top of pageBackground:
Algeria has known many empires and dynasties, including the ancient Numidians (3rd century B.C.), Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, over a dozen different Arab and Amazigh dynasties, Spaniards, and Ottoman Turks. Under the Turks, the Barbary pirates operated from North Africa and preyed on shipping, from about 1500 until the French captured Algiers in 1830. The French southward conquest of Algeria proceeded throughout the 19th century and was marked by many atrocities. A bloody eight-year struggle culminated in Algerian independence in 1962.
Algeria's long-dominant political party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), was established in 1954 as part of the struggle for independence and has since played a large role in politics, though it is falling out of favor with the youth and current President Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE. The Government of Algeria in 1988 instituted a multi-party system in response to public unrest, but the surprising first-round success of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in the 1991 legislative election led the Algerian military 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. An army crackdown on the FIS escalated into an FIS insurgency and intense violence from 1992-98 that resulted in over 100,000 deaths, many of which were attributed to extremist groups massacring villagers. The government gained the upper hand by the late 1990s, and FIS’s armed wing, the Islamic Salvation Army, disbanded in 2000. FIS membership is now illegal.
In 1999, Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA won the presidency with the backing of the military, in an election that was boycotted by several candidates protesting alleged fraud. He won subsequent elections in 2004, 2009, and 2014. Widespread protests against his decision to seek a fifth term broke out in early 2019. BOUTEFLIKA resigned in April 2019, and in December 2019, Algerians elected former Prime Minister Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE as the country’s new president. A longtime FLN member, TEBBOUNE ran for president as an independent. In 2020, Algeria held a constitutional referendum on governmental reforms, which TEBBOUNE enacted in 2021. Subsequent reforms to the national electoral law introduced open-list voting to curb corruption. The new law also eliminated gender quotas in Parliament, and the 2021 legislative elections saw female representation plummet. The referendum, parliamentary elections, and local elections saw record-low voter turnout.
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; Atlas Mountains in the far north and Hoggar Mountains in the south; narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Major watersheds area km²: Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 km²); Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Lake Chad (2,497,738 km²)
Natural hazards: mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides and floods in rainy season; droughts
GeographyNote: largest country in Africa but 80% desert; canyons and caves in the southern Hoggar Mountains and in the barren Tassili n'Ajjer area in the southeast of the country contain numerous examples of prehistoric art -- rock paintings and carvings depicting human activities and wild and domestic animals (elephants, giraffes, cattle) -- that date to the African Humid Period, roughly 11,000 to 5,000 years ago, when the region was completely vegetated
top of pagePopulationDistribution: the vast majority of the populace is found in the extreme northern part of the country along the Mediterranean Coast as shown in this population distribution map
Total: 47,022,473
Male: 23,854,821
Female: 23,167,652 (2024 est.)
Growth rate: 1.54% (2024 est.)
Ethnic groups: Arab-Amazigh 99%, European less than 1%
Note: although almost all Algerians are Amazigh in origin and not Arab, only a minority identify themselves as primarily Amazigh, about 15% of the total population; these people live mostly in the mountainous region of Kabylie east of Algiers and in several other communities; the Amazigh are also Muslim but identify with their Amazigh rather than Arab cultural heritage; some Amazigh have long agitated, sometimes violently, for autonomy; the government is unlikely to grant autonomy but has officially recognized Amazigh languages and introduced them into public schools
Languages: Arabic (official), French (lingua franca), Tamazight (official) (dialects include Kabyle (Taqbaylit), Shawiya (Tacawit), Mzab, Tuareg (Tamahaq))
Major-language samples: دليل جيوس العالمي، المصدر الذي لا غنى عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic); Gheos World Guide, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions: Muslim (official; predominantly Sunni) 99%, other (includes Christian, Jewish, Ahmadi Muslim, Shia Muslim, Ibadi Muslim) <1% (2012 est.)
Age structure0-14 years: 30.8% (male 7,411,337/female 7,062,794)
15-64 years: 62.3% (male 14,846,102/female 14,441,034)
65 years and over: 6.9% (2024 est.) (male 1,597,382/female 1,663,824)
Birth rate: 20.2 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Death rate: 4.4 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Population distribution: the vast majority of the populace is found in the extreme northern part of the country along the Mediterranean Coast as shown in this population distribution map
EnvironmentCurrent issues: air pollution in major cities; 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, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban
top of pageAdministrative divisions: 58 provinces (wilayas, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Ain Defla, Ain Temouchent, Alger (Algiers), Annaba, Batna, Bechar, Bejaia, Beni Abbes, Biskra, Blida, Bordj Badji Mokhtar, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Bouira, Boumerdes, Chlef, Constantine, Djanet, Djelfa, El Bayadh, El Meghaier, El Meniaa, El Oued, El Tarf, Ghardaia, Guelma, Illizi, In Guezzam, In Salah, Jijel, Khenchela, Laghouat, Mascara, Medea, Mila, Mostaganem, M'Sila, Naama, Oran, Ouargla, Ouled Djellal, Oum el Bouaghi, Relizane, Saida, Setif, Sidi Bel Abbes, Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanrasset, Tebessa, Tiaret, Timimoun, Tindouf, Tipaza, Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen, Touggourt
National holiday: Independence Day, 5 July (1962); Revolution Day, 1 November (1954)
ConstitutionHistory: several previous; latest approved by referendum 1 November 2020
Amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or through the president with the support of three fourths of the members of both houses of Parliament in joint session; passage requires approval by both houses, approval by referendum, and promulgation by the president; the president can forego a referendum if the Constitutional Council determines the proposed amendment does not conflict with basic constitutional principles; articles including the republican form of government, the integrity and unity of the country, and fundamental citizens’ liberties and rights cannot be amended; amended 2002, 2008, 2016; last in 2020
Legal system: mixed legal system of French civil law and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various public officials including several Supreme Court justices
Executive branchChief of state: President Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE (since 12 December 2019)
Head of government: Prime Minister Nadir LARBAOUI (since 11 November 2023)
Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in two rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 7 September 2024 (next to be held in 2,029); prime minister nominated by the president after consultation with the majority party in Parliament
Election results: 2024: Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE (NLF) 94.7%, Abdelaali Hassani CHERIF (MSP) 3.2%, Youcef AOUCHICHE (FFS) 2.2%; 2019: (FLN) 58.1%, Abdelkader BENGRINA (El-Bina) 17.4%, Ali BENFLIS (Talaie El Hurriyet) 10.6%, Azzedine MIHOUBI (RND) 7.3%, Abdelaziz BELAID (Future Front) 6.7%
Legislative branchDescription: bicameral Parliament consists of: Council of the Nation or Majlis al-Umma (174 seats, statutory; 170 currently; two-thirds of members indirectly elected by simple majority vote by an electoral college composed of local assemblies within each wilaya, and one-third of members appointed by the president; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years), National People's Assembly or al-Majlis al-Sha'abi al-Watani (407 seats, including 8 seats for Algerian diaspora; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by open-list proportional representation vote using the Hare Quota method; members serve 5-year terms)
Elections:Council of the Nation - last held on 5 February 2022 (next expected in 2025)
National People's Assembly - snap election held on 12 June 2021 (next to be held on 12 June 2026)
Elections results: Council of the Nation - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 54, RND 22, Future Front 7, National Construction Movement 5, FFS 4, other 6, independent 18, appointed 58; composition - men 163, women 7, percentage women 4.1%, National People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 98, MSP 65, RND 58, (Future Front) 48, Movement of National Construction 39, other 15, independent 84; composition - men 375, women 32, percentage women 7.9%
Note: total Parliament percentage women 6.8%
Judicial branchHighest courts: Supreme Court or Le Cour Suprême, (consists of 150 judges organized into 8 chambers: Civil, Commercial and Maritime, Criminal, House of Offenses and Contraventions, House of Petitions, Land, Personal Status, and Social; Constitutional Council (consists of 12 members including the court chairman and deputy chairman)
Note: Algeria's judicial system does not include sharia courts
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the High Council of Magistracy, an administrative body presided over by the president of the republic, and includes the republic vice-president and several members; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Council members - 4 appointed by the president of the republic, 2 each by the 2 houses of Parliament, 2 by the Supreme Court, and 2 by the Council of State; Council president and members appointed for single 6-year terms with half the membership renewed every 3 years
Subordinate courts: appellate or wilaya courts; first instance or daira tribunals
Political parties and leaders: Algerian National Front or FNA, Algerian Popular Movement or MPA, Algeria's Hope Rally or TAJ, Dignity or El Karama, El-Infitah, El Mostakbal (Future Front), Ennour El Djazairi Party (Algerian Radiance Party) or PED, Equity and Proclamation Party or PEP, Islamic Renaissance Movement or Ennahda Movement, Justice and Development Front or FJD, Movement for National Reform or El Islah, Movement of Society for Peace or MSP, National Construction Movement or El-Bina (Harakat El-Binaa El-Watani), National Democratic Rally (Rassemblement National Democratique) or RND, National Front for Social Justice or FNJS, National Liberation Front or FLN, National Militancy Front or FMN, National Party for Solidarity and Development or PNSD, National Republican Alliance or ANR, New Dawn Party (El-Fajr El-Jadid), New Generation (Jil Jadid), Oath of 1954 or Ahd 54, Party of Justice and Liberty or PLJ, Rally for Culture and Democracy or RCD, Socialist Forces Front or FFS, Union for Change and Progress or UCP, Union of Democratic and Social Forces or UFDS, Vanguard of Liberties (Talaie El Hurriyet), Workers Party or PT, Youth Party or PJ
International organization participation: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BIS, CAEU, CD, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representationIn the us: chief of mission: Ambassador Sabri BOUKADOUM (since 27 February 2024)
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) 986-5,906
In the us email address and website: mail@algerianembassy.org;
[link]In the us consulates general: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Elizabeth Moore AUBIN (since 9 February 2022)
From the us embassy: 05 Chemin Cheikh Bachir, Ibrahimi, El-Biar 16,030, Alger
From the us mailing address: 6,030 Algiers Place, Washington DC 20,521-6,030
From the us telephone: [213] (0) 770-08-2000
From the us fax: [213] (0) 770-08-2,299
From the us email address and website: algierspd@state.gov;
[link] 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 colors represent Islam (green), purity and peace (white), and liberty (red); the crescent and star are also Islamic symbols, but the crescent is more closed than those of other Muslim countries because Algerians believe the long crescent horns bring happiness
National symbols: five-pointed star between the extended horns of a crescent moon, fennec fox; national colors: green, white, red
National anthemName: 'Kassaman' (We Pledge)
Lyrics/music: Mufdi ZAKARIAH/Mohamed FAWZI
Note: adopted 1962; ZAKARIAH wrote 'Kassaman' as a poem while imprisoned in Algiers by French colonial forces
top of pageEconomy overview: suffering oil and gas economy; lack of sector and market diversification; political instability chilling domestic consumption; poor credit access and declines in business confidence; COVID-19 austerity policies; delayed promised socio-economic reforms
Real gdp growth rate: 4.1% (2023 est.); 3.6% (2022 est.); 3.8% (2021 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Agriculture products: potatoes, wheat, milk, watermelons, onions, tomatoes, barley, vegetables, dates, oranges (2022)
Note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Industries: petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical, petrochemical, food processing
Labor force: 13.425 million (2023 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
Unemployment rate: 11.81% (2023 est.); 12.44% (2022 est.); 13.61% (2021 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment
Public debt: 27.5% of GDP (2017 est.)
Note: data cover central government debt as well as debt issued by subnational entities and intra-governmental debt
Current account balance: $5.424 billion (2023 est.); $19.448 billion (2022 est.); -$4.51 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Exports: $58.816 billion (2023 est.); $69.242 billion (2022 est.); $41.851 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: Italy 29%, Spain 12%, France 12%, US 5%, South Korea 5% (2022)
Partners note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Commodities: natural gas, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, fertilizers, ammonia (2022)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Imports: $51.516 billion (2023 est.); $46.63 billion (2022 est.); $44.297 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: China 18%, France 14%, Italy 7%, Turkey 6%, Brazil 6% (2022)
Partners note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Commodities: wheat, milk, plastics, corn, iron ore (2022)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $81.217 billion (2023 est.); $71.852 billion (2022 est.); $56.211 billion (2021 est.)
Note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Debt external: $671.248 million (2022 est.)
Note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
Exchange rates:
Algerian dinars (DZD) per US dollar - 135.843 (2023 est.)
141.995 (2022 est.)
135.064 (2021 est.)
126.777 (2020 est.)
119.354 (2019 est.)
top of pagetop of pagetop of pageMilitary expenditures: 9% of GDP (2023 est.); 4.8% of GDP (2022 est.); 5.6% of GDP (2021 est.); 6.7% of GDP (2020 est.); 6% of GDP (2019 est.)
Military and security forces: Algerian People's National Army (ANP): Land Forces, Naval Forces (includes Coast Guard), Air Forces, Territorial Air Defense Forces, Republican Guard (under ANP but responsible to the President), National Gendarmerie; Ministry of Interior: General Directorate of National Security (national police) (2024)
Note: the National Gendarmerie performs police functions outside urban areas under the auspices of the Ministry of National Defense; it is comprised of territorial, intervention/mobile, border guard, railway, riot control, and air support units; General Directorate of National Security share responsibility for maintaining law and order
Military service age and obligation: 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service for men and women; 19-30 years of age for mandatory national service for men (all Algerian men must register at age 17); service obligation reduced from 18 to 12 months in 2014 (2024)
Note: conscripts comprise an estimated 70% of the military
Terrorist groups: al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM); Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) – Algeria; al-Mulathamun Battalion (al-Mourabitoun)
Note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide
top of pagePipelines: 2,600 km condensate, 16,415 km gas, 3,447 km liquid petroleum gas, 7,036 km oil, 144 km refined products (2013)
Algeria - Transnational issues 2024
top of page🅶🅷🅴🅾🆂.🅲🅾🅼