Page last updated on January 12, 2017

Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia

Geographic coordinates:
28 00 N, 3 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 2,381,741 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 2,381,741 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 0 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 10

Area - comparative:
slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas
Area comparison map: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas

Land boundaries:
total: 6,734 km
border countries (7): Libya 989 km, Mali 1,359 km, Mauritania 460 km, Morocco 1,900 km, Niger 951 km, Tunisia 1,034 km, Western Sahara 41 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
998 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

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:
mean elevation: 800 m
[see also: Mean Elevation country ranks ]
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:
agricultural land: 17.3% arable land 3.1%; permanent crops 0.4%; permanent pasture 13.8%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 0.6%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 82% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
5,700 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population - distribution:
the vast majority of the populace is found in the extreme northern part of the country along the Mediterranean Coast

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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:
largest country in Africa