Algeria

Algeria has known many empires and dynasties, including the ancient Numidians (3rd century B.C.), Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, over a dozen different Arab and Amazigh dynasties, Spaniards, and Ottoman Turks. Under the Turks, the Barbary pirates operated from North Africa and preyed on shipping, from about 1500 until the French captured Algiers in 1830. The French southward conquest of Algeria proceeded throughout the 19th century and was marked by many atrocities. A bloody eight-year struggle culminated in Algerian independence in 1962.

Algeria's long-dominant political party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), was established in 1954 as part of the struggle for independence and has since played a large role in politics, though it is falling out of favor with the youth and current President Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE. The Government of Algeria in 1988 instituted a multi-party system in response to public unrest, but the surprising first-round success of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in the 1991 legislative election led the Algerian military to intervene and postpone the second round of elections to prevent what the secular elite feared would be an extremist-led government from assuming power. An army crackdown on the FIS escalated into an FIS insurgency and intense violence from 1992-98 that resulted in over 100,000 deaths, many of which were attributed to extremist groups massacring villagers. The government gained the upper hand by the late 1990s, and FIS’s armed wing, the Islamic Salvation Army, disbanded in 2000. FIS membership is now illegal.

In 1999, Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA won the presidency with the backing of the military, in an election that was boycotted by several candidates protesting alleged fraud.  He won subsequent elections in 2004, 2009, and 2014. Widespread protests against his decision to seek a fifth term broke out in early 2019. BOUTEFLIKA resigned in April 2019, and in December 2019, Algerians elected former Prime Minister Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE as the country’s new president. A longtime FLN member, TEBBOUNE ran for president as an independent. In 2020, Algeria held a constitutional referendum on governmental reforms, which TEBBOUNE enacted in 2021. Subsequent reforms to the national electoral law introduced open-list voting to curb corruption. The new law also eliminated gender quotas in Parliament, and the 2021 legislative elections saw female representation plummet. The referendum, parliamentary elections, and local elections saw record-low voter turnout.

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

28 00 N, 3 00 E

Africa

slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas

998 km

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

mostly high plateau and desert; Atlas Mountains in the far north and Hoggar Mountains in the south; narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc

13,819 sq km (2019)

Lullemeden-Irhazer Aquifer System, Murzuk-Djado Basin, North Western Sahara Aquifer, Taoudeni-Tanezrouft Basin

the vast majority of the populace is found in the extreme northern part of the country along the Mediterranean Coast

mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides and floods in rainy season; droughts

largest country in Africa but 80% desert; canyons and caves in the southern Hoggar Mountains and in the barren Tassili n'Ajjer area in the southeast of the country contain numerous examples of prehistoric art -- rock paintings and carvings depicting human activities and wild and domestic animals (elephants, giraffes, cattle) -- that date to the African Humid Period, roughly 5,000 to 11,000 years ago, when the region was completely vegetated

Arab-Amazigh 99%, European less than 1%

Muslim (official; predominantly Sunni) 99%, other (includes Christian, Jewish, Ahmadi Muslim, Shia Muslim, Ibadi Muslim) <1% (2012 est.)

1.47% (2025 est.)

19.62 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

4.39 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-0.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

the vast majority of the populace is found in the extreme northern part of the country along the Mediterranean Coast

2.902 million ALGIERS (capital), 936,000 Oran (2022)

62 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

2.91 children born/woman (2025 est.)

1.42 (2025 est.)

1.66 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

1.6 beds/1,000 population (2017 est.)

27.4% (2016)

2.7% (2019 est.)

55.5% (2019 est.)

air pollution in major cities; soil erosion from overgrazing and other poor farming practices; desertification; river and coastal pollution from dumping of raw sewage, petroleum refining wastes, and other industrial effluents; pollution in Mediterranean Sea from oil wastes, soil erosion, and fertilizer runoff; inadequate potable water

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

22.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

11.667 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

presidential republic

58 provinces (wilayas, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Ain Defla, Ain Temouchent, Alger (Algiers), Annaba, Batna, Bechar, Bejaia, Beni Abbes, Biskra, Blida, Bordj Badji Mokhtar, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Bouira, Boumerdes, Chlef, Constantine, Djanet, Djelfa, El Bayadh, El Meghaier, El Meniaa, El Oued, El Tarf, Ghardaia, Guelma, Illizi, In Guezzam, In Salah, Jijel, Khenchela, Laghouat, Mascara, Medea, Mila, Mostaganem, M'Sila, Naama, Oran, Ouargla, Ouled Djellal, Oum el Bouaghi, Relizane, Saida, Setif, Sidi Bel Abbes, Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanrasset, Tebessa, Tiaret, Timimoun, Tindouf, Tipaza, Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen, Touggourt

mixed system of French civil law 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 submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

18 years of age; universal

Algerian National Front or FNA
Algerian Popular Movement or MPA
Algeria's Hope Rally or TAJ
Dignity or El Karama
El-Infitah
El Mostakbal (Future Front)
Ennour El Djazairi Party (Algerian Radiance Party) or PED
Equity and Proclamation Party or PEP
Islamic Renaissance Movement or Ennahda Movement
Justice and Development Front or FJD
Movement for National Reform or El Islah
Movement of Society for Peace or MSP
National Construction Movement or El-Bina (Harakat El-Binaa El-Watani)
National Democratic Rally (Rassemblement National Democratique) or RND
National Front for Social Justice or FNJS
National Liberation Front or FLN
National Militancy Front or FMN
National Party for Solidarity and Development or PNSD
National Republican Alliance or ANR
New Dawn Party (El-Fajr El-Jadid)
New Generation (Jil Jadid)
Oath of 1954 or Ahd 54
Party of Justice and Liberty or PLJ
Rally for Culture and Democracy or RCD
Socialist Forces Front or FFS
Union for Change and Progress or UCP
Union of Democratic and Social Forces or UFDS
Vanguard of Liberties (Talaie El Hurriyet)
Workers Party or PT
Youth Party or PJ

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BIS, CAEU, CD, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

5 July 1962 (from France)

Independence Day, 5 July (1962); Revolution Day, 1 November (1954)

description: two equal vertical bands of green (left) and white; a red, five-pointed star inside a red crescent, centered over the two-color boundary 

meaning: the colors represent Islam (green), purity and peace (white), and liberty (red); the crescent and star are also Islamic symbols, but the crescent is more closed than those of other Muslim countries because Algerians believe the long crescent horns bring happiness

five-pointed star between the extended horns of a crescent moon; fennec fox

green, white, red

suffering oil and gas economy; lack of sector and market diversification; political instability chilling domestic consumption; poor credit access and declines in business confidence; COVID-19 austerity policies; delayed promised socio-economic reforms

$263.62 billion (2024 est.)

potatoes, watermelons, wheat, milk, onions, tomatoes, vegetables, oranges, dates, barley (2023)

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

3.9% (2023 est.)

13.294 million (2024 est.)

Italy 29%, France 14%, Spain 13%, USA 6%, Netherlands 4% (2023)

natural gas, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, fertilizers, iron bars (2023)

China 24%, France 12%, Italy 8%, Turkey 7%, Brazil 6% (2023)

wheat, plastics, cars, milk, corn (2023)

Radio Algérienne is the state-run radio broadcast; the National Company of Television (Entreprise Nationale de Télévision (ENTV)) is the primary state-run public TV station (2024)

.dz

7T

95 (2025)

11 (2025)

Algerian People's National Army (ANP): Land Forces, Naval Forces (includes Coast Guard), Air Forces, Territorial Air Defense Forces, Republican Guard, National Gendarmerie

Ministry of Interior: General Directorate of National Security (national police) (2025)

information varies; estimated 200,000 active ANP, including the National Gendarmerie (2025)

the Algerian military has traditionally been armed mostly with Russian and Soviet-era weapons systems and equipment; over the past decade, it has made investments in acquiring more modern armored vehicles, air defense systems, fighter aircraft, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and warships, largely from Russia, its traditional supplier, but also China and Western European suppliers such as Germany (2025)

18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 19 years of age for mandatory national service for men (all Algerian men must register at age 17); 12 months national service obligation (2025)

the ANP is responsible for external defense but also has some internal security responsibilities; key areas of concern include border and maritime security, terrorism, regional instability, and tensions with Morocco; Algeria supports the pro-independence Polisario Front in Western Sahara and accuses Morocco of supporting the Algerian separatist Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylie (MAK); border security and counterterrorism have received additional focus since the Arab Spring events of 2011 and the rise of terrorist threats emanating from Libya and the Sahel; the Army and Ministry of Defense (MND) paramilitary forces of the Gendarmerie and the border guards have beefed up their presence along the frontiers with Tunisia, Libya, Niger, and Mali to interdict and deter cross-border attacks by Islamist militant groups; the ANP and MND paramilitary forces have also increased counterterrorism cooperation with some neighboring countries, particularly Tunisia, including joint operations

the ANP has also played a large role in the country’s politics since independence in 1962, including coups in 1965 and 1991; it was a key backer of BOUTEFLIKA’s election in 1999 and remained a center of power during his 20-year rule; the military was instrumental in BOUTEFLIKA’s resignation in 2019, when it withdrew support and called for him to be removed from office (2024)

Algerian Space Agency (Agence Spatiale Algérienne, ASAL; established 2002) (2025)

none; note - in 1947, Algeria began hosting a French military rocket test site known as  the Centre Interarmées d’Essais d’Engins Spéciaux (CIEES or Interarmy Special Vehicles Test Center); it was the continent of Africa's first rocket launch site and was in service until 1967

has a national space policy and space research program with stated goals of supporting internal development, managing resources, mastering space technology, and reinforcing national sovereignty; builds and operates communications and remote sensing (RS) satellites; researching and developing a range of space-related capabilities, including satellites and satellite payloads, communications, RS, instrumentation, image processing, and geo-spatial information; works with a variety of foreign space agencies and industries, including Argentina, China, France, Germany, India, Russia, Slovenia, Ukraine, the UK, and other African countries; member of the African Space Agency and the Arab Space Coordination Group (2025)

2002 - first remote sensing (RS) satellite (Alsat-1A) built jointly with the UK and launched by Russia

2006 - announced a national space program

2010 and 2016 - first Algerian-designed and -built RS satellites (Alsat-2A and 2B) launched by India

2017 - first communications satellite (Alcomsat-1) built jointly with and launched by China; announced a 2040 national space plan

2026 - RS satellite (AlSat-3A) launched by China

al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM); Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) – Algeria; al-Mulathamun Battalion (al-Mourabitoun)