NAVIGATION
|
HOME
• FLAG FINDER
• MAP FINDER
• SOURCES
• ADD YOURSELF TO THE ATLAS! COUNTRIES A-D • COUNTRIES E-K • COUNTRIES L-R • COUNTRIES S-Z |
NAVIGATION
Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria
Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash Shabiyah
INTRODUCTION
|
Background:
|
After a century of rule by France, Algeria became independent in 1962. The surprising first round success of the fundamentalist FIS (Islamic Salvation Front) party in the December 1991 balloting caused the army to intervene, crack down on the FIS, and postpone the subsequent elections. The FIS response has resulted in a continuous low-grade civil conflict with the secular state apparatus, which nonetheless has allowed elections featuring pro-government and moderate religious-based parties. FIS's armed wing, the Islamic Salvation Army, disbanded itself in January 2000 and many armed militants surrendered under an amnesty program designed to promote national reconciliation. Nevertheless, residual fighting continues. Other concerns include Berber unrest, large-scale unemployment, a shortage of housing, and the need to diversify the petroleum-based economy. |
GEOGRAPHY
|
Location:
|
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia |
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
28 00 N, 3 00 E |
|
Map references:
|
Africa |
|
Area:
|
total: 2,381,740 sq km
water: 0 sq km land: 2,381,740 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas |
|
Land boundaries:
|
total: 6,343 km
border countries: Libya 982 km, Mali 1,376 km, Mauritania 463 km, Morocco 1,559 km, Niger 956 km, Tunisia 965 km, Western Sahara 42 km |
|
Coastline:
|
998 km |
|
Maritime claims:
|
exclusive fishing zone: 32-52 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
|
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 |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point: Chott Melrhir -40 m
highest point: Tahat 3,003 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc |
|
Land use:
|
arable land: 3.21%
permanent crops: 0.21% other: 96.58% (1998 est.) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
5,600 sq km (1998 est.) |
|
Natural hazards:
|
mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides and floods in rainy season |
|
Environment - current issues:
|
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 |
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban |
|
Geography - note:
|
second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan) |
PEOPLE
|
Population:
|
32,277,942 (July 2002 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 33.5% (male 5,512,369; female 5,311,914)
15-64 years: 62.4% (male 10,175,135; female 9,950,315) 65 years and over: 4.1% (male 610,643; female 717,566) (2002 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
1.68% (2002 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
22.34 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
5.15 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
-0.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
39.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 70.24 years
female: 71.67 years (2002 est.) male: 68.87 years |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
2.63 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
0.07% (1999 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
NA |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
NA |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Algerian(s)
adjective: Algerian |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1% |
|
Religions:
|
Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1% |
|
Languages:
|
Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects |
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 61.6% male: 73.9% female: 49% (1995 est.) |