Algeria
|
| Basic Facts |
| Country name |
conventional long form: People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
conventional short form: Algeria local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash Sha'biyah local short form: Al Jaza'ir |
| Gevernment type | republic |
| Capital |
name: Algiers
geographic coordinates: 36 47 N, 2 03 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Flag description | two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white; a red, five-pointed star within a red crescent centered over the two-color boundary; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam (the state religion) |
| Currency | Algerian dinar (DZD) |
| Internet country code | .dz |
| Ports and terminals | Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Djendjene, Jijel, Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda |
| Agriculture products | wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits; sheep, cattle |
| Industries | petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical, petrochemical, food processing |
| Geography |
| Location | Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia |
| Coordinates | 28 00 N, 3 00 E |
| Continent | Africa |
| Area |
total: 2,381,740 sq km
land: 2,381,740 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc |
| Natural hazards | mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides and floods in rainy season |
| People |
| Population | 32,930,091 (July 2006 est.) |
| Ethnic groups | Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%
note: almost all Algerians are Berber in origin, not Arab; the minority who identify themselves as Berber live mostly in the mountainous region of Kabylie east of Algiers; the Berbers are also Muslim but identify with their Berber rather than Arab cultural heritage; Berbers have long agitated, sometimes violently, for autonomy; the government is unlikely to grant autonomy but has offered to begin sponsoring teaching Berber language in schools |
| Religions | Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1% |
| Languages | Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects |
