Algeria

republicIndependence 5 July 1962 (from France)

Algeria as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 118 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalAlgiers
LocationNorthern Africa, along the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and
1994

Every edition of Algeria

Populationas each edition published it
27.9 million July 1994 est. · 25.57m in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.29% 1994 est. · 2.34% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 22.5 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 67.35 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
3.83 children per woman 1994 est. · 5.4 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
52.1 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 87 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$3,300 1992 est. · $1,570 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
1% 1993 est. · 2.8% in 1993

Geography

Northern Africa, along the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and | Tunisia

22 fields
Land boundaries
6,343km
total · Libya 982 km, Mali 1,376 km, Mauritania 463 km, Morocco 1,559 km, Niger 956 km, Tunisia 965 km, Western Sahara 42 km
Irrigated land
3,360sq km
(1989 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Africa, Europe

total area

2,381,740 sq km

land area

2,381,740 sq km

comparative area

slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas

territorial sea

12 nm

International disputes

Libya claims part of southeastern Algeria; land boundary dispute with Tunisia settled in 1993

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

Natural resources

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

arable land

3%

permanent crops

0%

meadows and pastures

13%

forest and woodland

2%

other

82%

current issues

  • soil erosion from overgrazing and other poor farming practices;
  • desertification;
  • dumping of untreated 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;
  • limited supply of potable water

natural hazards

mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes

international agreements

  • party to - Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands;
  • signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

Note

second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)

People

21 fields
Population
27,895,068
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 2.29% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
29.71Death
6.22Net migration
-0.58
Labor force
6.2million
(1992 est.)
Literacy
15and over can read and write
age · (1990 est.)

Infant mortality rate

52.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

67.68 years

male

66.63 years

female

68.77 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.83 children born/woman (1994 est.)

noun

Algerian(s)

adjective

Algerian

Ethnic divisions

Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%

Religions

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

Languages

Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects

total population

57%

male

70%

female

46%

by occupation

government 29.5%, agriculture 22%, construction and public works 16.2%, industry 13.6%, commerce and services 13.5%, transportation and communication 5.2% (1989)

Government

Republic

32 fields

conventional long form

Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria

conventional short form

Algeria

local long form

Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash Shabiyah

local short form

Al Jaza'ir

Type

republic

Capital

Algiers

Administrative divisions

48 provinces (wilayast, 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

Anniversary of the Revolution, 1 November (1954)

Constitution

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

chief of state

President Lamine ZEROUAL (since 31 January 1994); next election to be held after a three-year transition period which began on 31 January 1994

head of government

Prime Minister Mokdad SIFI (since 11 April 1994)

cabinet

Council of Ministers; appointed by the prime minister

National People's Assembly (Al-Majlis Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani)

  • elections first round held on 26 December 1991 (second round canceled by the military after President BENDJEDID resigned 11 January 1992, effectively suspending the Assembly);
  • results - percent of vote by party NA;
  • seats - (281 total);
  • the fundamentalist FIS won 188 of the 231 seats contested in the first round;
  • note - elections (municipal and wilaya) were held in June 1990, the first in Algerian history;
  • results - FIS 55%, FLN 27.5%, other 17.5%, with 65% of the voters participating

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Political parties and leaders

  • Islamic Salvation Front (FIS, outlawed April 1992), Ali BELHADJ, Dr. Abassi MADANI, Abdelkader HACHANI (all under arrest), Rabeh KEBIR (self-exile in Germany);
  • National Liberation Front (FLN), Abdelhamid MEHRI, Secretary General;
  • Socialist Forces Front (FFS), Hocine Ait AHMED, Secretary General

note

the government established a multiparty system in September 1989 and, as of 31 December 1990, over 50 legal parties existed

Member of

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNTAC, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission

Ambassador Nourredine Yazid ZERHOUNI

chancery

2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

(202) 265-2800

chief of mission

Ambassador Mary Ann CASEY

embassy

4 Chemin Cheikh Bachir El-Ibrahimi, Algiers

mailing address

B. P. Box 549, Alger-Gare, 16000 Algiers

telephone

[213] (2) 601-425, 255, 186

FAX

[213] (2) 603979

consulate(s)

Oran

Flag

  • two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star within a red crescent;
  • the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam (the state religion)

Economy

25 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$3,300
(1992 est.)
Real growth rate
1%
(1993 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate NA%
Unemployment rate
22%
(1993 est.)

Overview

The hydrocarbons sector is the backbone of the economy, accounting for roughly 57% of government revenues, 25% of GDP, and almost all export earnings; Algeria has the fifth largest reserves of natural gas in the world and ranks fourteenth for oil. Algiers' efforts to reform one of the most centrally planned economies in the Arab world began after the 1986 collapse of world oil prices plunged the country into a severe recession.

In 1989, the government launched a comprehensive, IMF-supported program to achieve macroeconomic stabilization and to introduce market mechanisms into the economy. Despite substantial progress toward macroeconomic adjustment, in 1992 the reform drive stalled as Algiers became embroiled in political turmoil.

In September 1993, a new government was formed, one of whose priorities was the resumption and acceleration of the structural adjustment process. Buffeted by the slump in world oil prices and burdened with a heavy foreign debt, Algiers in 1993 resumed negotiations with the IMF and is on track to conclude a standby arrangement with the Fund in 1994.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $89 billion (1993 est.)

revenues

$14.4 billion

expenditures

$14.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.5 billion (1992 est.)

Exports

$11.4 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

commodities

petroleum and natural gas 97%

partners

Italy 21%, France 16%, US 14%, Germany 13%, Spain 9%

Imports

$9 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

commodities

capital goods 39.7%, food and beverages 21.7%, consumer goods 11.8% (1990)

partners

France 29%, Italy 14%, Spain 9%, US 9%, Germany 7%

External debt

$26 billion (1994)

capacity

6,380,000 kW

production

16.384 billion kWh

consumption per capita

630 kWh (1992)

Industries

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

Agriculture

  • accounts for 12.8% of GDP (1993 est.) and employs 22% of labor force;
  • products- wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits, sheep, cattle;
  • net importer of food - grain, vegetable oil, sugar

recipient

  • US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-85), $1.4 billion;
  • Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $925 million;
  • OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $1.8 billion;
  • Communist countries (1970-89), $2.7 billion;
  • net official disbursements (1985-89), $375 million

Currency

1 Algerian dinar (DA) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

Algerian dinars (DA) per US$1 - 36.008 (April 1994), 23.345 (1993), 21.836 (1992), 18.473 (1991), 8.958 (1990), 7.6086 (1989)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

14 fields

Railroads

  • 4,060 km total;
  • 2,616 km standard gauge (1.435 m), 1,188 km 1.055-meter gauge, 256 km 1.000-meter gauge;
  • 300 km electrified;
  • 215 km double track

total

90,031 km

paved

concrete, bituminous 58,868 km

unpaved

gravel, crushed stone, earth 31,163 km (1990)

Pipelines

  • crude oil 6,612 km;
  • petroleum products 298 km;
  • natural gas 2,948 km

Ports

Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Djendjene, Ghazaouet, Jijel, Mers el Kebir, Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda

Merchant marine

75 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 903,179 GRT/1,064,211 DWT, bulk 9, cargo 27, chemical tanker 7, liquefied gas 9, oil tanker 5, roll-on/roll-off cargo 12, short-sea passenger 5, specialized tanker 1

total

140

usable

124

with permanent-surface runways

53

with runways over 3,659 m

2

with runways 2,440-3,659 m

32

with runways 1,220-2,439 m

65

Telecommunications

  • excellent domestic and international service in the north, sparse in the south;
  • 822,000 telephones;
  • broadcast stations - 26 AM, no FM, 18 TV;
  • 1,600,000 TV sets;
  • 5,200,000 radios;
  • 5 submarine cables;
  • microwave radio relay to Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia;
  • coaxial cable to Morocco and Tunisia;
  • satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Intersputnik, l ARABSAT, and 12 domestic;
  • 20 additional satellite earth stations are planned

Defense Forces

National Popular Army, Navy, Air Force, Territorial Air Defense

4 fields

Branches

National Popular Army, Navy, Air Force, Territorial Air Defense

Manpower availability

  • males age 15-49 6,863,378;
  • fit for military service 4,215,767;
  • reach military age (19) annually 301,945 (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $1.36 billion, 2.5% of GDP (1993 est.)

Affiliation

(territory of the US)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Algeria.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/algeria/1994.

How to cite ← 1993 edition 1995 edition →