1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 2,381,740 km2 land area: 2,381,740 km2 comparative area: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas
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
Coastline
998 km
Environment
mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; desertification
International disputes
Libya claims part of southeastern Algeria; land boundary disputes with Tunisia under discussion
Irrigated land
3,360 km2 (1989 est.)
Land boundaries
total 6,343 km, Libya 982 km, Mali 1,376 km, Mauritania 463 km, Morocco 1,559 km, Niger 956 km, Tunisia 965 km, Western Sahara 42 km
Land use
arable land: 3% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 13% forest and woodland: 2% other: 82%
Location
Northern Africa, along the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia
Map references
Africa, Europe
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc
Note
second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)
Terrain
mostly high plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
People and Society
Birth rate
30.38 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
6.41 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%
Infant mortality rate
54 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
6.2 million (1992 est.) 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)
Languages
Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 67.35 years male: 66.32 years female: 68.41 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 57% male: 70% female: 46%
Nationality
noun: Algerian(s) adjective: Algerian
Net migration rate
-0.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
27,256,252 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
2.34% (1993 est.)
Religions
Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1%
Total fertility rate
3.96 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
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
Capital
Algiers
Chief of State
High State Committee President Ali KAFI (since 2 July 1992)
Constitution
19 November 1976, effective 22 November 1976; revised February 1989
Digraph
AG
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed ZARHOUNI chancery: 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 265-2800
Executive branch
President of the High State Committee, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
FAX
[213] (2) 603979 consulate: 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)
Head of Government
Prime Minister Belaid ABDESSELAM (since 8 July 1992)
Independence
5 July 1962 (from France)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
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
Legislative branch
unicameral National People's Assembly (Al-Majlis Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani)
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
Names
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
National holiday
Anniversary of the Revolution, 1 November (1954)
National People's Assembly
first round held on 26 December 1991 (second round canceled by the military after President BENDJEDID resigned 11 January 1992); 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
Political parties and leaders
Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), Ali BELHADJ, Dr. Abassi MADANI, Abdelkader HACHANI (all under arrest), Rabeh KEBIR; 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 30 legal parties existed
President of the High State Committee
next election to be held December 1993
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Type
republic
US diplomatic representation
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 or 255, 186
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 10.8% of GDP (1991) and employs 22% of labor force; products- wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits, sheep, cattle; net importer of food - grain, vegetable oil, sugar
Budget
revenues $14.4 billion; expenditures $14.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.5 billion (1992 est.)
Currency
1 Algerian dinar (DA) = 100 centimes
Economic aid
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
Electricity
6,380,000 kW capacity; 16,834 million kWh produced, 630 kWh per capita (1992)
Exchange rates
Algerian dinars (DA) per US$1 - 22.787 (January 1993), 21.836 (1992), 18.473 (1991), 8.958 (1990), 7.6086 (1989), 5.9148 (1988)
Exports
$11.6 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: petroleum and natural gas 97% partners: Italy, France, US, Germany, Spain
External debt
$26 billion (1992 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Imports
$8.2 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: capital goods 39.7%, food and beverages 21.7%, consumer goods 11.8% (1990) partners: France, Italy, Germany, US, Spain
Industrial production
growth rate NA%
Industries
petroleum, light industries, natural gas, mining, electrical, petrochemical, food processing
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
55% (1992 est.)
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $42 billion (1992 est.)
National product per capita
$1,570 (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate
2.8% (1992 est.)
Overview
The oil and natural gas sector forms the backbone of the economy, hydrocarbons accounting for nearly all export receipts, about 30% of government revenues, and nearly 25% of GDP. In 1973-74 the sharp increase in oil prices led to a booming economy and helped to finance an ambitious program of industrialization. Plunging oil and gas prices, combined with the mismanagement of Algeria's highly centralized economy, has brought the nation to its most serious social and economic crisis since full independence in 1988. The current government has put reform, including privatization of some public sector companies and an overhaul of the banking and financial system, on hold, but has continued efforts to admit private enterprise to the hydrocarbon industry.
Unemployment rate
35% (1992 est.)
Communications
Airports
total: 141 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
Highways
90,031 km total; 58,868 km concrete or bituminous, 31,163 km gravel, crushed stone, unimproved earth (1990)
Merchant marine
75 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 903,179 GRT/1,064,211 DWT; includes 5 short-sea passenger, 27 cargo, 12 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 5 oil tanker, 9 liquefied gas, 7 chemical tanker, 9 bulk, 1 specialized tanker
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
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
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
Military and Security
Branches
National Popular Army, Navy, Air Force, Territorial Air Defense
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $1.36 billion, 2.5% of GDP (1993 est.)
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 6,610,342; fit for military service 4,063,261; reach military age (19) annually 291,685 (1993 est.)