Map of Algeria | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: After more than a century of rule by France Algerians fought through much of 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 satisfied however and moved to counter the FLN's 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 FIS's 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 Algeria's many social and infrastructure problems.


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

Geographic coordinates: 28 00 N 3 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 2,381,740 km²
Land: 2,381,740 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas

Land boundaries
Total: 6,343 km
Border countries: (7) 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
Extremes 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 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides and floods in rainy season

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


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Population: 33,333,216 (July 2007 est.)
Growth rate: 1.216% (2007 est.)
Below poverty line: 25% (2005 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Algerian
Adjective: Algerian

Ethnic groups
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

Languages: Arabic (official) French Berber dialects

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

Demographic profile

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.)

Dependency ratios

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/1000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate: 4.62 deaths/1000 population (2007 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.33 migrant(s)/1000 population (2007 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
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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 1.016 male/female
65 years and over: 0.877 male/female
Total population: 1.015 male/female (2007 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 28.78 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 32.45 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 24.93 deaths/1000 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.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1%; note - no country specific models provided (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 9,100 (2003 est.)
Deaths: less than 500 (2003 est.)

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)

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 69.9%
Male: 79.6%
Female: 60.1% (2002 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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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

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 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: 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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

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
Elections: National People's 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 People's 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
Note: a law banning political parties based on religion was enacted in March 1997

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
In the us chancery: 2,118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 265-2,800
In the us fax: [1] (202) 667-2,174
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Robert S. FORD
From the us embassy: 04 Chemin Cheikh Bachir Ibrahimi El-Biar 16,030, Algiers
From the us mailing address: B. P. 408, Alger-Gare, 16,030 Algiers
From the us telephone: [213] (021) 69-12-55
From the us 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)

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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 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 Algeria's 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 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 such as development of the banking sector and the construction of infrastructure moves ahead slowly hampered by corruption and bureaucratic resistance.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $249.8 billion (2006 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 2.9% (2006 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $7,600 (2006 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 8.4%
Industry: 60.6%
Services: 31% (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.)

Labor force: 9.31 million (2006 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 14%
By occupation industry: 13.4%
By occupation construction and public works: 10%
By occupation trade: 14.6%
By occupation government: 32%
By occupation other: 16% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate: 15.7% (2006 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 25% (2005 est.)

Gini index

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)

Budget
Revenues: $49.91 billion
Expenditures: $33.49 billion (2006 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt: 12.8% of GDP (2006 est.)

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.6% (2006 est.)

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: $NA

Current account balance: $29.04 billion (2006 est.)

Exports: $53.79 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Commodities: petroleum natural gas and petroleum products 97%
Partners: US 27.3% Italy 17.1% Spain 9.4% France 8.8% Canada 8.2% Belgium 4.3% (2006)

Imports: $21.24 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Commodities: capital goods foodstuffs consumer goods
Partners: France 22.1% Italy 8.6% China 8.6% Germany 5.9% Spain 5.6% US 4.8% Turkey 4.5% (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $78.21 billion (2006 est.)

Debt external: $4.413 billion (2006 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $14.37 billion (2006 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $834 million (2006 est.)

Exchange rates: Algerian dinars per US dollar - 72.647 (2006) 73.276 (2005) 72.061 (2004) 77.395 (2003) 79.682 (2002)


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Electricity
Production: 31.91 billion kWh (2005 est.)
Consumption: 27.52 billion kWh (2005 est.)
Exports: 275 million kWh (2005 est.)
Imports: 359 million kWh (2005 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 84.4 billion m³ (2005 est.)
Consumption: 21.8 billion m³ (2005 est.)
Exports: 62.6 billion m³ (2005 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2005)
Proven reserves: 4.359 trillion m³ (1 January 2006 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 2.841 million (2006)
Mobile cellular: 20.998 million (2006)

Telephone system
General assessment: a weak network of fixed-main lines, which remains low at less than 10 telephones per 100 persons, is partially offset by the rapid increase in mobile cellular subscribership; in 2006, combined fixed-line and mobile telephone density surpassed 70 telephones per 100 persons
Domestic: privatization of Algeria's telecommunications sector began in 2000; three mobile cellular licenses have been issued and, in 2005, a consortium led by Egypt's Orascom Telecom won a 15-year license to build and operate a fixed-line network in Algeria; the license will allow Orascom to develop high-speed data and other specialized services and contribute to meeting the large unfulfilled demand for basic residential telephony; internet broadband services began in 2003 with approximately 200,000 subscribers in 2006
International: country code - 213; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-4 fiber- optic submarine cable system that provides links to Europe, the Middle East and Asia; 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) (2007)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .dz
Hosts: 2,077 (2007)
Users: 2.46 million (2006)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 3.3% (2006)

Military and security forces

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)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 150 (2007)
With paved runways total: 52
With paved runways over 3047 m: 10
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 27
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 10
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2007)
With unpaved runways total: 98
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 26
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 44
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 25 (2007)

Heliports: 2 (2007)

Pipelines: condensate 1344 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)

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 35 ships (1000 GRT or over) 694,686 GRT/707,251 DWT
By type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 8, chemical tanker 2, liquefied gas 9, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 4, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 1
Foreign owned: 12 (UK 12) (2007)

Ports and terminals: Algiers Annaba Arzew Bejaia Djendjene Jijel Mostaganem Oran Skikda


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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; Algeria's 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 km² still reflected on its maps of southeastern Algeria and the FLN's assertions of a claim to Chirac Pastures in southeastern Morocco

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)

Illicit drugs