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Algeria - General Country Information

Introduction
Geography
People
Government
Economy
Communications
Transportation
Military
Transnational Issues

Introduction

General Information: Algeria

The capital of Algeria is Algiers.

Major cities of Algeria are:
Adrar, Algiers, Annaba, Batna, Bechar, Bejaia, Biskra, Constantine, Djanet, El Oved, Ghardala, Hassi Messaoud, In Amenas, Jijel, Oran, Ouargla, Tamanrasset, Tbessa, Tiaret, Timimoun, Tindouf, Tlemcen.

Geography

Location:	Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia
Coordinates:	28 00 N, 3 00 E
Area:	total: 2,381,740 sq km land: 2,381,740 sq km water: 0 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:	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 highest point: Tahat 3,003 m
Natural Resources:	petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc
Land Use:	arable land: 3.22% permanent crops: 0.25% other: 96.53% (2001)
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: none of the selected agreements
Note:	second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)

People

Population:	32,129,324 (July 2004 est.)
Age Structure:	total: 23.8 years male: 23.7 years female: 24 years (2004 est.)
Population Growth Rate:	1.28% (2004 est.)
Birth Rate:	17.76 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death Rate:	4.61 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Migration Rate:	-0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex Ratio:	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate:	total: 32.16 deaths/1,000 live births male: 36.06 deaths/1,000 live births female: 28.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Expectancy Birth:	total population: 72.74 years male: 71.22 years female: 74.34 years (2004 est.)
Fertility Rate:	2.04 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV Adult Prevalence Rate:	0.1% note - no country specific models provided (2001 est.)
People Living HIV:	9,100 (2003 est.)
HIV Deaths:	less than 500 (2003 est.)
Nationality:	noun: Algerian(s) adjective: Algerian
Ethnic Groups:	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
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: 70% male: 78.8% female: 61% (2003 est.)

Gouvernment

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:	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 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%
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 (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
Judicial Branch:	Supreme Court or Court Supreme
Political Parties 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, Rabeh KEBIR (self-exiled in Germany)]; National Entente Movement or MEN [Ali BOUKHAZNA]; National Liberation Front or FLN [Abdelaziz BELKHADEM, secretary general (also serves as Foreign Minister)]; 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)]; Society of Peace Movement or MSP [Boujerra SOLTANI]; Workers Party or PT [Louisa HANOUN] note: a law banning political parties based on religion was enacted in March 1997
Political Pressure Groups Leaders:	The Algerian Human Rights League or LADH or LADDH [Yahia Ali ABDENOUR]; SOS Disparus [Nacera DUTOUR]; Somoud [Ali MERABET]
International Organization Participation:	ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BIS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, OSCE (partner), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic in US:	chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant) chancery: 2137 Wyoming Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-2800 FAX: [1] (202) 667-2174
Diplomatic from US:	chief of mission: Ambassador Richard W. ERDMAN embassy: 4 Chemin Cheikh Bachir El-Ibrahimi, Algiers mailing address: B. P. 408, Alger-Gare, 16030 Algiers telephone: [213] (21) 691-425/255/186 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

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 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.
GDP:	purchasing power parity - $196 billion (2003 est.)
GDP Growth Rate:	7.4% (2003 est.)
GDP Capital:	purchasing power parity - $6,000 (2003 est.)
GDP Composition:	agriculture: 10.2% industry: 56.5% services: 33.4% (2003)
Investment:	24.8% of GDP (2003)
Population Below Poverty Line:	23% (1999 est.)
Household Income:	lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 26.8% (1995)
Gini Index:	35.3 (1995)
Inflation Rate:	3.5% (2003 est.)
Labor Force:	9.6 million (2003)
Labor Force Occupation:	agriculture 14%, industry 13.4%, construction and public works 10%, trade 14.6%, government 32%, other 16% (2003 est.)
Unemployment Rate:	26.2% (2003 est.)
Budget:	revenues: $25.49 billion expenditures: $22.87 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.8 billion (2003 est.)
Public Debt:	41.5% of GDP (2003 est.)
Agriculture Products:	wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits; sheep, cattle
Industries:	petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical, petrochemical, food processing
Industry Production Growth Rate:	6% (2003 est.)
Electricity Production:	24.69 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity Consumption:	22.9 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity Exports:	340 million kWh (2001)
Electricity Imports:	275 million kWh (2001)
Oil Production:	1.52 million bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil Consumption:	209,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil Exports:	NA (2001)
Oil Imports:	NA (2001)
Oil Proved Reserves:	13.1 billion bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural Gas Production:	80.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural Gas Consumption:	22.32 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural Gas Exports:	57.98 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural Gas Imports:	0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural Gas Proved Reserves:	4.739 trillion cu m (1 January 2002)
Current Account Balance:	$7.836 billion (2003)
Exports:	$24.96 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Exports Commodities:	petroleum, natural gas, and petroleum products 97%
Exports Partners:	Italy 19.5%, US 18.5%, France 13.6%, Spain 11.2%, Canada 6.2%, Belgium 5.1%, Brazil 4.9% (2003)
Imports:	$12.42 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Imports Commodities:	capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods
Imports Partners:	France 30.9%, Italy 9.6%, Spain 6.1%, Germany 5.5%, China 4.6%, Turkey 4.1% (2003)
Reserves:	$33.42 billion (2003)
Debt External:	$22.71 billion (2003 est.)
Currency:	Algerian dinar (DZD)
Currency Code:	DZD
Exchange Rates:	Algerian dinars per US dollar - 77.395 (2003), 79.6819 (2002), 77.215 (2001), 75.2598 (2000), 66.5739 (1999)
Fiscal Year:	calendar year

Communications

Telephones Lines Use:	2,199,600 (2003)
Mobile Cellular:	1,447,310 (2003)
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: country code - 213; 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 Stations:	AM 25, FM 1, shortwave 8 (1999)
Television Stations:	46 (plus 216 repeaters) (1995)
Internet Code:	.dz
Internet Hosts:	897 (2004)
Internet Users:	500,000 (2002)

Transportation

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 (2003)
Highways:	total: 104,000 km paved: 71,656 km (including 640 km of expressways) unpaved: 32,344 km (1999)
Waterways:	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: country code - 213; 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)
Pipelines:	condensate 1,344 km; gas 85,946 km; liquid petroleum gas 2,213 km; oil 6,496 km (2004)
Ports Harbors:	Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Beni Saf, Dellys, Djendjene, Ghazaouet, Jijel, Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda, Tenes
Merchant Marine:	total: 59 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 837,676 GRT/929,847 DWT by type: bulk 9, cargo 16, chemical tanker 6, liquefied gas 10, petroleum tanker 4, roll on/roll off 9, short-sea/passenger 4, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: United Kingdom 4 registered in other countries: 4 (2004 est.)
Airports:	137 (2003 est.)
Airports Paved Runways:	total: 52 over 3,047 m: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 27 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports Unpaved Runways:	total: 85 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 26 914 to 1,523 m: 38 under 914 m: 19 (2004 est.)
Heliports:	1 (2003 est.)

Military

Military Branches:	People's National Army (ANP; includes Ground Forces), Algerian National Navy (ANN), Air Force (QJA), Territorial Air Defense
Military Age Obligation:	19-30 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (October 2003)
Military Availability:	males age 15-49: 9,311,747 (2004 est.)
Fit Military Service:	males age 15-49: 5,675,739 (2004 est.)
Reaching Military Age Annually:	males: 373,235 (2004 est.)
Military Expenditures Dollar Figure:	$2,196.6 million (2003)
Military Expenditures Percent GDP:	3.5% (2003)

Transnational Issues

Disputes International: Algeria

Algeria supports the exiled Sahrawi Polisario Front and rejects Moroccan administration of Western Sahara; Algeria's border with Morocco remains an irritant to bilateral relations; each nation has accused the other of harboring militants and arms smuggling; in an attempt to improve relations afer unilaterally imposing a visa requirement on Algerians in the early 1990s, Morocco lifted the requirement in mid-2004 - a gesture not reciprocated by Algeria; 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 sq km still reflected on its maps of southeastern Algeria and the FLN's assertions of a claim to Chirac Pastures in southeastern Morocco