Country Name
Conventional long form: People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
Conventional short form: Algeria
Local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash Sha'biyah
Local short form: Al Jaza'ir
Administrative Divisions
48 provinces (wilayat, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Ain Defla, Ain Temouchent, Alger, Annaba, Batna, Bechar, Bejaia, Biskra, Blida, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Bouira, Boumerdes, Chlef, Constantine, Djelfa, El Bayadh, El Oued, El Tarf, Ghardaia, Guelma, Illizi, Jijel, Khenchela, Laghouat, Mascara, Medea, Mila, Mostaganem, M'Sila, Naama, Oran, Ouargla, Oum el Bouaghi, Relizane, Saida, Setif, Sidi Bel Abbes, Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanghasset, Tebessa, Tiaret, Tindouf, Tipaza, Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen
Independence
5 July 1962 (from France)
National Holiday
Revolution Day, 1 November (1954)
Constitution
Adopted 8 September 1963; amended several times, last in 2008 (2013)
Legal System
mixed legal system of French civil law and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various public officials including several Supreme Court justices
International Law Organization Participation
Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive Branch
Chief of state: President Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA (since 28 April 1999)
Head of government: Prime Minister Abdelmalek SELLAL (since 3 September 2012)
Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held on 9 April 2009 (next to be held in April 2014)
Election results: Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA reelected president for a third term; percent of vote - Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA 90.2%, Louisa HANOUNE 4.2%, Moussa TOUATI 2.3%, Djahid YOUNSI 1.4%, Ali Fawzi REBAINE less than 1%, Mohamed SAID less than 1%
Legislative Branch
Bicameral Parliament consists of the Council of the Nation (upper house; 144 seats; one-third of the members appointed by the president, two-thirds elected by indirect vote to serve six-year terms; the constitution requires half the Council to be renewed every three years) and the National People's Assembly (lower house; 462 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: Council of the Nation - last held on 29 December 2012 (next to be held in December 2017); National People's Assembly - last held on 10 May 2012 (next to be held in 2017) election results: Council of the Nation election of 29 December 2009 - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; National People's Assembly election of 10 May 2012 - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 221, RND 70, AAV 47, FFS 21, PT 17, FNA 9, El Adala 7, MPA 6, PFJ 5, FC 4, PNSD 4, other 32, independents 19
Judicial Branch
Highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of 150 judges organized into four divisions
Note - Algeria's judicial system does not include sharia courts: undefined
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the High Council of Magistracy, an administrative body presided over by the president of the republic, and includes the republic vice-president and several members; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Council members - 3 appointed by the president of the republic, 2 each by the two houses of the Parliament, 1 by the Supreme Court, and 1 by the Council of State; Council president and members appointed for single 6-year terms with half of the membership renewed every 3 years
Subordinate courts: appellate or wilaya courts; first instance or daira tribunals
Political Parties and Leaders
Algerian National Front or FNA; Algerian Popular Movement or MPA; Front for Change or FC; Front for Justice and Development or El Adala; Green Algeria Alliance or AAV (includes Movement for National Reform, Islamic Renaissance Movement, and Movement of the Society of Peace or Hamas); Movement of the Society of Peace or MSP [Boudjerra SOLTANI; National Democratic Rally (Rassemblement National Democratique) or RND [Ahmed OUYAHIA; National Liberation Front or FLN [Abdelaziz BELKHADEM, secretary general; National Party for Solidarity and Development or PNSD; National Reform Movement or Islah [Ahmed ABDESLAM (see Green Algeria Alliance); New Dawn Party or PFJ; Oath of 54 or Ahd 54 [Ali Fawzi REBAINE; Rally for Culture and Democracy or RCD [Said SADI; Islamic Renaissance Movement or EnNahda Movement [Fatah RABEI; Socialist Forces Front or FFS [Hocine AIT AHMED; Workers Party or PT [Louisa HANOUNE note: a law banning political parties based on religion was enacted in March 1997
Political Pressure Groups and Leaders
The Algerian Human Rights League or LADDH [Mostefa BOUCHACHI; SOS Disparus [Nacera DUTOUR
Flag Description
Two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white; a red, five-pointed star within a red crescent centered over the two-color boundary; the colors represent Islam (green), purity and peace (white), and liberty (red); the crescent and star are also Islamic symbols, but the crescent is more closed than those of other Muslim countries because the Algerians believe the long crescent horns bring happiness
National Symbols
Star and crescent; fennec fox
