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 has recently emerged from a brutal conflict that followed scrapped elections in 1992.
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OVERVIEW |
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A large country, more than four-fifths of Algeria's territory is covered by the Sahara desert. Oil and gas reserves were discovered here in the 1950s, but the main population centres remain on the northern coast. The country is one of the main suppliers of natural gas to Europe.
Algeria was originally inhabited by Berbers until the Arabs conquered North Africa in the 7th century. Staying mainly in the mountainous regions, the Berbers resisted the spreading Arab influence, managing to preserve much of their language and culture until the present day. They make up some 30% of the total population.
Part of the Turkish Ottoman empire from the 16th century, Algeria was conquered by the French in 1830. The country was given the status of a departement in its own right. The struggle for independence began in 1954 headed by the National Liberation Front, which came to power on independence in 1962.
In the 1990s Algerian politics was dominated by the struggle involving the military and Islamist militants. In 1992 a general election won by an Islamist party was annulled, marking the beginning of a bloody campaign which saw the slaughter of more than 150,000 people.
An amnesty in 1999 led many rebels to lay down their arms. Violence has largely abated, although a state of emergency remains in place.
In 2001 the government agreed to a series of demands by the minority Berber community, including official recognition of the Berber language, after months of unrest involving Berber youths pressing for greater cultural and political recognition.
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FACTS |
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Population: 32.9 million (UN, 2005)
Capital: Algiers
Area: 2.4 million sq km (919,595 sq miles)
Major languages: Arabic, French, Berber
Major religion: Islam
Life expectancy: 70 years (men), 72 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 dinar = 100 centimes
Main exports: Oil, gas
GNI per capita: US $1,930 (World Bank, 2005)
Internet domain: .dz
International dialling code: +213
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LEADERS |
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President: Abdelaziz Bouteflika
Abdelaziz Bouteflika was re-elected to a second term as president in a landslide victory in April 2004. He promised to devote himself to seeking "true national reconciliation".
President Bouteflika has focused on national reconciliation |
On first taking office in 1999, the former foreign minister promised to restore national harmony and to end years of bloodshed.
He released thousands of Muslim militants and won backing for a civil concord in 1999 which offered an amnesty to armed militants.
Many of the rebels accepted and the violence declined. Mr Bouteflika supports a second amnesty for the remaining militants.
Algeria under President Bouteflika has won praise from the West for backing the US-led war on terror. At home, many Algerians credit him with the return of security. But some human rights campaigners allege that abuses by the security forces continue, including systematic torture in prisons.
A veteran of the war for independence from France, Mr Bouteflika served as Algerian foreign minister for 16 years until 1979. He went into self-imposed exile for several years in the 1980s to escape corruption charges that were later dropped.
Prime minister: Ahmed Ouyahia
Foreign minister: Mohamed Bedjaoui
Finance minister: Mourad Medelci
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MEDIA |
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Algeria's television 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. Media rights bodies have accused the government of using the laws to control the private press.
Algerian dailies mark the anniversary of the introduction of the defamation laws by suspending publication in a protest known as a "day without newspapers".
The use of satellite dishes is widespread; some satellite TV stations based in France target viewers in Algeria and European channels are widely-watched.
The Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontieres organisation reported in 2004 that journalists - particularly those working for private outlets - were subject to legal harrassment and physical attacks.
In 2003 the organisation condemned a ban on media coverage of the release of two senior officials from the outlawed Islamic Salvation Front (FIS).
Algeria can be a dangerous environment for media workers; 57 journalists were murdered between 1993-97. Most of the killings were blamed on armed Islamist groups.
The press:
El Khabar - private, Arabic-language daily
Le Quotidien d'Oran - private, French-language daily
El Moudjahid - state-run daily
Ech Chaab - state-run daily
El Watan - French-language, private daily
Liberte - private, French-language
La Tribune - private, French-language
Television:
Enterprise Nationale de Television (ENTV) - state-run TV
BRTV - Berber station broadcasting via satellite from France
Radio:
Algerian Radio - operated by state-run Radio-Television Algerienne, runs national Arabic, Berber and French networks and several local stations
News agencies:
Algerian Press Service (APS)
Algerian News Agency (ANA) 
