self-exile in Switzerland); Movement of a Peaceful
Society (MSP or Hamas), Mahfoud NAHNAH, chairman; Rally for Culture
and Democracy (RCD), Said SAADI, secretary general; Algerian Renewal
Party (PRA), Noureddine BOUKROUH, chairman; Nahda Movement (Al Nahda),
Abdallah DJABALLAH, president; Democratic National Rally (RND),
Abdelkader BENSALAH, chairman; Movement for Democracy in Algeria
(MDA), Ahmed Ben BELLA; Workers Party (PT), Louisa HANOUN; Republican
Progressive Party, Khadir DRISS; Union for Democracy and Freedoms,
Mouley BOUKHALAFA; Liberal Social Party, Ahmed KHELIL
note: the government established a multiparty system in September 1989
and, as of 31 December 1990, over 50 legal parties existed; a new
party law was enacted in March 1997

International organization participation: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF,
AMU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO,
Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OAS
(observer), OAU, OIC, OPEC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ramtane LAMAMRA
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 Cameron HUME
embassy: 4 Chemin Cheikh Bachir El-Ibrahimi, Algiers
mailing address: B. P. Box 549, Alger-Gare, 16000 Algiers
telephone: [213] (2) 69-11-86, 69-12-55, 69-18-54, 69-38-75
FAX: [213] (2) 69-39-79

Flag description: 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)

@Algeria:Economy

Economy-overview: The hydrocarbons sector is the backbone of the
economy, accounting for roughly 57% of government revenues, 25% of
GDP, and almost all export earnings. Algeria has the fifth-largest
reserves of natural gas in the world and is the second largest gas
exporter; it ranks fourteenth for oil reserves. Algiers' efforts to
reform one of the most centrally planned economies in the Arab world
began after the 1986 collapse of world oil prices plunged the country
into a severe recession. In 1989, the government launched a
comprehensive, IMF-supported program to achieve economic stab