Edition 1994 — Algeria — World Factbook

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

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

Airports

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

Area

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

Birth rate

29.71 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Branches

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

Budget

revenues: $14.4 billion expenditures: $14.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.5 billion (1992 est.)

Capital

Algiers

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

Constitution

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

Currency

1 Algerian dinar (DA) = 100 centimes

Death rate

6.22 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

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

Digraph

AG

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Nourredine Yazid ZERHOUNI chancery: 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 265-2800

Economic aid

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

Electricity

capacity: 6,380,000 kW production: 16.384 billion kWh consumption per capita: 630 kWh (1992)

Environment

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

Ethnic divisions

Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%

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)

Executive branch

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

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%

External debt

$26 billion (1994)

FAX

[213] (2) 603979 consulate(s): Oran

Fiscal year

calendar year

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)

Highways

total: 90,031 km paved: concrete, bituminous 58,868 km unpaved: gravel, crushed stone, earth 31,163 km (1990)

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%

Independence

5 July 1962 (from France)

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

22% (1993 est.)

International disputes

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

Irrigated land

3,360 sq km (1989 est.)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

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)

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%

Languages

Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 67.68 years male: 66.63 years female: 68.77 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 57% male: 70% female: 46%

Location

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

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.)

Map references

Africa, Europe

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

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

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

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 (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

National product

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

National product per capita

$3,300 (1992 est.)

National product real growth rate

1% (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun: Algerian(s) adjective: Algerian

Natural resources

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

Net migration rate

-0.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Note

second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)

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.

Pipelines

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

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

Population

27,895,068 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

2.29% (1994 est.)

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

Religions

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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

Terrain

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

Total fertility rate

3.83 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Type

republic

Unemployment rate