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: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Africa

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

Land boundaries: total 6,343 km, 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
Exclusive fishing zone: 32-52 nm
Territorial sea: 12 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

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

Land use
Arable land: 3%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 13%
Forest and woodland: 2%
Other: 82%

Irrigated land: 3,360 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)


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Population: 28,539,321 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 2.25% (1995 est.)

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
0-14 years: 41% (female 5,678,879; male 5,885,246)
15-64 years: 56% (female 7,887,885; male 8,033,508)
65 years and over: 3% (female 557,636; male 496,167) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.25% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 29.02 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 6.05 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.49 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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
Current issues natural hazards: mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides
Current issues international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 50.3 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 68.01 years
Male: 66.94 years
Female: 69.13 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born/woman (1995 est.)

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: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Total population: 57%
Male: 70%
Female: 46%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria
Conventional short form: Algeria
Local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash Shabiyah
Local short form: Al Jaza'ir

Government type: republic

Capital: Algiers

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 5 July 1962 (from France)

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

Constitution: 19 November 1976, effective 22 November 1976; revised 3 November 1988 and 23 February 1989

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: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Lamine ZEROUAL (since 31 January 1994); next election to be held by the end of 1995
Head of government: Prime Minister Mokdad SIFI (since 11 April 1994)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the prime minister

Legislative branch: unicameral; note - suspended since 1992
National People's Assembly AlMajlis EchChaabi AlWatani: elections first round held on 26 December 1991 (second round canceled by the military after President BENDJEDID resigned 11 January 1992, effectively suspending the Assembly); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (281 total); the fundamentalist FIS won 188 of the 231 seats contested in the first round; note - elections (provincial and municipal) were held in June 1990, the first in Algerian history; results - FIS 55%, FLN 27.5%, other 17.5%, with 65% of the voters participating

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIH, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Osmane BENCHERIF
In the us chancery: 2,118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 265-2,800
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald E. NEUMANN
From the us embassy: 4 Chemin Cheikh Bachir El-Ibrahimi, Algiers
From the us mailing address: B. P. Box 549, Alger-Gare, 16,000 Algiers
From the us telephone: [213] (2) 69-11-86, 69-18-54, 69-38-75
From the us FAX: [213] (2) 69-39-79
From the us consulates: none (Oran closed June 1993)

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 hydrocarbons sector is the backbone of the economy, accounting for roughly 57% of government revenues, 25% of GDP, and almost all export earnings; Algeria has the fifth largest reserves of natural gas in the world and ranks fourteenth for oil. Algiers' efforts to reform one of the most centrally planned economies in the Arab world began after the 1986 collapse of world oil prices plunged the country into a severe recession. In 1989, the government launched a comprehensive, IMF-supported program to achieve macroeconomic stabilization and to introduce market mechanisms into the economy. Despite substantial progress toward macroeconomic adjustment, in 1992 the reform drive stalled as Algiers became embroiled in political turmoil. In September 1993, a new government was formed, and one priority was the resumption and acceleration of the structural adjustment process. Buffeted by the slump in world oil prices and burdened with a heavy foreign debt, Algiers concluded a one-year standby arrangement with the IMF in April 1994.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 0.2% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $3,480 (1994 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 12% of GDP (1993) and employs 22% of labor force; products- wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits, sheep, cattle; net importer of food - grain, vegetable oil, sugar

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%; accounts for 35% of GDP (including hydrocarbons)

Labor force: 6.2 million (1992 est.)
By occupation government: 29.5%
By occupation agriculture: 22%
By occupation constructionandpublicworks: 16.2%
By occupation industry: 13.6%
By occupation commerceand services: 13.5%
By occupation transportationandcommunication: 5.2% (1989)

Unemployment rate: 30% (1994 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $14.3 billion
Expenditures: $17.9 billion (1995 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: $9.1 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
Commodoties: petroleum and natural gas 97%
Partners: Italy 21%, France 16%, US 14%, Germany 13%, Spain 9%

Imports: $9.2 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
Commodoties: capital goods 39.7%, food and beverages 21.7%, consumer goods 11.8% (1990)
Partners: France 29%, Italy 14%, Spain 9%, US 9%, Germany 7%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $26 billion (1994)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Algerian dinars (DA) per US$1 - 42.710 (January 1995), 35.059 (1994), 23.345 (1993), 21.836 (1992), 18.473 (1991), 8.958 (1990)


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Electricity
Capacity: 5,370,000 kW
Production: 18.3 billion kWh
Production consumption per capita: 587 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: 822,000 telephones; excellent domestic and international service in the north, sparse in the south
Local: NA
Intercity: 12 domestic satellite links; 20 additional satellite links are planned
International: 5 submarine cables; microwave radio relay to Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; coaxial cable to Morocco and Tunisia; 2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik, 1 ARABSAT earth station

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $1.3 billion, 2.7% of GDP (1994)

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: 139
With paved runways over 3047 m: 9
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 23
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 14
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With paved runways under 914 m: 20
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2438 m: 24
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 41

Heliports

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

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 75 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 903,179 GRT/1,064,211 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 27, chemical tanker 7, liquefied gas tanker 9, oil tanker 5, roll-on/roll-off cargo 12, short-sea passenger 5, specialized tanker 1

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Libya claims part of southeastern Algeria; land boundary dispute with Tunisia settled in 1993

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs