A Country Study: Algeria

• Algeria
• Acknowledgments
• Preface
• Table A. Selected Acronyms and Contractions
• Country Profile - Visit new updated Profile (PDF)
  • Country
  • Geography
  • Society
  • Economy
  • Transportation and Telecommunications
  • Government and Politics
  • National Security
• Introduction

• Chapter 1 - Historical Setting (Anthony Toth)
  • Pre-History of Central North Africa
  • North Africa during the Classical Period
    • Carthage and the Berbers
    • The Roman Era
    • Vandals and Byzantines
  • Islam and the Arabs, 642-1830
    • Fatimids
    • Almoravids
    • Almohads
    • Zayanids
    • Marabouts
    • European Offensive
    • Privateers
    • Ottoman Rule
    • Relations with the United States
  • France in Algeria, 1830-1962
    • Invasion of Algiers
    • The Land and Colonizers
    • Opposition to the Occupation
    • Abd al Qadir
    • Colonization and Military Control
    • Hegemony of the Colons
    • Algerian Nationalism
      • Political Movements
      • Viollette Plan
    • Polarization and Politicization
    • War of Independence
      • FLN
      • Philippeville
      • Conduct of the War
      • Committee of Public Safety
      • De Gaulle
      • The Generals' Putsch
  • Independent Algeria, 1962-92
    • Aftermath of the War
    • Ben Bella and the FLN
    • Boumediene Regime
    • Chadli Bendjedid and Afterward

• Chapter 2 - The Society and Its Environment (Mary-Jane Deeb)
  • Physical Setting
    • Geographic Regions
      • The Tell
      • The High Plateaus and the Saharan Atlas
      • Northeastern Algeria
      • The Sahara
    • Climate and Hydrology
    • Terrain
  • Population
    • Demographic Profile
    • Migration
    • Urbanization and Density
  • Ethnic Groups and Languages
    • The Peoples
    • Languages: Arabic and Berber
    • Arabization
  • Structure of Society
    • Preindependence Society
    • The Revolution and Social Change
    • Toward a Modern Society
  • The Individual, the Family, and the Sexes
    • Family and Household
    • Men and Women
    • Family Code
    • Family Planning
  • Islam
    • Early History
    • Tenets of Islam
    • Islam and the Algerian State
  • Religious Minorities
  • Education
  • Health and Welfare
    • Health
    • Social Welfare
    • Housing

• Chapter 3 - The Economy (Boulos A. Malik)
  • Development Planning
  • Government Role
  • Public Finances
    • Budget
    • External Debt and Payments
    • Currency and Exchange Rates
    • Foreign Aid
    • Investments
  • Services
    • Banking
    • Tourism
  • Labor and Employment
  • Natural Resources and Energy
    • Hydrocarbons
    • Minerals
    • Electric Power
  • Industry
    • Manufacturing
    • Construction
  • Agriculture
    • Land Tenure and Reform
    • Crops
    • Livestock
    • Forestry
    • Fishing
  • Transportation and Telecommunications
    • Transportation
      • Railroads
      • Ports
      • Roads
      • Airports
    • Telecommunications
  • Trade
    • Trading Partners
    • Exports and Imports
    • Balance of Payments
    • Trade Account
  • Trends

• Chapter 4 - Government and Politics (John P. Entelis with Lisa Arone)
  • Political Environment
    • Postindependence Politics and the Socialist Tradition
    • The Revolutionary Period and Independence
    • The "Heroic" Stage: Ben Bella's Regime, 1962-65
    • Boumediene and the Socialist Experiment
      • Council of the Revolution, 1965-75
      • Formation of the Second Algerian Republic, 1976-79
    • Recent Political Events
      • Political-Economic Liberalization under Benjedid, 1979-88
      • Democratization, October 1988-January 11, 1992
      • Return to Authoritarianism, January 11, 1992
  • Political Structure and Processes
    • Structure of the National Government
      • Constitution
      • Executive: Presidential System
      • Legislative: National People's Assembly
    • Role of Political Parties
      • FLN Role
      • Legalization of Political Parties and Beginnings of a Pluralist System
      • Electoral System
    • Judicial System
      • Supreme Court
      • Provincial Courts
      • Tribunals
      • Military Tribunals
      • High Judicial Council
    • Local and Regional Government
    • Wilayat
    • Dawair
      • Communes
      • Municipal Government
  • Effective Institutions
    • Political Configuration: The Army-Party-State Triangle
    • The Elite
    • Military Dictatorship
      • High Council of State
      • National Consultative Council
    • The Islamist Factor
      • The Islamist Movement since the Late 1980s
      • Role of the FIS
  • Civil Society
    • The Algerian General Workers' Union and the Workers' Movement
    • Youth and Student Unions
    • The National Union of Algerian Farmers
    • The Entrepreneurial Class
    • Socialist Vanguard Party
    • The Women's Movement
    • The Press
    • The Arabization Movement
  • Foreign Policy
    • General Trends
    • Africa
      • The Maghrib
      • Sub-Saharan Africa
    • Arab and Middle East Affairs
    • The West
      • The United States
      • France and the Mediterranean Countries

• Chapter 5 - National Security (Jean R. Tartter)
  • External Security Problems and Policies
  • Security Interests Outside the Maghrib
  • Security Problems with Neighboring States
  • Strategic Perspectives
  • Domestic Security Concerns
  • Islamic Opposition
  • Berber Separatism
  • The Military Hertiage
  • The Military and Boumediene
  • The Armed Forces
  • Army
  • Air Force
  • Navy
  • Uniforms, Ranks, and Insignia
  • Personnel and Recruitment
  • Conditions of Service
  • The Defense Burden
  • Foreign Military Assistance
  • Internal Security
  • Gendarmerie Nationale
  • Sûreté Nationale
    • Intelligence Agencies
  • Criminal Justice System
  • Prison Conditions

• Appendix. Tables
• Bibliography
• Glossary