id="id00295" style="margin-top: 2em">Name of country:
  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 short form: Al Jaza'ir

Data code: AG

Type of government: republic

Capital: Algiers

Administrative divisions: 48 provinces (wilayas, singular -
  wilaya); Adrar, Ain Defla, Ain Temouchent, Alger, Annaba, Batna,
  Bechar, Bejaia, Biskra, Blida, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Bouira,
  Boumerdes, Chlef, Constantine, Djelfa, El Bayadh, El Oued, El Tarf,
  Ghardaia, Guelma, Illizi, Jijel, Khenchela, Laghouat, Mascara,
  Medea, Mila, Mostaganem, M'Sila, Naama, Oran, Ouargla, Oum el
  Bouaghi, Relizane, Saida, Setif, Sidi Bel Abbes, Skikda, Souk Ahras,
  Tamanghasset, Tebessa, Tiaret, Tindouf, Tipaza, Tissemsilt, Tizi
  Ouzou, Tlemcen

Independence: 5 July 1962 (from France)

National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 1 November (1954)

Constitution: 19 November 1976, effective 22 November 1976; revised 3 November 1988 and 23 February 1989

Legal system: socialist, based on French and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various public officials, including several Supreme Court justices; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Liamine ZEROUAL (appointed president 31
  January 1994, elected president 16 November 1995) was elected for a
  five-year term by universal suffrage; election last held 16 November
  1995 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote NA
  head of government: Prime Minister Ahmed OUYAHIA (since 31 December
  1995) was appointed by the president
  cabinet: Council of Ministers was appointed by the prime minister

Legislative branch: unicameral; note - suspended since 1992
  National People's Assembly (Al-Majlis Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani):
  first-round elections held 26 December 1991; second round canceled
  by the military after President BENDJEDID resigned 11 January 1992,
  effectively suspending the assembly (next election promised by late
  1996 or early 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats -
  (281 total) the fundamentalist FIS won 188 of the 231 seats
  contested in the first round

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Political parties and leaders: Islamic Salvation Front (FIS, outlawed April 1992), Ali BELHADJ, Dr. Abassi MADANI, Rabeh KEBIR (self-exile in Germany); National Liberation Front (FLN), Boualem BENHAMOUDA, secretary general; Socialist Forces Front (FFS), Hocine Ait AHMED, secretary general (self-exile in Switzerland); Hamas, Mahfoud NAHNAH, chairman; Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD), Said SAADI, secretary general; Algerian Renewal Party (PRA), Noureddine BOUKROUH, chairman note: the government established a multiparty system in September 1989 and, as of 31 December 1990, over 50 legal parties existed

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

Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Osmane BENCHERIF chancery: 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-2800

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

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 ———-

Economic 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 ranks fourteenth for oil. 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 stabilization and to introduce market mechanisms into the economy. Despite substantial progress toward economic adjustment, in 1992 the reform drive stalled as Algiers became embroiled in political turmoil. In September 1993, a new government was formed, and one priority was the resumption and acceleration of the structural adjustment process. Buffeted by the slump in world oil prices and burdened with a heavy foreign debt, Algiers concluded a one-year standby arrangement with the IMF in April 1994. Following a Paris Club debt rescheduling in 1995 and a robust harvest, the economy experienced a strong recovery and key economic improvements.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $108.7 billion (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate: 3.5% (1995 est.)

GDP per capita: $3,800 (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 12% industry: 50% services: 38%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 28% (1995 est.)

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)

Unemployment rate: 25% (1995 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $14.3 billion
  expenditures: $17.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
  (1995 est.)

Industries: petroleum, light industries, natural gas, mining,
  electrical, petrochemical, food processing

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity: capacity: 5,370,000 kW production: 18.3 billion kWh consumption per capita: 587 kWh (1993)

Agriculture: wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits; sheep, cattle

Exports: $9.5 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: petroleum and natural gas 97% partners: Italy 21%, France 16%, US 14%, Germany 13%, Spain 9%

Imports: $10.6 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
  commodities: capital goods 39.7%, food and beverages 21.7%, consumer
  goods 11.8% (1990)
  partners: France 29%, Italy 14%,