CIA - The World Factbook

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 crackdown 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 this did not appease the activists who progressively widened their attacks. The fighting escalated into an insurgency, which saw intense fighting between 1992-98 resulting 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. Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA, with the backing of the military, won the presidency in 1999 in an election widely viewed as fraudulent and was reelected in a landslide victory in 2004. BOUTEFLIKA was overwhelmingly reelected to a third term in 2009 after the government amended the constitution in 2008 to remove presidential term limits. Longstanding problems continue to face BOUTEFLIKA, including large-scale unemployment, a shortage of housing, unreliable electrical and water supplies, government inefficiencies and corruption, and the continuing activities of extremist militants. The Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) in 2006 merged with al-Qai'da to form al-Qai'da in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb, which has launched an ongoing series of kidnappings and bombings - including high-profile, mass-casualty suicide attacks targeting the Algerian Government and Western interests.

Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia

slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas

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

mostly high plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

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

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

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

second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)

34,586,184 (July 2010 est.)

16.71 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

4.66 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

-0.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

1.76 children born/woman (2010 est.)

0.1%; note - no country specific models provided (2007 est.)

fewer than 1,000 (2007 est.)

Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%

Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1%

Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects

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

5 July 1962 (from France)

Revolution Day, 1 November (1954)

8 September 1963; revised 19 November 1976; effective 22 November 1976; revised 3 November 1988, 23 February 1989, 28 November 1996, 10 April 2002, and 12 November 2008

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

18 years of age; universal

bicameral Parliament consists of the Council of the Nation (upper house; 144 seats; one-third of the members appointed by the president, two-thirds elected by indirect vote to serve six-year terms; the constitution requires half the Council to be renewed every three years) and the National People's Assembly (lower house; 389 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

Ahd 54 [Ali Fauzi REBAINE]; Algerian National Front or FNA [Moussa TOUATI]; National Democratic Rally (Rassemblement National Democratique) or RND [Ahmed OUYAHIA]; National Liberation Front or FLN [Abdelaziz BELKHADEM, secretary general]; National Reform Movement or Islah [Ahmed ABDESLAM] (formerly MRN); Rally for Culture and Democracy or RCD [Said SADI]; Renaissance Movement or EnNahda Movement [Fatah RABEI]; Socialist Forces Front or FFS [Hocine Ait AHMED]; Society of Peace Movement or MSP [Boudjerra SOLTANI]; Workers Party or PT [Louisa HANOUNE]

The Algerian Human Rights League or LADDH [Hocine ZEHOUANE]; SOS Disparus [Nacera DUTOUR]

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BIS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

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 colors represent Islam (green), purity and peace (white), and liberty (red); the crescent and star are also Islamic symbols, but the crescent is more closed than those of other Muslim countries because the Algerians believe the long crescent horns bring happiness

The state dominates most areas of the Algerian economy. Gradual liberalization since the mid-1990's has opened up more of the economy to private domestic and foreign participation, but recent government actions impose stricter controls on foreign investment. Hydrocarbons are the backbone of the economy, accounting for roughly 60% of budget revenues, 30% of GDP, and over 95% of export earnings. Algeria has the eighth-largest reserves of natural gas in the world and is the fourth-largest gas exporter; it ranks 15th in oil reserves. Weak global hydrocarbon prices during 2009 contributed to a 40% drop in government revenue, although the government continues to enjoy a financial cushion provided by about $150 billion in foreign currency reserves and a large hydrocarbons stabilization fund. Algeria's external debt is only about 1% of GDP. The government's 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. A Complementary Finance Law, enacted in July, imposed tight restrictions on imports and required that new foreign investment must be in the form of joint ventures with at least 51% share of ownership by Algerian partners. That law and a January, 2009 ban on importing pharmaceutical products that are also locally produced have contributed to some domestic goods shortages and prompted foreign investors and businesses to reconsider activities in Algeria. Development of the banking sector, the construction of infrastructure, and other structural reforms are hampered by corruption and bureaucratic resistance.

$239.6 billion (2009 est.)

$233.5 billion (2008 est.)

$227.1 billion (2007 est.)

$136.4 billion (2009 est.)

9.612 million (2009 est.)

26.8% of GDP (2009 est.)

10.7% of GDP (2009 est.)

8.4% of GDP (2008 est.)

4% (31 December 2008)

4% (31 December 2007)

8% (31 December 2008)

8% (31 December 2007)

$60.91 billion (31 December 2008)

$55.43 billion (31 December 2007)

$30.36 billion (31 December 2008)

$28.59 billion (31 December 2007)

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

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

34.98 billion kWh (2007 est.)

28.34 billion kWh (2007 est.)

273 million kWh (2007 est.)

279 million kWh (2007 est.)

2.18 million bbl/day (2008 est.)

299,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)

1.891 million bbl/day (2007 est.)

14,320 bbl/day (2007 est.)

12.2 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.)

86.5 billion cu m (2008 est.)

26.83 billion cu m (2008 est.)

59.67 billion cu m (2008 est.)

4.502 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)

$5.523 billion (2009 est.)

$35.27 billion (2008 est.)

$52.03 billion (2009 est.)

$78.23 billion (2008 est.)

petroleum, natural gas, and petroleum products 97%

US 23.9%, Italy 15.5%, Spain 11.4%, France 8%, Netherlands 7.8%, Canada 6.8% (2008)

$39.51 billion (2009 est.)

$39.16 billion (2008 est.)

capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods

France 16.5%, Italy 11%, China 10.3%, Spain 7.4%, Germany 6.1%, US 5.5% (2008)

$149.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$143.5 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$3.389 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$3.753 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$15.46 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$13.76 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$1.362 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$1.162 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

Algerian dinars (DZD) per US dollar - 72.5695 (2009), 63.25 (2008), 69.9 (2007), 72.647 (2006), 73.276 (2005)

3.314 million (2008)

31.871 million (2008)

AM 25, FM 1, shortwave 8 (1999)

46 (plus 216 repeaters) (1995)

condensate 1,937 km; gas 14,648 km; liquid petroleum gas 2,933 km; oil 7,579 km (2009)

Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Djendjene, Jijel, Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda

People's National Army (Armee Nationale Populaire, ANP), Land Forces (Forces Terrestres, FT), Navy of the Republic of Algeria (Marine de la Republique Algerienne, MRA), Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Jaza'eriya, QJJ), Territorial Air Defense Force (2009)

19-30 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (6 months basic training, 12 months civil projects) (2006)

Algeria, and many other states, rejects Moroccan administration of Western Sahara; the Polisario Front, exiled in Algeria, represents the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic; Algeria's border with Morocco remains an irritant to bilateral relations, each nation accusing the other of harboring militants and arms smuggling; 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