Part 9

Map ---

Location: 28 00 N, 3 00 E -- Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia

Flag ----

Description: two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white with a red, five-pointed star within a red crescent; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam (the state religion)

Geography ---------

Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia

Geographic coordinates: 28 00 N, 3 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area: total area: 2,381,740 sq km land area: 2,381,740 sq km comparative area: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas

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

Coastline: 998 km

Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 32-52 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: part of southeastern region claimed by Libya; land boundary dispute with Tunisia settled in 1993

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

Terrain: mostly high plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow, discontinuous coastal plain lowest point: Chott Melrhir -40 m highest point: Tahat 3,003 m

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc

Land use: arable land: 3% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 13% forest and woodland: 2% other: 82%

Irrigated land: 3,360 sq km (1989 est.)

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 natural hazards: mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mud slides international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

Geographic note: second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)

People ------

Population: 29,183,032 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 40% (male 5,910,543; female 5,701,647) 15-64 years: 56% (male 8,319,650; female 8,162,816) 65 years and over: 4% (male 510,308; female 578,068) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.21% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 28.51 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 5.9 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 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 all ages: 1.02 male(s)/female (1996 est.)