DP: 1.5% (FY99)

@Albania:Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: the Albanian Government supports protection
of the rights of ethnic Albanians outside of its borders but has
downplayed them to further its primary foreign policy goal of regional
cooperation; Albanian majority in Kosovo seeks independence from
Serbian Republic; Albanians in The Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia claim discrimination in education, access to public-sector
jobs, and representation in government

Illicit drugs: increasingly active transshipment point for Southwest
Asian opiates, hashish, and cannabis transiting the Balkan route and -
to a far lesser extent - cocaine from South America destined for
Western Europe; limited opium and cannabis production; ethnic Albanian
narcotrafficking organizations active and rapidly expanding in Europe

______________________________________________________________________

ALGERIA

@Algeria:Introduction

Background: After a century of rule by France, Algeria became
independent in 1962. The surprising first round success of the
fundamentalist FIS (Islamic Salvation Front) party in December 1991
balloting caused the army to intervene, crack down on the FIS, and
postpone the subsequent elections. The FIS response has resulted in a
continuous low-grade civil conflict with the secular state apparatus,
which nonetheless has allowed elections featuring pro-government and
moderate religious-based parties. FIS's armed wing, the Islamic
Salvation Army, dissolved itself in January 2000 and many armed
insurgents surrendered under an amnesty program designed to promote
national reconciliation. Nevertheless, some residual fighting
continues. Other concerns include large-scale unemployment and the
need to diversify the petroleum-based economy.

@Algeria:Geography

Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between
Morocco and Tunisia

Geographic coordinates: 28 00 N, 3 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area:
total: 2,381,740 sq km
land: 2,381,740 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:
exclusive fishing zone: 32-52 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: arid to semiarid; mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers
along co