Algeria

Algeria: Travel tips, articles, photos, gallery, cities database, population, pics, flags, statistics, free maps online

Back to Countries, Click to read the whole article: Algeria

Introduction - Algeria:
Country	Algeria
Background	After more than a century of rule by France, Algerians fought through much of the 1950s to achieve independence in 1962. Algerias primary political party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), has dominated politics ever since. Many Algerians in the subsequent generation were not satisfied, however, and moved to counter the FLNs centrality in Algerian politics. The surprising first round success of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in the December 1991 balloting spurred the Algerian army to intervene and postpone the second round of elections to prevent what the secular elite feared would be an extremist-led government from assuming power. The army began a crackdown on the FIS that spurred FIS supporters to begin attacking government targets. The government later allowed elections featuring pro-government and moderate religious-based parties, but did not appease the activists who progressively widened their attacks. The fighting escalated into an insurgency, which saw intense fighting between 1992-98 and which resulted in over 100,000 deaths - many attributed to indiscriminate massacres of villagers by extremists. The government gained the upper hand by the late-1990s and FISs armed wing, the Islamic Salvation Army, disbanded in January 2000. However, small numbers of armed militants persist in confronting government forces and conducting ambushes and occasional attacks on villages. The army placed Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA in the presidency in 1999 in a fraudulent election but claimed neutrality in his 2004 landslide reelection victory. Longstanding problems continue to face BOUTEFLIKA in his second term, including the ethnic minority Berbers ongoing autonomy campaign, large-scale unemployment, a shortage of housing, unreliable electrical and water supplies, government inefficiencies and corruption, and the continuing - although significantly degraded - activities of extremist militants. Algeria must also diversify its petroleum-based economy, which has yielded a large cash reserve but which has not been used to redress Algerias many social and infrastructure problems.
Location - Algeria:
Location	Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia
Geographic coordinates	28 00 N, 3 00 E
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
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
Natural resources	petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc
Land use	arable land: 3.17% permanent crops: 0.28% other: 96.55% (2005)
Irrigated land	5,690 sq km (2003)
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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)
People - Algeria:
Population	33,333,216 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure	0-14 years: 27.2% (male 4,627,479/female 4,447,468) 15-64 years: 67.9% (male 11,413,121/female 11,235,096) 65 years and over: 4.8% (male 752,058/female 857,994) (2007 est.)
Median age	total: 25.5 years male: 25.2 years female: 25.7 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate	1.216% (2007 est.)
Birth rate	17.11 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate	4.62 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate	-0.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.016 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.877 male(s)/female total population: 1.015 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate	total: 28.78 deaths/1,000 live births male: 32.45 deaths/1,000 live births female: 24.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 73.52 years male: 71.91 years female: 75.21 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate	1.86 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Hiv aids adult prevalence rate	0.1%; note - no country specific models provided (2001 est.)
Hiv aids people living with hiv aids	9,100 (2003 est.)
Hiv aids deaths	less than 500 (2003 est.)
Nationality	noun: Algerian(s) adjective: Algerian
Major infectious diseases	degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: cutaneous leishmaniasis is a high risk in some locations (2007)
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 Algiers; 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
Religions	Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1%
Languages	Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 69.9% male: 79.6% female: 60.1% (2002 est.)
Government - Algeria:
Country name	conventional long form: Peoples Democratic Republic of Algeria conventional short form: Algeria local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Jazairiyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash Shabiyah local short form: Al Jazair
Government type	republic
Capital	name: Algiers geographic coordinates: 36 45 N, 3 03 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions	48 provinces (wilayat, 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, MSila, Naama, Oran, Ouargla, Oum el Bouaghi, Relizane, Saida, Setif, Sidi Bel Abbes, Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanghasset, Tebessa, Tiaret, Tindouf, Tipaza, Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen
Independence	5 July 1962 (from France)
National holiday	Revolution Day, 1 November (1954)
Constitution	8 September 1963; revised 19 November 1976, effective 22 November 1976; revised 3 November 1988, 23 February 1989, and 28 November 1996
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
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal
Executive branch	chief of state: President Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA (since 28 April 1999) head of government: Prime Minister Abdelaziz BELKHADEM cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 April 2004 (next to be held in 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%, Abdellah DJABALLAH 5%
Legislative branch	bicameral Parliament consists of the National Peoples Assembly or Al-Majlis Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani (389 seats; 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; to serve six-year terms; the constitution requires half the council to be renewed every three years) elections: National Peoples Assembly - last held 17 May 2007 (next to be held in 2012); Council of Nations (Senate) - last held 28 December 2006 (next to be held in 2009) election results: National Peoples Assembly - percent of vote by party - FLN 23%, RND 10.3%, MSP 9.6%, PT 5.1%, RCD 3.4%, FNA 4.2%, other 34.6%, independents 9.8%; seats by party - FLN 136, RND 61, MSP 52, PT 26, RCD 19, FNA 13, other 49, independents 33; Council of Nations - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 29, RND 12, MSP 3, RCD 1, independents 3, presidential appointees (unknown affiliation) 24; note - Council seating reflects the number of replaced council members rather than the whole Council
Judicial branch	Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders	Ahd 54 [Ali Fauzi REBAINE]; Algerian National Front or FNA [Moussa TOUATI]; National Democratic Rally (Rassemblement National Democratique) or RND [Ahmed OUYAHIA]; Islamic Salvation Front or FIS (outlawed April 1992) [Ali BELHADJ, Dr. Abassi MADANI, Rabeh KEBIR]; National Entente Movement or MEN [Ali BOUKHAZNA]; National Liberation Front or FLN [Abdelaziz BELKHADEM, secretary general]; National Reform Movement or Islah (formerly MRN) [Abdellah DJABALLAH]; National Renewal Party or PRA [Mohamed BENSMAIL]; Rally for Culture and Democracy or RCD [Said SADI]; Renaissance Movement or EnNahda Movement [Fatah RABEI]; Socialist Forces Front or FFS [Hocine Ait AHMED]; Social Liberal Party or PSL [Ahmed KHELIL]; Society of Peace Movement or MSP [Boudjerra SOLTANI]; Workers Party or PT [Louisa HANOUNE] note: a law banning political parties based on religion was enacted in March 1997
Political pressure groups and leaders	The Algerian Human Rights League or LADDH [Hocine ZEHOUANE]; SOS Disparus [Nacera DUTOUR]; Somoud [Ali MERABET]
International organization participation	ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BIS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OPEC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the us	chief of mission: Ambassador Amine KHERBI chancery: 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-2800 FAX: [1] (202) 667-2174
Diplomatic representation from the us	chief of mission: Ambassador Robert S. FORD embassy: 04 Chemin Cheikh Bachir Ibrahimi El-Biar 16030, Algiers mailing address: B. P. 408, Alger-Gare, 16030 Algiers telephone: [213] (021) 69-12-55 FAX: [213] (021) 69-39-79
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)
Economy - Algeria:
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 eighth-largest reserves of natural gas in the world and is the fourth-largest gas exporter; it ranks 18th in oil reserves. Sustained high oil prices in recent years, along with macroeconomic policy reforms supported by the IMF, have helped improve Algerias financial and macroeconomic indicators. Algeria is running substantial trade surpluses and building up record foreign exchange reserves. Algeria has decreased its external debt to less than 10% of GDP after repaying its Paris Club and London Club debt in 2006. Real GDP has risen due to higher oil output and increased government spending. The governments 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, such as development of the banking sector and the construction of infrastructure, moves ahead slowly hampered by corruption and bureaucratic resistance.
Gdp purchasing power parity	$250 billion (2006 est.)
Gdp official exchange rate	$90 billion (2006 est.)
Gdp real growth rate	3% (2006 est.)
Gdp per capita ppp	$7,600 (2006 est.)
Gdp composition by sector	agriculture: 9.4% industry: 58.1% services: 32.5% (2006 est.)
Labor force	9.31 million (2006 est.)
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	15.7% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line	25% (2005 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% (2006 est.)
Investment gross fixed	23.4% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget	revenues: $59.26 billion expenditures: $49.14 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.8 billion (2006 est.)
Public debt	18.6% of GDP (2006 est.)
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	10% (2006 est.)
Electricity production	29.39 billion kWh (2004 est.)
Electricity consumption	27.4 billion kWh (2004 est.)
Electricity exports	230 million kWh (2004 est.)
Electricity imports	300 million kWh (2004 est.)
Oil production	1.373 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil consumption	233,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil exports	1.724 million bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil imports	12,390 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil proved reserves	11.8 billion bbl (1 January 2005 est.)
Natural gas production	80.15 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas consumption	19.28 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas exports	60.87 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas imports	0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas proved reserves	4.545 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
Current account balance	$25.8 billion (2006 est.)
Exports	$55.6 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports commodities	petroleum, natural gas, and petroleum products 97%
Exports partners	US 26.7%, Italy 16.6%, Spain 9.1%, France 8.6%, Canada 7.9%, Brazil 6.5%, Belgium 4.4% (2006)
Imports	$27.6 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports commodities	capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods
Imports partners	France 22.1%, Italy 8.6%, China 8.5%, Germany 5.9%, Spain 5.6%, US 4.8%, Turkey 4.5% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold	$78 billion (2006 est.)
Debt external	$5 billion (2006 est.)
Economic aid recipient	$313 million (2004 est.)
Currency code	Algerian dinar (DZD)
Exchange rates	Algerian dinars per US dollar - 72.647 (2006), 73.276 (2005), 72.061 (2004), 77.395 (2003), 79.682 (2002)
Communications - Algeria:
Fiscal year	calendar year
Telephones main lines in use	2.841 million (2006)
Telephones mobile cellular	20.998 million (2006)
Telephone system	general assessment: telephone density in Algeria is very low, not exceeding 5 telephones per 100 persons; the number of fixed main lines increased in the last few years to nearly 2.6 million, 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; submarine cables - 5; microwave radio relay to Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; coaxial cable to Morocco and Tunisia; participant in Medarabtel; satellite earth stations - 51 (Intelsat, Intersputnik, and Arabsat) (2005)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 25, FM 1, shortwave 8 (1999)
Television broadcast stations	46 (plus 216 repeaters) (1995)
Internet country code	.dz
Internet hosts	1,202 (2006)
Internet users	2.46 million (2006)
Transportation - Algeria:
Airports	142 (2006)
Airports with paved runways	total: 52 over 3,047 m: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 27 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Airports with unpaved runways	total: 90 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 26 914 to 1,523 m: 39 under 914 m: 23 (2006)
Heliports	1 (2006)
Pipelines	condensate 1,344 km; gas 85,946 km; liquid petroleum gas 2,213 km; oil 6,496 km (2005)
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 (2006)
Roadways	total: 108,302 km paved: 76,028 km unpaved: 32,274 km (2004)
Merchant marine	total: 41 ships (1000 GRT or over) 744,406 GRT/766,764 DWT by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 10, chemical tanker 2, liquefied gas 9, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 5, roll on/roll off 3, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 13 (UK 13) (2006)
Ports and terminals	Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Djendjene, Jijel, Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda
Military - Algeria:
Military branches	National Popular Army (ANP; includes Land Forces), Algerian National Navy (MRA), Air Force (QJJ), Territorial Air Defense Force (2005)
Military service age and obligation	19-30 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (6 months basic training, 12 months civil projects) (2006)
Manpower available for military service	males age 19-49: 8,033,049 females age 19-49: 7,926,351 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service	males age 19-49: 6,590,079 females age 19-49: 6,711,285 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually	males age 18-49: 374,639 females age 19-49: 369,021 (2005 est.)
Refugees and internally displaced persons	refugees (country of origin): 90,000 (Western Saharan Sahrawi, mostly living in Algerian-sponsored camps in the southwestern Algerian town of Tindouf) IDPs: 400,000-600,000 (conflict between government forces, Islamic insurgents) (2006)
Military expenditures percent of gdp	3.3% (2006)
Disputes international	Algeria supports the Polisario Front exiled in Algeria and who represent the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic; Algeria rejects Moroccan administration of Western Sahara; most of the approximately 90,000 Western Saharan Sahrawi refugees are sheltered in camps in Tindouf, Algeria; Algerias border with Morocco remains an irritant to bilateral relations, each nation accusing the other of harboring militants and arms smuggling; Algeria remains concerned about armed bandits operating throughout the Sahel who sometimes destabilize southern Algerian towns; dormant disputes include Libyan claims of about 32,000 sq km still reflected on its maps of southeastern Algeria and the FLNs assertions of a claim to Chirac Pastures in southeastern Morocco