Capital: Algiers Official language(s): Arabic Location: Northern Africa Government Presidential republic President Abdelaziz Bouteflika Prime Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem |
Flag Description: two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white; a red, five-pointed star within a red crescent centered over the two-color boundary; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam (the state religion) |
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L'etandard Sanglant (The Bloody Flag) cultural, political, social, and cross-cultural commentary written by students free speech, human rights, political freedom, social equality, student rights, nonviolence |
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Algeria |
HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES |
Background: After more than a century of rule by France, Algerians fought through much
of the 1950s to achieve independence in 1962. Algeria's primary political party,
the National Liberation Front (FLN), has dominated politics ever since. Many
Algerians in the subsequent generation were not satisfied, however, and moved
to counter the FLN's centrality in Algerian politics. The surprising first round
success of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in the December 1991 balloting spurred
the Algerian army to intervene and postpone the second round of elections
to prevent what the secular elite feared would be an extremist-led government
from assuming power. The army began a crackdown on the FIS that spurred FIS supporters
to begin attacking government targets. The government later allowed elections
featuring pro-government and moderate religious-based parties, but did
not appease the activists who progressively widened their attacks. The fighting
escalated into an insurgency, which saw intense fighting between 1992-98 and which
resulted in over 100,000 deaths - many attributed to indiscriminate massacres
of villagers by extremists. The government gained the upper hand by the late-1990s
and FIS's armed wing, the Islamic Salvation Army, disbanded in January
2000. However, small numbers of armed militants persist in confronting government
forces and conducting ambushes and occasional attacks on villages. The army
placed Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA in the presidency in 1999 in a fraudulent election
but claimed neutrality in his 2004 landslide reelection victory. Longstanding problems
continue to face BOUTEFLIKA in his second term, including the ethnic minority
Berbers' ongoing autonomy campaign, large-scale unemployment, a shortage
of housing, unreliable electrical and water supplies, government inefficiencies
and corruption, and the continuing - although significantly degraded - activities
of extremist militants. Algeria must also diversify its petroleum-based economy,
which has yielded a large cash reserve but which has not been used to redress
Algeria's many social and infrastructure problems. |
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc |
Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits; sheep, cattle Industries: petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical, petrochemical, food processing |
Diplomatic representation in the US: Ambassador Amine KHERBI chancery: 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-2800 FAX: [1] (202) 667-2174 Diplomatic representation from the US: Ambassador Robert S. FORD embassy: 04 Chemin Cheikh Bachir Ibrahimi El-Biar 16030, Algiers mailing address: B. P. 408, Alger-Gare, 16030 Algiers telephone: [213] (021) 69-12-55 FAX: [213] (021) 69-39-79 |
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From Wikipedia: Yasmina Khadra is the pen name of the Algerian author Mohammed Moulessehoul (born January 10, 1955).
Moulessehoul, an officer in the Algerian army, adopted a woman's pseudonym
to avoid military censorship. Despite the publication of many successful
novels in Algeria, Moulessehoul only revealed his true identity in 2001 after
leaving the army and going into exile and seclusion in France. Anonymity was the
only way for him to survive and avoid censorship during the Algerian Civil War.
In 2004, Newsweek acclaimed him as "one of the rare writers capable of giving
a meaning to the violence in Algeria today." |
Administrative divisions: 48 provinces (wilayat, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Ain Defla, Ain Temouchent, Alger, Annaba, Batna, Bechar, Bejaia, Biskra, Blida, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Bouira, Boumerdes, Chlef, Constantine, Djelfa, El Bayadh, El Oued, El Tarf, Ghardaia, Guelma, Illizi, Jijel, Khenchela, Laghouat, Mascara, Medea, Mila, Mostaganem, M'Sila, Naama, Oran, Ouargla, Oum el Bouaghi, Relizane, Saida, Setif, Sidi Bel Abbes, Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanghasset, Tebessa, Tiaret, Tindouf, Tipaza, Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen |
