Albania is wild and mountainous, with extensive forests, sandy beaches and many beautiful lakes. It shares borders with Montenegro and Serbia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Greece. To the west lie the Adriatic and Ionian Seas.

The country is replete with extensive beaches - the Albanian riviera - mountain scenery including Mount Dêja and the Albanian Alps with their numerous valleys, rivers and lakes.

The southern coastline remains unspoilt. Situated opposite Corfu, Saranda is now visited by day trippers who come to enjoy this previously inaccessible resort.

Tirana, the capital, features many examples of early 19th-century architecture such as the Ethem-Bey Mosque (built ) and the 35m-high (117ft) clocktower (built in 1830).

Albanian food is typically Balkan and includes such specialities as fërgesë tiranë, a hot fried dish of meat, liver, eggs and tomatoes, and tavllë kosi or tavllë elbanasi, a mutton and yoghurt dish.

The most popular form of nightlife is the xhiro, the evening stroll along the main boulevards and squares of each town and village.