Country Profile: People's Democratic Repblic of Algeria

Geography

North Africa

Government

Algeria acquired independence from France on July 5, 1962, becoming the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria.

Algeria has a bicameral parliament -- a senate called the Council of Nations, and the lower house, called the People's Assembly. It has a president who serves as chief of state and is elected by popular vote every five years. A prime minister runs the government for the president and heads a cabinet.

Economy

Figures unless otherwise stated are from the CIA Factbook.

Factbook: "The hydrocarbons sector is the backbone of the economy, accounting for roughly 60% of budget revenues, 30% of GDP, and over 95% of export earnings. Algeria has the eighth-largest reserves of natural gas in the world and is the fourth-largest gas exporter; it ranks 15th in oil reserves."

Estimated per capita GDP (2009 U.S. dollars)

2009: $7,000 (ranks 125th)
2008: $6,900
2006: $6,800

GDP annual real (not per capita) growth rate estimate

2009: 2.6%%
2008: 2.8%
2007: 3.1%

Unemployment rate

2009: 12.4%.

Military expenditures as a percentage of GDP

2006: 3.3%

Population

Living in an urban area: 65% (2008)

July 2009: 34.178 million. Growth rate: 1.196% (ranks 111th)
July 2008: 33.77 million
July 2005: 32.5 million

Migration

2000: More leaving than arriving. A net loss of 0.29 persons for every 1,000 population

Health

Infant mortality (deaths before the age of one year per 1,000 live births)

2009: 27.73
2008: 28.75
2005: 31

Average life expectancy at birth

2009: 74.02 years (ranks 95th)
2008: 73.77
2005: 71.45

Ethnicity and Religion

Algerians are described as 99 percent Arab-Berber. The Arabs invaded the land of the Berbers in the 7th century and by now, apparently, no longer constitute a seperate ethnicity. The Islam that the Arabs brought with them stuck. The Algerians are described also as 99 percent Sunni Muslim.

SOURCES:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/