Candidates for NATO Membership: Key Facts and Figures

Geography
Area: 28,748 sq. km. (slightly larger than Maryland).
Capital: Tirana (population 700,000).
Terrain: Situated in the southwestern region of the Balkan Peninsula, Albania is predominantly mountainous but flat along its coastline with the Adriatic Sea.
People
Population (July 2001 est.): 3.5 million.
Ethnic groups: Albanian 95%, Greeks 3%, and others 2% (Vlachs, Romas, Serbs, Montenegrins, Macedonians, Egyptians and Bulgarians).
Religions: Muslim 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, and Roman Catholic 10%.
Government
Type: Parliamentary democracy.
Constitution: Adopted by popular referendum November 28, 1998.
Independence: November 28, 1912 (from the Ottoman Empire).
Economy
Real GDP growth (2001 est.): 7.8%.
Inflation rate (2001 est.): 2%.
Natural resources: Oil, gas, coal, iron, copper, and chrome ores.

Bulgaria

Geography
Area: 110,994 sq. km. (slightly larger than Tennessee).
Capital: Sofia (population 1.2 million).
Terrain: Located in South Central Europe, Bulgaria's terrain contains large mountainous areas, fertile valleys, plains and a coastline along the Black Sea.
People
Population (July 2001 est.): 7.7 million.
Ethnic groups (1998): Bulgarian 83%, Turkish 8.5%, Roma 2.6%, and others.
Religions (1998): Bulgarian Orthodox 83.5%, Muslim 13%, Roman Catholic 1.5%, others.
Government
Type: Parliamentary democracy.
Constitution: Adopted July 12, 1991.
Independence: 1908 (de facto independence in 1878 from the Ottoman Empire).
Economy
Real GDP growth (2001): 4.8%.
Inflation rate (2001): 7.4%.
Natural resources: Bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, and timber.

Estonia

Geography
Area: 45,226 sq. km. (about the size of New Hampshire and Vermont).
Capital: Tallinn (population 399,850).
Terrain: Flat, with slightly higher elevation in the east and southeast. Limestone banks and islands mark its coastline.
People
Population: 1.4 million.
Ethnic groups: Estonians 65%, Russians 28%, Ukrainians 2.5%, Belarusians 1.4%, Finns 0.9%, other 2.2%.
Religions: Lutheran, Estonian Apostolic Orthodox, Estonian Orthodox, Baptist.
Government
Type: Parliamentary democracy.
Constitution: Ratified June 28, 1992, based on the 1938 model, offering legal continuity to the Republic of Estonia prior to Soviet occupation.
Economy
GDP: $5.4 billion
GDP growth rate: 5.4%.
Natural resources: Oil shale, phosphorite, limestone, and blue clay.

Latvia

Geography
Area: 64,100 sq. km. (about the size of West Virginia).
Capital: Riga (population 788,283).
Terrain: Fertile low-lying plains predominate in central Latvia, highlands in the east, and hilly moraine in the western region. Forests cover one-third of the country, with over 3,000 small lakes and numerous bogs.
People
Population: 2.4 million.
Major ethnic groups: Latvian 55.8%, Russians 32.3%, Belarusians 3.9%, Ukrainians 2.9%, Poles 2.2%.
Religions: Lutheran, Orthodox, Roman Catholic.
Government
Type: Parliamentary democracy.
Constitution: The law "On the Republic of Latvia Status as a State," passed by Parliament on August 21, 1991, provided for the reinstatement of the 1922 constitution.
Economy
GDP: $7.2 billion.
Real GDP growth: 6.6%.
Inflation rate: 1.8%.
Natural resources: Peat, limestone, dolomite, and gypsum.

Lithuania

Geography
Area: 65,200 sq. km. (about the size of West Virginia).
Capital: Vilnius (population 592,500).
Terrain: Lithuania's fertile, central lowland plains are separated by hilly uplands created by glacial drift. Rivers and lakes cover the landscape.
People
Population: 3.75 million.
Ethnic groups: Lithuanian 80.6%, Russians 8.7%, Poles 7%, Belarusians 1.6%, Ukrainians 1.1%.
Religions: Catholic (80%), Lutheran/Calvinist (10%), Jewish (7%), Orthodox (3%).
Government
Type: Parliamentary democracy.
Constitution: Ratified October 25, 1992.
Economy
GDP: $5.6 billion.
GDP growth (1996): 3.6%.
Inflation (1996): 13.1%.
Natural resources: peat, offshore and oil and gas deposits.

Macedonia

Geography
Area: 25,333 sq. km. (slightly larger than Vermont).
Capital: Skopje (population 440,000).
Terrain: Located in southeastern Europe, the country's terrain is mountainous, covered with basins and valleys.
People
Population (July 2001 est.): 2.0 million.
Ethnic groups: Macedonian 66.6%, Albanian 22.7%, Turkish 4%, Roma 2.2%, Serb 2.1%.
Religions: Macedonian Orthodox 67%, Muslim 30%.
Government
Type: Parliamentary democracy.
Constitution: Adopted November 17, 1991.
Independence: September 17, 1991 (from Yugoslavia).
Economy
Real GDP growth (2000 est.): 5%.
Inflation rate (2000 est.): 11%
Natural resources: Metals, asbestos, sulfur, timber, and arable land.

Romania

Geography
Area: 237,499 sq. km. (somewhat smaller than New York and Pennsylvania combined).
Capital: Bucharest (population 2 million).
Terrain: Rolling, fertile plains; hilly in the eastern regions; and major mountain ranges running north and west in the center of the country, collectively known as the Carpathians.
People
Population (est.): 22.5 million.
Ethnic groups: Romanians 89%, Hungarians 7.1%, Germans 0.5%, Ukrainians, Serbs, Croats, Russians, Turks, and Gypsies 2.5%.
Religions: Orthodox 86.8%, Roman Catholic 5%, Reformed Protestant, Baptist, and Pentecostal 5%, Greek Catholic (Uniate) 1%, Jewish less than 0.1%.
Government
Type: Republic.
Constitution: November 21, 1991.
Economy
GDP: 1997, $32.1 billion; 1998, $38.2 billion.
Annual GDP growth rate (1999 est.): 4.5%.
Natural resources: Oil, timber, natural gas, coal, salt, and iron ore.

Slovakia

Geography
Area: 49,035 sq. km. (about the size of West Virginia).
Capital: Bratislava (population 452,053).
Terrain: High mountains in the north, low mountains in the center, hills to the west, Danube river basin in the south.
People
Population (1996 est.): 5.4 million. Ethnic groups: Slovaks 85.7%, Hungarians 10.7%, Roma 1.5%, Czechs 1%, Ruthenians 0.3%, Ukrainians 0.3%, Germans 0.1%, Poles 0.1%, other 0.3%.
Religions: Roman Catholic 60.2%, Protestant 8.4%, Orthodox 4.1%, Jewish 0.1%, other 17.5%.
Government
Type: Parliamentary republic.
Independence: January l, 1993 (former Czechoslovak Republic established 1918).
Constitution: Signed September 3, 1992.
Economy
GDP: $18.15 billion (1998).
Natural resources: Antimony, mercury, iron, copper, lead, zinc, magnesite, limestone, and lignite.

Slovenia

Geography
Area: 20,273 sq. km. (slightly smaller than New Jersey).
Capital: Ljubljana (1998 population 325,373).
Terrain: High mountains in the north, wide plateaus in the southeast, Karst limestone region of caves in the south-southwest, hills in the east, and approximately 50 kilometers (39 mi.) of coastline on the Adriatic Sea.
People
Population (2000): 2 million.
Ethnic groups: Slovenes 87.84%, Croats 2.76%, Serbs 2.44%, Bosnians 1.36%, Hungarians 0.43%, Montenegrins 0.22%, Macedonians 0.22%, Albanians 0.18%.
Religions: Roman Catholic 68.8%, Uniate Catholic 2%, Lutheran 1%, Muslim 1%.
Government
Type: Parliamentary democracy.
Independence: June 25, 1991.
Constitution: Adopted December 23, 1991.
Economy
GDP (1999): $20,011 million.
GDP growth rate (2000 est.): 4.8%.
Natural resources: Coal, mercury, and timber.