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Communications

Airports [time series]

145 total, 134 usable; 53 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways over 3,659 m; 30 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 66 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

42 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

80,000 km total; 60,000 km concrete or bituminous, 20,000 km gravel, crushed stone, unimproved earth

Merchant marine [time series]

75 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 903,179 GRT/1,063,994 DWT; includes 5 short-sea passenger, 27 cargo, 2 vehicle carrier, 10 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 5 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 9 liquefied gas, 7 chemical tanker, 9 bulk, 1 specialized tanker

Pipelines [time series]

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

Ports [time series]

Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Jijel, Mers el Kebir, Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

4,146 km total; 2,632 km standard gauge (1.435 m), 1,258 km 1.055-meter gauge, 256 km 1.000-meter gauge; 300 km electrified; 215 km double track

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

excellent domestic and international service in the north, sparse in the south; 693,000 telephones; stations--26 AM, no FM, 113 TV; 1,550,000 TV sets; 3,500,000 receiver sets; 6 submarine cables; coaxial cable or radio relay to Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Intersputnik, 1 ARABSAT, and 15 domestic

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$857 million, 1.8% of GDP (1991)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 6,142,818; 3,780,873 fit for military service; 293,175 reach military age (19) annually

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 11% of GDP and employs 24% of labor force; net importer of food--grain, vegetable oil, and sugar; farm production includes wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits, sheep,and cattle

Budget [time series]

revenues $16.7 billion; expenditures $17.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $6.6 billion (1990 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Algerian dinar (plural--dinars); 1 Algerian dinar (DA) = 100 centimes

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-85), $1.4 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $8.5 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $1.8 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $2.7 billion

Electricity [time series]

5,156,000 kW capacity; 14,900 million kWh produced, 580 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates [time series]

Algerian dinars (DA) per US$1--13.581 (January 1991), 8.958 (1990), 7.6086 (1989), 5.9148 (1988), 4.8497 (1987), 4.7023 (1986), 5.0278 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$10.2 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.); commodities--petroleum and natural gas 98%; partners--Netherlands, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Italy, France, US

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$26.6 billion (December 1990)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$54 billion, per capita $2,130; real growth rate 2.5% (1990 est.)

Imports [time series]

$9.2 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.); commodities--capital goods 29%, consumer goods 30%; partners--France 25%, Italy 8%, FRG 8%, US 6-7%

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate -3% (1989 est.); accounts for 30% of GDP, including petroleum

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

16.6% (1990)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

The exploitation of oil and natural gas products forms the backbone of the economy. Algeria depends on hydrocarbons for nearly all of its 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, have brought the nation to its most serious social and economic crisis since independence. The government has promised far-reaching reforms, including giving public-sector companies more autonomy, encouraging private-sector activity, boosting gas and nonhydrocarbon exports, and proposing a major overhaul of the banking and financial systems, but to date has made little progress.

Unemployment rate [time series]

26% (1990 est.)

Geography

Climate [time series]

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 [time series]

998 km Territorial sea: 12 nm

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in southeastern Algeria

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; desertification

Land boundaries [time series]

6,343 km total; 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 [time series]

arable land 3%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 13%; forest and woodland 2%; other 82%; includes irrigated NEGL%

Natural resources [time series]

crude oil, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc

Note [time series]

second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)

Terrain [time series]

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

Area (Total area) [time series]

2,381,740 km2; land area: 2,381,740 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

48 provinces (wilayat, 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 [time series]

Algiers

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

400 (est.); Communist party banned 1962

Constitution [time series]

19 November 1976, effective 22 November 1976

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Abderrahmane BENSID; Chancery at 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 328-5300; US--Ambassador Christopher W. S. ROSS; Embassy at 4 Chemin Cheich Bachir El-Ibrahimi, Algiers (mailing address is B. P. Box 549, Alger-Gare, 16000 Algiers); telephone [213] (2) 601-425 or 255, 186; there is a US Consulate in Oran

Executive branch [time series]

president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Flag [time series]

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)

Independence [time series]

5 July 1962 (from France)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme) Chief of State--President Chadli BENDJEDID (since 7 February 1979); Head of Government--Prime Minister Sid Ahmed GHOZALI (since 6 June 1991) National Liberation Front (FLN), Chadli BENDJEDID, president; Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), Abassi MADANI; the government established a multiparty system in September 1989 and as of 31 December 1990 over 30 legal parties existed

Legal system [time series]

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 [time series]

unicameral National People's Assembly (Al-Majlis Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

National holiday [time series]

Anniversary of the Revolution, 1 November (1954)

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18 President--last held on 22 December 1988 (next to be held December 1993); results--President BENDJEDID was reelected without opposition; National People's Assembly--last held on 26 February 1987 (next were to be held 27 June 1991 but postponed indefinitely because of civil unrest); results--FLN was the only party; seats--(281 total) FLN 281; note--the government held multiparty elections (municipal and wilaya) in June 1990, the first in Algerian history; results--FIS 55%, FLN 27.5%, other 17.5%, with 65% of the voters participating

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

32 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

57 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

3,700,000; industry and commerce 40%, agriculture 24%, government 17%, services 10% (1984)

Languages (Language) [time series]

Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

66 years male, 68 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

50% (male 63%, female 36%) age 15 and over can read and write (1987)

Nationality [time series]

noun--Algerian(s); adjective--Algerian

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

16-19% of labor force claimed; General Union of Algerian Workers (UGTA) is the only labor organization and is subordinate to the National Liberation Front

Population [time series]

26,022,188 (July 1991), growth rate 2.5% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.2 children born/woman (1991)