Algeria

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Algeria's Information


Capital	Algiers
Languages	Arabic (official), French (lingua franca), Berber or Tamazight (official); dialects include Kabyle Berber (Taqbaylit), Shawiya Berber (Tacawit), Mzab Berber, Tuareg Berber (Tamahaq)
Ethnic Groups	Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%
Religion	Muslim (official; predominantly Sunni) 99%, other (includes Christian and Jewish) <1% (2012 est.)
Government	Presidential republic
Independance	5 July 1962 (from France)
Area	2,381,741.00 km²
Land Area	2,381,741.00 km²
Population	40,263,711.00 The vast majority of the populace is found in the extreme northern part of the country along the Mediterranean Coast
Location	Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia
No. Bordering Countries	7
Bordering Countries	Libya 989 km, Mali 1,359 km, Mauritania 460 km, Morocco 1,900 km, Niger 951 km, Tunisia 1,034 km, Western Sahara 41 km
GDP(PPP)	$609,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$15,000.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its biggest export partners are Spain, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are petroleum, natural gas, and petroleum.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are China, France, and Italy.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include capital foods, foodstuffs, and consumer goods.
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

Where is Algeria?

Located in Northern Africa, Algeria has a 6,734.00 km border with Libya (989 km), Mali (1,359 km), Mauritania (460 km), Morocco (1,900 km), Niger (951 km), Tunisia (1,034 km) and Western Sahara (41 km). It has a 998.00 km coastline.

The capital and largest city of Algeria is Algiers, located in the northern part of the country near the Bay of Algiers and the Mediterranean Sea. The environment of Algiers can be classified as a Mediterranean climate, characterised by moderate to high temperatures. The yearly average rainfall is 600 millimetres (24 inches), and the majority of this comes between October and April. The average high during the peak of summer (August) is 32.2 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) and the average low during the coldest month (January) is 5.5 degrees Celsius (41.9 degrees Fahrenheit). Algiers city has a population of approximately 3.5 million (2011 national census), and the surrounding areas contain an additional 1.5 million people, bringing the population of the metropolitan area to 5 million. Algiers is home to many hotels and resorts such as the Club of the Pines, Douaouda, Palm Beach, Sidi Fredj, and Zeralda. Algiers also has the country's first water park which makes for a fun summer outing. Algeria is somewhat of a hidden North African gem and worth exploring

Geography

Algeria has a mean elevation of 800 m above sea level.

It has an arid to semi-arid climate with mild winters and hot summers, although it varies with more extreme weather in the plateau of the country. Its terrain consists of high plateaus and desert, as well as some mountains.

Population

Algeria has a population of 40,263,711 making it the 33rd largest in the world. The population of the country is mostly found in the extreme northern part of the country, near the Mediterranean coast.

Arabic is the official language, along with Berber or Tamazight. The majority ethnic group is Arab-Berber. The population is predominantly Sunni Muslim.

The official languages of Algeria are Modern Standard Arabic and the Tamazight languages, also known as Berber. Both of these languages are recognized in the Constitution of Algeria. Algerian Arabic and Berber are the native languages of 99% of the Algerian population of 40.6 million. Algerian Arabic is spoken by roughly 72% of citizens while Berber is the native tongue of approximately 27%. The Berber language was made an official language of the country after a constitutional amendment in 2016 and Modern Standard Arabic has been the official tongue since the original constitution of 1963. Although French does not have formal status in Algeria, a decent percent of the nation's culture, education, government proceedings, and media takes place in the French language. Over 50% of the population can read or understand French as a second language, and it is the most widely studied foreign language in Algeria.

Government

Algeria is an independent country. It gained independence from France in 1962. Its constitution was last ratified in 1963.

Algeria's political system can be described as a semi-presidential constitutional republic. The President of Algeria is the head of state, and the Prime Minister is the head of the government. Algeria's government is based in the capital city of Algiers, near the Bay of Algiers and alongside other domestic and international government buildings. The parliament of Algeria consists of two houses: the lower house, consisting of the People's National Assembly, and the upper house which contains the Council of the Nation. National elections in the country take place every five years for the President and People's National Assembly. Representatives from the People's National Assembly are elected in multi-seat constituencies with proportional representation. There are 48 districts in the nation and approximately one seat in parliament per 80,000 residents.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Algeria's GDP is $609,000,000,000.00 (USD) with $15,000.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 34th largest economy and its citizens the 105th richest in the world. The currency of Algeria is the Dinar (DZD).

Its biggest export partners are Spain, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom. Its main exports are petroleum, natural gas, and petroleum. Its major import partners are China, France, and Italy. Its major imports include capital foods, foodstuffs, and consumer goods.

Flag

Algeria's national flag contains equally horizontal fields of green and white with a red crescent and star in the centre. This flag was officially adopted on 3 July 1962, a few months after the war of independence had ended. Green is symbolic of Islam and white is a symbol of purity. Both of these colours also have a significant political connotation within the Arab world regarding the struggle for independence. The star and crescent symbol in the centre of the flag has been a symbol of Islam since the later part of the 20th century. The design of the flag, including colours and positioning of the star and crescent, was officially laid out in 1999 by the government of Algeria and is now published online. Algeria was known as French Algeria from 1830-1962, and therefore, the country flew the flag of France as their national banner for over 130 years