Durres, generally receive electricity most of the day, but frequent power outages plague
every other major city, small town, and rural village. Although recent steps have been taken to improve the
transportation infrastructure, Albania has a limited railway system and just one international airport. Because of the
mountainous terrain and poor road condition, overland goods transport is arduous and costly.
MILITARY AFFAIRS
Since the fall of communism in Albania in 1991, the country has played a constructive role in resolving several of the
inter-ethnic conflicts in south central Europe, promoting peaceful dispute resolution and discouraging ethnic Albanian
extremists. Albania sheltered many thousands of Kosovar refugees during the 1999 conflict. Albania is part of the
international Stabilization Force (SFOR) serving in Bosnia, and Albanian peacekeepers are part of the International
Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan and the international stabilization force in Iraq. Albania has been a steadfast
supporter of U.S. policy in Iraq, and was one of only four nations to contribute troops to the combat phase of Operation
Enduring Freedom.
Albania continues to work with the international community to restructure its armed forces and strengthen democratic
structures pursuant to its NATO Membership Action Plan. NATO members continue to encourage Albania to address military
reforms that will bring it closer to membership. Since 1999, Albania has spent approximately $108 million annually on
military expenditures, roughly 1.35% of its GDP. According to Government of Albania projections, military expenditure
will reach 2% of GDP in 2008. With bilateral and multilateral assistance, the Ministry of Defense is transitioning to a
smaller, voluntary, professional military, and reducing the vast amounts of excess weaponry and ammunition that litter
the country and pose a significant public hazard and proliferation risk. The Albanian Government and the international
community are working together on a project that will make Albania a mine-free country by 2010. Most high- and
medium-priority mine clearance has been completed in the mined areas of northeast Albania, a legacy of the 1999 Kosovo
crisis.
Albania and the U.S. enjoy a military partnership and are signatories to treaties including the 2003 Prevention of
Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and the Promotion of Defense and Military Relations and the 2004
Supplementary Agreement to the Partnership for Peace Status of Forces Agreement, which defines the status of American
military troops in Albania and further enables military cooperation. In May 2003, Albania, Croatia, Macedonia, and the
U.S. created the Adriatic Charter, modeled on the Baltic Charter, as a mechanism for promoting regional cooperation to advance each country's NATO
candidacy. In spite of strong EU objections, Albania also signed in May 2003 a bilateral agreement with the United
States on non-surrender of persons, based on Article 98 of the statute of International Criminal Court.
In 2004 President Bush authorized the use of the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program funds for projects in
Albania, marking the first time such funds are used outside the former Soviet Union. With this funding the United States
is assisting the Government of Albania with the destruction of a stockpile of chemical agents left over from the
communist regime. Under this program, Albania became the first nation in the world to complete destruction of declared
chemical weapons holdings under the Chemical Weapons Convention in July 2007. Albania received an invitation to become a
NATO member at the April 2008 NATO Summit in Bucharest. The U.S Senate unanimously ratified Albania’s Protocols of
Accession to NATO September 25, and President Bush signed the Accession Protocols October 24, 2008.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Albania is currently pursuing a path of greater Euro-Atlantic integration. Its primary long-term goals are to gain NATO
and EU membership and to promote closer bilateral ties with its neighbors and with the U.S. Albania is a member of a
number of international organizations, as well as multiple regional organizations and initiatives, including the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the UN, the Stability Pact, the Adriatic Charter, and the
World Trade Organization (WTO). In June 2006, Albania and the EU signed a Stabilization and Association Agreement, the
first step to EU membership, which will focus on implementing essential rule of law reforms and curbing corruption and
organized crime.
Albania maintains generally good relations with its neighbors. It re-established diplomatic relations with the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia following the ousting of Slobodan Milosevic in 2000, and maintains excellent relations with the
Republic of Montenegro, which gained its independence after the dissolution of the Serbia and Montenegro union in 2006
Albanian, Macedonian, and Italian law enforcement agencies are cooperating with increasing efficiency to crack down on
the trafficking of arms, drugs, contraband, and human beings across their borders. Albania has also arrested and
prosecuted several ethnic-Albanian extremists on charges of inciting interethnic hatred in Macedonia and Kosovo.
Tensions occasionally arise with Greece over the treatment of the Greek minority in Albania or the Albanian community in
Greece, but overall relations are good.
U.S.-ALBANIAN RELATIONS
Albania enjoys friendly and cooperative bilateral relations with the U.S. Pro-U.S. sentiment is widespread among the
population. Even while the U.S., which had closed its mission to Albania in 1946, was being vilified by communist
propaganda during the Hoxha regime, ordinary Albanians remembered that Woodrow Wilson had protected Albanian
independence in 1919. Albanians credit the NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999 with saving thousands of Kosovo Albanians, and
they greatly appreciate the U.S Government's continued support for a stable, free, and democratic Kosovo.
In 2003, Albania and the U.S. signed and ratified a number of agreements, including a treaty on the Prevention of
Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and the Promotion of Defense and Military Relations; the Adriatic Charter;
and an Agreement regarding the non-surrender of persons to the International Criminal Court. The U.S. strongly supports
Albania's EU and NATO membership goals. Working towards NATO membership, the U.S. and Albania signed a Supplementary
Agreement to the Partnership for Peace. NATO Protocols. Status of Forces Agreement, an important step in strengthening
bilateral cooperation and enhancing security, peace, and stability in the region. The US Senate unanimously ratified
Albania’s Protocols of Accession to NATO September 25, and President Bush signed the Accession Protocols October 24,
2008.
Since FY 1991, the U.S. has provided Albania with more than $616 million in assistance, not counting U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) food aid. The aid has served to facilitate Albania's transition from the most isolated and repressive
communist state in Europe to a modern democracy with a market-oriented economy, and to support long-term development. In
2007, the U.S. gave over $21.1 million to Albania under the Support for East European Democracy (SEED) Act program.
Albania was among the first countries selected to participate in the Threshold Program under the Millennium Challenge
Account, winning a grant of $13.8 million and a Second Threshold grant of $16 million in 2008. The program targets two
critical stumbling blocks to development--corruption and rule of law.
Despite daunting problems at home, Albania has wholeheartedly supported the U.S. in the global war on terrorism by
freezing terrorist assets, shutting down non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with possible links to terrorist
financing, expelling extremists, and providing hundreds of military troops for the U.S.-led actions in Afghanistan and
Iraq. Albania has played a moderating role in the region and has fully supported UN mediation efforts in Kosovo.
Principal U.S. Embassy Officials
Ambassador--John L. Withers II
Deputy Chief of Mission--Stephen A. Cristina
Political/Economic Section Chief--Paul Poletes
Political Officers--Tony Baird, Michael Gray
Economic/Commercial Officer--Victor Myev
Consular Officer--Abigail Aronson
USAID Director--Roberta Mahoney
Public Affairs Officer--Bix Aliu
Defense Attaché--Cmdr. Brian Moore
Regional Security Officer--Patrick Leonard
Management Officer--Nancy Brannaman
The U.S. Embassy is located at 103 Tirana Rruga Elbasanit, Tirana; telephone: [355] (4) 224-7285; facsimile: [355] (4) 223-2222.
TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION
The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program advises Americans traveling and residing abroad through
Country Specific Information, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings. Country Specific Information exists for all countries and includes information on entry and exit requirements, currency regulations, health
conditions, safety and security, crime, political disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. embassies and consulates
abroad. Travel Alerts are issued to disseminate information quickly about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions
overseas that pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country because the situation
is dangerous or unstable.
For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's
Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site at http://www.travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings can be found. Consular Affairs Publications, which contain information on obtaining passports and planning a safe trip abroad, are also available at http://www.travel.state.gov. For additional information on international travel, see http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Travel/International.shtml.
The Department of State encourages all U.S. citizens traveling or residing abroad to register via the State Department's travel registration website or at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. Registration will make your presence and whereabouts known
in case it is necessary to contact you in an emergency and will enable you to receive up-to-date information on security
conditions.
Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the
U.S. and Canada or the regular toll line 1-202-501-4444 for callers outside the US. and Canada.
The National Passport Information Center (NPIC) is the U.S. Department of State's single, centralized public contact center for U.S. passport information.
Telephone: 1-877-4-USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778); TDD/TTY: 1-888-874-7793. Passport information is available 24 hours, 7 days
a week. You may speak with a representative Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 pm., Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays.
Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta,
Georgia. A hotline at 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) and a web site at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/default.aspx give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements, and advice on food and drinking
water safety for regions and countries. The CDC publication "Health Information for International Travel" can be found
at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentYellowBook.aspx.
Further Electronic Information
Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at http://www.state.gov, the Department of State web site provides timely, global access to official U.S. foreign policy information, including Background Notes and daily press briefings along with the directory of key officers of Foreign Service posts and more. The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) provides security information and
regional news that impact U.S. companies working abroad through its website http://www.osac.gov
Export.gov provides a portal to all export-related assistance and market information offered by the federal government and
provides trade leads, free export counseling, help with the export process, and more.
STAT-USA/Internet, a service of the U.S. Department of Commerce, provides authoritative economic, business, and international trade
information from the Federal government. The site includes current and historical trade-related releases, international
market research, trade opportunities, and country analysis and provides access to the National Trade Data Bank.
ENDS