Albania is a country rich in various mineral resources. Discovering, exploiting and processing them are important activities for the economy of our country. Traditionally, after 1944, the mining and processing industry of minerals such as chromium, copper, iron, coal, has provided considerable income.

The development of the mining industry has gone through 3 phases:

The first phase includes the pre-liberation period, until 1945. This phase relates to two important events for the mining industry. In 1922, the Geological Map of Albania was compiled, the first of its kind in the Balkans. The Kingdom of Albania drafted and approved The Mining Law of the Kingdom of Albania , in 1929, the first one in Albania, pursuant to which began the work on survey and exploitation of minerals.

The second phase includes the post-liberation period until 1994, the year when the Parliament adopted the “Mining Law of Albania”, under the assistance of the World Bank. At this stage 1945-1994, we have a centralized mining activity, in the hands of the totalitarian state and the organization was in the form of state-owned enterprises.

The third phase includes the period after 1994 to the present day. At this stage the mines were privatized in total and currently there is no state-owned mine in operation.

Licensing: The licensing process, issuing mining permits started at the beginning of the third phase, in 1995. Until 01.01.2012, about 711 mining permits have been issued in total. Of these, 622 were exploitation permits. The number of exploitation permits for some key minerals is as follows:

• Chrome, in 13 districts of the country, 202 exploitation permits;
• Copper, in 3 districts of the country, 4 exploitation permits;
• Iron-nickel, in 6 districts of the country, 32 exploitation permits;
• Mass limestone, in 1 district of the country, 7 exploitation permits;
• Slate limestone, in 10 districts of the country, 37 exploitation permits;
• Silica sand, in 9 districts of the country, 26 exploitation permits;
• Gypsum-Anhydrite, in 4 districts of the country, 10 exploitation permits;
• Clay, in 11 districts of the country, 28 exploitation permits;
• Limestone throughout the country, 207 mining permits.