Conventional name: Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria ( Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza’iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash Shabiyah)
Surface area: 2.381.741 km² second largest country in Africa after the Sudan.
Comparison with a European country: 10 times UK (or 2/3 of the whole EU).
Capital: Algiers
Population: 35.9 milions of inhabitants
Young people under 25 Years Old: 47.5%
GDP/ inhab: 8 200 dollars
Ethnic background: Arabs and Berbers
Religions: Sunni Muslims 99%
Language: Arabic (official), Tamazight (official since 08.04.02), French
Currency: Algerian Dinar (AD) = 100 Centimes (100 dinars= 1.35 Euro, 30.05.2002)
Unemployment rate (2001): 34%
Independence: 5th July 1962 from France.
Member of UN: 1962
Member i.a. of: League of Arab States, Maghreb Arab Union, W.T.O., Islamic Conference Organisation
Parties to i.a.: Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Chemical Weapons Convention (CWP), OPEC
State nature: Unitary republic
Regime nature: Presidential.
Formalities: Passport valid for six months after the date of return + visa to obtain
Sources (figures): Economist Intelligence Unit, UN Population Database, CIA.
Useful websites
- The website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: http://www.mae.dz/ma_fr/stories.php...
- The sites of the Embassies in Algeria: http://www.algeriesite.com/
- News of the country on El Watan: http://www.elwatan.com/
EU - Algeria Relations
- A first cooperation agreement was signed in 1969.
- Negotiations to establish an Association Agreement between the EU and Algeria ended in December 2001 (signed in April 2002) and the agreement will come into force only after the Algerian Parliament, the European Parliament and the parliaments of the fifteen Member States have ratified it.
- Trade relations between Algeria and the Member States of the European Union are considerable. The 77% of Algerian exports are destined to European countries and the 55% of its total imports from EU.
- During the period from 1978 to 1996, Algeria received 949 million euros from four financial protocols, including 309 million euros came from the Commission and 640 million euros from the European Investment Bank. MEDA is the principal instrument of aid management of the Euro-Mediterranean: a total of 164 million were incurred in Algeria through the program set in Barcelona in November 1995. This Association Agreement came into force on 1 September 2005. It provides for reciprocal concessions on certain products and the challenge is to establish a free trade agreement between the EU and Algeria in 2017.
