Country Profile
From The Report: Algeria 2015
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Occupying a strategic position in North Africa, with its major population centres abutting the Mediterranean and its hinterland stretching deep into the desert, Algeria is home to 39.5m people, making it the 34th-most-populous country in the world. The population is predominantly Arab-Berber, with less than 1% identifying as European. Approximately 15% of Algerians self-identify as Berber. The country profits from a rich and varied natural resource base, extracting oil, gas, phosphates, uranium, iron ore, zinc and lead. It is the 19th largest producer of crude oil globally, with an average production rate of 1.42m barrels per day in 2014. Algeria’s foreign policy has long been characterised by an independent streak, which has allowed the country to broaden its diplomatic ties to strengthen and deepen trade ties. This chapter contains a viewpoint from President Abdelaziz Bouteflika; and interviews with Tobias Ellwood MP, UK Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Middle East and North Africa; and Ségolène Royal, French Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

A steady presence: Algeria remains prosperous, despite instability in the region
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Algeria is a country rich in history and situated in a strategically important region. While its past has at times been turbulent, the last decade has been one of relative peace. As result, economic growth and development has followed, driven primarily by advances in the hydrocarbons sector. History Until the arrival of the Ottomans in the 16th century, the region that became the basis of the modern nation state of Algeria was widely known as the Barbary Coast, derived from the word Berber. These…

Viewpoint

Sustaining progress: President Abdelaziz Bouteflika on the past and future in Algeria
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In the years that have followed the restoration of peace and stability, Algeria has been blessed in being spared the burden of external debt, which has allowed us to invest heavily in our future. This is most evident in the roll-out of our three massive five-year development programmes, along with additional plans for the wilayas and the Hauts Plateaux. These efforts have been marked by a number of notable achievements, including the delivery of millions of housing units over the past 16 years;…

Overview

Political progress: A series of reforms has left Algerians feeling more confident in their government and the political process
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After half a century of turbulence, the last 15 years has been a period of relative peace and stability for Algeria. The country was little affected by the Arab Spring of 2011 and the latest presidential election in April 2014 unfolded smoothly. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s administration – now into its fourth term – has unveiled a number of policy priorities, with broad initiatives looking to strengthen sustainable development, including job creation, public works projects, natural resource…

Interview

Strengthening ties: OBG talks to Tobias Ellwood MP, UK Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Middle East and North Africa
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Interview:Tobias Ellwood MP What is the main challenge with respect to increasing UK investment in Algeria? TOBIAS ELLWOOD MP: It is the lack of awareness of Algeria as a country and as an investment destination. Algeria is not regularly in the public eye in the UK and is viewed in a similar security context as Libya and Mali. It remains an unfortunate fact that most British exporters feel they lack the skills to engage with Francophone countries and are put off by the language barrier.…

Analysis

A willing partner: In recent years the country has developed a reputation as a regional leader in peace mediation
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Algeria’s foreign policy has long been characterised by an independent streak, which has allowed the country to broaden its diplomatic ties in order to strengthen and deepen trade ties. The country has been particularly active in cultivating links with regional neighbours, and also benefits from close relations with major powers like the US and EU. EU Unsurprisingly, given the historical ties, Europe remains one of Algeria’s closest partners. In the last decade, Algeria has looked across the…

Interview

The nature of energy: Ségolène Royal, French Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy
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I’m optimistic about the outcome of the Paris Climate Conference, because I see that things are moving and are accelerating in the field of sustainable energy. There is still a lot of work to do, but I am thankful to the Algerian authorities for their commitment to helping France achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Conference. In September 2015, Algeria sent its projection in terms of its energy mix and energy transition. This was a very encouraging gesture, and it is a strong signal from a…