Welcome to Algeria

Algeria in brief:

General Information:
The People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria , or Algeria, is a State in North Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa, and in the Arab and Islamic world, after Sudan. It is bordered by Tunisia in the north-east, Libya in the east, Niger in the south-east, Mali and Mauritania in the south-west and Morocco and the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic in the west. Constitutionally, Algeria is a an Amazigh (Berber), Islamic and Arab country. The name “Algeria” is derived from the name given to the city of Algiers, which means “the islands” in Arabic.

Area: 2,381,740 square kilometres
Capital: Algiers (4 million inhabitants)
Largest cities: Oran, Constantine, Setif, Annaba, Tlemcen, Tizi Ouzou, Batna, Ghardaia, Ouargla
official and National Language:Arabic
National Language: Tamazight
Government:Republic
President: Abdelaziz Bouteflika, since April 1999, re-elected in April 2004 for five years
Prime Minister:Ahmed Ouyahia
Foreign Minister:Mourad Medelci
Population: (2005 estimation) 33,000,000
Currency: Algerian Dinar (DA)
Major Political Parties: Front de Libération Nationale(FLN), Rassemblement National Démocratique (RND), Islah, Front des Forces Socialistes (FFS), Mouvement de la Société pour la Paix (MSP), Rassemblement pour la Culture et la Démocratie (RCD), Parti du Renouveau Algérien (PRA) , Parti des Travailleurs (PT), Movement Democratic Social (MDS), Front National Algerien (FNA), Movement ENNAHDA, Movement de l'Entente National (MEN).

Membership of international groups/organisations:
Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, (ABEDA), African Development Bank (AFDB), Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD), Arab League (AL), Arab Monetary Fund (AMF), Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), African Union (AU), Customs Cooperation Council (CCC), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Group of 15 (G-15), Group of 19 (G-19), Intergovernmental Group of 24 (G-24), Group of 77 at the United Nations (G-77), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), International red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRM), International Development Association (IDA), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International Finance Corporation (IFC), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS), International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO), International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Maritime Organisation (IMO), International Maritime Satellite Organisation (Inmarsat), International Telecommunications Satellite Organisation (Intelsat), International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol), Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), International Organisation for Migration (IOM-observer), International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), International Telecommunications Union (ITU), United Nations Organisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC, Non Aligned Movement (NAM), Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), Organisation of American States (OAS-observer), Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Organisation for Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Organisation for Co-operation and Security in Europe (OSCE-partner), United Nations (UN), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Universal Postal Union (UPU), World Confederation on Labour (WCL), World Health Organisation (WHO), World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), World Tourism Organisation (WtoO), World Trade Organisation (WtrO – applicant).