The border line is 1,094 km long, of which 657 km are terrestrial, 316 km border the sea, 48 km border rivers and 73 km lakes. Neighbours: Serbia-Montenegro (inkluding Kosovo), Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Greece. To the west Albania has a wide exit onto the Adriatic and Ionian seas. The relief of Albania is mainly rocky. Korabi, with 2,751 meters above sea level, is the highest point in Albania. Its biggest valleys are those situated in the area around the Drin river. The Adriatic coast goes from the Buna gorge to the Gjuheza cape. Beginning at Vlore Bay towards the south there are high cliffs, and a main feature of the area is the dominant Karaburuni mountain. The main bays of Albania are: Drini, Lalezi, Durrës, Karavasta and Vlore, in the mouth of which is situated Sazani Island. The main beaches are: Velipoje, Tale, Durrës, Divjake, Seman and Vlore. The units of local government are communes or municipalities and regions. A region consists of several basic units of local government with traditional, economic and social ties and joint interests. Albania has 12 counties (qarqe): Qarku i Beratit, Qarku i Dibres, Qarku i Durresit (Durrës), Qarku i Elbasanit, Qarku i Fierit, Qarku i Gjirokastres, Qarku i Korces, Qarku i Kukesit, Qarku i Lezhes, Qarku i Shkodres, Qarku i Tiranes, and Qarku i Vlores. There are 36 districts and the municipality of Tirana. Travel to the northeastern border areas between Albania and Kosovo is advised against due to the poor condition of roads and the risk of unexploded situations. The origins of the Albanian people are not clearly defined, however BC Illyrians lived in the region that is now Albania starting in the 10th century. Beginning in 8th century BC there were also Greeks on the coast, and later it became part of the Roman Empire. In the 15thth century) maintained their name in the form of "arvanit", whereas those who emigrated to Italy (15th and 16th centuries) and to Dalmatia and Istria (18th century) maintained it in the form of "arberesh" (or “albanezh”). Albania proclaimed independence on 28 November 1912. The London Treaty was signed between Antanta's powers and Italy in 1915. Point 5 of this treaty states that the Albanian coastline from Buna's gorge in the north to Drini's gorge in the south, including Shengjin, go to Serbia and Montenegro, while point 6 states that Vlora and Sazani Island go to Italy. In reference to point 7, Italy was not obliged to go against the eventual wish of France, England and Russia that the southern and northern parts of Albania be divided among Montenegro, Serbia and Greece, while an autonomous Albanian state would be founded in Central Albania, under Italy's protectorate. This treaty was rejected by the Lushnja Congress in 1920. The Lushnja Congress, attended by 50 independent representatives, turned down the anti-Albanian plans, and declared the defence at any cost of the territorial integrity of the Albanian state and the complete independence of Albania. Along with the plans of the Peace Conference, the congress refuted the 1913 decision, which had placed the Albanian state under the collective control of the big European powers. Ahmed Zogu first declared himself president in 1925, and then King Zog I in 1928 within a monarchy. In 1939 Italy invaded Albania. From World War II until 1990, Albania was ruled by one of the most totalitarian regimes in Europe. Agrarian reform in the agricultural economy in 1945 expropriated owners, nationalised the forests, water resources, pastures and big herds of livestock. An area of 17,000 hectares was used to create the first state socialist agricultural enterprises. A total number of 19,355 owners were expropriated. The leader during this time, Enver Hoxha, who died 11 April 1985,  isolated the country from the rest of the world. In 1958 Albania stood with China in opposing Moscow, and China was for years an important partner of Albania. The regime closed all churches and mosques in a move to make Albania the “first atheist state in the world”. The name of the country at that time was the People's Socialist Republic of Albania. During the 80s and 90s, the growth of general industrial production was 1.8% per year, while the growth of the population was 1.9% per year. After Hoxha died, Ramiz Alia took over political leadership. In December 1990, Sali Berisha joined student demonstrations that forced the government to approve the establishment of a multi-party system. Berisha emerged as leader of the Democratic Party (DP), the first opposition party. He was formally elected DP chairman in February 1991 at the party’s first national congress. Albania’s first democratic parliamentary elections were held in 1992. The Democratic Party won 62% of the popular vote and 92 of the 140 seats in the People’s Assembly. Following the resignation of President Alia, the DP-dominated People’s Assembly elected Sali Berisha to the position of President of the Repubic of Albania. Berisha was the first non-communist head of state. In 1997, the political and economic system was devastated by the collapse of pyramidal investment schemes, in the end bringing down the government. In 2002, Fatos Nano (of the Socialist Party) replaced Pandeli Majko, who became the country’s prime minister until 2005. General parliamentary elections took place in July 2005, bringing to power the right-wing opposition after eight years of socialist ruling. Sali Berisha led a coalition of five right-centre parties, which won a majority of 74 MP’s from a total of 140. He was appointed Prime Minister of Albania on 8 September 2005, with a majority vote of 81 MP’s.  Ex-Prime Minister Fatos Nano resigned from chairing the Socialist Party after losing the elections. The elections marked the first normal rotation of power in the country in the last 15 years. One of the aims of the new Berisha government should be the fight against organised crime in the country. During a review of the first 100 days of his government, Berisha said that two dangerous mafia clans in Albania had been devastated. One problem that still exists is the illegal trafficking of people to Italy using speedboats. In November 2005 Greek President Karolos Papoulias cut short a trip to Albania following protests against him. Papoulias was due to meet Albanian President Alfred Moisiu in the southern town of Saranda. He decided to return to Greece after some 150 demonstrators gathered outside the hotel where he was due to meet Moisiu. Relations between Greece and Albania have been strained several times over the treatment of minorities and the status of several hundred thousand Albanian immigrants in Greece. The country has developed very quickly in the past 10 years, the younger generation has become well educated, and today Tirana (the capital) looks no different from other cities in the region. The development of Tirana took a big step forward through efforts of its mayor and chairman of the Socialist Party, Edi Rama. In December 2005 he stated that he will not resign from the position and will not leave the City Hall in the hands of Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha. Albania is a parliamentary republic. The President of the Republic is the Head of State and represents the unity of the people. Only an Albanian citizen by birth who has been a resident in Albania for not less than the past 10 years and who has reached the age of 40 may be elected president. The president of the republic is elected by secret vote and without Assembly debate by a majority of three-fifths of all its members. The Council of Ministers consists of the prime minister, deputy prime minister, and ministers. The president of the republic, at the beginning of a legislative period, or if the position of prime minister is vacant, appoints the prime minister based on a proposal by the party or coalition of parties that has the majority of seats in the Assembly. If the prime minister appointed is not approved by the Assembly, the president appoints a new prime minister within 10 days. If the Assembly fails to elect a new prime minister, the president of the republic dissolves the Assembly. The Council of Ministers exercises every state function that is not given to other organs of state power or to local governments. The history of the Albanian Parliament started in 1920 when the Congress of Lushnja chose the High Council (composed of four members, the job of which was to carry out head of state functions), and the National Council (composed of 37 members, meant to be the functioning arm of Parliament). In 1921 the first Parliament gathered in Tirana following the first parliamentary elections in the same year. The Parliament was composed of 78 deputies from two main political groups: the Popular Party and the Progressive Party. The Parliament of the Republic of Albania of 1925-1928 was composed of two chambers: The Chamber of Deputies, consisting of 57 members and the Senate, consisting of 18 members. In September 1928, Albania became a monarchy. Between 1928 and 1939, the Parliament was composed of one chamber, consisting of 57 members. After World War II, the first Legislature of the People's Assembly began operating in March 1946. The first pluralist post-war Parliament was assembled on April 15, 1991, and was composed of 250 deputies from the Party of Labour and the Democratic Party. The first session of the XIII Legislature of the People's Assembly (with 140 deputies) started on 5 March 1992. In 1997 the newly elected Parliament was composed of 155 deputies. Important parties are: the Environmentalist Agrarian Party (PAA); the Christian Democratic Party (PDK); the Communist Party of Albania (PKSH); the Democratic Alliance Party (PAD); the Democratic Alliance Party II (PAD II); the Democratic Party (PD); the Legality Movement Party (PLL); the Liberal Democratic Union Party (PBLD); the National Front Party (Balli Kombetar – PBK); the New Democratic Party (PDR), which split into two groups - one led by Genc Pollo, the other by Dashamir Shehi; the Party of National Unity (PUK); the Reformed Democratic Party (PDR); the Republican Party (PR); the Social Democracy Party (PDS); the Social Democratic Party (PSD); the Socialist Party (PS, formerly the Albanian Party of Labour); and the Union for Human Rights Party (PBDNJ). The Parliament consists of the People’s Assembly (Kuvënd Popullóre), with 100 members elected by direct vote and 40 by proportional vote. The next parliamentary elections should be in 2009. Albania became a member of the Council of Europe in 1995; it signed the Partnership for Peace Agreement in 1993 and has established close co-operation with EU countries and the USA. Albania hopes to become a NATO member in 2008. About 15-20% of Albanians live outside Albanian territory, most of them in Western Europe, USA, Canada and Australia. century it was subdued by the Ottoman Empire. Albanians who emigrated to Greece (14