With its coastline facing the Adriatic and Ionian seas, its highlands backed upon the elevated Balkan landmass, and the entire country lying at a latitude subject to a variety of weather patterns during the winter and summer seasons, Albania has a high number of climatic regions for so small an area.
The Albania culture has Greek, Roman, Italian, Byzantine, Turkish and Slavic influences.
Art - Painting was strongly influenced by Byzantine art between the V and the XV century, although by the end of the early Renaissance, between the XV and XVII centuries, the Italian influence was very strong.
Politics of Albania takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democracy is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament, the Assembly of the Republic of Albania (Kuvendi i Republikës së Shqipërisë). Since 1991, the introduction of pluralism, the party system is dominated by the Democratic Party of Albania and the (post-communist) Socialist Party of Albania.