| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Africa |
| Geographical Location |
28° 00' North Latitude
03° 00' West Longitude |
| Surface Area |
2,381,740 sq km |
| 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 Resources |
Petroleum , natural gas , iron ore , phosphates , uranium , lead , zinc |
|
| Political Information |
 |
|
| Country Name |
People's Democratic Republic of Algeria |
| Capital City |
Algiers |
| Government Type |
Republic |
| 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 Day |
5 July 1962 (from France) |
|
| Demographical Information |
|
|
| Population |
32,531,853 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Algerian |
| Ethnic Groups |
Arab-Berber 99% , European less than 1% |
| Religion |
Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1% |
| Languages |
Arabic (official), French , Berber dialects |
| Population Growth Rate |
1.22% (2005 est.) |
|
| Economical Information |
|
|
| Currency |
Algerian dinar (DZD) |
| Industries |
Petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical, petrochemical, food processing |
| Labor Force |
9.91 million (2004 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 14%, industry 13.4%, construction and public works 10%, trade 14.6%, government 32%, Other 16% (2003 est.) |
| Agriculture Products |
Wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits; sheep, cattle |
| Export Commodities |
Petroleum, natural gas, and petroleum products 97% |
| Export Partners |
US 22.5%, Italy 17.8%, France 11.8%, Spain 10.2%, Canada 7.8%, Belgium 4.8% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods |
| Import Partners |
France 31.6%, Italy 8.5%, Germany 6.3%, Spain 5.6%, China 5.3%, US 4.9%, Turkey 4.5% (2004) |
|
| Transportation |
|
|
| Railways |
3,973 km |
| Highways |
104,000 km |
| Pipelines |
Condensate 1,344 km ; gas 85,946 km ; liquid petroleum gas 2,213 km ; Oil 6,496 km (2004) |
| Airports |
137 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Algiers , Annaba , Arzew , Bejaia , Beni Saf , Dellys , Djendjene , Ghazaouet , Jijel , Mostaganem , Oran , Skikda , Tenes |
|
| Communication |
|
|
| Phone Code |
+213 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.dz |
|
| Other |
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| Short History |
After more than a century of rule by France, Algerians fought through much of 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 satisfied, however, and moved to
counter the FLN's centrality in Algerian politics. The surprising first round success of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in the December 1991 balloting spurred
the Algerian army to intervene and postpone the second round of elections to prevent what the secular elite feared would be an extremist-led government from assuming power.
The army began a crack down on the FIS that spurred FIS supporters to begin attacking government targets. The government later allowed elections featuring pro-government and
moderate religious-based parties, but did not appease the activists who progressively widened their attacks. The fighting escalated into an insurgency, which saw intense fighting
between 1992-98 and which resulted in over 100,000 deaths - many attributed to indiscriminate massacres of villagers by extremists. The government gained the upper hand by the
late-1990s and FIS's armed wing, the Islamic Salvation Army, disbanded in January 2000. However, small numbers of armed militants persist in confronting government forces and
conducting ambushes and occasional attacks on villages. The army placed Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA in the presidency in 1999 in a fraudulent election but claimed neutrality in his 2004
landslide reelection victory. Longstanding problems continue to face BOUTEFLIKA in his second term, including the ethnic minority Berbers' ongoing autonomy campaign, large-scale unemployment,
a shortage of housing, unreliable electrical and water supplies, government inefficiencies and corruption, and the continuing - although significantly degraded - activities of extremist militants.
Algeria must also diversify its petroleum-based economy, which has yielded a large cash reserve but which has not been used to redress Algeria's many social and infrastructure problems.
Algeria assumed a two-year seat on the UN Security Council in January 2004. |
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