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Location:
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Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro
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Geographic coordinates:
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41 00 N, 20 00 E
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Map references:
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europe
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Area:
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total: 28,748 sq km
water: 1,350 sq km
land: 27,398 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Maryland
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Land boundaries:
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total: 720 km
border countries: Greece 282 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 151 km, Serbia and Montenegro 287 km
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Coastline:
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362 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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Climate:
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mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior is cooler and wetter
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Terrain:
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mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,753 m
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower
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Land use:
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arable land: 21.09%
permanent crops: 4.42%
other: 74.49% (2001)
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Irrigated land:
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3,400 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast; floods; drought
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note:
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strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)
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