Algeria

Brief Description

Algeria, a gateway between Africa and Europe, has been battered by

violence over the past half-century.

More than a million Algerians were killed in the fight for independence from

France in 1962, and the country is emerging from a brutal internal conflict caused

when elections that Islamists appeared certain to win were cancelled in 1992; a

low-level Islamist insurgency still affects Algeria.

The Sahara desert covers more than four-fifths of the land. Algeria is the

continent's biggest country, and is the world's 10th largest.

Oil and gas reserves were discovered there in the 1950s, but most Algerians live

along the northern coast.

People's Democratic Republic of Algeria

Capital: Algiers

 Population 41 million

 Area 2.4 million sq km (919,595 sq miles)

 Major languages Arabic, French, Berber

 Major religion Islam

 Life expectancy 75 years (men), 77 years (women)

 Currency dinar

President: Abdelaziz Bouteflika

Source: UN, World Bank [CITATION BBC181 \l 1033 ]

Algeria compared to the Philippines

If you live in the

Category Algeria Philippines Philippines

Make 48.7% less

GDP per capita $15,000 $7,700 per capita money

Life Expectancy 76.8 years 69.2 years Live 7.6 years less
1,216 kWh per Consume 47.1% less

Electricity capita - 2014 643 kWh per electricity

Consumption est. capita - 2014 est.

12.4% of people 6.6% of people - Be 46.8% less likely

Unemployment - 2016 est. 2016 est. to be unemployed

See 36.4 times more

Coastline 998 km 36,289 km coastline

[ CITATION The184 \l 1033 ]

Geographical Intelligence

Location: Northern Africa, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea on the north,

Morocco, Western Sahara and Mauritania on the west, Mali and Niger on the

south, and Libya and Tunisia on the east.

Area: 2.38 million km²

Terrain: Algeria consists of four regions: the coastal mountainous chain. Plains

and high plateaus. The mountainous chain of the interior. The area of the Grand

Sud with its mountainous solid masses. 

Climate: Mediterranean in the north, mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers

along coast; drier with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau; dry or
desert climate for the extreme south of the country; sirocco is a hot, dust/sand-

laden wind especially common in summer.  [ CITATION Onend1 \l 1033 ]

Economic Intelligence

Natural resources: Rich deposits of iron ore, phosphates, lead, zinc and

antimony; deposits of petroleum and natural gas. 

Agriculture products: Wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits; sheep,

cattle.

Industries: Petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical,

petrochemical, food processing.

Exports - commodities: petroleum, natural gas, and petroleum products 97%

Exports partners:

Spain 18.8%, France 11.2%, USA 8.8%,Italy 8.7%, UK 7.1%, Brazil 5.2%,Tunisia 

4.9%, Germany 4.5% (2015)

Imports partners:

China 15.6%, France 14.4%, Italy 9.4%, Spain 7.4%, Germany

5.6%, Russia4.1% (2015)

Currency: Algerian Dinar (DZD).  [ CITATION Onend1 \l 1033 ]

Sociological Intelligence

Population: 42,008,054

Nationality: Algerian(s).

Ethnic groups: ~ Arab 83%, Berber 17%, Touareg, European less than 1%.

Religions: Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1%.
Languages: Arabic (official), French, Tamazight and other Berber dialects.

Literacy: total population, 70%; male 78.8%, female 61% (2003 est.) 

Algerian culture and society were profoundly affected by 130 years of

colonial rule, by the bitter independence struggle, and by the subsequent broad

mobilization policies of post independence regimes. A transient, nearly rootless

society has emerged, whose cultural continuity has been deeply undermined.

Seemingly, only deep religious faith and belief in the

nation’s populist ideology have prevented complete social disintegration. There

has been a contradiction, however, between the government’s various populist

policies—which have called for the radical modernization of society as well as the

cultivation of the country’s Arab Islamic heritage—and traditional family structure.

Although Algeria’s cities have become centers for this cultural confrontation, even

remote areas of the countryside have seen the state take on roles traditionally

filled by the extended family or clan. Algerians have thus been caught between a

tradition that no longer commands their total loyalty and a modernism that is

attractive yet fails to satisfy their psychological and spiritual needs. Only the more

isolated Amazigh groups, such as the Saharan Mʾzabites and Tuareg, have

managed to some degree to escape these conflicting pressures. [ CITATION

LCa18 \l 1033 ]

Political Intelligence

Official name

People's Democratic Republic of Algeria

Legal system

Based on the constitution of 1976; revised in 1989, 1997 and 2016

Legislature

Bicameral: the lower house, the Assemblée populaire nationale, with 462

members, was first elected in June 1997; the upper house, the Conseil de la

nation, which has 144 seats, was formed in December 1997, with two-thirds of its

members elected through municipal polls and the remainder appointed by the

president

National elections

April 2014 (presidential); May 2012 (legislative); November 2007 (provincial and

municipal councils); next national elections due in 2017 (legislative) and 2019

(presidential)

Head of state

President, currently Abdelaziz Bouteflika, elected for a fourth term in April 2014

Executive

Council of Ministers presided over by the prime minister, who is appointed by the

head of state

Main political parties

Front de libération nationale (FLN), previously the sole legal party;

Rassemblement national démocratique (RND); Front des forces socialistes

(FFS); Rassemblement pour la culture et la démocratie (RCD); Mouvement de la

réforme nationale (El Islah, Islamist); Mouvement de la société pour la paix

(MSP; Islamist); Parti des travailleurs (Labour Party)

[ CITATION The16 \l 1033 ]

Armed Forces

Head of State and Government: Abdelaziz Bouteflika

Defence Minister: Abdelaziz Bouteflika

Chief of Defence Staff: Lieutenant-General Ahmed Gaid Salah 

Chief of Staff of the Army: Major General Ahcène Tafer 

Chief of Staff of the Air Force: Brigadier General Achour Laoudi

Member of: UN, AU, LAS, AfDB, G15, etc

Algeria has one of the strongest and largest militaries on the African

continent. This is deemed necessary to respond to internal and external security

threats. Algeria’s military strength grew from the Algerian Civil War of the 1990s

and tensions with Morocco and Western Sahara, where Algeria supported a

guerrilla war against Morocco. Tensions still remain with Morocco, which is

considered to be Algeria’s main rival in the region, although Algeria has been

affected by instability in Libya and Mali. 

Domestically, Algeria is facing a strong terrorist threat, particularly from al-

Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Due to the threats it faces, Algeria’s

military has a strong focus on counter terrorism. This has also lead the country to

increase its military spending substantially year on year. The focus of this

spending has been on modernisation, advanced training programmes and

weapons procurement. Defence spending in the country is expected to remain

high into the future as the country will most likely expand its purchases

specifically with regard to drones, combat aircraft and helicopters, submarines,

landing docks and armoured vehicles. Russia remains the country’s largest

supplier of arms, however, Algeria is also increasingly diversifying its purchases

to Western Europe and the USA.

Algeria’s military is a leading player in the region with regards to capacity

building in the fight against terrorism. The country’s armed forces have also
completed various training courses abroad in order to enhance their ability.

Improving the army’s flexibility and mobility has been a major focus particularly

due to the country’s large size and vast swathes of desert. This has been

assisted through the creation of two new military sub-regions, one in Ouargla and

the other in Tamanrasset.

Algeria’s navy has also participated in various maritime operations

particularly the 8th Phoenix Express exercise which looks to promote safety and

security within the Mediterranean. [ CITATION Jor14 \l 1033 ]

Transportation and Communications

The common means of public transport within the city are as follows:

 Underground metro transit system

 Communal taxis

 Motor Cycles

 Buses

 Railway

 Special Hire Taxis

Algeria's communications systems are somewhat underdeveloped, but

continuous efforts are being made to improve the situation and provide greater

access to telephones, the internet and so on.

 Telephones
 Postal System
 Internet Access
 Mass Media
Science and Technology
 Since independence, Algeria has made major technological advances,

especially in the steel and petrochemical industries. However, Algeria still has a

severe shortage of skilled workers and is heavily dependent on foreign

technologies. Scientific training is principally conducted at the Hovari

Boumedienne University of Sciences and Technology, founded at Algiers in

1974; the Oran University of Sciences and Technology, founded in 1975; the

universities of Annaba (founded in 1975), Blida (founded in 1981), Boumerdes

(founded in 1981), Constantine (founded in 1969), Oran Es-senia (founded in

1965), and Tlemcen (founded in 1974); and the Ferhat Abbas-Setif University of

Setif (founded in 1978). In 1987–97, science and engineering students accounted

for 58% of college and university enrollments. The government's National Bureau

of Scientific Research operates 18 research centers in biology; anthropology;

oceanography and fisheries; astronomy, astrophysics, and geophysics;

renewable energy; arid zones; technology transfer; and other fields.

In 2002, Algeria's high technology exports totaled $21 million, 4% of the

nation's manufactured exports. [ CITATION Tho071 \l 1033 ]

Biographical Intelligence

President: Abdelaziz Bouteflika: Abdelaziz Bouteflika has been in power since

1999 and gained his fourth term of office in elections in 2014, despite doing no

personal campaigning and rarely appearing in public after having suffered a

stroke in 2013.
Minister of National Defence: General of the Army Ahmed Gaid Salah: He  is

an Algerian politician and Algerian People's National Army senior officer. In 2004,

he became chief of staff of the Algerian People's National Army. In September 15

2013, he became Vice Minister of Defense.

SWOT Analysis

Strength

Algeria’s hydrocarbon-based economy is facing rising competition from the

recent shale gas boom in the US, but thanks to ample fiscal reserves, the impact

on the country has been limited so far. Its social climate will likely remain stable,

even if President Bouteflika should be re-elected next year.

Algeria has accumulated large foreign exchange reserves (about

USD200bn) and fiscal savings (about USD 70bn) that boost its resilience against

external and domestic shocks.

Weaknesses

Due to its dependence on the hydrocarbon sector, which generates about

40% of GDP and 97% of exports, Algeria’s economy is strongly exposed to a fall

in oil and gas prices. Moreover, export destinations are hardly diversified, as

most exports go to the euro area.

Algeria’s economy is dominated by the public sector, which redistributes

hydrocarbon revenues via subsidized prices, welfare programs and employment

opportunities. The private sector is small and suffers from outdated regulation,

bureaucracy and weak competitiveness.

Opportunities

Algeria’s parliament approved a new package of constitutional reforms,

which, among other things, limit presidents to two terms. This step, in the making

since 2011, aims to strengthen Algeria’s democratic standing. 

The United States and Europe have already recognized Algeria’s

leadership and cooperation in anti-terror efforts in its neighborhood. For the

European Union, a further strengthening of ties with Algeria is particularly

important, given both sides’ interest in the stability of nearby North Africa. 

Threats

In many cases, the revolutions have evolved into brutal and protracted

internal conflicts, with no solution in sight.

Sharp decline in oil prices since June 2014 has underscored the

unsustainability of the country’s economic model.

Algeria’s Counter-insurgency Strategy: Implication to the Philippines

The government attack follows an ultimatum included in a peace plan

President Abdelaziz Bouteflika put forward after his election. His proposal for a

''civil concord'' with the guerrillas, ratified in a national referendum, hinged on an

amnesty for any rebel surrendering before the target date.

When he proposed the amnesty, Mr. Bouteflika said that guerrillas who

prolonged the war would face ''a fight without mercy'' and ''eradication.'' He

waited six days past the deadline before sending paratroops, infantry units and

helicopters against one of the main guerrilla strongholds in the hinterland of

Relizane province, 95 miles southwest of Algiers. The result was the backbone of
the rebels was broken and many surrendered though the war has not ended

totally.

The Philippines has tried the amnesty program with the leftists like the

New People’s Army (NPA) but has failed several times to concord on many

points. This country may learn from Algeria and its strategy against the rebels.

These rebels should be dealt with an iron hand. After all, they don’t have a

strong point of ideology but to topple democracy.