3 GeoFroggy

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

Note: the country name derives from the city of Algiers

Administrative Divisions

48 provinces (wilayas, 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, Tamanrasset, 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 to remove presidential term limits (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

Citizenship

Birthright citizenship: no

Dual citizenship recognized:

Residency requirement for naturalization:

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 28 April 2014)

Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president

Elections:

Election results: Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA reelected president for a fourth term; percent of vote - Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA (FLN) 81.5%, Ali BENFLIS (FLN) 12.2%, Abdelaziz BELAID (Future Front) 3.4%, other 2.9%

Legislative Branch

Description: bicameral Parliament consists of the Council of the Nation (144 seats; one-third of members appointed by the president, two-thirds indirectly elected by simple majority vote by an electoral college composed of local council members; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years) and the National People's Assembly (462 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-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, independent 19

Judicial Branch

Highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of 150 judges organized into 4 divisions

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 2 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 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 [Moussa TOUATI]; Algerian Popular Movement or MPA [Amara BENYOUNES]; Algerian Rally [Ali ZAGHDOUD]; Algeria's Hope Rally or TAJ [Amar GHOUL]; Dignity or El Karama [Mohamed BENHAMOU]; Front for Change or FC [Abdelmadjid MENASRA]; Front for Justice and Development or El Adala [Abdallah DJABALLAH]; Future Front or El Mostakbel [Abdelaziz BELAID]; Green Algeria Alliance or AAV (includes Movement for National Reform, Islamic Renaissance Movement, and Movement of the Society of Peace or Hamas); Islamic Renaissance Movement or EnNahda Movement [Mohamed DHOUIBI]; Movement of the Society of Peace or MSP [Abderrazak MOKRI]; National Democratic Rally (Rassemblement National Democratique) or RND [Bensalah ABDELKADER]; National Liberation Front or FLN [Amar SAIDANI]; National Party for Solidarity and Development or PNSD; National Reform Movement or Islah [Djahid YOUNSI] (see Green Algeria Alliance); New Dawn Party or PFJ; New Generation or Jil Jadid [Soufiane DJILALI]; New Light Party [Bedreddine BELBAZ]; Oath of 1954 or Ahd 54 [Ali Fawzi REBAINE]; Party of Justice and Liberty [Mohammed SAID]; Rally for Culture and Democracy or RCD [Mohcine BELABBAS]; Socialist Forces Front or FFS [Mustafa BOUCHACHI]; Workers Party or PT [Louisa HANOUNE]

Political Pressure Groups and Leaders

Youth Action Rally or RAJ

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 Algerians believe the long crescent horns bring happiness

National Symbols

Star and crescent, fennec fox; national colors: green, white, red

National Anthem

Lyrics:

: undefined

Year

Government Type

  • Republic

Capital

  • Name
    Algiers
  • Geographic Coordinates
    36 45 N, 3 03 E
  • Time Difference
    UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Diplomatic Representation in the US

  • Chief Of Mission
    Ambassador Madjid BOUGUERRA (since 23 February 2015)
  • Chancery
    2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008
  • Telephone
    [1] (202) 265-2800
  • FAX
    [1] (202) 986-5906
  • Consulate(s) General
    New York

Diplomatic Representation from the US

  • Chief Of Mission
    Ambassador Joan A. POLASCHIK (since 22 September 2014)
  • Embassy
    05 Chemin Cheikh Bachir, El-Ibrahimi, El-Biar 16030 Algiers
  • Mailing Address
    B. P. 408, Alger-Gare, 16030 Algiers
  • Telephone
    [213] (0) 770-08-2000
  • FAX
    [213] (0) 770-08-2064

International Organization Participation

  • ABEDA
  • AfDB
  • AFESD
  • AMF
  • AMU
  • AU
  • BIS
  • CAEU
  • CD
  • FAO
  • G-15
  • G-24
  • G-77
  • IAEA
  • IBRD
  • ICAO
  • ICC (national committees)
  • ICRM
  • IDA
  • IDB
  • IFAD
  • IFC
  • IFRCS
  • IHO
  • ILO
  • IMF
  • IMO
  • IMSO
  • Interpol
  • IOC
  • IOM
  • IPU
  • ISO
  • ITSO
  • ITU
  • ITUC (NGOs)
  • LAS
  • MIGA
  • MONUSCO
  • NAM
  • OAPEC
  • OAS (observer)
  • OIC
  • OPCW
  • OPEC
  • OSCE (partner)
  • UN
  • UNCTAD
  • UNESCO
  • UNHCR
  • UNIDO
  • UNITAR
  • UNWTO
  • UPU
  • WCO
  • WHO
  • WIPO
  • WMO
  • WTO (observer)