 Definition  Field Listing  Rank
Order
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Background: |
After a century of rule by France, and in the wake
of 1948 elections rigged by French colonists to reverse the sweeping
victory of a Muslim political party in 1947, Algerians fought
through the 1950s to achieve independence in 1962. Algeria's primary
political party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), has dominated
politics ever since. Many Algerians in the subsequent generation
were not satisified, however, and moved to counter the FLN's
centrality in Algerian politics. The surprising first round success
of the fundamentalist Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in the December
1991 balloting spurred the army to intervene and postpone the second
round of elections to prevent an extremist-led government from
assuming power. The Algerian army began a crack down on the FIS that
resulted in a continuous low-grade civil conflict between Islamic
activists and the secular state apparatus. The government later
allowed elections featuring pro-government and moderate
religiously-based parties, but did not appease the activists who
progressively widened their attacks. Operations by the activists and
the army resulted in nearly 100,000 deaths during the decade-long
conflict. The government gained the upper hand by the mid-1990s and
FIS's armed wing, the Islamic Salvation Army, disbanded in January
2000. Many armed militants of other groups surrendered under an
amnesty program designed to promote national reconciliation, but
small numbers of armed militants persist in confronting government
forces and conducting ambushes and occasional attacks on villages.
Issues facing the winner of the April 2004 presidential election
include Berber unrest, large-scale unemployment, a shortage of
housing, the presence of a group in the southern regions of the
country that kidnapped European tourists in 2003, as well as the
need to diversify Algeria's petroleum-based economy. Algeria assumed
a two-year seat on the UN Security Council in January 2004.
Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
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Location: |
Northern
Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia
|
|
Geographic coordinates: |
28 00 N, 3
00 E |
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Map references: |
Africa
|
|
Area: |
total:
2,381,740 sq km
land: 2,381,740 sq km
water: 0
sq km |
|
Area - comparative: |
slightly
less than 3.5 times the size of Texas |
|
Land boundaries: |
total: 6,343 km
border countries: Libya 982
km, Mali 1,376 km, Mauritania 463 km, Morocco 1,559 km, Niger 956
km, Tunisia 965 km, Western Sahara 42 km |
|
Coastline: |
998 km
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Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone:
32-52 nm |
|
Climate: |
arid to
semiarid; mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers along coast; drier
with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau; sirocco is a hot,
dust/sand-laden wind especially common in summer |
|
Terrain: |
mostly high
plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow, discontinuous coastal
plain |
|
Elevation extremes: |
lowest
point: Chott Melrhir -40 m
highest point: Tahat 3,003
m |
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Natural resources: |
petroleum,
natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc |
|
Land use: |
arable
land: 3.22%
permanent crops: 0.25%
other:
96.53% (2001) |
|
Irrigated land: |
5,600 sq km
(1998 est.) |
|
Natural hazards: |
mountainous
areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides and floods in rainy
season |
|
Environment - current issues: |
soil erosion
from overgrazing and other poor farming practices; desertification;
dumping of raw sewage, petroleum refining wastes, and other
industrial effluents is leading to the pollution of rivers and
coastal waters; Mediterranean Sea, in particular, becoming polluted
from oil wastes, soil erosion, and fertilizer runoff; inadequate
supplies of potable water |
|
Environment - international agreements: |
party
to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed,
but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
|
Geography - note: |
second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan) Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
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Population: |
32,129,324
(July 2004 est.) |
|
Age structure: |
0-14
years: 29.9% (male 4,893,971; female 4,705,933)
15-64
years: 65.5% (male 10,593,840; female 10,443,300)
65
years and over: 4.6% (male 703,420; female 788,860) (2004 est.)
|
|
Median age: |
total: 23.8 years
male: 23.7 years
female: 24 years (2004 est.) |
|
Population growth rate: |
1.28% (2004
est.) |
|
Birth rate: |
17.76
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Death rate: |
4.61
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
-0.39
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Sex ratio: |
at
birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04
male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65
years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population:
1.02 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate: |
total:
32.16 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 36.06 deaths/1,000
live births
female: 28.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2004
est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 72.74 years
male: 71.22 years
female: 74.34 years (2004 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate: |
2.04 children
born/woman (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
0.1% note -
no country specific models provided (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
NA |
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Nationality: |
noun:
Algerian(s)
adjective: Algerian |
|
Ethnic groups: |
Arab-Berber
99%, European less than 1%
note: almost all Algerians are
Berber in origin, not Arab; the minority who identify themselves as
Berber live mostly in the mountainous region of Kabylie east of
Algeirs; the Berbers are also Muslim but identify with their Berber
rather than Arab cultural heritage; Berbers have long agitated,
sometimes violently, for autonomy; the government is unlikely to
grant autonomy but has offered to begin sponsoring teaching Berber
language in schools |
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Religions: |
Sunni Muslim
(state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1% |
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Languages: |
Arabic
(official), French, Berber dialects |
|
Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 70%
male: 78.8%
female: 61% (2003 est.) Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
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Country name: |
conventional long form: People's Democratic Republic of
Algeria
conventional short form: Algeria
local
long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash
Sha'biyah
local short form: Al Jaza'ir |
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Government type: |
republic
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Capital: |
Algiers
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Administrative divisions: |
48 provinces
(wilayas, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Ain Defla, Ain Temouchent,
Alger, Annaba, Batna, Bechar, Bejaia, Biskra, Blida, Bordj Bou
Arreridj, Bouira, Boumerdes, Chlef, Constantine, Djelfa, El Bayadh,
El Oued, El Tarf, Ghardaia, Guelma, Illizi, Jijel, Khenchela,
Laghouat, Mascara, Medea, Mila, Mostaganem, M'Sila, Naama, Oran,
Ouargla, Oum el Bouaghi, Relizane, Saida, Setif, Sidi Bel Abbes,
Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanghasset, Tebessa, Tiaret, Tindouf, Tipaza,
Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen |
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Independence: |
5 July 1962
(from France) |
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National holiday: |
Revolution
Day, 1 November (1954) |
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Constitution: |
19 November
1976, effective 22 November 1976; revised 3 November 1988, 23
February 1989, and 28 November 1996 |
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Legal system: |
socialist,
based on French and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts
in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various public
officials, including several Supreme Court justices; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage: |
18 years of
age; universal |
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Executive branch: |
chief of
state: President Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA (since 28 April 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Ahmed OUYAHIA (since 9
May 2003)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the
president
elections: president elected by popular vote
for a five-year term; election last held 8 April 2004 (next to be
held NA April 2009); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA reelected
president for second term; percent of vote - Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA
85%, Ali Benflis 6.4%, Abdallah Djaballah 5% |
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Legislative branch: |
bicameral
Parliament consists of the National People's Assembly or Al-Majlis
Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani (389 seats - changed from 380 seats in the 2002
elections; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
and the Council of Nations (Senate) (144 seats; one-third of the
members appointed by the president, two-thirds elected by indirect
vote; members serve six-year terms; the constitution requires half
the council to be renewed every three years)
elections:
National People's Assembly - last held 30 May 2002 (next to be held
NA 2007); Council of Nations (Senate) - last held 30 December 2003
(next to be held NA 2009)
election results: National
People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
FLN 199, RND 48, Islah 43, MSP 38, PT 21, FNA 8, EnNahda 1, PRA 1,
MEN 1, independents 29; Council of Nations - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party NA |
|
Judicial branch: |
Supreme
Court or Court Supreme |
|
Political parties and leaders: |
Algerian
National Front or FNA [Moussa TOUATI]; Democratic National Rally or
RND [Ahmed OUYAHIA, chairman]; Islamic Salvation Front or FIS
(outlawed April 1992) [Ali BELHADJ and Dr. Abassi MADANI, Rabeh
KEBIR (self-exiled in Germany)]; Society of Peace Movement or MSP
[Boujerra SOLTANI]; National Entente Movement or MEN [Ali
BOUKHAZNA]; National Liberation Front or FLN [Ali BENFLIS, secretary
general]; National Reform Movement or Islah (formerly MRN) [Abdellah
DJABALLAH]; National Renewal Party or PRA [Yacine TERKMANE];
Progressive Republican Party [Khadir DRISS]; Rally for Culture and
Democracy or RCD [Said SAADI, secretary general]; Renaissance
Movement or EnNahda Movement [Fatah RABEI]; Social Liberal Party or
PSL [Ahmed KHELIL]; Socialist Forces Front or FFS [Hocine Ait AHMED,
secretary general (self-exiled in Switzerland)]; Workers Party or PT
[Louisa HANOUN]
note: a law banning political parties
based on religion was enacted in March 1997 |
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Political pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
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International organization participation: |
ABEDA, AfDB,
AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BIS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAS, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC,
OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, OSCE (partner), UN, UN Security
Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCO,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer) |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Idriss JAZAIRY
chancery: 2137
Wyoming Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202)
265-2800
FAX: [1] (202) 667-2174 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Richard W. ERDMAN (as of 10 July 2003)
embassy: 4 Chemin Cheikh Bachir El-Ibrahimi, Algiers
mailing address: B. P. Box 549, Alger-Gare, 16000 Algiers
telephone: [213] (21) 691-425/255/186
FAX:
[213] (21) 69-39-79 |
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Flag description: |
two equal
vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white; a red, five-pointed
star within a red crescent centered over the two-color boundary; the
crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam
(the state religion) Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Economy - overview: |
The
hydrocarbons sector is the backbone of the economy, accounting for
roughly 60% of budget revenues, 30% of GDP, and over 95% of export
earnings. Algeria has the seventh-largest reserves of natural gas in
the world and is the second-largest gas exporter; it ranks 14th in
oil reserves. Economic policy reforms supported by the IMF and debt
rescheduling from the Paris Club in the past decade have helped
improve Algeria's financial and macroeconomic indicators. Because of
sustained high oil prices in the past three years, Algeria's
finances have further benefited from substantial trade surpluses and
record foreign exchange reserves. Real GDP has risen due to higher
oil output and increased government spending. The government's
continued efforts to diversify the economy by attracting foreign and
domestic investment outside the energy sector, however, has had
little success in reducing high unemployment and improving living
standards. Structural reform within the economy moves ahead slowly.
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GDP: |
purchasing
power parity - $196 billion (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate: |
7.4% (2003
est.) |
|
GDP - per capita: |
purchasing
power parity - $6,000 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 10.2%
industry: 56.5%
services: 33.4% (2003) |
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Investment (gross fixed): |
24.8% of GDP
(2003) |
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Population below poverty line: |
23% (1999
est.) |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest
10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 26.8% (1995) |
|
Distribution of family income - Gini
index: |
35.3 (1995)
|
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
3.5% (2003
est.) |
|
Labor force: |
9.6 million
(2003) |
|
Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture
14%, industry 13.4%, construction and public works 10%, trade 14.6%,
government 32%, other 16% (2003 est.) |
|
Unemployment rate: |
26.2% (2003
est.) |
|
Budget: |
revenues: $25.49 billion
expenditures: $22.87
billion, including capital expenditures of $5.8 billion (2003 est.)
|
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Public debt: |
41.5% of GDP
(2003 est.) |
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Agriculture - products: |
wheat,
barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits; sheep, cattle |
|
Industries: |
petroleum,
natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical, petrochemical,
food processing |
|
Industrial production growth rate: |
6% (2003
est.) |
|
Electricity - production: |
24.69 billion
kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - consumption: |
22.9 billion
kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - exports: |
340 million
kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - imports: |
275 million
kWh (2001) |
|
Oil - production: |
1.52 million
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption: |
209,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - exports: |
NA (2001)
|
|
Oil - imports: |
NA (2001)
|
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Oil - proved reserves: |
13.1 billion
bbl (1 January 2002) |
|
Natural gas - production: |
80.3 billion
cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - consumption: |
22.32 billion
cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - exports: |
57.98 billion
cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports: |
0 cu m (2001
est.) |
|
Natural gas - proved reserves: |
4.739
trillion cu m (1 January 2002) |
|
Current account balance: |
$7.836
billion (2003) |
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Exports: |
$24.96
billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities: |
petroleum,
natural gas, and petroleum products 97% |
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Exports - partners: |
Italy 19.7%,
US 18.7%, France 13.8%, Spain 11.3%, Canada 6.9%, Belgium 5.1%,
Turkey 4.4%, Brazil 4.3% (2003 est.) |
|
Imports: |
$12.42
billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities: |
capital
goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods |
|
Imports - partners: |
France
32.1%, Italy 9.9%, Spain 6.3%, Germany 5.7%, China 4.8% (2003 est.)
|
|
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: |
$33.42
billion (2003) |
|
Debt - external: |
$22.71
billion (2003 est.) |
|
Economic aid - recipient: |
$182 million
(2001 est.) |
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Currency: |
Algerian
dinar (DZD) |
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Currency code: |
DZD |
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Exchange rates: |
Algerian
dinars per US dollar - 77.395 (2003), 79.6819 (2002), 77.215 (2001),
75.2598 (2000), 66.5739 (1999) |
|
Fiscal year: |
calendar
year Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
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Telephones - main lines in use: |
2,199,600
(2003) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
1,447,310
(2003) |
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Telephone system: |
general
assessment: telephone density in Algeria is very low, not
exceeding five telephones per 100 persons; the number of fixed main
lines increased in the last few years to a little more than
2,000,000, but only about two-thirds of these have subscribers; much
of the infrastructure is outdated and inefficient
domestic: good service in north but sparse in south;
domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations (20 additional
domestic earth stations are planned)
international:
country code - 213; 5 submarine cables; microwave radio relay to
Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; coaxial cable to Morocco
and Tunisia; participant in Medarabtel; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik, and
1 Arabsat (1998) |
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Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 25, FM 1,
shortwave 8 (1999) |
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Television broadcast stations: |
46 (plus 216
repeaters) (1995) |
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Internet country code: |
.dz |
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Internet hosts: |
897 (2004)
|
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Internet users: |
500,000
(2002) Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
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Railways: |
total:
3,973 km
standard gauge: 2,888 km 1.435-m gauge (283 km
electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,085 km 1.055-m gauge (2003)
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Highways: |
total:
104,000 km
paved: 71,656 km (including 640 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 32,344 km (1999) |
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Pipelines: |
condensate
1,344 km; gas 87,347 km; liquid petroleum gas 2,213 km; oil 6,496 km
(2003) |
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Ports and harbors: |
Algiers,
Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Beni Saf, Dellys, Djendjene, Ghazaouet,
Jijel, Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda, Tenes |
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Merchant marine: |
total: 59 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 837,676 GRT/929,847
DWT
by type: bulk 9, cargo 16, chemical tanker 6,
liquefied gas 10, petroleum tanker 4, roll on/roll off 9,
short-sea/passenger 4, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: United Kingdom 4
registered in
other countries: 4 (2003 est.) |
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Airports: |
137 (2003
est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 53
over 3,047 m: 10
2,438 to
3,047 m: 27
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523
m: 5
under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 84
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to
2,437 m: 25
914 to 1,523 m: 38
under 914
m: 19 (2003 est.) |
|
Heliports: |
1 (2003
est.) Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
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Disputes - international: |
Libya claims
about 32,000 sq km in a dormant dispute still reflected on its maps
in southeastern Algeria; Algeria remains concerned about armed
bandits operating throughout the Sahel who destabilize southern
Algerian towns; border with Morocco remains closed over mutual
claims of harboring militants, arms smuggling; Algeria supports the
exiled Sahrawi Polisario Front and rejects Moroccan administration
of Western Sahara; Algerian FLN asserts claim to Chirac Pastures in
southeastern Morocco |
Large portions of this information is from the US government open source publication "The World Factbook", other content copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. You may use this information without permission for educational or other non-profit purposes if you refer to us as the source, contact us if you want to use this commercially.
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