267 lines
21 KiB
Plaintext
267 lines
21 KiB
Plaintext
ALGERIA
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 2,381,740 km2; land area: 2,381,740 km2
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Comparative area: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas
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Land boundaries: 6,343 km total; Libya 982 km, Mali 1,376 km,
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Mauritania 463 km, Morocco 1,559 km, Niger 956 km, Tunisia 965 km,
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Western Sahara 42 km
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Coastline: 998 km
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Maritime claims:
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Disputes: Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in southeastern Algeria
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Climate: arid to semiarid; mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers
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along coast; drier with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau;
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sirocco is a hot, dust/sand-laden wind especially common in summer
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Terrain: mostly high plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow,
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discontinuous coastal plain
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Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates,
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uranium, lead, zinc
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Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and
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pastures 13%; forest and woodland 2%; other 82%; includes irrigated
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NEGL%
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Environment: mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes;
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desertification
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Note: second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)
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PEOPLE
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Population: 26,022,188 (July 1991), growth rate 2.5% (1991)
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Birth rate: 32 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 57 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 68 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 4.2 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Algerian(s); adjective--Algerian
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Ethnic divisions: Arab-Berber 99%, European less than
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1%
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Religion: Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and
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Jewish 1%
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Language: Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects
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Literacy: 50% (male 63%, female 36%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1987)
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Labor force: 3,700,000; industry and commerce 40%, agriculture
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24%, government 17%, services 10% (1984)
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Organized labor: 16-19% of labor force claimed; General Union of
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Algerian Workers (UGTA) is the only labor organization and is
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subordinate to the National Liberation Front
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria
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Type: republic
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Capital: Algiers
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Administrative divisions: 48 provinces (wilayat, singular--wilaya);
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Adrar, Ain Defla, Ain Temouchent, Alger, Annaba, Batna, Bechar,
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Bejaia, Biskra, Blida, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Bouira, Boumerdes, Chlef,
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Constantine, Djelfa, El Bayadh, El Oued, El Tarf, Ghardaia, Guelma,
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Illizi, Jijel, Khenchela, Laghouat, Mascara, Medea, Mila, Mostaganem,
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M'sila, Naama, Oran, Ouargla, Oum el Bouaghi, Relizane, Saida, Setif,
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Sidi Bel Abbes, Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanghasset, Tebessa, Tiaret,
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Tindouf, Tipaza, Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen
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Independence: 5 July 1962 (from France)
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Constitution: 19 November 1976, effective 22 November 1976
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Legal system: socialist, based on French and Islamic law; judicial
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review of legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of
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various public officials, including several Supreme Court justices; has
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not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 1 November (1954)
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Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers
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(cabinet)
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Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Assembly
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(Al-Majlis Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani)
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Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
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Leaders:
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Chief of State--President Chadli BENDJEDID (since 7 February 1979);
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Head of Government--Prime Minister Sid Ahmed GHOZALI (since
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6 June 1991)
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Political parties and leaders:
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National Liberation Front (FLN), Chadli BENDJEDID, president;
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Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), Abassi MADANI;
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the government established a multiparty system in September 1989 and as
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of 31 December 1990 over 30 legal parties existed
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Suffrage: universal at age 18
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Elections:
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President--last held on 22 December 1988 (next to be held December
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1993); results--President BENDJEDID was reelected without opposition;
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National People's Assembly--last held on 26 February 1987 (next
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were to be held 27 June 1991 but postponed indefinitely because
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of civil unrest);
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results--FLN was the only party;
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seats--(281 total) FLN 281; note--the government held multiparty
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elections (municipal and wilaya) in June 1990, the first in Algerian
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history; results--FIS 55%, FLN 27.5%, other 17.5%, with 65% of the voters
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participating
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Communists: 400 (est.); Communist party banned 1962
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Member of: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-19,
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G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
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INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OAS
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(observer), OAU, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
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UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Abderrahmane BENSID;
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Chancery at 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone
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(202) 328-5300;
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US--Ambassador Christopher W. S. ROSS; Embassy at 4 Chemin Cheich
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Bachir El-Ibrahimi, Algiers (mailing address is B. P. Box 549,
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Alger-Gare, 16000 Algiers); telephone 213 (2) 601-425 or 255, 186;
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there is a US Consulate in Oran
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Flag: two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white
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with a red five-pointed star within a red crescent; the crescent,
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star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam (the state
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religion)
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ECONOMY
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Overview: The exploitation of oil and natural gas products forms
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the backbone of the economy. Algeria depends on hydrocarbons for nearly
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all of its export receipts, about 30% of government revenues, and nearly
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25% of GDP. In 1973-74 the sharp increase in oil prices led to a booming
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economy and helped to finance an ambitious program of industrialization.
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Plunging oil and gas prices, combined with the mismanagement of Algeria's
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highly centralized economy, have brought the nation to its most serious
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social and economic crisis since independence. The government has
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promised far-reaching reforms, including giving public-sector companies
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more autonomy, encouraging private-sector activity, boosting gas and
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nonhydrocarbon exports, and proposing a major overhaul of the banking
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and financial systems, but to date has made little progress.
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GDP: $54 billion, per capita $2,130; real growth rate 2.5%
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(1990 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 16.6% (1990)
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Unemployment rate: 26% (1990 est.)
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Budget: revenues $16.7 billion; expenditures $17.3 billion,
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including capital expenditures of $6.6 billion (1990 est.)
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Exports: $10.2 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
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commodities--petroleum and natural gas 98%;
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partners--Netherlands, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Italy, France, US
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Imports: $9.2 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
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commodities--capital goods 29%, consumer goods 30%;
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partners--France 25%, Italy 8%, FRG 8%, US 6-7%
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External debt: $26.6 billion (December 1990)
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Industrial production: growth rate -3% (1989 est.); accounts for
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30% of GDP, including petroleum
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Electricity: 5,156,000 kW capacity; 14,900 million kWh
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produced, 580 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: petroleum, light industries, natural gas, mining,
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electrical, petrochemical, food processing
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Agriculture: accounts for 11% of GDP and employs 24% of labor
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force; net importer of food--grain, vegetable oil, and sugar; farm
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production includes wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits,
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sheep,and cattle
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-85), $1.4
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billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
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(1970-88), $8.5 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $1.8 billion;
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Communist countries (1970-89), $2.7 billion
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Currency: Algerian dinar (plural--dinars); 1 Algerian dinar
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(DA) = 100 centimes
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Exchange rates: Algerian dinars (DA) per US$1--13.581 (January
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1991), 8.958 (1990), 7.6086 (1989), 5.9148 (1988), 4.8497 (1987), 4.7023
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(1986), 5.0278 (1985)
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Railroads: 4,146 km total; 2,632 km standard gauge (1.435 m),
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1,258 km 1.055-meter gauge, 256 km 1.000-meter gauge; 300 km electrified;
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215 km double track
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Highways: 80,000 km total; 60,000 km concrete or bituminous,
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20,000 km gravel, crushed stone, unimproved earth
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Pipelines: crude oil, 6,612 km; refined products, 298 km; natural
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gas, 2,948 km
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Ports: Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Jijel, Mers el Kebir,
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Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda
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Merchant marine: 75 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 903,179
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GRT/1,063,994 DWT; includes 5 short-sea passenger, 27 cargo, 2 vehicle
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carrier, 10 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 5 petroleum, oils, and lubricants
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(POL) tanker, 9 liquefied gas, 7 chemical tanker, 9 bulk, 1 specialized
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tanker
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Civil air: 42 major transport aircraft
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Airports: 145 total, 134 usable; 53 with permanent-surface runways;
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3 with runways over 3,659 m; 30 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 66 with
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runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: excellent domestic and international service in
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the north, sparse in the south; 693,000 telephones; stations--26 AM, no
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FM, 113 TV; 1,550,000 TV sets; 3,500,000 receiver sets; 6 submarine
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cables; coaxial cable or radio relay to Italy, France, Spain, Morocco,
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and Tunisia; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1
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Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Intersputnik, 1 ARABSAT, and 15 domestic
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Territorial Air Defense,
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National Gendarmerie
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 6,142,818; 3,780,873 fit for
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military service; 293,175 reach military age (19) annually
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Defense expenditures: $857 million, 1.8% of GDP (1991)
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