World Countries Info After a century of rule by France, and in the wake of 1948 elections rigged by French
colonists to reverse the sweeping victory of a Muslim political party in 1947, Algerians
fought through 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 satisified, however, and moved to
counter the FLN's centrality in Algerian politics. The surprising first round success of
the fundamentalist Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in the December 1991 balloting spurred
the army to intervene and postpone the second round of elections to prevent an
extremist-led government from assuming power. The Algerian army began a crack down on
the FIS, that resulted in a continuous low-grade civil conflict between Islamic
activists and the secular state apparatus. The government later allowed elections
featuring pro-government and moderate religiously-based parties, but did not appease the
activists who progressively widened their attacks. Operations by the activists and the
army resulted in nearly 100,000 deaths during the decade-long conflict. The government
gained the uppper hand by the mid-1990s and FIS's armed wing, the Islamic Salvation
Army, disbanded in January 2000. Many armed militants of other groups surrendered under
an amnesty program designed to promote national reconciliation, but small numbers of
armed militants persist in confronting government forces and conducting ambushes and
occasional attacks on villages. Issues facing the winner of the April 2004 presidential
election include Berber unrest, large-scale unemployment, a shortage of housing, the
presence of a group in the southern regions of the country that kidnapped European
tourists in 2003, as well as the need to diversify Algeria's petroleum-based economy.
Algeria assumed a two-year seat on the UN Security Council in January 2004.
Geography of Algeria
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Location:
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Northern Africa, bordering the
Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia |
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Geographic coordinates:
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28 00 N, 3 00 E |
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Karte references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total: 2,381,740 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 2,381,740 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly less than 3.5 times the size of
Texas |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 6,343 km
border countries: Libya 982 km, Mali 1,376 km, Mauritania 463 km, Morocco 1,559 km,
Niger 956 km, Tunisia 965 km, Western Sahara 42 km |
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Coastline:
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998 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive fishing zone: 32-52 NM |
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Climate:
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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 |
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Terrain:
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mostly high plateau and desert; some
mountains; narrow, discontinuous coastal plain |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Chott Melrhir -40 m
highest point: Tahat 3,003 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, natural gas, iron ore,
phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc |
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Land use:
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arable land: 3.21%
permanent crops: 0.21%
other: 96.58% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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5,600 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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mountainous areas subject to severe
earthquakes; mudslides and floods in rainy season |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, 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 |
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Geography - note:
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second-largest country in Africa (after
Sudan)
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More Geography
Population of Algeria
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Population:
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32,129,324 (July 2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 29.9% (male 4,893,971;
female 4,705,933)
15-64 years: 65.5% (male 10,593,840; female 10,443,300)
65 years and over: 4.6% (male 703,420; female 788,860) (2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 23.8 years
male: 23.7 years
female: 24 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.28% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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17.76 births/1,000 |
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Death rate:
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4.61 deaths/1,000 |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 32.16 deaths/1,000 live
births
female: 28.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 36.06 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 72.74 years
male: 71.22 years
female: 74.34 years (2004 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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2.04 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.1% note - no country specific models
provided (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Algerian(s)
adjective: Algerian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%
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
Algeirs; 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 |
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Religions:
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Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%,
Christian and Jewish 1% |
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Languages:
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Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 70%
male: 78.8%
female: 61% (2003 est.)
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Government
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Country name:
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conventional long form: People's
Democratic Republic of Algeria
conventional short form: Algeria
local short form: Al Jaza'ir
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash Sha'biyah |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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Algiers |
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Administrative divisions:
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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 |
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Independence:
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5 July 1962 (from France) |
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National holiday:
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Revolution Day, 1 November (1954) |
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Constitution:
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19 November 1976, effective 22 November
1976; revised 3 November 1988, 23 February 1989, and 28 November 1996 |
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Legal system:
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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 |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Abdelaziz
BOUTEFLIKA (since 28 April 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Ahmed OUYAHIA (since 9 May 2003)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last
held 8 April 2004 (next to be held NA 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%, Abdallah Djaballah 5% |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral Parliament consists of the
National People's Assembly or Al-Majlis Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani (389 seats - changed from 380
seats in the 2002 elections; 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; members serve six-year terms; the
constitution requires half the council to be renewed every three years)
elections: National People's Assembly - last held 30 May 2002 (next to be held NA
2007); Council of Nations (Senate) - last held 30 December 2003 (next to be held NA 2009)
election results: National People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - FLN 199, RND 48, Islah 43, MSP 38, PT 21, FNA 8, EnNahda 1, PRA 1, MEN 1,
independents 29; Council of Nations - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party NA% |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court or Court Supreme |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Algerian National Front or FNA [Moussa
TOUATI]; Democratic National Rally or RND [Ahmed OUYAHIA, chairman]; Islamic Salvation
Front or FIS (outlawed April 1992) [Ali BELHADJ and Dr. Abassi MADANI, Rabeh KEBIR
(self-exiled in Germany)]; Society of Peace Movement or MSP [Boujerra SOLTANI]; National
Entente Movement or MEN [Ali BOUKHAZNA]; National Liberation Front or FLN [Ali BENFLIS,
secretary general]; National Reform Movement or Islah (formerly MRN) [Abdellah DJABALLAH];
National Renewal Party or PRA [Yacine TERKMANE]; Progressive Republican Party [Khadir
DRISS]; Rally for Culture and Democracy or RCD [Said SAADI, secretary general];
Renaissance Movement or EnNahda Movement [Fatah RABEI]; Social Liberal Party or PSL [Ahmed
KHELIL]; Socialist Forces Front or FFS [Hocine Ait AHMED, secretary general (self-exiled
in Switzerland)]; Workers Party or PT [Louisa HANOUN]
note: a law banning political parties based on religion was enacted in March 1997 |
Economy
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
seventh-largest reserves of natural gas in the world and is the second-largest gas
exporter; it ranks 14th in oil reserves. Economic policy reforms supported by the IMF
and debt rescheduling from the Paris Club in the past decade have helped improve
Algeria's financial and macroeconomic indicators. Because of sustained high oil prices
in the past three years, Algeria's finances have further benefited from substantial
trade surpluses and record foreign exchange reserves. 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 moves ahead slowly.
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $194.3 billion
(2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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7.3% (2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $5,900 (2003
est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 10.2%
industry: 56.6%
services: 33.2% (2003) |
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Population below poverty line:
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23% (1999 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 26.8% (1995) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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35.3 (1995) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.1% (2003 est.) |
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Labor force:
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9.5 million (2003) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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government 32%, agriculture 14%,
construction and public works 10%, industry 13.4%, trade 16%, other 14.6% (2002 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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28.4% (2003 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $18.5 billion
expenditures: $22.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.8 billion (2003
est.) |
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Industries:
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petroleum, natural gas, light industries,
mining, electrical, petrochemical, food processing |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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8% (2003 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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24.69 billion kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 99.7%
hydro: 0.3%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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22.9 billion kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - exports:
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340 million kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - imports:
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275 million kWh (2001) |
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Oil - production:
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1.52 million bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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209,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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13.1 billion bbl (1 January 2002) |
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Natural gas - production:
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80.3 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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22.32 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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57.98 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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4.739 trillion cu m (1 January 2002) |
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Agriculture - products:
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wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives,
citrus, fruits; sheep, cattle |
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Exports:
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$24.96 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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petroleum, natural gas, and petroleum
products 97% |
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Exports - partners:
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Italy 20.1%, US 14.2%, France 13.6%, Spain
12.1%, Netherlands 9%, Turkey 5.1%, Canada 5%, Brazil 4.8% (2002) |
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Imports:
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$12.42 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
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capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods |
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Imports - partners:
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France 22.7%, US 9.8%, Italy 9.6%, Germany
7.2%, Spain 5.3% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$22 billion (2003 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$182 million (2001 est.) |
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Currency:
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Algerian dinar (DZD) |
|
Currency code:
|
DZD |
|
Exchange rates:
|
Algerian dinars per US dollar - 77.4
(2003), 79.68 (2002), 77.22 (2001), 75.26 (2000), 66.57 (1999) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
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