Country name
conventional long form: Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria
conventional short form: Algeria
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash Shabiyah
local short form: Al Jaza'ir

Data code AG

Government type republic

National capital 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, SidiBel Abbes, Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanghasset, Tebessa, Tiaret, Tindouf, Tipaza,Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen

Independence 5 July 1962 (from France)

National holiday Anniversary of the Revolution, 1 November (1954)

Constitution 19 November 1976, effective 22 November 1976; revised 3 November 1988,23 February 1989, and 28 November 1996; note - referendum approving the revisionsof 28 November 1996 was signed into law 7 December 1996

Legal system socialist, based on French and Islamic law; judicial review of legislativeacts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various public officials,including several Supreme Court justices; has not accepted compulsory ICJjurisdiction

Suffrage 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
chief of state: President Liamine ZEROUAL (appointed president 31 January 1994, electedpresident 16 November 1995)
head of government : Prime Minister Ahmed OUYAHIA (since 31 December 1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election lastheld 16 November 1995 (next to be held NA 2000); prime minister appointedby the president
election results : Liamine ZEROUAL elected president; percent of vote - Liamine ZEROUAL61.3%

Legislative branch bicameral Parliament consists of the National People's Assembly or Al-MajlisEch-Chaabi Al-Watani (380 seats; members elected by popular vote to servefour-year terms; suspended since 1992) and the Council of Nations (144 seats;one-third of the members appointed by the president, two-thirds elected byindirect vote; members serve six-year terms; created as a result of the constitutionalrevision of November 1996)
elections : National People's Assembly - first-round held 26 December 1991; secondround canceled by the military after President BENDJEDID resigned 11 January1992, effectively suspending the assembly (next election scheduled for 5 June1997)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - the fundamentalist FISwon 188 of the 231 seats contested in the first round of the 1991 elections

Judicial branch Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Political parties and leaders Islamic Salvation Front (FIS, outlawed April 1992), Ali BELHADJ, Dr.Abassi MADANI, Rabeh KEBIR (self-exile in Germany); National Liberation Front(FLN), Boualem BENHAMOUDA, secretary general; Socialist Forces Front (FFS), Hocine Ait AHMED, secretary general (self-exile in Switzerland); Movementof a Peaceful Society (Hamas), Mahfoud NAHNAH, chairman; Rally for Cultureand Democracy (RCD), Said SAADI, secretary general; Algerian Renewal Party(PRA), Noureddine BOUKROUH, chairman; Nahda Movement (Al Nahda), AbdallahDJABALLAH, president; Democratic National Rally (RND), Abdelkader BENSALAH, chairman; Movement for Democracy in Algeria (MDA), Ahmed Ben BELLA
note : the government established a multiparty system in September 1989 and,as of 31 December 1990, over 50 legal parties existed; a new party law wasenacted in March 1997

International organization participation ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77,IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member),ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OAS(observer), OAU, OIC, OPEC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO,UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIH, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Ramtane LAMAMRA
chancery: 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265-2800
FAX : [1] (202) 667-2174

Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald E. NEUMANN
embassy : 4 Chemin Cheikh Bachir El-Ibrahimi, Algiers
mailing address: B. P. Box 549, Alger-Gare, 16000 Algiers
telephone: [213] (2) 69-11-86, 69-12-55
FAX: [213] (2) 69-39-79

Flag description two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white with a red,five-pointed star within a red crescent; the crescent, star, and color greenare traditional symbols of Islam (the state religion)

NOTE: The information regarding Algeria on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Algeria Government 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Algeria Government 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.