| | ALBANIA
The Country History
Albania was established by the Greeks over 600 years before Christ. It suffered continuous invasions over the last 1000 years and by the end of the 14th century it came under the control of the Ottoman Empire. The subsequent efforts and revolts eventually brought independence in 1912. In 1939 during the Second World War, the Italians occupied the country. In 1944, the foreign armies were expelled and the Communist party took power constituting a totalitarian regime. For about 50 years, the regime applied the policy of self-isolation, leaving the country in great economic poverty when it finally emerged from isolation in 1991.
From 1991 until 1997 The Democratic Party lead the country. After the unrests of 1997 due to the failure of pyramidal schemes the Socialist Party with its coalition was in power until 2005. In the 2005 general elections, the Democratic Party and its allies won a decisive victory. Although Albania's economy continues to grow, the country is still one of the poorest in Europe, hampered by a large informal economy and an inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure. Albania is continuing to work toward joining NATO and the EU.
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