Algeria

From Imakoopedia

Algeria is a country in North Africa. It has a Mediterranean Sea coastline in the north. It is surrounded by Morocco to the northwest, Tunisia to the northeast, Libya to the east, Niger to the southeast, Mali to the southwest, Mauritania and Western Sahara to the west. After Sudan, Algeria is the second-largest country in Africa.

Table of contents

1 Regions 2 Cities 2.1 Ports and harbors 3 Other destinations 4 Understand 4.1 Climate 4.2 Terrain 4.3 History 5 Get in 5.1 By plane 5.2 By train 5.3 By car 5.4 By bus 5.5 By boat 6 Get around 7 Talk 8 Buy 9 Eat 10 Drink 11 Sleep 12 Learn 13 Work 14 Stay safe 15 Stay healthy 16 Respect 17 Contact 18 External links 19 Geography 20 People 21 Government 22 Economy 23 Communications 24 Transportation 25 Military 26 Transnational Issues

Regions

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

Cities

• Algiers - Capital

Ports and harbors

• Annaba
• Arzew
• Bejaia
• Beni Saf
• Dellys
• Djendjene
• Ghazaouet
• Jijel
• Mostaganem
• Oran
• Skikda
• Tenes

Other destinations

Understand

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; Natural hazards : mudslides and floods in rainy season

Terrain

Mostly high plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow, discontinuous coastal plain; Natural hazards : mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes

Elevation extremes 

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

History

National holiday 

Revolution Day, 1 November (1954)

After a century of rule by France, Algeria became independent in 1962.

Independence 

5 July 1962 (from France)

Constitution 

19 November 1976, effective 22 November 1976; revised 3 November 1988, 23 February 1989, and 28 November 1996

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.

Get in

By plane

By train

By car

By bus

By boat

Get around

Talk

Languages 

Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects

Buy

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Learn

Work

Stay safe

Stay healthy

Respect

Contact

External links

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Geography

Geographic coordinates 

28 00 N, 3 00 E

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

Coastline 

998 km

Maritime claims 

exclusive fishing zone: 32-52 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

Natural resources 

petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc

Land use 

arable land: 3.21%
permanent crops: 0.21%
other: 96.58% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 

5,600 sq km (1998 est.)

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: Nuclear Test Ban

People

Population 

32,277,942 (July 2002 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%

Government

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

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

Judicial branch 

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

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) 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 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.

Labor force - by occupation 

government 29%, agriculture 25%, construction and public works 15%, industry 11%, other 20% (1996 est.)

Industries 

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

Agriculture - products 

wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits; sheep, cattle

Exports - commodities 

petroleum, natural gas, and petroleum products 97%

Exports - partners 

Italy 23%, Spain 13%, US 13%, France 11%, Brazil 7%, (2000)

Imports - commodities 

capital goods, food and beverages, consumer goods

Imports - partners 

France 29%, US 9%, Italy 8%, Germany 6%, Spain 5% (2000)

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)

Communications

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

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.)

Airports 

136 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways 

total: 54
over 3,047 m: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 27
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 1 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12

Airports - with unpaved runways 

total: 82
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 23
under 914 m: 19 (2002)
914 to 1,523 m: 38

Heliports 

1 (2002)

Military

Military branches 

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

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international 

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