Algeria Online Business Education. Administration. Economy. Politics. Culture. Religion. Media

Algeria
Online Business Education. Economy. Politics. Culture. Religion. Media

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Algeria

Country Profile

Capital City: Algiers (Alger, Algier)

Other Cities: Oran, Constantine, Annaba, Blida, Setif, Sidi be Abbes.

Local Time: UTC +1h

Geography:
Location: Northern Africa. Border countries: Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Tunisia
Area: 2 381 741 sq. km.
Terrain: Algeria consists of four regions: the coastal mountainous chain. Plains and high plateaus. The mountainous chain of the interior. The area of the Grand Sud with its mountainous solid masses.
Map:

Climate: Mediterranean in the north, mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers along coast; drier with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau; dry or desert climate for the extreme south of the country; sirocco is a hot, dust/sand-laden wind especially common in summer.

Government:
Type: Republic.
Independence: 5 July 1962 (from France).

People:
Nationality: Noun and adjective: Algerian(s).
Population: more than 30 000 000.
Ethnic groups: ~ Arab 83%, Berber 17%, Touareg, European less than 1%.
Religions: Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1%.
Languages: Arabic (official), French, Tamazight and other Berber dialects.
Literacy: total population, 70%; male 78.8%, female 61% (2003 est.)

Business

Currency: Algerian Dinar (DZD)

Natural resources: Rich deposits of iron ore, phosphates, lead, zinc and antimony; deposits of petroleum and natural gas.

Agriculture products: Wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits; sheep, cattle.

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

Exports partners: Italy 19.5%, USA 18.5%, France 13.6%, Spain 11.2%, Canada 6.2%, Belgium 5.1%, Brazil 4.9% (2003)

Imports partners: France 30.9%, Italy 9.6%, Spain 6.1%, Germany 5.5%, China 4.6%, Turkey 4.1% (2003)

Introduction

Algeria

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 the 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. FIS's armed wing, the Islamic Salvation Army, disbanded itself
in January 2000 and many armed militants surrendered under an amnesty
program designed to promote national reconciliation. Nevertheless,
residual fighting continues. Other concerns include Berber unrest,
large-scale unemployment, a shortage of housing, and the need to diversify
the petroleum-based economy.

Geography Algeria

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 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 2,381,740 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas

Land boundaries: 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

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 extremes: lowest point: Chott Melrhir -40 m highest point:
Tahat 3,003 m

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

Land use: arable land: 3% permanent crops: 0% other: 97% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 5,600 sq km (1998 est.)

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

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

Environment - international agreements: 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: Geography - note: second-largest
country in Africa (after Sudan)

People Algeria

Population: 32,277,942 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 33.5% (male 5,512,369; female 5,311,914) 15-64
years: 62.4% (male 10,175,135; female 9,950,315) 65 years and over: 4.1%
(male 610,643; female 717,566) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.68% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 22.34 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 5.15 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.85 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 39.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 71.67 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 2.63 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.07% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

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), French, Berber dialects

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 61.6% male: 73.9% female: 49% (1995 est.)

Government Algeria

Country name: 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

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

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

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 Ali BENFLIS
(since 26 August 2000)
Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president elections: 15 April 1999
(next to be held NA April 2004); prime minister appointed by
the president election results: Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA elected president;
percent of vote - Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA over 70%; note - his six opposing
candidates withdrew on the eve of the election citing electoral fraud

Legislative branch: 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 (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 - last held 30 December 2000 (next to be held NA 2003) election
results: party - FLN 199, RND 48, MRN 43, MSP 38, PT 21, FNA 8, Nahda 1,
PRA 1, MEN 1, independents 29; Council of Nations - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - RND 79, FLN 12, FFS 4, MSP 1 (remaining
48 seats appointed by the president, party breakdown NA)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

Political parties and leaders: 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 (imprisoned), Rabeh KEBIR (self-exile in Germany)];
Movement of a Peaceful Society or MSP [Mahfoud NAHNAH, chairman]; National
Entente Movement or MEN [Ali BOUKHAZNA]; National Liberation Front or FLN
[Boualem BENHAMOUDA, secretary general]; National Reform Movement or
MRN [Abdellah DJABALLAH]; National Renewal Party or PRA [leader NA];
Progressive Republican Party [Khadir DRISS]; Rally for Culture and
Democracy or RCD [Said SAADI, secretary general]; Renaissance Movement
or EnNahda Movement [Lahbib ADAMI]; Social Liberal Party or PSL [Ahmed
KHELIL]; Socialist Forces Front or FFS [Hocine Ait AHMED, secretary
general (self-exile in Switzerland)]; Union for Democracy and Liberty
[Mouley BOUKHALAFA]; Workers Party or PT [Louisa HANOUN] note: a law
banning political parties based on religion was enacted in March 1997

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL,
AMF, AMU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OPCW,
OPEC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Idriss
JAZAIRY chancery: 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 FAX: [1]
(202) 667-2174 telephone: [1] (202) 265-2800

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Janet A. SANDERSON embassy: 4 Chemin Cheikh Bachir El-Ibrahimi, Algiers
mailing address: B. P. Box 549, Alger-Gare, 16000 Algiers telephone:
[213] (21) 69-11-86, 69-12-55, 69-18-54, 69-38-75 FAX: [213] (21) 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)

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 fifth-largest reserves
of natural gas in the world and is the second largest gas exporter; it
ranks 14th in oil reserves. Algeria's financial and economic indicators
improved during the mid-1990s, in part because of policy reforms supported
by the IMF and debt rescheduling from the Paris Club. Algeria's finances
in 2000 and 2001 benefited from the temporary spike in oil prices and
the government's tight fiscal policy, leading to a large increase in the
trade surplus, record highs in foreign exchange reserves, and reduction in
foreign debt. The government's continued efforts to diversify the economy
by attracting foreign and domestic investment outside the energy sector
has had little success in reducing high unemployment and improving living
standards. In 2001, the government signed an Association Treaty with
the European Union that will eventually lower tariffs and increase trade.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $177 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 3.8% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,600 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 17% industry: 33% services:
50% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line: 23% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4.4%
highest 10%: 25% (1995)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 35.3 (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (2001 est.)

Labor force: 9.4 million (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: government 29%, agriculture 25%,
construction and public works 15%, industry 11%, other 20% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate: 34% (2001 est.)

Budget: revenues: $20.3 billion expenditures: $18.8 billion, including
capital expenditures of $5.8 billion (2001 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate: 6% (2001 est.)

Electricity - production: 23.556 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.58% hydro: 0.42%
other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption: 21.847 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports: 210 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports: 150 million kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus,
fruits; sheep, cattle

Exports: $20 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)

Exports - commodities: petroleum, natural gas, and petroleum products 97%

Exports - partners: Italy 23%, Spain 13%, US 13%, France 11%, Brazil 7%,
(2000)

Imports: $1 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)

Imports - commodities: capital goods, food and beverages, consumer goods

Imports - partners: France 29%, US 9%, Italy 8%, Germany 6%, Spain 5%
(2000)

Debt - external: $24.7 billion (2001 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $100 million (1999 est.)

Currency: Algerian dinar (DZD)

Currency code: DZD

Exchange rates: Algerian dinars per US dollar - 77.889 (January 2002),
77.215 (2001), 75.260 (2000), 66.574 (1999), 58.739 (1998), 57.707 (1997)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Algeria

Telephones - main lines in use: 2.3 million (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 33,500 (1999)

Telephone system: general assessment: telephone density in Algeria is
very low, not exceeding five telephones per 100 persons; the number
of fixed main lines increased in the last few years to a little more
than 2,000,000, but only about two-thirds of these have subscribers;
much of the infrastructure is outdated and inefficient domestic: good
service in north but sparse in south; domestic satellite system with
12 earth stations (20 additional domestic earth stations are planned)
international: 5 submarine cables; microwave radio relay to Italy, France,
Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; coaxial cable to Morocco and Tunisia;
participant in Medarabtel; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1
Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik, and 1 Arabsat (1998)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 25, FM 1, shortwave 8 (1999)

Radios: 7.1 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 46 (plus 216 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions: 3.1 million (1997)

Internet country code: .dz

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)

Internet users: 180,000 (2001)

Transportation Algeria

Railways: total: 4,820 km standard gauge: 3,664 km 1.435-m gauge (301
km electrified; 215 km double-track) narrow gauge: 1,156 km 1.055-m gauge
(1999 est.)

Highways: total: 104,000 km paved: 71,656 km (including 640 km of
expressways) unpaved: 32,344 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: none

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

Ports and harbors: Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Beni Saf, Dellys,
Djendjene, Ghazaouet, Jijel, Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda, Tenes

Merchant marine: total: 73 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 903,944
GRT/1,051,433 DWT ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 25, chemical tanker 7,
liquefied gas 10, petroleum tanker 5, roll on/roll off 12, short-sea
passenger 4, specialized tanker 1, includes some foreign-owned ships
registered here as a flag of convenience: United Arab Emirates 2
(2002 est.)
Airports: 136 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 52 over 3,047 m: 9 2,438 to 3,047
m: 26 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 1 (2001) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 84 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524
to 2,437 m: 23 under 914 m: 18 (2001) 914 to 1,523 m: 40

Heliports: 1 (2001)

Military Algeria

Military branches: Peoples National Army (ANP), Algerian National Navy
(ANN), Air Force, Territorial Air Defense, National Gendarmerie

Military manpower - military age: 19 years of age (2002 est.)

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 9,016,048 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 5,513,317
(2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 388,939
(2002 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.87 billion (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 4.1% (FY99)

Transnational Issues Algeria

Disputes - international: part of southeastern region claimed by Libya;
Algeria supports exiled West Saharan Polisario Front and rejects Moroccan
administration of Western Sahara

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

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