Algeria

§1. Algeria Introduction

Background:
  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.

§2. Algeria Geography

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 km²
  land: 2,381,740 km²
  water: 0 km²

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: 3.17%
  permanent crops: 0.28%
  other: 96.55% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  5,600 km² (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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
    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

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

§3. Algeria People

Population:
  32,930,091 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 28.1% (male 4,722,076/female 4,539,713)
  15-64 years: 67.1% (male 11,133,802/female 10,964,502)
  65 years and over: 4.8% (male 735,444/female 834,554) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 24.9 years
  male: 24.7 years
  female: 25.1 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  1.22% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  17.14 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  4.61 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  -0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 29.87 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 33.62 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 25.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 73.26 years
  male: 71.68 years
  female: 74.92 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  1.89 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  0.1% ; note - no country specific models provided (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  9,100 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  less than 500 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: intermediate
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid
    fever
  vectorborne disease: cutaneous leishmaniasis is a high risk in some
    locations (2005)

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 Algiers; 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.)

§4. Algeria Government

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 (wilayat, 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:
  8 September 1963; revised 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 in 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%, Abdellah
    DJABALLAH 5%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consisting of the National People's Assembly or
  Al-Majlis Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani (389 seats - formerly 380 seats; 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 in 2007); Council of Nations (Senate) - last held 30 December 2003
    (next to be held in 2006)
  election results: National People's Assembly - percent of vote by party -
    NA; seats by party - FLN 199, RND 47, Islah 43, MSP 38, PT 21, FNA 8,
    EnNahda 1, PRA 1, MEN 1, independents 30; Council of Nations - percent of
    vote by party - NA; seats by party NA

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:
  Algerian National Front or FNA [Moussa TOUATI]; National Democratic Rally
  (Rassemblement National Democratique) or RND [Ahmed OUYAHIA, secretary
  general]; 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 minister of state
  and special representative of the head of state)]; 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]; Socialist Forces Front or FFS
  [Hocine Ait AHMED, secretary general (self-exiled in Switzerland)]; Social
  Liberal Party or PSL [Ahmed KHELIL]; 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 and 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, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MONUC, NAM,
  OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OPEC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

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

Diplomatic representation from the 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) 69-12-55
  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)

§5. Algeria 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. Sustained high oil prices in recent years, along with
  macroeconomic policy reforms supported by the IMF, have helped improve
  Algeria's financial and macroeconomic indicators. Algeria is running
  substantial trade surpluses and building up 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. The population is becoming increasingly restive
  due to the lack of jobs and housing and frequently stages protests, which
  have resulted in arrests and injuries, including some deaths as government
  forces intervened to restore order. Structural reform within the economy,
  such as development of the banking sector and the construction of
  infrastructure, moves ahead slowly hampered by corruption and bureaucratic
  resistance.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $233.9 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $86.37 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  6% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $7,200 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 10%
  industry: 59.5%
  services: 30.5% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  10.15 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 14%, industry 13.4%, construction and public works 10%, trade
  14.6%, government 32%, other 16% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  22.5% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  25% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 2.8%
  highest 10%: 26.8% (1995)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  4.7% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  22.8% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $42.05 billion
  expenditures: $30.75 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.8
    billion (2005 est.)

Public debt:
  14.8% of GDP (2005 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate:
  25.5% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
  26.99 billion kWh (2003 est.)

Electricity - consumption:
  24.9 billion kWh (2003 est.)

Electricity - exports:
  400 million kWh (2003 est.)

Electricity - imports:
  200 million kWh (2003 est.)

Oil - production:
  1.373 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  246,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
  1.127 million bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - imports:
  0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - proved reserves:
  12.46 billion bbl (2005 est.)

Natural gas - production:
  82.4 billion m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  21.32 billion m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
  57.98 billion m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
  0 m³ (2005 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
  4.531 trillion m³ (2005)

Current account balance:
  $21.83 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $49.59 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
  US 22.6%, Italy 17.2%, France 11.4%, Spain 10.1%, Canada 7.5%, Brazil 6.1%,
  Belgium 4.6% (2004)

Imports:
  $22.53 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods

Imports - partners:
  France 30.3%, Italy 8.2%, Germany 6.5%, Spain 5.5%, US 5.2%, China 5.1%,
  Turkey 4.3% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $61.01 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $21.54 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $122.8 million (2002 est.)

Currency (code):
  Algerian dinar (DZD)

Exchange rates:
  Algerian dinars per US dollar - 73.276 (2005), 72.061 (2004), 77.395
  (2003), 79.682 (2002), 77.215 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Algeria Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  2.288 million (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  4,682,700 (2004)

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 million, 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; submarine cables - 5; microwave radio
    relay to Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; coaxial cable to
    Morocco and Tunisia; participant in Medarabtel; satellite earth stations
    - 51 (Intelsat, Intersputnik, and Arabsat) (2005)

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

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

Internet country code:
  .dz

Internet hosts:
  1,175 (2005)

Internet users:
  845,000 (2005)

§7. Algeria Transportation

Airports:
  137 (2005)

Airports - with 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 (2005)

Airports - with 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 (2005)

Heliports:
  1 (2005)

Pipelines:
  condensate 1,344 km; gas 85,946 km; liquid petroleum gas 2,213 km; oil
  6,496 km (2004)

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 (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 104,000 km
  paved: 71,656 km
  unpaved: 32,344 km (1999)

Merchant marine:
  total: 52 ships (1000 GRT or over) 840,484 GRT/880,151 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 13, chemical tanker 4, liquefied gas 9,
    passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 6, roll on/ roll off 6 (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Djendjene, Jijel, Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda

§8. Algeria Military

Military branches:
  People's National Army (ANP; includes Land Forces), Algerian National Navy
  (MRA), Air Force (QJJ), Territorial Air Defense Force (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
  19-30 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service
  obligation - 18 months (October 2003)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 19-49: 8,033,049 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 19-49: 6,590,079 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
  males: 374,639 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $3 billion (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  3.2% (2005 est.)

§9. Algeria Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  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
  after 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 km² still
  reflected on its maps of southeastern Algeria and the FLN's assertions of a
  claim to Chirac Pastures in southeastern Morocco

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  refugees (country of origin): 102,000 (Western Saharan Sahrawi, mostly
    living in Algerian-sponsored camps in the southwestern Algerian town of
    Tindouf)
  IDPs: 400,000-600,000 (conflict between government forces, Islamic
    insurgents) (2005)


<Factbook 2006>
