Algeria Independence

Local Holidays (International)APIANew Year's Day    Monday, 3 JanGood Friday    Friday, 25 MarEaster    Monday, 28 MarAnzac Day    Monday, 25 AprMother's of Samoa Day    Monday, 9 MaySamoan Independence Day    Wednesday, 1 JunSamoan ... [Read More]

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]

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]

Tunisia (12/04)

Tunisia's independence from France in 1956 ended a protectorate established in 1881. President Bourguiba, who had been the leader of the independence movement, declared Tunisia a republic in 1957, ending the nominal rule of the former Ottoman Beys. In June 1959 Tunisia adopted a Constitution modeled on the French system, which established the basic outline of the highly centralized presidential system that continues today. The military was given a defined defensive role, which excluded participation in politics. Starting from independence, President Bourguiba placed strong emphasis on economic and social development, especially education, the status of women, and the creation of jobs, policies continued under the Ben Ali administration. The results were strong social indicators--high literacy and school attendance rates, low population growth rates, and relatively low poverty rates--and generally steady economic growth rates. These pragmatic policies have contributed to social and poli ... [Read More]

Morocco (07/05)

Nationalist political parties, which subsequently arose under the French protectorate, based their arguments for Moroccan independence on such World War II declarations as the Atlantic Charter (a joint U.S.-British statement that set forth, among other things, the right of all people to choose the form of government under which they live). A manifesto of the Istiqlal (Independence) Party in 1944 was one of the earliest public demands for independence. That party subsequently provided most of the leadership for the nationalist movement. ... [Read More]

Background Notes Archive - Near East and North Africa

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATEBACKGROUND NOTES: MOROCCO, NOVEMBER 1994PUBLISHED BY THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRSNovember 1994Official Name: Kingdom of MoroccoPROFILEGeographyArea: 446,550 sq. km. (172,413 sq. mi.); slightly largerthan California.Cities: Capital--Rabat (pop. 1.2 million in urbanprefecture of Rabat-Sale). Other cities--Casablanca (3million), Marrakech, Fez, Tangier.Terrain: Coastal plain, mountains, desert. Climate:Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior.PeopleNationality: Noun and adjective--Moroccan(s).Population (est.): 28 million.Annual growth rate (est.): 2.2%.Ethnic groups: Arab-Berber 99%. Religions: Muslim,Christian 1%, Jewish 0.2%.Languages: Arabic (official), several Berber dialects;French is often the language of business, government, anddiplomacy.Education: Years compulsory--7. Literacy--43%.Health: Infant mortality rate--53/1,000. Life expectancy--66 years male, 69 years female.Work force (7.4 million): Agriculture--50% ... [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

Prior to Algerian independence, the U.S. was represented at Algiers by a consul general. The Embassy was officially opened on September 29, 1962. Following the break in diplomatic relations in June 1967, the Embassy became the U.S. Interests Section of the Swiss Embassy in Algeria. Diplomatic relations were reestablished on November 12, 1974, . ...

New Year’s Day January 1Eid El-Adha*Feb 1 & 2Awal Mouharem*February 22Achoura*March 2Labor DayMay 1El-Mawlid El-Nabaoui* May 2Independence Day July 5Revolutionary DayNovember 1Aid El Fitr*Nov 1 ... [Read More]

Algeria

The Constitution provides for an independent judiciary; however, in practice the Government does not always respect the independence of the judicial system. The Minister of Justice appoints the judges. A judge's term is 10 years. The Government reportedly may remove judges at will. In November 1999, President Bouteflika named a commission to review the functioning of the judiciary and to recommend ways to improve it. In August 2000, after the commission submitted its report that was published in the Government's Official Journal, the President announced a massive reorganization of the judiciary. He changed approximately 80 percent of the heads of the 187 lower courts and all but three of the presidents of the 37 higher-level courts. Most of the court heads were reassigned to new locations; however, a number were replaced outright. Whereas women previously only headed a few courts, women at year's end headed 26. ... [Read More]

Algeria

Algeria is a multi-party republic based on a constitution and a presidential form of government. The head of state is elected by popular vote to a 5-year term. The President has the constitutional authority to appoint and dismiss cabinet members, as well as the prime minister, who acts as the head of the Government. The president also serves as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. President Bouteflika, elected in 1999 in an uncontested election, completed a full term in office, the first president to do so since the adoption of the multi-party system in 1989. In Algeria's first democratic, contested presidential elections, he was re-elected in April from among five other candidates while the military remained neutral. The security apparatus comprises the army, consisting of ground, naval, and air defense forces; the national gendarmerie; the national police; communal guards; and local self-defense forces. All of these elements ... [Read More]

Algeria (12/04)

Independence: July 5, 1962 (from France). ...

Algeria’s most recent presidential election took place on April 8, 2004. For the first time since independence, the presidential race was democratically contested through to the end. Besides incumbent President Bouteflika, five other candidates competed in the election. Opposition candidates complained of some discrepancies in the voting list; irregularities on polling day, particularly in the Kabylie; and of unfair media coverage during the campaign as Bouteflika, by virtue of his office, appeared on state-owned television daily. Bouteflika was re-elected in the first round of the election with 84.99% of the vote. Just over 58% of those Algerians eligible to vote participated in the election. ... [Read More]