Map of Algeria | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: After a century of rule by France Algeria became independent in 1962. The surprising first round success of the fundamentalist FIS (Islamic Salvation Front) party in December 1991 balloting caused the army to intervene crack down on the FIS and postpone the subsequent elections. The FIS response has resulted in a continuous low-grade civil conflict with the secular state apparatus which nonetheless has allowed elections featuring pro-government and moderate religious-based parties.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 2,381,740 km²
Land: 2,381,740 km²
Comparative: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas

Land boundaries: 6,343 km total; 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
Disputes: Libya claims about 19,400 km² in southeastern Algeria; land boundary disputes with Tunisia under discussion

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

Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc

Land use: arable land: 3%; permanent crops: NEGL%; meadows and pastures 13%; forest and woodland 2%; other 82%; includes irrigated NEGL%

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 26,666,921 (July 1992), growth rate 2.5% (1992)

Nationality: noun - Algerian(s; adjective - Algerian

Ethnic groups: Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%

Languages: Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects

Religions: Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 31 births/1000 population (1992)

Death rate: 7 deaths/1000 population (1992)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1992)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; desertification
Current issues note: second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 56 deaths/1000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 68 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate: 4.1 children born/woman (1992)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 50% (male 63%, female 36%) age 15 and over can read and write (1987)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria

Government type: republic

Capital: Algiers

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas

Independence: 5 July 1962 (from France)

National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 1 November (1954)

Constitution:

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal at age 18
National People's Assembly:
President: next election to be held December 1993
Communists: 400 (est.); Communist party banned 1962

Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch:

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Abderrahmane BENSID; Chancery at 2,118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20,008; telephone (202) 265-2,800
US:

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star within a red crescent; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam (the state religion)

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The oil and natural gas sector forms the backbone of the economy. Algeria depends on hydrocarbons for nearly all of its export receipts, about 30% of government revenues, and nearly 25% of GDP. In 1973-74 the sharp increase in oil prices led to a booming economy and helped to finance an ambitious program of industrialization. Plunging oil and gas prices, combined with the mismanagement of Algeria's highly centralized economy, has brought the nation to its most serious social and economic crisis since independence in 1988. The government has promised far-reaching reforms, including privatization of some public- sector companies, encouraging private-sector activity, boosting gas and nonhydrocarbon exports, and proposing a major overhaul of the banking and financial systems, but to date it has made only limited progress.
GDP: exchange rate conversion - $54 billion, per capita $2,130; real growth rate 2.5% (1990 est.)

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 11% of GDP and employs 24% of labor force; net importer of food - grain, vegetable oil, and sugar; farm production includes wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits, sheep, and cattle

Industries: petroleum, light industries, natural gas, mining, electrical, petrochemical, food processing

Industrial production growth rate:

Labor force: 3,700,000; industry and commerce 40%, agriculture 24%, government 17%, services 10% (1984)
Organized labor:

Unemployment rate: 30% (1991 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $16.7 billion; expenditures $17.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $6.6 billion (1990 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $11.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: petroleum and natural gas 97%
Partners: Netherlands, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Italy, France, US

Imports: $9 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: capital goods 29%, consumer goods 30%
Partners: France 25%, Italy 8%, FRG 8%, US 6-7%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Algerian dinars (DA) per US$1 - 21.862 (January 1992), 18.473 (1991), 8.958 (1990), 7.6086 (1989), 5.9148 (1988), 4.8497 (1987)


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Electricity
Production: 6,380,000 kW capacity; 16,700 million kWh produced, 640 kWh per capita (1991)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $867 million, approximately 1.8% of GDP (1992)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports:

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 6,612 km; petroleum products 298 km; natural gas 2,948 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine:
Civil air: 42 major transport aircraft

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs