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Official Name: Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria
Location: Algeria is situated in northwest Africa, bordered to the north by the Mediterranean Sea,
to the east by Tunisia and Libya, to the south by Niger
and Mali, and to the west by Mauritania and Morocco. |
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Area: 2,381,741 sq km (919,595 sq miles). Algeria is Africa´s second largest country, with 1000km (600 miles) of coastline. Along the coastal strip are the main towns, fertile land, beach resorts and 90% of the population.
Language: The official language is Arabic, but French is still used for most
business transactions and is still widely read and spoken by many educated Algerians. Berber dialects are still
spoken in the south. In general, English is spoken in major business or tourist centres.
Religion: Over 90% of the algerian population adhere to Islam, mostly the Sunni branch.
Population: The population of Algeria (1997 estimate) is about 29,830,371. The overall population
density is 13 persons per sq km (32 per sq mi). Approximately 90 percent of the population is concentrated in the coastal Tell region.
The People: The population consists almost entirely of Berbers,
Arabs, and people of mixed Arab and Berber ancestry. Until 1962 about 1 million European settlers, mainly French, and an indigenous population of 150,000 Jews lived in Algeria; 90 percent of
this group, however, emigrated after Algeria became independent in 1962. Some 43 percent of the population is classified as rural, living in villages and on small farms.
Membership: Algeria is a member of the UN, OAU, the
Arab League, Union of the Arab Maghreb,
OPEC and Organization of the Islamic Conference.
Currency: Algerian Dinar (DA). The chief monetary unit of Algeria is the dinar (54.75 dinars
equal U.S.$1; 1996). All government banking and monetary functions are carried out by the Central
Bank of Algeria. Since 1966 all foreign and private banks have been nationalized.
Algeria Time Difference: GMT + 1
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