- 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
etymology: the country name derives from the capital city of Algiers - Government type
- presidential republic
- Capital
- name: Algiers
geographic coordinates: 36 45 N, 3 03 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: name derives from the Arabic al-jazair, meaning "the islands," and refers to the four islands formerly off the coast of the capital but joined to the mainland since 1525 - Administrative divisions
- 58 provinces (wilayas, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Ain Defla, Ain Temouchent, Alger (Algiers), Annaba, Batna, Bechar, Bejaia, Beni Abbes, Biskra, Blida, Bordj Badji Mokhtar, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Bouira, Boumerdes, Chlef, Constantine, Djanet, Djelfa, El Bayadh, El Meghaier, El Meniaa, El Oued, El Tarf, Ghardaia, Guelma, Illizi, In Guezzam, In Salah, Jijel, Khenchela, Laghouat, Mascara, Medea, Mila, Mostaganem, M'Sila, Naama, Oran, Ouargla, Ouled Djellal, Oum el Bouaghi, Relizane, Saida, Setif, Sidi Bel Abbes, Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanrasset, Tebessa, Tiaret, Timimoun, Tindouf, Tipaza, Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen, Touggourt
- Legal system
- mixed system of French civil law and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various public officials including several Supreme Court justices
- Constitution
- history: several previous; latest approved by referendum 1 November 2020
amendment process: proposed by the president of the republic or through the president with the support of three fourths of the members of both houses of Parliament in joint session; passage requires approval by both houses, approval by referendum, and promulgation by the president; the president can forego a referendum if the Constitutional Council determines the proposed amendment does not conflict with basic constitutional principles; articles including the republican form of government, the integrity and unity of the country, and fundamental citizens’ liberties and rights cannot be amended - International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
- Citizenship
- citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: the mother must be a citizen of Algeria
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years - Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
- Executive branch
- chief of state: President Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE (since 12 December 2019)
head of government: Prime Minister Sifi GHRIEB (since 28 August 2025)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in two rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister nominated by the president after consultation with the majority party in Parliament
most recent election date: 7 September 2024
election results: 2024: Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE (NLF) 94.7%, Abdelaali Hassani CHERIF (MSP) 3.2%, Youcef AOUCHICHE (FFS) 2.2%2019: (FLN) 58.1%, Abdelkader BENGRINA (El-Bina) 17.4%, Ali BENFLIS (Talaie El Hurriyet) 10.6%, Azzedine MIHOUBI (RND) 7.3%, Abdelaziz BELAID (Future Front) 6.7%
expected date of next election: 2029 - Legislative branch
- legislature name: Parliament (Barlaman)
legislative structure: bicameral - Legislative branch - lower chamber
- chamber name: National People's Assembly (Al-Majlis Al-Chaabi Al-Watani)
number of seats: 407 (all directly elected)
electoral system: proportional representation
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 5 years
most recent election date: 6/12/2021
parties elected and seats per party: National Liberation Front (FLN) (98); Movement of Society for Peace (MSP) (65); National Democratic Rally (RND) (58); El-Moustakbel Front (Future", FM) (48); El Binaa Movement (39); Independents (84); Other (15)
percentage of women in chamber: 7.9%
expected date of next election: June 2026 - Legislative branch - upper chamber
- chamber name: Council of the Nation (Majlis al-Oumma)
number of seats: 174 (116 indirectly elected; 58 appointed)
electoral system: plurality/majority
scope of elections: partial renewal
term in office: 6 years
most recent election date: 3/9/2025
percentage of women in chamber: 2.5%
expected date of next election: January 2028 - Judicial branch
- highest court(s): Supreme Court or Le Cour Suprême, (consists of 150 judges organized into 8 chambers: Civil, Commercial and Maritime, Criminal, House of Offenses and Contraventions, House of Petitions, Land, Personal Status, and Social; Constitutional Council (consists of 12 members including the court chairman and deputy chairman)
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the High Council of Magistracy, an administrative body presided over by the president of the republic, and includes the republic vice-president and several members; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Council members - 4 appointed by the president of the republic, 2 each by the 2 houses of Parliament, 2 by the Supreme Court, and 2 by the Council of State; Council president and members appointed for single 6-year terms with half the membership renewed every 3 years
subordinate courts: appellate or wilaya courts; first instance or daira tribunals - Political parties
- Algerian National Front or FNAAlgerian Popular Movement or MPAAlgeria's Hope Rally or TAJDignity or El KaramaEl-InfitahEl Mostakbal (Future Front)Ennour El Djazairi Party (Algerian Radiance Party) or PEDEquity and Proclamation Party or PEPIslamic Renaissance Movement or Ennahda MovementJustice and Development Front or FJDMovement for National Reform or El IslahMovement of Society for Peace or MSPNational Construction Movement or El-Bina (Harakat El-Binaa El-Watani)National Democratic Rally (Rassemblement National Democratique) or RNDNational Front for Social Justice or FNJSNational Liberation Front or FLNNational Militancy Front or FMNNational Party for Solidarity and Development or PNSDNational Republican Alliance or ANRNew Dawn Party (El-Fajr El-Jadid)New Generation (Jil Jadid)Oath of 1954 or Ahd 54Party of Justice and Liberty or PLJRally for Culture and Democracy or RCDSocialist Forces Front or FFSUnion for Change and Progress or UCPUnion of Democratic and Social Forces or UFDSVanguard of Liberties (Talaie El Hurriyet)Workers Party or PTYouth Party or PJ
- Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission: Ambassador Sabri BOUKADOUM (since 27 February 2024)
chancery: 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265-2800
FAX: [1] (202) 986-5906
email address and website: mail@algerianembassy.orghttps://www.algerianembassy.org/
consulate(s) general: New York - Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission: Ambassador Elizabeth Moore AUBIN (since 9 February 2022)
embassy: 05 Chemin Cheikh Bachir, Ibrahimi, El-Biar 16030, Alger
mailing address: 6030 Algiers Place, Washington DC 20521-6030
telephone: [213] (0) 770-08-2000
FAX: [213] (0) 770-08-2299
email address and website: algierspd@state.govhttps://dz.usembassy.gov/ - International organization participation
- ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BIS, CAEU, CD, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
- Independence
- 5 July 1962 (from France)
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 5 July (1962); Revolution Day, 1 November (1954)
- Flag
- description: two equal vertical bands of green (left) and white; a red, five-pointed star inside a red crescent, centered over the two-color boundary meaning: the colors represent Islam (green), purity and peace (white), and liberty (red); the crescent and star are also Islamic symbols, but the crescent is more closed than those of other Muslim countries because Algerians believe the long crescent horns bring happiness
- National symbol(s)
- five-pointed star between the extended horns of a crescent moon; fennec fox
- National color(s)
- green, white, red
- National anthem(s)
- title: "Kassaman" (We Pledge)
lyrics/music: Mufdi ZAKARIAH/Mohamed FAWZI
history: adopted 1962; ZAKARIAH wrote "Kassaman" as a poem while imprisoned in Algiers by French colonial forces - National heritage
- total World Heritage Sites: 7 (6 cultural, 1 mixed)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Beni Hammad Fort (c); Djémila (c); Casbah of Algiers (c); M'zab Valley (c); Tassili n'Ajjer (m); Timgad (c); Tipasa (c)