Islamic countries

General Information

Total Land Area:	2,381,741 km²
Land boundaries:	6,343 km
Coastline:	1216 km
Capital:	Algiers
Other Large Cities:	Oran, Annaba, Constantine
Official Language:	Arabic
National Currency Unit:	Algerian Dinar (DZD)
National Day:	November 1

Location and Geography

Algeria is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea in the North; Tunisia and Libya in the East; Niger and Mali in the South, Mauritania and the Western Sahara in the South-west and Morocco in the West. It is the second largest country in Africa and is composed of four successive main reliefs, from North to South. In the North, along the Mediterranean coast, lies the narrow discontinuous plain of the Algerian Tell containing the majority of the country’s arable land. Higher reliefs are bordering the coastal plain in the South, with two mountainous chains enclosing high desertic plateaux. In the South of the Sahara Atlas lies the great Sahara Desert representing 80% of the country’s total land area. In the South of the Sahara desert lies the Hoggar mountain composed of high desertic plateaux in terraces. The only river in Algeria is the Cheliff originating in the Atlas and flowing into the Mediterranean. The Tell region in the North is characterised by a mediterranean climate, with hot and dry summers and mild and rainy winters. The climate becomes drier towards the South. The Sahara is a windy and very arid region.

Demography

Population:	31.40 million (2002)
Crude Birth Rate:	22 per thousand people (2002)
Crude Death Rate:	5 per thousand people (2002)
Infant Mortality Rate:	39 per thousand (2002)
Life Expectancy:	Male: 72 years, Female: 73 years (2002)
Urban Population:	58.0 percent (2002)
Adult Literacy:	67.80 percent (2001)

Economy

The economy is based on the oil and hydrocarbon industry. Algeria ranks fifth in natural gas and fourteenth in oil reserves in the world. It is also the second largest gas exporter. Algeria’s industrial sector is dominated by state-owned heavy industries that produce steel, fertilisers, petrochemicals and cement. The other natural resources are iron ore, phosphates, uranium, gold, mercury, lead and zinc. Due to desertification the percentage of arable land in Algeria is very low. The main agricultural products are wheat, barley, oats, grapes, oranges, olives, dates, tobacco, sugar beets and tomatoes. Livestock, farming, and fishing are also significant components of the primary sector.

GDP at Current Market Prices:	55902 million US$ (2002)
Per Capita GDP:	1780 US$ (2002)
Share of Sectors in GDP:	10.0% Agriculture, 53.0% Industry, 37.0% Services, (2002)
Total Exports:	19253 million US$ (2002)
Total Imports:	13068 million US$ (2002)
Major Exports Items:	Natural gas and petroleum, tobacco and foodstuffs
Major Imports Items:	Capital goods, food and beverages and consumer goods
Major Trading Partners:	Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Netherlands and US