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Geography | People | Government | Economy | Geography | Algeria Geography | | 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 square kilometers
land: 2,381,740 square kilometers
water: 0 square kilometers | | Comparative area: | slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas | | Land boundaries: | total: 6,343 kilometers
border countries: Libya 982 kilometers, Mali 1,376 kilometers, Mauritania 463 kilometers, Morocco 1,559 kilometers, Niger 956 kilometers, Tunisia 965 km, Western Sahara 42 kilometers | | Coastline: | 998 kilometers | | 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- and 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 meters
highest point: Tahat 3,003 meters | | 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 square kilometers (2003 est.) | | Natural hazards: | mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mud slides and floods in rainy seasons | | Current environment 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 environment 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
| | Note: | Algeria is the second largest country in Africa (after Sudan) | | | |
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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.) | | 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 males/female
under 15 years: 1.04 males/female
15-64 years: 1.016 males/female
65 years and over: 0.877 male/female
total population: 1.015 males/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 | | Ethnic groups: | Arab-Berber 99%; European less than 1% | | Religions: | Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1% | | Languages: | Arabic (official), Amazigh (National), French, | | 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: 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 | | Time Difference | UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) | | 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 | | Independence: | 5 July 1962 (from France) | | National holiday: | Revolution Day, 1 November (1954) | | Constitution: | 19 November 1976, effective 22 November 1976; revised 3 November 1988, 23 February 1989, and 28 November 1996; note - referendum approving the revisions of 03 November 2008 was signed into law 15 November 2008 | | 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 Ahmed OUYAHIA
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 People's 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 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 or Cour Supreme | | 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];
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
| | 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 David Pearce
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) | Top of Page 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 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.
| | GDP: | purchasing power parity - $249.8 billion (2006 est.)
| | GDP - real growth rate: | 2.9% (2006 est.) | | GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $7,600 (2006 est.)
| | GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 8.4%
industry: 60.6%
services: 31% (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)
| | Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 2.6% (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: | 30% (1999 est.) | | Budget: | revenues: $49.91 billion
expenditures: $33.49 billion (2006 est.) | | Industries: | petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical, petrochemical, food processing
| | Industrial production growth rate: | 10% (2006 est.) | | Electricity - production: | 31.91 billion kWh (2005) | | Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 99.14%
hydro: 0.86%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) | | Electricity - consumption: | 27.52 billion kWh (2005 est.)
| | Electricity - exports: | 275 million kWh (2005 est.) | | Electricity - imports: | 359 million kWh (2005 est.)
| | Agriculture - products: | wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits; sheep, cattle | | Exports: | $53.79 billion (f.o.b., 2006 est.) | | Exports - commodities: | petroleum, natural gas, and petroleum products 97%
| | Exports - 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.)
| | Imports - commodities: | capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods
| | Imports - partners: | France 22.1%, Italy 8.6%, China 8.6%, Germany 5.9%, Spain 5.6%, US 4.8%, Turkey 4.5% (2006)
| | Debt - external: | $4.413 billion (2006 est.) | | Economic aid - recipient: | $370.6 million (2005 est.)
| | Currency: | Algerian dinar (DZD) | | Currency code: | DZD | | Exchange rates: | Algerian dinars per US dollar - 72.647 (2006), 73.276 (2005), 72.061 (2004), 77.395 (2003), 79.682 (2002) | | Fiscal year: | calendar year | Top of Page
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