Algeria

Al Jumhūrīyah al Jazā'irīyah
ad Dīmuqrāţīyah ash Sha'bīyah

(In Detail) (Full size)
National motto: None
Official language	Arabic
Capital	Algiers
President	Abdelaziz Bouteflika
Area  - Total  - % water	Ranked 11th 2,381,740 km² Negligible
Population  - Total (2002)  - Density	Ranked 34th 32,818,500 13.3/km²
Independence  - Date	From France July 5, 1962
Currency	Algerian dinar
Time zone	UTC +1
National anthem	Kassaman
Internet TLD	.DZ
Calling Code	213

History

The native Berber population of Algeria has been under the rule of foreign occupants for most of the last 3000 years. The Phoenicians (1000 BC) and the Roman Republic (200 BC) were the most important of these, until the coming of the Arabs in the 8th century.

Formally a part of the Ottoman Empire, Algeria's coast was used as a base for pirates. This was ended by a French invasion in 1830, followed by a complete conquest of Algeria several years later. In 1954, a guerilla war began to make Algeria independent, which succeeded in 1962.

In the 1990s, Algeria experienced resistance from Islamic fundamentalists, whose political parties were blocked from elections.

Politics

The head of state is the political association may be formed if it is "based on differences in religion, language, race gender or region." The head of state is the President of the republic, who is elected to a 5-year term, renewable once. Algeria has universal suffrage. The President is the head of the Council of Ministers and of the High Security Council. He appoints the Prime Minister who also is the head of government. The Prime Minister appoints the Council of Ministers.

The Algerian parliament is bicameral, consisting of a lower chamber, the National People's Assembly (APN), with 380 members and an upper chamber, the Council of Nation, with 144 members. The APN is elected every 5 years.

Provinces

Algeria is divided into 48 wilayas, or provinces:

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

Geography

Most of the coastal area is hilly, sometimes even mountainous, and there are few good harbours. The area just south of the coast, known as the Tell, is fertile. Further south is the Atlas mountain range and the Sahara desert. Algiers, Oran and Constantine are the main cities.

Algeria's climate is arid and hot, although the coastal climate is mild, and the winters in the mountainous areas can be severe. Algeria is prone to sirocco, a hot dust- and sand-laden wind especially common in summer.

Economy

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 has massive foreign debts. 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.

Demographics

About 90% of the Algerians lives in the northern, coastal area, although there are about 1.5 million Bedouin living in the southern desert. The mixed Arab and Berber population is mostly Islamic (99%); other religions are restricted to small groups of foreign citizens.

The official language is Arabic, spoken natively in dialectal form ("Darja") by some 80% of the population; the other 20% or so speak Berber languages such as Kabyle and Chaouia. French is widely known from schools, but is very rare as a native language.

Culture

Rai, a local music form, has great popularity in Algeria, and enjoys some popularity abroad as well, notably in France, where a large number of Algerians lives.

See also: Music of Algeria

Miscellaneous topics

• Communications in Algeria
• Transportation in Algeria
• Military of Algeria
• Foreign relations of Algeria
• Archeology of Algeria

External links

• El Mouradia - Official presidential site (in French and Arabic)
• National People's Assembly - Official parliamentary site
• Library of Congress Portals to the World - Algeria

Referenced By