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General Information
Area 2,381,741 sq km (919,595 sq miles). Population 31,070,000 (2002). Population Density 13.0 per sq km. Capital Algiers (El Djezar). Population: 1,519,570 (1998). Geography Algeria is situated along the North African coast, bordered to the east by Tunisia and Libya, to the southeast by Niger, to the southwest by Mali, and to the west by Mauritania and Morocco. It is Africa’s second-largest country, with 1200km (750 miles) of coastline. Along the coastal strip are the main towns, fertile land, beach resorts and 90 per cent of the population. Further south lies the area of the Hauts Plateaux, mountains of up to 2000m (6600ft) covered in cedar, pine and cypress forests with broad arable plains dividing the plateaux. The remaining 85 per cent of the country is the Sahara Desert in its various forms, sustaining only 500,000 people, many of whom are nomadic tribes with goat and camel herds. The oil and minerals boom has created new industrial centres like Hassi Messaoud, which have grown up within previously barely inhabited regions of the northern Sahara. The plains of gravel and sand in the deep south are interrupted by two mountain ranges: the dramatic Hoggar massif, rising to almost 3000m (9800ft), and the Tassili N’Ajjer or ‘Plateau of Chasms’. Both have long been important centres of Tuareg culture. Government Republic. Gained independence from France in 1962. Head of State: President Abdelaziz Bouteflika since 1999. Head of Government: Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia since 2003. Language The official language is Arabic, but French is still used for most official and business transactions. Berber (Amazigh) is spoken in the northern mountainous regions of the Kabylias and the Aures and also in the south. In general, English is spoken only in major business or tourist centres. Religion 99 per cent of the population adhere to Islam. Time GMT + 1. Electricity 220 volts AC, 50Hz. The European two-pin plug is standard. Communications Telephone IDD is available. Country code: 213. Outgoing international code: 00. There are public telephones in all post offices, leading hotels and on many main streets. Mobile telephone GSM 900 network is operated by AMN. Coverage is limited to main towns. There are some roaming agreements. Operators include Orascom Telecom Algerie Spa (Djezzy) (website: www.djezzygsm.com). Fax Faxes may be sent from some more modern hotels. Internet The main ISP is Cerist (website: www.cerist.dz). There are three Internet cafes: in Algiers, Constantine and Oran. Telegram These can be sent from any post office from 0800-1900. The main post office in Algiers has a 24-hour service. Post Mail posted in any of the main cities along the coast takes three to four days to reach Europe; posted elsewhere, it could take much longer. A letter delivery service operates Saturday to Thursday. Parcels sent by surface mail may take up to two months to reach Algeria. All parcels sent by air or surface mail are subject to long delays in customs. Post office hours: Generally Sat-Wed 0800-1700; Thurs 0800-1200; but the main post office in Algiers (5 boulevard Mohamed Khmisti) is open around the clock. Press Daily newspapers are printed in Arabic or French. The main French-language dailies are El-Moudjahid, El Watan, Libert, Le Matin, Le Soir d’Algrie and La Tribune. Ach-Cha'ab and Al-Massa are the leading Arabic-language dailies. Another daily, Horizons, has an English section. Radio BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online. |
