Total area: 2,381,740 km2
land area: 2,381,740 km2

Comparative area: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas

Land boundaries: 6,343 km total
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

Disputes: Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in southeastern Algeria

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

Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc

Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 13%; forest and woodland 2%; other 82%; includes irrigated NEGL%

Environment: mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; desertification

Note: second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)

NOTE: The information regarding Algeria on this page is re-published from the 1991 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Algeria Geography 1991 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Algeria Geography 1991 should be addressed to the CIA.