Algeria History
Background Notes Archive - Near East and North Africa
U.S. Department of State ______________________________________________________ The State Department does not guarantee the authenticity of documents on the Internet. If for legal or other reasons you require the original version of a document in hard copy, please contact the Office of Public Communication, Bureau of Public Affairs. Note that State Department information is not copyrighted unless indicated and can be reproduced without consent. Citation of source is appreciated. Permission to reproduce any copyrighted material (including photos or graphics) must be obtained from the original source. ______________________________________________________BACKGROUND NOTES: TUNISIAPUBLISHED BY THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRSU.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATEJULY 1994Official Name: Republic of TunisiaPROFILEGeographyArea: 163,610 sq. km. (63,378 sq. mi.), slightly smaller than Missouri. Cities: Capital--Tunis (pop. about 1 million). Other city--Sfax (500, ... [Read More]
Mali (03/05)
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Near East
The Middle East has experienced some positive trends towards democratization and human rights protection over the past year. In Qatar, citizens overwhelmingly approved in a referendum a new Constitution that is based on solid democratic principles. Last fall, Morocco concluded its most democratic elections ever, while Bahraini women went to the polls to vote in their first national election. The Sultan of Oman stated that universal suffrage will apply to all citizens 21 years of age and older for next year’s national elections. Greater numbers of NGOs have been established throughout the Middle East, and several trade unions have pushed for better labor laws and the privatization of state-owned companies. In some parts of the region, Internet access is increasing, and citizens are beginning to shop freely for ideas in the world marketplace. In some areas, there is progress towards the development of additional Arabic media that would be broad ... [Read More]
U.S. Department of State FOIA Electronic Reading Room--Post Reports
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Background Notes
These publications include facts about the land, people, history, government, political conditions, economy, and foreign relations of independent states, some dependencies, and areas of special sovereignty. The Notes are updated/revised by the Office of Electronic Information and Publications of the Bureau of Public Affairs as they are received from the Department's regional bureaus and are added to the database of the Department of State website you are now using. ... [Read More]
Algeria
Armed terrorists entered private homes either to kill or kidnap residents or to steal weapons, valuables, or food (see Section 1.a.). After massacres that took place in their villages, numerous civilians fled their homes. Armed terrorist groups consistently used threats of violence to extort money from businesses and families across the country. Section 2 Respect for Civil Liberties, Including: a. Freedom of Speech and Press The Constitution provides for freedom of speech and press; however, the Government restricted these rights in practice. The Penal Code imposed high fines and prison terms of up to 24 months for defamation or "insult" of government figures, including the President, members of Parliament, judges, members of the military and "any other authority of public order." Those convicted face prison sentences that range from 3 to 24 months and fines of $715 to 7,150 (50,000 to 500,000 dinars). During the year, at least 96 prosecuti ... [Read More]
Algeria
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Algeria
In 1997, Algeria held its first elections to the APN since elections were canceled in 1992, and elected the first multiparty parliament in the country's history. Candidates representing 39 political parties participated, along with several independent candidates. Under a system of proportional representation, the government-supported party, the National Democratic Rally (RND) won a plurality of 154 seats out of a total of 371. In their final report, neutral observers stated that, of the 1,258 (of the country's 35,000) voting stations that they assessed, 1,169 produced satisfactory results, 95 were problematic, and 11 were unsatisfactory. In 1997 the provincial election commissions announced the results of their adjudication of the appeals filed by various political parties. The RND lost some seats but remained the overall victor in the Assembly elections. The next parliamentary elections are expected to take place in April or May 2002. ... [Read More]
Algeria (12/04)
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