General Information
Area :	2,381,740 sq km
Border Countries :	Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Tunisia, Western & Sahara.
Natural resources :	petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc
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, Sidi Bel Abbes, Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanghasset, Tebessa, Tiaret, Tindouf, Tipaza, Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen
Legal System :	socialist, based on French and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various public officials, including several Supreme Court justices; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
International Organization participation :	ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, ECA, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
GDP :	purchasing power parity - $173.8 billion (2002 est.)
GDP per capita :	purchasing power parity - $5,400 (2002 est.)

	Algeria is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea in the North; Tunisia and Libya in the East; Niger and Mali in the South, Mauritania and the Western Sahara in the South-west and Morocco in the West. It is the second largest country in Africa and is composed of four successive main reliefs, from North to South. In the North, along the Mediterranean coast, lies the narrow discontinuous plain of the Algerian Tell containing the majority of the country’s arable land. Higher reliefs are bordering the coastal plain in the South, with two mountainous chains enclosing high desertic plateaux. In the South of the Sahara Atlas lies the great Sahara Desert representing 80% of the country’s total land area. In the South of the Sahara desert lies the Hoggar mountain composed of high desertic plateaux in terraces. The only river in Algeria is the Cheliff originating in the Atlas and flowing into the Mediterranean. The Tell region in the North is characterised by a mediterranean climate, with hot and dry summers and mild and rainy winters. The climate becomes drier towards the South. The Sahara is a windy and very arid region.

The above information is from www.cia.gov
The above information is from www.sesrtcic.org