Geography of Algeria

Geography of Algeria


ContinentAfrica
RegionNorth Africa
Coordinates28°00′N 3°00′E / 28.000°N 3.000°E / 28.000; 3.000
AreaRanked 10th
 • Total2,381,741 km2 (919,595 sq mi)
 • Land100%
 • Water0%
Coastline2,148 km (1,335 mi)
BordersLand boundaries: 6,343 km
Morocco 1,559 km,
Mali 1,376 km,
Libya 982 km,
Tunisia 965 km,
Niger 956 km,
Mauritania 463 km,
Western Sahara 42 km
Maritime claims32–52 nm
Highest pointMount Tahat, 3,003 m
Lowest pointChott Melrhir, −40 m (131 ft)
Longest riverChelif River, 230 km
Climatearid to semiarid
Terrainmostly high plateau and desert, mountains, narrow coastal plain[1]
Natural resourcespetroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc[1]
Natural hazardsearthquakes, mudslides, floods, droughts
Environmental issuessoil erosion, desertification, pollution
Exclusive economic zone126,353 km2 (48,785 sq mi)
Algeria map of Köppen climate classification zones
Satellite map of Algeria
Shaded relief map of Algeria with settlements and roads

Algeria comprises 2,381,740 square kilometres (919,590 sq mi) of land, more than 80% of which is desert, in North Africa, between Morocco and Tunisia.[2][1] It is the largest country in Africa.[1] Its Arabic name, Al Jazair (the islands), is believed to derive from the rocky islands along the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.[2] The northern portion, an area of mountains, valleys, and plateaus between the Mediterranean and the Sahara Desert, forms an integral part of the section of North Africa known as the Maghreb.[2] This area includes Morocco, Tunisia, and the northwestern portion of Libya known historically as Tripolitania.[2]

  1. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference factbook was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c d Deeb, Mary-Jane (1993). "Physical Setting". In Metz, Helen Chapin (ed.). Algeria: a country study. Washington, D.C.: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. pp. 69–76. OCLC 44230753.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)