Algeria
Country Guide

Explore Algeria

Algeria with its capital Algiers is located in Africa (Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea). It covers some 2,381,741 square kilometers (slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas) with 40,969,400 citizens. Arabic is the language commonly spoken used in Algeria. Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Tunisia and Western Sahara are bordering countries.

Algeria is an Arab and Berber country in North Africa. It has a mediterranean sea coastline in the north. Much of recent Algerian history has been dominated by civil wars and subsequent warlordism. That said, the country is gradually restoring order and will prove an interesting - if difficult - destination. The official language is Arabic. Generally, only the young generations in Algeria can understand some English, but most people are able to communicate in French. As in all of North Africa, the dominant religion in Algeria is Islam. Be respectful. If visiting a mosque, for example, be sure to be dressed conservatively and remove your shoes before entering it.

Popular Destinations in Algeria

Administrative regions of Algeria

• Adrar
• Ain Defla Province
• Ain Temouchent Province
• Algiers Province
• Annaba
• Batna
• Bechar Province
• Bejaia Province
• Biskra Province
• Blida Province
• Bouira Province
• Boumerdes Province
• Chlef Province
• Constantine Province
• Djelfa Province
• El Bayadh Province
• El Oued Province
• El Tarf Province
• Ghardaia Province
• Guelma Province
• Illizi Province
• Jijel Province
• Khenchela Province
• Laghouat Province
• M-Sila Province
• Mascara Province
• Medea Province
• Mila Province
• Mostaganem Province
• Naama Province
• Oran Province
• Ouargla Province
• Oum el Bouaghi Province
• Relizane Province
• Saida Province
• Setif Province
• Sidi Bel Abbes Province
• Skikda Province
• Souk Ahras Province
• Tamanrasset Province
• Tebessa Province
• Tiaret Province
• Tindouf Province
• Tipaza Province
• Tissemsilt Province
• Tizi Ouzou Province
• Tlemcen Province
• Wilaya de Bordj Bou Arreridj

About the country

The landscape is mostly high plateau and desert with some mountains as well as narrow, discontinuous coastal plain. The average density of population is about 17 per km². The climate in Algeria can be described as arid to semiaridmild, wet winters with hot, dry summers along coast, drier with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau, sirocco being a hot, dust/sand-laden wind especially common in summer. Potential threats by nature are droughts, mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes and mudslides and floods in rainy season.

To reach someone Algeria dial +213 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 3G, 4G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".dz". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 230 V - 50 Hz (plugs: C, F). The sign for the locally used currency Dinar is DZD.

Two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white; a red, 5-pointed star within a red crescent centered over the two-color boundary; the colors represent Islam (green), purity and peace (white), and liberty (red); the crescent and star are also Islamic symbols, but the crescent is more closed than those of other Muslim countries because Algerians believe the long crescent horns bring happiness.

After more than a century of rule by France, Algerians fought through much of the 1950s to achieve independence in 1962. Algeria's primary political party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), was established in 1954 as part of the struggle for independence and has since largely dominated politics. The Government of Algeria in 1988 instituted a multi-party system in response to public unrest, but the surprising first round success of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in the December 1991 balloting led the Algerian army to intervene and postpone the second round of elections to prevent what the secular elite feared would be an extremist-led government from assuming power. The army began a crackdown on the FIS that spurred FIS supporters to begin attacking government targets. Fighting escalated into an insurgency, which saw intense violence from 1992-98, resulting in over 100,000 deaths - many attributed to indiscriminate massacres of villagers by extremists. The government gained the upper hand by the late-1990s, and FIS's armed wing, the Islamic Salvation Army, disbanded in January 2000. Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA, with the backing of the military, won the presidency in 1999 in an election widely viewed as fraudulent and won subsequent elections in 2004, 2009, and 2014. The government in 2011 introduced some political reforms in response to the Arab Spring, including lifting the 19-year-old state of emergency restrictions and increasing women's quotas for elected assemblies, while also increasing subsidies to the populace. Since 2014, Algeria’s reliance on hydrocarbon revenues to fund the government and finance the large subsidies for the population has fallen under stress because of declining oil prices.

Geography

Area
Total (World Rank: 11)	2,381,740	sq km
Land (World Rank: 11)	2,381,740	sq km
Forest (World Rank: 4)	79.63	%
Comparative	slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas
Coastline
998
Landborder
6734
Elevation
Lowest point (World Rank: 58)	-40	m
Highest point (World Rank: 77)	2,908	m
Agricultural land
Total (World Rank: 174)	17.40	%
Arable (World Rank: 64)	18.02	%
Permanent crops (World Rank: 81)	2.34	%
Permanent pastures (World Rank: 4)	79.63	%
Irrigated land (World Rank: 40)	13,600	sq km
Map reference
Africa
Environment
Issues	- and fertilizer runoff - and other industrial effluents is leading to the pollution of rivers and coastal waters - becoming polluted from oil wastes - desertification - dumping of raw sewage - in particular - inadequate supplies of potable water - Mediterranean Sea - petroleum refining wastes - soil erosion - soil erosion from overgrazing and other poor farming practices
Agreement party	- Biodiversity - Climate Change - Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol - Desertification - Endangered Species - Environmental Modification - Hazardous Wastes - Law of the Sea - Ozone Layer Protection - Ship Pollution - Wetlands
Hazzards	- droughts - mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes - mudslides and floods in rainy season
Location
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia
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

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People

Population
Total (World Rank: 33)	40,969,400
Deathrate (World Rank: 204)	0.43	%
Birthrate (World Rank: 69)	2.22	%
Growthrate (World Rank: 62)	1.70	%
Migration rate (World Rank: 103)	-0.09	%
Fertility rate (World Rank: 65)	2.70	%
Median age
Male (World Rank: 133)	27.80
Female (World Rank: 133)	28.40
Age structure
0 14 male (World Rank: 29)	6,148,570
0 14 female (World Rank: 30)	5,858,920
15 24 male (World Rank: 35)	3,208,180
15 24 female (World Rank: 35)	3,061,180
25 54 male (World Rank: 30)	8,906,160
25 54 female (World Rank: 31)	8,682,890
55 64 male (World Rank: 34)	1,410,300
55 64 female (World Rank: 37)	1,378,280
65 x male (World Rank: 37)	1,079,220
65 x female (World Rank: 42)	1,235,740
Health
Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 82)	1.96	%
Life expectancy total (World Rank: 77)	77	years
Life expectancy female (World Rank: 102)	78	years
Life expectancy male (World Rank: 64)	76	years
Physicians per 1000 (World Rank: 104)	1.19
Sanitation access total (World Rank: 105)	87.60	%
Obesity adult (World Rank: 38)	27.40	%
Drinking water access (World Rank: 154)	83.60	%

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Energy

Electricity
Production (World Rank: 43)	64,670,000,000	kWh
Consumption (World Rank: 46)	53,440,000,000	kWh
Export (World Rank: 62)	641,000,000	kWh
Import (World Rank: 75)	610,000,000	kWh
Source fossil (World Rank: 42)	97.90	%
Source nuclear (World Rank: 141)	1.60	%
Source renew (World Rank: 126)	1.50	%
Crude oil
Production (World Rank: 18)	1,348,000	bbl / day
Exports (World Rank: 16)	798,900	bbl / day
Imports (World Rank: 79)	5,880	bbl / day
Proved reserves (World Rank: 16)	12,200,000,000	bbl
Refined products
Production (World Rank: 26)	657,600	bbl / day
Consumption (World Rank: 35)	428,000	bbl / day
Export (World Rank: 12)	575,800	bbl / day
Import (World Rank: 72)	62,480	bbl / day
Natural gas
Production (World Rank: 10)	83,040,000,000	m³
Consumption (World Rank: 24)	44,320,000,000	m³
Export (World Rank: 7)	43,420,000,000	m³
Carbon footprint
128000000

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Nation

Budget
Education (World Rank: 97)	4	% of GDP
Military (World Rank: 5)	7	% of GDP
Health (World Rank: 77)	7	% of GDP
Surplus (World Rank: 202)	-14	% of GDP
National symbol
star and crescent
National colours
white
Adjective
Algerian
Noun
Algerian(s)
Background
After more than a century of rule by France, Algerians fought through much of the 1950s to achieve independence in 1962. Algeria's primary political party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), was established in 1954 as part of the struggle for independence and has since largely dominated politics. The Government of Algeria in 1988 instituted a multi-party system in response to public unrest, but the surprising first round success of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in the December 1991 balloting led the Algerian army to intervene and postpone the second round of elections to prevent what the secular elite feared would be an extremist-led government from assuming power. The army began a crackdown on the FIS that spurred FIS supporters to begin attacking government targets. Fighting escalated into an insurgency, which saw intense violence from 1992-98, resulting in over 100,000 deaths - many attributed to indiscriminate massacres of villagers by extremists. The government gained the upper hand by the late-1990s, and FIS's armed wing, the Islamic Salvation Army, disbanded in January 2000. Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA, with the backing of the military, won the presidency in 1999 in an election widely viewed as fraudulent and won subsequent elections in 2004, 2009, and 2014. The government in 2011 introduced some political reforms in response to the Arab Spring, including lifting the 19-year-old state of emergency restrictions and increasing women's quotas for elected assemblies, while also increasing subsidies to the populace. Since 2014, Algeria’s reliance on hydrocarbon revenues to fund the government and finance the large subsidies for the population has fallen under stress because of declining oil prices.
Flag description
two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white; a red, 5-pointed star within a red crescent centered over the two-color boundary; the colors represent Islam (green), purity and peace (white), and liberty (red); the crescent and star are also Islamic symbols, but the crescent is more closed than those of other Muslim countries because Algerians believe the long crescent horns bring happiness

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Economy

Gdp
Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 35)	609,600,000,000	USD
Real growth rate (World Rank: 85)	3.30	%
Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 106)	15,000	USD
Source agriculture (World Rank: 75)	12.90	%
Source industry (World Rank: 38)	36.20	%
Source service (World Rank: 172)	50.90	%
Labourforce
Total (World Rank: 46)	12,120,000
In poverty (World Rank: 88)	23.00	%
Products
Industries	- electrical - food processing - light industries - mining - natural gas - petrochemical - petroleum
Agriculture	- barley - cattle - citrus - fruits - grapes - oats - olives - sheep - wheat
Exports	- natural gas - petroleum - petroleum products
Imports	- capital goods - consumer goods - foodstuffs

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Communication

Phone
Landline total (World Rank: 45)	3,404,710
Landline per 100 (World Rank: 142)	8.00
Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 74)	120.00
Assessment	0
Internet
Users (World Rank: 36)	17,291,500
Population (World Rank: 136)	42.90	%

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Transport

Air
Airports paved (World Rank: 38)	64.00
Airports unpaved (World Rank: 36)	93.00
Heliports (World Rank: 42)	3.00
Rail
Total length (World Rank: 47)	3,973
Road
Total length (World Rank: 43)	113,655
Paved length (World Rank: 30)	87,605
Unpaved length (World Rank: 58)	26,050

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