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Compare Algeria (2006) - Benin (2002)

Compare Algeria (2006) z Benin (2002)

 Algeria (2006)Benin (2002)
 AlgeriaBenin
Administrative divisions 48 provinces (wilayat, 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 12 provinces; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Couffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou
Age structure 0-14 years: 28.1% (male 4,722,076/female 4,539,713)


15-64 years: 67.1% (male 11,133,802/female 10,964,502)


65 years and over: 4.8% (male 735,444/female 834,554) (2006 est.)
0-14 years: 47.2% (male 1,616,138; female 1,585,463)


15-64 years: 50.5% (male 1,665,439; female 1,764,966)


65 years and over: 2.3% (male 65,877; female 89,742) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits; sheep, cattle cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, livestock (2001)
Airports 142 (2006) 5 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total: 52


over 3,047 m: 10


2,438 to 3,047 m: 27


1,524 to 2,437 m: 10


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 1 (2006)
total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 90


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 26


914 to 1,523 m: 39


under 914 m: 23 (2006)
total: 4


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2002)
Area total: 2,381,740 sq km


land: 2,381,740 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 112,620 sq km


land: 110,620 sq km


water: 2,000 sq km
Area - comparative slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Background After more than a century of rule by France, Algerians fought through much of the 1950s to achieve independence in 1962. Algeria's primary political party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), has dominated politics ever since. Many Algerians in the subsequent generation were not satisfied, however, and moved to counter the FLN's centrality in Algerian politics. The surprising first round success of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in the December 1991 balloting spurred the Algerian army to intervene and postpone the second round of elections to prevent what the secular elite feared would be an extremist-led government from assuming power. The army began a crack down on the FIS that spurred FIS supporters to begin attacking government targets. The government later allowed elections featuring pro-government and moderate religious-based parties, but did not appease the activists who progressively widened their attacks. The fighting escalated into an insurgency, which saw intense fighting between 1992-98 and which resulted in over 100,000 deaths - many attributed to indiscriminate massacres of villagers by extremists. The government gained the upper hand by the late-1990s and FIS's armed wing, the Islamic Salvation Army, disbanded in January 2000. However, small numbers of armed militants persist in confronting government forces and conducting ambushes and occasional attacks on villages. The army placed Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA in the presidency in 1999 in a fraudulent election but claimed neutrality in his 2004 landslide reelection victory. Longstanding problems continue to face BOUTEFLIKA in his second term, including the ethnic minority Berbers' ongoing autonomy campaign, large-scale unemployment, a shortage of housing, unreliable electrical and water supplies, government inefficiencies and corruption, and the continuing - although significantly degraded - activities of extremist militants. Algeria must also diversify its petroleum-based economy, which has yielded a large cash reserve but which has not been used to redress Algeria's many social and infrastructure problems. Dahomey gained its independence from France in 1960; the name was changed to Benin in 1975. From 1974 to 1989 the country was a socialist state; free elections were reestablished in 1991.
Birth rate 17.14 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 43.66 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $42.05 billion


expenditures: $30.75 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.8 billion (2005 est.)
revenues: $377.4 million


expenditures: $561.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)
Capital name: Algiers


geographic coordinates: 36 47 N, 2 03 E


time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government
Climate arid to semiarid; mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers along coast; drier with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau; sirocco is a hot, dust/sand-laden wind especially common in summer tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
Coastline 998 km 121 km
Constitution 8 September 1963; revised 19 November 1976, effective 22 November 1976; revised 3 November 1988, 23 February 1989, and 28 November 1996 December 1990
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
conventional long form: Republic of Benin


conventional short form: Benin


local long form: Republique du Benin


local short form: Benin


former: Dahomey
Currency - Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Death rate 4.61 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 14.52 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $19.45 billion (2005 est.) $1.18 billion (2000)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Robert S. FORD


embassy: 04 Chemin Cheikh Bachir Ibrahimi El-Biar 16030, Algiers


mailing address: B. P. 408, Alger-Gare, 16030 Algiers


telephone: [213] (021) 69-12-55


FAX: [213] (021) 69-39-79
chief of mission: Ambassador Pamela E. BRIDGEWATER


embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou


mailing address: 01 B. P. 2012, Cotonou


telephone: [229] 30-06-50


FAX: [229] 30-06-70
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Amine KHERBI


chancery: 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 265-2800


FAX: [1] (202) 667-2174
chief of mission: Ambassador Cyrille Segbe OGUIN


chancery: 2124 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 232-6656


FAX: [1] (202) 265-1996
Disputes - international Algeria supports the exiled Sahrawi Polisario Front and rejects Moroccan administration of Western Sahara; most of the approximately 102,000 Western Saharan Sahrawi refugees are sheltered in camps in Tindouf, Algeria; Algeria's border with Morocco remains an irritant to bilateral relations, each nation accusing the other of harboring militants and arms smuggling; in an attempt to improve relations, Morocco, in mid-2004, unilaterally lifted the requirement that Algerians visiting Morocco possess entry visas - a gesture not reciprocated by Algeria; Algeria remains concerned about armed bandits operating throughout the Sahel who sometimes destabilize southern Algerian towns; dormant disputes include Libyan claims of about 32,000 sq km still reflected on its maps of southeastern Algeria and the FLN's assertions of a claim to Chirac Pastures in southeastern Morocco Benin and Niger have refered to the ICJ the dispute over l'Ete and 14 smaller disputed islands in the Niger River, which has never been delimited; with Nigeria, several villages are in dispute along the Okpara River and only 35 km of the 436 km boundary are demarcated; the Benin-Niger-Nigeria tripoint remains undemarcated; Benin accuses Togo of moving boundary markers and stationing troops in its territory; two villages are in dispute with Burkina Faso
Economic aid - recipient $122.8 million (2002 est.) $342.6 million (2000)
Economy - overview The hydrocarbons sector is the backbone of the economy, accounting for roughly 60% of budget revenues, 30% of GDP, and over 95% of export earnings. Algeria has the seventh-largest reserves of natural gas in the world and is the second-largest gas exporter; it ranks 14th in oil reserves. Sustained high oil prices in recent years, along with macroeconomic policy reforms supported by the IMF, have helped improve Algeria's financial and macroeconomic indicators. Algeria is running substantial trade surpluses and building up record foreign exchange reserves. Real GDP has risen due to higher oil output and increased government spending. The government's continued efforts to diversify the economy by attracting foreign and domestic investment outside the energy sector, however, has had little success in reducing high unemployment and improving living standards. The population is becoming increasingly restive due to the lack of jobs and housing and frequently stages protests, which have resulted in arrests and injuries, including some deaths as government forces intervened to restore order. Structural reform within the economy, such as development of the banking sector and the construction of infrastructure, moves ahead slowly hampered by corruption and bureaucratic resistance. The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output averaged a stable 5% in the past five years, but rapid population rise offset much of this increase. Inflation has subsided over the past several years. In order to raise growth still further, Benin plans to attract more foreign investment, place more emphasis on tourism, facilitate the development of new food processing systems and agricultural products, and encourage new information and communication technology. The 2001 privatization policy should continue in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture in spite of initial government reluctance. The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have eased the external debt situation.
Electricity - consumption 24.9 billion kWh (2003 est.) 523.2 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 400 million kWh (2003 est.) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 200 million kWh (2003 est.) 300 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 26.99 billion kWh (2003 est.) 240 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 17%


hydro: 83%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Chott Melrhir -40 m


highest point: Tahat 3,003 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m
Environment - current issues soil erosion from overgrazing and other poor farming practices; desertification; dumping of raw sewage, petroleum refining wastes, and other industrial effluents is leading to the pollution of rivers and coastal waters; Mediterranean Sea, in particular, becoming polluted from oil wastes, soil erosion, and fertilizer runoff; inadequate supplies of potable water inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%


note: almost all Algerians are Berber in origin, not Arab; the minority who identify themselves as Berber live mostly in the mountainous region of Kabylie east of Algiers; the Berbers are also Muslim but identify with their Berber rather than Arab cultural heritage; Berbers have long agitated, sometimes violently, for autonomy; the government is unlikely to grant autonomy but has offered to begin sponsoring teaching Berber language in schools
African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500
Exchange rates Algerian dinars per US dollar - 73.276 (2005), 72.061 (2004), 77.395 (2003), 79.682 (2002), 77.215 (2001) Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 742.79 (January 2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997); note - from 1 January 1999, the XOF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF per euro
Executive branch chief of state: President Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA (since 28 April 1999)


head of government: Prime Minister Abdelaziz BELKHADEM


cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2009); prime minister appointed by the president


election results: Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA reelected president for second term; percent of vote - Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA 85%, Ali BENFLIS 6.4%, Abdellah DJABALLAH 5%
chief of state: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president


elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term; runoff election held 22 March 2001 (next to be held NA March 2006)


election results: Mathieu KEREKOU reelected president; percent of vote - Mathieu KEREKOU 84.1%, Bruno AMOUSSOU 15.9%


note: the four top-ranking contenders following the first-round presidential elections were: Mathieu KEREKOU (incumbent) 45.4%, Nicephore SOGOLO (former president) 27.1%, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI (National Assembly Speaker) 12.6%, and Bruno AMOUSSOU (Minister of State) 8.6%; the second-round balloting, originally scheduled for 18 March 2001, was postponed four days because both SOGOLO and HOUNGBEDJI withdrew alleging electoral fraud; this left KEREKOU to run against his own Minister of State, AMOUSSOU, in what was termed a "friendly match"
Exports 1.127 million bbl/day (2004 est.) $35.3 million f.o.b. (2000)
Exports - commodities petroleum, natural gas, and petroleum products 97% cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa
Exports - partners US 22.8%, Italy 16.2%, Spain 10.4%, France 10%, Canada 8%, Brazil 6.1%, Belgium 4.4%, Germany 4.2% (2005) Brazil, France, Indonesia, Thailand, Morocco, Portugal, Cote d'Ivoire (2001)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
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 crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam (the state religion) two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green band on the hoist side
GDP - purchasing power parity - $6.8 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 10.1%


industry: 60%


services: 29.8% (2005 est.)
agriculture: 36%


industry: 14%


services: 50% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $1,040 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 5.5% (2005 est.) 5.4% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates 28 00 N, 3 00 E 9 30 N, 2 15 E
Geography - note second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan) sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands
Heliports 1 (2006) -
Highways - total: 6,787 km


paved: 1,357 km (including 10 km of expressways)


unpaved: 5,430 km (1997 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 2.8%


highest 10%: 26.8% (1995)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs - transshipment point for narcotics associated with Nigerian trafficking organizations and most commonly destined for Western Europe and the US; vulnerable to money laundering due to a poorly regulated financial infrastructure
Imports 0 bbl/day (2004 est.) $437.6 million c.i.f. (2000)
Imports - commodities capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products
Imports - partners France 28.2%, Italy 7.8%, Spain 7.1%, China 6.6%, Germany 6.3%, US 5.5% (2005) France, US, China, Cote d'Ivoire, Netherlands, Japan (2001)
Independence 5 July 1962 (from France) 1 August 1960 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate 8% (2005 est.) 8.3% (2001 est.)
Industries petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical, petrochemical, food processing textiles, food processing, chemical production, construction materials (2001)
Infant mortality rate total: 29.87 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 33.62 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 25.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
88.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1.9% (2005 est.) 3% (2001 est.)
International organization participation ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BIS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OPEC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer) ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 4 (2002)
Irrigated land 5,690 sq km (2003) 120 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice
Labor force 10.15 million (2005 est.) NA
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 14%, industry 13.4%, construction and public works 10%, trade 14.6%, government 32%, other 16% (2003 est.) -
Land boundaries total: 6,343 km


border countries: Libya 982 km, Mali 1,376 km, Mauritania 463 km, Morocco 1,559 km, Niger 956 km, Tunisia 965 km, Western Sahara 42 km
total: 1,989 km


border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km
Land use arable land: 3.17%


permanent crops: 0.28%


other: 96.55% (2005)
arable land: 15.28%


permanent crops: 1.36%


other: 83.36% (1998 est.)
Languages Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)
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 based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament consisting of the National People's Assembly or Al-Majlis Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani (389 seats - formerly 380 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Council of Nations (Senate) (144 seats; one-third of the members appointed by the president, two-thirds elected by indirect vote; members serve six-year terms; the constitution requires half the council to be renewed every three years)


elections: National People's Assembly - last held 30 May 2002 (next to be held in 2007); Council of Nations (Senate) - last held 30 December 2003 (next to be held in 2006)


election results: National People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 199, RND 47, Islah 43, MSP 38, PT 21, FNA 8, EnNahda 1, PRA 1, MEN 1, independents 30; Council of Nations - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party NA
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 30 March 1999 (next to be held 30 March 2003)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RB 27, PRD 11, FARD-ALAFIA 10, PSD 9, MADEP 6, Alliance E'toile 4, IPD 4, other 12
Life expectancy at birth total population: 73.26 years


male: 71.68 years


female: 74.92 years (2006 est.)
total population: 49.69 years


male: 48.81 years


female: 50.61 years (2002 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 70%


male: 78.8%


female: 61% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 37.5%


male: 52.2%


female: 23.6% (2000)
Location Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Nigeria and Togo
Map references Africa Africa
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 32-52 nm
territorial sea: 200 NM
Merchant marine total: 41 ships (1000 GRT or over) 744,406 GRT/766,764 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 10, chemical tanker 2, liquefied gas 9, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 5, roll on/roll off 3, specialized tanker 1


foreign-owned: 13 (UK 13) (2006)
none (2002 est.)
Military branches National Popular Army (ANP; includes Land Forces), Algerian National Navy (MRA), Air Force (QJJ), Territorial Air Defense Force (2005) Armed Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force), National Gendarmerie
Military expenditures - dollar figure $3 billion (2005 est.) $27 million (FY96)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 3.2% (2005 est.) 1.2% (FY96)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 1,509,760


females age 15-49: 1,536,036


note: both sexes are liable for military service (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 771,373


females age 15-49: 778,730 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 71,278


females: 70,088 (2002 est.)
National holiday Revolution Day, 1 November (1954) National Day, 1 August (1960)
Nationality noun: Algerian(s)


adjective: Algerian
noun: Beninese (singular and plural)


adjective: Beninese
Natural hazards mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides and floods in rainy season hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber
Net migration rate -0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines condensate 1,344 km; gas 85,946 km; liquid petroleum gas 2,213 km; oil 6,496 km (2005) -
Political parties and leaders Algerian National Front or FNA [Moussa TOUATI]; National Democratic Rally (Rassemblement National Democratique) or RND [Ahmed OUYAHIA, secretary general]; Islamic Salvation Front or FIS (outlawed April 1992) [Ali BELHADJ, Dr. Abassi MADANI, Rabeh KEBIR]; National Entente Movement or MEN [Ali BOUKHAZNA]; National Liberation Front or FLN [Abdelaziz BELKHADEM, secretary general]; National Reform Movement or Islah (formerly MRN) [Abdellah DJABALLAH]; National Renewal Party or PRA [Yacine TERKMANE]; Progressive Republican Party [Khadir DRISS]; Rally for Culture and Democracy or RCD [Said SADI]; Renaissance Movement or EnNahda Movement [Fatah RABEI]; Socialist Forces Front or FFS [Hocine Ait AHMED, secretary general]; Social Liberal Party or PSL [Ahmed KHELIL]; Society of Peace Movement or MSP [Boudjerra SOLTANI]; Workers Party or PT [Louisa HANOUN]


note: a law banning political parties based on religion was enacted in March 1997
African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Alliance of the Social Democratic Party or PSD [Bruno AMOUSSOU]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Front for Renewal and Development or FARD-ALAFIA [Saka SALEY]; Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD [Bertin BORNA]; Movement for Citizens' Commitment and Awakening or MERCI [Severin ADJOVI]; Renaissance Party du Benin or RB [Nicephore SOGLO]; The Star Alliance (Alliance E'toile) [Sacca LAFIA]


note: approximately 20 additional minor parties; the Coalition of Democratic Forces, [Gatien HOUNGBEDJI], an alliance of parties and organizations supporting President KEREKOU
Political pressure groups and leaders The Algerian Human Rights League or LADH or LADDH [Yahia Ali ABDENOUR]; SOS Disparus [Nacera DUTOUR]; Somoud [Ali MERABET] NA
Population 32,930,091 (July 2006 est.) 6,787,625


note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line 25% (2005 est.) 37% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate 1.22% (2006 est.) 2.91% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors - Cotonou, Porto-Novo
Radio broadcast stations AM 25, FM 1, shortwave 8 (1999) AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2000)
Radios - 660,000 (2000)
Railways total: 3,973 km


standard gauge: 2,888 km 1.435-m gauge (283 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 1,085 km 1.055-m gauge (2005)
total: 578 km


narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2000 est.)
Religions Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1% indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female


total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female


total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: telephone density in Algeria is very low, not exceeding five telephones per 100 persons; the number of fixed main lines increased in the last few years to nearly 2.6 million, but only about two-thirds of these have subscribers; much of the infrastructure is outdated and inefficient


domestic: good service in north but sparse in south; domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations (20 additional domestic earth stations are planned)


international: country code - 213; submarine cables - 5; microwave radio relay to Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; coaxial cable to Morocco and Tunisia; participant in Medarabtel; satellite earth stations - 51 (Intelsat, Intersputnik, and Arabsat) (2005)
general assessment: NA


domestic: fair system of open wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections


international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); submarine cable
Telephones - main lines in use 2.572 million (2005) 51,000 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular 13.661 million (2005) 55,500 (2000)
Television broadcast stations 46 (plus 216 repeaters) (1995) 1 (2001)
Terrain mostly high plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow, discontinuous coastal plain mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains
Total fertility rate 1.89 children born/woman (2006 est.) 6.14 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate 17.1% (2005 est.) NA%
Waterways - streams navigable along small sections, important only locally
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