1.3 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 90
Transportation ::Albania
Airports:
5 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 177
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010)
Heliports:
1 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 339 km; oil 207 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 896 km
country comparison to the world: 96
standard gauge: 896 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 18,000 km
country comparison to the world: 117
paved: 7,020 km
unpaved: 10,980 km (2002)
Waterways:
43 km (on the Bojana River) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 105
Merchant marine:
total: 25
country comparison to the world: 92
by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 23, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 1 (Turkey 1)
registered in other countries: 4 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Panama 3)
(2010)
Ports and terminals:
Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore
Military ::Albania
Military branches:
Joint Force Command (includes Land, Naval, and Aviation Brigade
Commands), Joint Support Command (includes Logistic Command),
Training and Doctrine Command (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
19 years of age (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 947,446
females age 16-49: 910,145 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 802,097
females age 16-49: 768,953 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 35,249
female: 31,855 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.49% of GDP (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
Transnational Issues ::Albania
Disputes - international:
the Albanian Government calls for the protection of the rights of
ethnic Albanians in neighboring countries, and the peaceful
resolution of interethnic disputes; some ethnic Albanian groups in
neighboring countries advocate for a "greater Albania," but the idea
has little appeal among Albanian nationals; the mass emigration of
unemployed Albanians remains a problem for developed countries,
chiefly Greece and Italy
Illicit drugs:
increasingly active transshipment point for Southwest Asian opiates,
hashish, and cannabis transiting the Balkan route and - to a lesser
extent - cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe;
limited opium and expanding cannabis production; ethnic Albanian
narcotrafficking organizations active and expanding in Europe;
vulnerable to money laundering associated with regional trafficking
in narcotics, arms, contraband, and illegal aliens
page last updated on January 20, 2011
======================================================================
@Algeria (Africa)
Introduction ::Algeria
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
largely dominated politics since. 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 spurred 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, and fighting
escalated into an insurgency, which saw intense violence between
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, was reelected to a
second term in 2004, and overwhelmingly won a third term in 2009
after the government amended the constitution in 2008 to remove
presidential term limits. Longstanding problems continue to face
BOUTEFLIKA, including large-scale unemployment, a shortage of
housing, unreliable electrical and water supplies, government
inefficiencies and corruption, and the continuing activities of
extremist militants. The Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat
(GSPC) in 2006 merged with al-Qai'da to form al-Qai'da in the Lands
of the Islamic Maghreb, which has launched an ongoing series of
kidnappings and bombings targeting the Algerian Government and
Western interests.
Geography ::Algeria
Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco
and Tunisia
Geographic coordinates:
28 00 N, 3 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 2,381,741 sq km
country comparison to the world: 11
land: 2,381,741 sq km
water: 0 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:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 32-52 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: 3.17%
permanent crops: 0.28%
other: 96.55% (2005)
Irrigated land:
5,690 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
14.3 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 6.07 cu km/yr (22%/13%/65%)
per capita: 185 cu m/yr (2000)
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, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)
People ::Algeria
Population:
34,586,184 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.4% (male 4,436,591/female 4,259,729)
15-64 years: 69.5% (male 11,976,965/female 11,777,618)
65 years and over: 5.1% (male 798,576/female 928,709) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 27.1 years
male: 26.8 years
female: 27.3 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.177% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
Birth rate:
16.71 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121
Death rate:
4.66 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196
Net migration rate:
-0.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132
Urbanization:
urban population: 65% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 26.75 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 81
male: 29.8 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 23.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.26 years
country comparison to the world: 98
male: 72.57 years
female: 76.04 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.76 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1%; note - no country specific models provided (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
21,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 1,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
Nationality:
noun: Algerian(s)
adjective: Algerian
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
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 69.9%
male: 79.6%
female: 60.1% (2002 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 13 years
male: 13 years
female: 13 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
4.3% of GDP (2008)
country comparison to the world: 98
Government ::Algeria
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
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Algiers
geographic coordinates: 36 45 N, 3 03 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
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
Independence:
5 July 1962 (from France)
National holiday:
Revolution Day, 1 November (1954)
Constitution:
8 September 1963; revised 19 November 1976; effective 22 November
1976; revised 3 November 1988, 23 February 1989, 28 November 1996,
10 April 2002, and 12 November 2008
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
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA (since 28 April 1999)
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government; a November 2008 constitutional amendment separated the
position of head of government from that of the prime minister
head of government: President Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA (since 28 April
1999)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
note - a November 2008 constitutional amendment abolished
presidential term limits; election last held on 9 April 2009 (next
to be held in April 2014)
election results: Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA was reelected president for a
third term; percent of vote - Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA 90.2%, Louisa
HANOUNE 4.2%, Moussa TOUATI 2.3%, Djahid YOUNSI 1.4%, Ali Fawzi
REBIANE less than 1%, Mohamed SAID less than 1%
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Council of the Nation (upper
house; 144 seats; one-third of the members appointed by the
president, two-thirds elected by indirect vote to serve six-year
terms; the constitution requires half the Council to be renewed
every three years) and the National People's Assembly (lower house;
389 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Council of the Nation - last held on 29 December 2009
(next to be held in December 2012); National People's Assembly -
last held on 17 May 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
election results: Council of the Nation - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - NA; National People's Assembly - percent of
vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 136, RND 61, MSP 52, PT 26,
RCD 19, FNA 13, other 49, independents 33;
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Ahd 54 [Ali Fauzi REBAINE]; Algerian National Front or FNA [Moussa
TOUATI]; National Democratic Rally (Rassemblement National
Democratique) or RND [Ahmed OUYAHIA]; National Liberation Front or
FLN [Abdelaziz BELKHADEM, secretary general]; National Reform
Movement or Islah [Ahmed ABDESLAM] (formerly MRN); Rally for Culture
and Democracy or RCD [Said SADI]; Renaissance Movement or EnNahda
Movement [Fatah RABEI]; Socialist Forces Front or FFS [Hocine Ait
AHMED]; Society of Peace Movement or MSP [Boudjerra SOLTANI];
Workers Party or PT [Louisa HANOUNE]
note: a law banning political parties based on religion was enacted
in March 1997
Political pressure groups and leaders:
The Algerian Human Rights League or LADDH [Hocine ZEHOUANE]; SOS
Disparus [Nacera DUTOUR]
International organization participation:
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BIS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA,
MONUSCO, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, OSCE
(partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU,
WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Abdallah BAALI
chancery: 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265-2800
FAX: [1] (202) 667-2174
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador David D. PEARCE
embassy: 05 Chemin Cheikh Bachir, El-Ibrahimi, El-Biar 16000 Algiers
mailing address: B. P. 408, Alger-Gare, 16030 Algiers
telephone: [213] 770-08-2000
FAX: [213] 21-60-7355
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 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 the Algerians believe the long crescent horns
bring happiness
National anthem:
name: "Kassaman" (We Pledge)
lyrics/music: Mufdi ZAKARIAH/Mohamed FAWZI
note: adopted 1962; ZAKARIAH wrote "Kassaman" as a poem while
imprisoned in Algiers by French colonial forces
Economy ::Algeria
Economy - overview:
Algeria's economy remains dominated by the state, a legacy of the
country's socialist post-independence development model. Gradual
liberalization since the mid-1990s has opened up more of the
economy, but in recent years Algeria has imposed new restrictions on
foreign involvement in its economy and largely halted the
privatization of state-owned industries. Hydrocarbons have long been
the backbone of the economy, accounting for roughly 60% of budget
revenues, 30% of GDP, and over 95% of export earnings. Algeria has
the eighth-largest reserves of natural gas in the world and is the
fourth-largest gas exporter. It ranks 16th in oil reserves. Thanks
to strong hydrocarbon revenues, Algeria has a cushion of $150
billion in foreign currency reserves and a large hydrocarbon
stabilization fund. In addition, Algeria's external debt is
extremely low at about 1% of GDP. Algeria has struggled to develop
industires outside of hydrocarbons in part because of high costs and
an inert state bureaucracy.The government's efforts to diversify the
economy by attracting foregin and domestic investment outside the
energy sector have done little to reduce high poverty and youth
unemployment rates. In 2010, Algeria began a five-year, $286 billion
development program to update the country's infrastructure and
provide jobs. The costly program will boost Algeria's economy in
2011 but worsen the country's budget deficit. Long-term economic
challenges include diversification from hydrocarbons, relaxing state
control of the economy, and providing adequate jobs for youger
Algerians.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$254.7 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
$244.6 billion (2009 est.)
$239.4 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$159 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.1% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
2.2% (2009 est.)
2.8% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$7,400 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
$7,200 (2009 est.)
$7,100 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 8.3%
industry: 61.5%
services: 30.2% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
9.877 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 14%
industry: 13.4%
construction and public works: 10%
trade: 14.6%
government: 32%
other: 16% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate:
9.9% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
10.2% (2009 est.)
Population below poverty line:
23% (2006 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 26.8% (1995)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
35.3 (1995)
country comparison to the world: 86
Investment (gross fixed):
27.5% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29
Public debt:
25.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
20% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142
5.7% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
4% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 107
4% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
8% (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
8% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$79.07 billion (31 December 2010 est)
country comparison to the world: 36
$68.13 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$109.7 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
$98.82 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$12.29 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
$21.71 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits; sheep, cattle
Industries:
petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical,
petrochemical, food processing
Industrial production growth rate:
4.8% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
Electricity - production:
34.98 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
Electricity - consumption:
28.34 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
Electricity - exports:
273 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
279 million kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
2.125 million bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16
Oil - consumption:
325,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
Oil - exports:
1.891 million bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12
Oil - imports:
14,320 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
Oil - proved reserves:
13.42 billion bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16
Natural gas - production:
86.5 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7
Natural gas - consumption:
26.83 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
Natural gas - exports:
59.67 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 201
Natural gas - proved reserves:
4.502 trillion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
Current account balance:
$3.959 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
-$4.185 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$52.66 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
$43.69 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
petroleum, natural gas, and petroleum products 97%
Exports - partners:
US 23.2%, Italy 17.23%, Spain 10.83%, France 7.97%, Canada 7.65%,
Netherlands 5.19%, Turkey 4.22% (2009)
Imports:
$37.07 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
$39.1 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods
Imports - partners:
France 19.7%, China 11.72%, Italy 10.19%, Spain 8.13%, Germany
5.77%, Turkey 5.05% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$150.1 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
$149.3 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$4.138 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
$5.413 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$19.34 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
$17.34 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$1.844 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
$1.644 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
Algerian dinars (DZD) per US dollar - 76 (2010), 72.6474 (2009),
63.25 (2008), 69.9 (2007), 72.647 (2006)
Communications ::Algeria
Telephones - main lines in use:
2.576 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 51
Telephones - mobile cellular:
32.73 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 30
Telephone system:
general assessment: privatization of Algeria's telecommunications
sector began in 2000; three mobile cellular licenses have been
issued and, in 2005, a consortium led by Egypt's Orascom Telecom won
a 15-year license to build and operate a fixed-line network in
Algeria; the license will allow Orascom to develop high-speed data
and other specialized services and contribute to meeting the large
unfulfilled demand for basic residential telephony; Internet
broadband services began in 2003
domestic: a limited network of fixed lines with a teledensity of
less than 10 telephones per 100 persons is offset by the rapid
increase in mobile-cellular subscribership; in 2009, combined
fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity was roughly 100
telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 213; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-4
fiber-optic submarine cable system that provides links to Europe,
the Middle East, and Asia; microwave radio relay to Italy, France,
Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; coaxial cable to Morocco and Tunisia;
participant in Medarabtel; satellite earth stations - 51 (Intelsat,
Intersputnik, and Arabsat) (2009)
Broadcast media:
state-run Radio-Television Algerienne operates the broadcast media
and carries programming in Arabic, Berber dialects, and French; use
of satellite dishes is widespread, providing easy access to European
and Arab satellite stations; state-run radio operates several
national networks and roughly 40 regional radio stations (2007)
Internet country code:
.dz
Internet hosts: