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Algeria: Facts and Figures from Encarta Go to article
Basic Facts
Official name People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria
Capital Algiers
Area 2,381,741 sq km
919,595 sq mi
Administrative divisions (population)
Adrar 217,678 (1987)
Aïn Defla 537,256 (1987)
Aïn Temouchent 274,990 (1987)
Algiers 1,690,191 (1987)
Annaba 455,888 (1987)
Batna 752,617 (1987)
Béchar 185,346 (1987)
Bejaïa 700,952 (1987)
Biskra 430,202 (1987)
Blida 702,188 (1987)
Bordj Bou Arreridj 424,828 (1987)
Bouïra 526,900 (1987)
Boumerdes 650,975 (1987)
Chlef 684,192 (1987)
Constantine 664,303 (1987)
Djelfa 494,494 (1987)
El Bayadh 153,254 (1987)
El Oued 376,909 (1987)
Et Tarf 275,315 (1987)
Ghardaïa 216,140 (1987)
Guelma 353,309 (1987)
Illizi 18,900 (1987)
Jijel 620,151 (1987)
Khenchela 246,541 (1987)
Laghouat 213,882 (1987)
M'Sila 604,693 (1987)
Mascara 566,901 (1987)
Médéa 652,863 (1987)
Mila 511,605 (1987)
Mostaganem 505,932 (1987)
Naâma 113,700 (1987)
Oran 932,473 (1987)
Ouargla 284,454 (1987)
Oum El Bouagh 403,936 (1987)
Relizane 544,877 (1987)
Sâïda 235,494 (1987)
Sétif 1,000,694 (1987)
Sidi Bel Abbès 446,227 (1987)
Skikda 622,510 (1987)
Souk Ahras 296,077 (1987)
Tamanrasset 95,822 (1987)
Tebessa 410,233 (1987)
Tiaret 575,794 (1987)
Tindouf 16,428 (1987)
Tipaza 472,312 (1987)
Tissemsïlt 228,120 (1987)
Tizi Ouzzou 936,948 (1987)
Tlemcen 714,862 (1987)
Largest cities (population)
Algiers 1,519,570 (1998)
Oran 655,852 (1998)
Constantine 462,187 (1998)
Algerian Flag and Anthem
Algerian Flag and Anthem
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People
Population 33,333,216 (2007 estimate)
Population growth rate 1.22 per cent (2007 estimate)
Population density 14 persons per sq km (2007 estimate)
36 persons per sq mi (2007 estimate)
Urbanization
Per cent urban 60 per cent (2005 estimate)
Per cent rural 40 per cent (2005 estimate)
Life expectancy
Total 73.5 years (2007 estimate)
Female 75.2 years (2007 estimate)
Male 71.9 years (2007 estimate)
Infant mortality rate
29 deaths per 1,000 live births (2007 estimate)
Literacy rate
Total 72.2 per cent (2005 estimate)
Female 63.6 per cent (2005 estimate)
Male 80.6 per cent (2005 estimate)
Ethnic divisions
Arab 83 per cent
Berber 16 per cent
European Less than 1 per cent
Languages
Standard Arabic (official), Algerian Spoken Arabic, Kabyle, Tachawit, French, Algerian Saharan Spoken Arabic, Tamazight, and other Berber languages
Religions
Sunni Muslim (state religion), Christian, Jewish, others
Government
Type of government Republic
Independence July 5 1962 (from France)
Constitution November 19, 1976, effective November 22, 1976; revised 1988, 1989, 1996
Voting rights Universal at age 18
Economy
Gross domestic product (GDP) (US$)
102 billion (2005)
GDP per capita (US$) 3,112.50 (2005)
GDP by economic sector
GDP, agriculture 8.5 per cent (2005)
GDP, industry 61.5 per cent (2005)
GDP, services 30.1 per cent (2005)
National budget (US$)
Total revenue 20.12 billion (2002)
Total expenditure 13.78 billion (2002)
Monetary unit
1 Algerian dinar (AD) consisting of 100 centimes
Exports
Petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates
Imports
Food items, cereals, consumer goods, machinery, coal
Major trading partners for exports
Italy, United States, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain
Major trading partners for imports
France, Italy, United States, Germany, Spain, Japan
Industries
Petroleum, light industries, natural gas, electrical items, petrochemical products, paper, food processing, cement, iron and steel, carpets, textiles
Agriculture
Wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus fruits, tobacco, sheep, goats, cattle
Natural resources
Petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc
Sources
Basic Facts and People sections
Area data are from the statistical bureaus of individual countries. Population, population growth rate, and population projections are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International Data Base (IDB) (www.census.gov). Urban and rural population data are from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), FAOSTAT database (www.fao.org). Largest cities population data and political divisions data are from the statistical bureaus of individual countries. Ethnic divisions and religion data are largely from the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook and from various country censuses and reports. Language data are largely from the Ethnologue, Languages of the World, Summer Institute of Linguistics International (www.sil.org).
Health and Education section
Life expectancy and infant mortality data are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International database (IDB) (www.census.gov). Population per physician and population per hospital bed data are from the World Health Organization (WHO) (www.who.int). Education data are from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database (www.unesco.org).
Government section
Government, independence, legislature, constitution, highest court, and voting qualifications data are largely from various government Web sites, the latest Europa World Yearbook, and the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook. The armed forces data are from Military Balance.
Economy section
Gross domestic product (GDP), GDP per capita, GDP by economic sectors, employment, and national budget data are from the World Bank database (www.worldbank.org). Monetary unit, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, exports, imports, and major trade partner information is from the latest Europa World Yearbook and various International Monetary Fund (IMF) publications.
Energy, Communication, and Transportation section
Electricity information is from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) database (www.eia.doe.gov). Radio, telephone, television, and newspaper information is from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database (www.unesco.org). Internet hosts, motor vehicles, and road data are from the World Bank database (www.worldbank.org).
Note
Figures may not total 100 per cent due to rounding.
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