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Islamic militants in Algeria
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Oil
Share of global reserves: 1%
Share of global production (2003): 2.1%
Share of petroleum sector in the economy: Algeria remains highly dependent on oil and natural gas exports, which account for more than 90% of Algerian export earnings, and about 30% of GDP.
Demographics
Population: 32 million
Population growth rate: 1.28% (2004 est.)
GDP per capita: $6,000 (2004 est.)
Government type: Dominant party (military-influenced)
Religions: Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Other 1%
Literacy: 70%
Freedom House Ranking: Not free
Political situation:
More than 120,000 people have been killed in more than a decade of civil strife in Algeria,
where Islamic militants have been staging massacres ever since they were shut of out
parliamentary elections in 1992.
January-June 2002: more than 600 civilians killed
in bombings and other attacks.
May 2002: 23 people were massacred by Islamic militants.
June 2002: Extremists belonging to the hard-line
Armed
Islamic Group (GIA) killed 13
bus passengers and wounded nine.
January 2003: Two weekend attacks by Islamic militants in Algeria left 43 soldiers
dead and 25 others seriously wounded.
February 2003: A group of 32 European tourists disappear in the Sahara Desert. Believed to have been kidnapped by terrorists linked to al Qaeda.
Additional information
U.S. Dept. of Energy country analysis brief
MBendi Oil and Gas Industry profile
CIA World Factbook
Library of Congress
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