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North Africa
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.
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:
2008 $7,000
2007 $6,900
2006 $6,600
GDP annual growth rate:
2008: 3%
2007: 4.6%
2006: 2.2%
Unemployment rate estimated for 2008: 12.9%.
Military expenditures as a percentage of GDP: 3.3 (estimated for 2006)
For 2008: deaths 4.62; births 17.03.
Estimated for July 2008: 33.77 million, up from 32.5 million in 2005. Growth rate estimated for 2008: 1.209 percent per year.
More leaving than arriving, a net loss of 0.31 persons for every 1,000 population
Infant mortality estimated for 2008: 28.75, down from 31 in 2005 (deaths before the age of one year, per 1,000 live births).
Average life expectancy at birth estimated for 2008: 73.77 up from 71.45 in 2005
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/
Copyright © 2008 by Frank E. Smitha. All rights reserved.