Algeria Geography
LocationNorthern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia
Geographic coordinates
28 00 N, 3 00 E
Area
total: 2,381,740 sq km
land: 2,381,740 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative
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
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 32-52 nm
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
Elevation extremes
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: 3.22%
permanent crops: 0.25%
other: 96.53% (2001)
Irrigated land
5,600 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards
mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides and floods in rainy season
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
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note
second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)
