Chadli BENDJEDID (since 7 February 1979);

Head of Government--Prime Minister Mouloud HAMROUCHE (since 9 September
1989)

Political parties and leaders: National Liberation Front (FLN),
Col. Chadli Bendjedid, chairman; Abdelhamid Mehri, secretary general;
the government established a multiparty system in September 1989 and
as of 1 February 1990 19 legal parties existed

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Elections:
President--last held on 22 December 1988 (next to be held December
1993); results--President Bendjedid was reelected without opposition;

People's National Assembly--last held on 26 February 1987 (next
to be held by February 1992);
results--FLN was the only party;
seats--(281 total) FLN 281; note--the government has promised
to hold multiparty elections (municipal and wilaya) in June
1990, the first in Algerian history

Communists: 400 (est.); Communist party banned 1962

Member of: AfDB, AIOEC, Arab League, ASSIMER, CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT
(de facto), IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, ILO,
IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, ILZSG, INTERPOL, IOOC, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OAU, OIC, OPEC, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation: 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
Brahimi, Algiers (mailing address is B. P. Box 549, Alger-Gare, 16000 Algiers);
telephone p213o (2) 601-425 or 255, 186; there is a US Consulate in Oran

Flag: 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)

- Economy
Overview: 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
that 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 nonhydroc