Algeria Country & Tourist Information

Location
North Africa, Mediterranean Coast.

Area
2,381,741 sq km (919,595 sq miles).

Population
33.8 million (UN estimate 2007).

Population Density
14.2 per sq km.

Capital
Algiers (El Djezaïr).
Population: 3.2 million (UN estimate 2005).

Government
Republic. Gained independence from France in 1962.

Language
The official languages are Arabic and Berber (Tamazight), but French is still used for most official and business transactions. Berber (Amazigh) is spoken in the northern mountainous regions of the Kabylias and the Aures and also in the south. In general, English is spoken only in major business or tourist centers.

Religion
99% of the population adhere to Islam.

Time
GMT + 1.

Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz. The European two-pin plug is standard.

Head of Government
Prime Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem since 2006.

Head of State
President Abdelaziz Bouteflika since 1999.

Recent History
In the 1990s, Algerian politics was dominated by the struggle involving the military and Islamic militants. Violence has largely abated, although a state of emergency remains in place. More recently, the government has also been confronted with agitation from the country’s Berber ethnic minority pressing for greater cultural and political recognition. Despite limited concessions to their demands (Tamazight, the Berber tongue, is now recognized as an official national language) Berber protests have continued. Since the beginning of 1999, when President Zéroual announced his intention to step down, several elections have been held in order to bolster the regime’s legitimacy. A new presidential poll was arranged but under such tightly controlled conditions that candidates who initially chose to oppose the official candidate eventually decided to boycott it. Abdelaziz Bouteflika, formerly Algeria’s long-standing and respected foreign minister, was thus elected unopposed. A parliamentary election was held in May 2002, which was also subject to a partial boycott and returned the ruling FLN with a working majority in the National Assembly. In 2003, in the general election, Ali Benglis of the FLN also won as prime minister. However, this election recorded a low turnout and was marred by violence. In April 2004, Bouteflika emerged as president for a second term with an overwhelming majority, although contentions continued.

Telephone
Country code: 213.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist but coverage is mostly limited to main towns.

Internet
There are Internet cafes in Algiers, Constantine and Oran.

Media
Algeria’s TV and radio stations are state-controlled, but there is a lively private press which is often critical of the authorities. Although there is no overt censorship, legislation sets out prison terms and fines for insulting or defaming the president, MPs, judges and the army.

Post
Mail posted in any of the main cities along the coast takes three to four days to reach Europe; posted elsewhere, it could take much longer. Parcels sent by surface mail may take up to two months to reach Algeria.

Post office hours: Generally Sat-Wed 0800-1700; Thurs 0800-1200; but the main post office in Algiers (5 boulevard Mohamed Khémisti) is open 24 hours.

Press
• Daily newspapers are printed in Arabic or French.
• The main French-language dailies are El Watan, Liberté, Le Quotidien d’Oran and La Tribune.
• El Khabar is one of the leading Arabic-language dailies.
• Another daily, Horizons, has an English section.

Radio
• Algerian Radio, operated by state-run Radio-Télévision Algérienne, runs national Arabic, Berber and French networks and several local stations.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2009-December 2010 period.

2009
1 Jan New Year's Day.
7 Jan Ashoura. 
9 Mar Mouloud (Birth of the Prophet).
1 May Labor Day.
19 Jun Revolutionary Readjustment.
5 Jul Independence Day.
21 Sep Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
1 Nov Anniversary of the Revolution. 
28 Nov Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).
18 Dec Islamic New Year.
27 Dec Ashoura.

2010
1 Jan New Year's Day.
26 Feb Mouloud (Birth of the Prophet).
1 May Labor Day.
19 Jun Revolutionary Readjustment.
5 Jul Independence Day.
11 Sep Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
1 Nov Anniversary of the Revolution. 
17 Nov Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice). 
7 Dec Islamic New Year.
16 Dec Ashoura.

Note
Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. The Algerian observance of Ramadan (lasting one lunar month and culminating in the feast days of Eid al-Fitr) has recently relaxed, and restaurants and other business centers will be open during the day. However, in the towns and oases of the south where religious observance tends to be more orthodox, some difficulty might be had in finding eating places and getting transport during the daylight hours.

Contact Information:

Office National du Tourisme (ONT)
2 rue Ismail Kerrar, 1600 Algiers, Algeria
Tel: (21) 713 060.
E-mail: ont@wissal.dz

Embassy of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria in the UK
54 Holland Park, London W11 3RS, UK
Tel: (020) 7221 7800.
Website: www.algerianembassy.org.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700.

Algerian Consulate in the UK
6 Hyde Park Gate, London SW7 5EW, UK
Tel: (020) 7589 6885.
Website: www.algerianconsulate.org.uk
Opening hours: Tues-Sat 0900-1600; Tues-Fri 0930-1200 (visa applications); 1600-1630 (visa collection).

Embassy of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria in the USA
2118 Kalorama Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 265 2800.
Website: www.algeria-us.org


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