slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total 6,343 km, 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
International disputes:
Libya claims part of southeastern Algeria; land boundary disputes with
Tunisia under discussion
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
Land use:
arable land:
3%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
13%
forest and woodland:
2%
other:
82%
Irrigated land:
3,360 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; desertification
Note:
second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)

*Algeria, People

Population:
27,256,252 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.34% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
30.38 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
6.41 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
54 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
67.35 years
male:
66.32 years
female:
68.41 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.96 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Algerian(s)
adjective:
Algerian
Ethnic divisions:
Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%
Religions:
Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1%
Languages:
Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
total population: 57%
male:
70%
female:
46%
Labor force:
6.2 million (1992 est.)
by occupation:
government 29.5%, agriculture 22%, construction and public works 16.2%,
industry 13.6%, commerce and services 13.5%, transportation and
communication 5.2% (1989)

*Algeria, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria
conventional short form:
Algeria
local long form:
Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash Shabiyah
local shor