It seems that Algeria is just like Niger a presidential republic where the president is head of state and the prime minister is the head of the government. Algeria’s political system is not only dominated by a strong presidency apparatus, but also by a strong security apparatus. The executive power is exercised by the government and both the government and the two chambers of parliament, the People's National Assembly and the Council of the Nation deal with the legislative power.

After some research it appears that the political system of the country was reshaped and redefined in order to meet the changing needs of the society. Now you can see that Algeria has a long history of revolution and regime change, making the political climate dynamic and often in a state of change. The country is currently a constitutional republic with a democratically elected government, though the military, in practice, remain major powerbrokers.

Since the early 1990s, a shift from a state capitalist to a free market economy has been ongoing with official support. Further in the 1990s their politics were generally dominated by a struggle involving the military and Islamist militants. In 1992 there has been a bloody civil war in which many people, more than 150,000, were slaughtered.
Since the mid-1990s, several Islamist parties have been permitted to participate in electoral politics.

Nowadays, many Algerians, particularly from younger generations appear to feel disconnected from formal politics. One of the causes is that political opposition movements remain deeply divided.

Eventually we can conclude that the legacy of the revolutionary War of Independence (1954-1962) and its lingering implications are still evident in recent political events and in the evolution of political processes.

Alexis Arrief, Analyst in African Affair, has written a report about the current issues in Algeria.
Via the link below you can read the whole report and when you’re not in to reading, there is also a summary involved.
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RS21532.pdf

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Algeria
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14118852
http://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/03/09/the_paranoid_style_in_algerian_politics
http://www.123independenceday.com/algeria/political-system.html

06-03-2012 om 22:08 geschreven door 2 MAS2  

Algeria’s most important exports are petroleum and natural gas. These reserves are mainly found in the Eastern Sahara. The gas sector represents almost 25% of the gross domestic product and 95% of the export earnings. This started in the early 60’s after the country’s independence in 1962. There was a continuous growth until the 80’s when the demand for gas and petroleum decreased. In the 90’s the growth restarted because of the global demand of oil and gas. Other minerals extracted in significant quantities are iron, phosphates, uranium, lead and zinc. Since 2000 there has been important improvements to the economy which had a positive impact on investments from abroad in different business sectors.

Before the 60’s the economy of Algeria was mainly based on agriculture. Today only 15% of Algeria’s workers are engaged in farming. The farming is concentrated in the fertile valleys in the north of the country and the oases of the Sahara. The principal export products of agriculture are olives, wine and fruit. Algeria is also an important producer of cork.

Although the massive growth of oil revenues, the Algerian government had difficulties in employing its population. This resulted in a massive emigration, mainly to France. Many of those workers sent a part of their income back home which contributed substantial cash remittances to the country’s economy.

In recent years the earnings from Algeria’s exports are higher than the costs of its imports. Chief imports are machinery, food and beverages and consumer goods. The growth of the gross domestic product in 2009 and 2010 lied around 5%. Due to the recession in Europe in 2011, this ratio won’t be possible to maintain.

Algeria’s main trade partners are France, Italy and the United States. Spain and Germany are less important even though there is a pipeline from Algeria to Seville in Spain.

For those who are interested in an economic profile of Algeria I refer you to the article on the following link: http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/algeria/      

http://www.africaneconomicoutlook.org/en/countries/north-africa/algeria/

http://www.algeria.com/economy/

http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0856562.html

06-03-2012 om 21:10 geschreven door 2 MAS2  

I’m off to the largest country of Africa, the tenth one in size worldwide. More than eighty per cent of the country’s surface consists of desert, namely the Sahara. Getting to Algiers – Algeria’s capital, situated on the Mediterranean Sea – is the main purpose of this journey.

Considering I’m heading northwards, this means I have to pass the entire desert for a trip of more than 1,500 kilometres. Going on foot might be rather ridiculous so I’m asking the help of Abdelaziz, a kind and experienced guide who knows the Sahara at his fingers’ ends.
As we’re facing temperatures of 45 degrees, stocks of water can be very helpful. Also blankets are necessary because the nights can be very cold in desert areas.

After two long days in solitary environment, we finally arrive in the first city, Ghardaïa[1]. My shoes are filled with sand and pebbles. Algeria has two vast mountain ranges: the Atlas, more in the northern and the Ahaggar Mountains with its highest peak Mountain Tahat (3,003 metres), which we observed at close quarters.[2]

On our way to the capital, we’re spending another two days on exploring cities like Biskra and Sétif. We also take a look at the lowest spot in Algeria (40 metres below sea-level[3]). It’s the enormous salt lake with its lovely name, Chott Melhrir.

The view around us is becoming greener and greener. The relief is changing which can only mean we’re in the city where writer Albert Camus grew up, Algiers. Because of the maritime climate, the temperatures are a little bit cooler but still muggy.
Algeria’s coast line counts almost 1,000 kilometres (!) and is geographically distinctive for its lowlands.

Knowing that Algeria once was a colony of France and considering the old Dutch saying “Living like a God in France”, this photo of Kabylie’s hills in the north of Algeria really proves that Frenchmen had taste.

Laurens Fagard

06-03-2012 om 00:00 geschreven door 2 MAS2