Christopher W. S. ROSS; Embassy at 4 Chemin Cheich BachirBrahimi, Algiers (mailing address is B. P. Box 549, Alger-Gare, 16000 Algiers);
telephone p213o (2) 601–425 or 255, 186; there is a US Consulate in Oran
Flag: 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 green are traditional symbols of Islam (the state religion)
- Economy Overview: The exploitation of oil and natural gas products forms the backbone of the economy. Algeria depends on hydrocarbons for nearly all of its export receipts, about 30% of government revenues, and nearly 25% of GDP. In 1973–74 the sharp increase in oil prices led to a booming economy that helped to finance an ambitious program of industrialization. Plunging oil and gas prices, combined with the mismanagement of Algeria's highly centralized economy, have brought the nation to its most serious social and economic crisis since independence. The government has promised far-reaching reforms, including giving public sector companies more autonomy, encouraging private-sector activity, boosting gas and nonhydrocarbon exports, and a major overhaul of the banking and financial systems. In 1988 the government started to implement a new economic policy to dismantle large state farms into privately operated units.
GDP: $54.1 billion, per capita $2,235; real growth rate - 1.8% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.9% (1988)
Unemployment rate: 19% (1988)
Budget: revenues $17.4 billion; expenditures $22.0 billion, including capital expenditures of $8.0 billion (1988)
Exports: $9.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities—petroleum and natural gas 98%; partners—Netherlands, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Italy, France, US
Imports: $7.8 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities—capital goods 35%, consumer goods 36%, food 20%; partners—France 25%, Italy 8%, FRG 8%, US 6–7%
External debt: $26.2 billion (December 1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 5.4% (1986)
Electricity: 4,333,000 kW capacity; 14,370 million kWh produced, 580 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: petroleum, light industries, natural gas, mining, electrical, petrochemical, food processing
Agriculture: accounts for 8% of GDP and employs 24% of labor force; net importer of food—grain, vegetable oil, and sugar; farm production includes wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits, sheep, and cattle
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70–85), $1.4 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970–87), $8.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979–89), $1.8 billion; Communist countries (1970–88), $2.7 billion
Currency: Algerian dinar (plural—dinars); 1 Algerian dinar
(DA) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Algerian dinars (DA) per US$1—8.0086 (January 1990), 7.6086 (1989), 5.9148 (1988), 4.8497 (1987), 4.7023 (1986), 5.0278 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 4,146 km total; 2,632 km standard gauge (1.435 m), 1,258 km 1.055-meter gauge, 256 km 1.000-meter gauge; 300 km electrified; 215 km double track
Highways: 80,000 km total; 60,000 km concrete or bituminous, 20,000 km gravel, crushed stone, unimproved earth
Pipelines: crude oil, 6,612 km; refined products, 298 km; natural gas, 2,948 km
Ports: Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Jijel, Mers el Kebir, Mostaganem,
Oran, Skikda
Merchant marine: 75 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 900,957 GRT/1,063,994 DWT; includes 5 passenger, 27 cargo, 2 vehicle carrier, 10 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 5 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 9 liquefied gas, 7 chemical tanker, 9 bulk, 1 specialized liquid cargo
Civil air: 42 major transport aircraft
Airports: 147 total, 136 usable; 53 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,660 m; 29 with runways 2,440–3,659 m; 68 with runways 1,220–2,439 m
Telecommunications: excellent domestic and international service in the north, sparse in the south; 693,000 telephones; stations—26 AM, no FM, 113 TV; 1,550,000 TV sets; 3,500,000 receiver sets; 6 submarine cables; coaxial cable or radio relay to Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; satellite earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Intersputnik, 1 ARABSAT, and 15 domestic
- Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 15–49, 5,886,334; 3,638,458 fit for military service; 293,476 reach military age (19) annually
Defense expenditures: 1.8% of GDP, or $974 million (1989 est.)—————————————————————————— Country: American Samoa (territory of the US) - Geography Total area: 199 km2; land area: 199 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 116 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds; annual rainfall averages 124 inches; rainy season from November to April, dry season from May to October; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral atolls
Natural resources: pumice and pumicite
Land use: 10% arable land; 5% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 75% forest and woodland; 10% other
Environment: typhoons common from December to March
Note: Pago Pago has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the South Pacific Ocean, sheltered by shape from rough seas and protected by peripheral mountains from high winds; strategic location about 3,700 km south-southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand
- People
Population: 41,840 (July 1990), growth rate 2.9% (1990)
Birth rate: 41 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 4 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 8 immigrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 11 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 74 years female (1990)
