Go to our Algeria Report

Go to National Section

Go to Home Page

Algeria at a Glance

The Country

920,000 square miles (the size of Alaska and Texas combined). Most of the land lies in the Sahara desert.

The People

1997 population: 29 million; 75 percent are younger than 30; 4 percent older than 65. Estimate for 2010: 39 million.

Religion: Sunni Muslim

Adult literacy rate: 62%

Life expectancy at birth: males 66 years; females 68 years

Standard of Living

Annual income per capita: $5,570 (adjusted for purchasing power)

Poverty rate: 1.6% of population lives on less than $1 a day.

Television sets: 71 for each 1,000 people

Telephone lines: 42 for each 1,000

Motor vehicles: 33 for each 1,000 people

History

A French colony for more than a century, Algeria became independent in 1962 after a Algiers bloody, eight-year war. Departure of the French left the country without skilled labor, and conflicts within the various factions of the liberation movement soon erupted. A succession of strong leaders imposed one-party socialist rule on Algeria, a traditionally Islamic country. Economic and social problems in the '80s encouraged many Algerians to turn to their Islamic roots. In 1991 elections, the Islamic Salvation Front, which seeks to transform Algeria into an Islamic state, swept to a first-round victory. In response, the government nullified the ballot and suspended parliament. Repression of the Islamic Front ignited a wave of extremist Muslim violence, alienating many Algerians. Government retaliation and escalating terrorist violence have left the country deeply split between secular and Islamic groups, radicals and moderates. Tens of thousands of people have died in the violence.

SOURCES: Reuters, United Nations, World Bank, staff reports