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Geography of Algeria

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]

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

Size and boundaries edit

Land boundaries:
Total: 6,734 km (4,184 mi)[1]
Border countries: Libya 982 km (610 mi), Mali 1,376 km (855 mi), Mauritania 463 km (288 mi), Morocco 1,559 km (969 mi), Niger 956 km (594 mi), Tunisia 965 km (600 mi), Western Sahara 42 km (26 mi).[3][4]

Area – comparative: slightly larger than the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Saudi Arabia

Coastline: 2,148 km (1,335 mi)[5][6]

Maritime claims: Territorial sea: 12 nmi (22.2 km; 13.8 mi), contiguous zone: 24 nautical miles (44 km; 28 mi); exclusive fishing zone: 32 to 52 nmi (59 to 96 km; 37 to 60 mi)[1]

Geographic regions edit

The Tell edit

The fertile Tell is the country's heartland, containing most of its cities and population.[2] Made up of hills and plains of the narrow coastal region, the several Tell Atlas mountain ranges, and the intermediate valleys and basins, the Tell extends eastward from the Moroccan border to the mountains of the Grande Kabylie and the Bejaia Plain on the east.[2] Its eastern terminus is the Soummam River.[2]

The best agricultural areas are the gentle hills extending 100 kilometers westward from Algiers; the Mitidja Plain, which was a malarial swamp before being cleared by the French; and the Bejaia Plain.[2] The alluvial soils in these areas permitted the French to establish magnificent vineyards and citrus groves.[2] By contrast, in the great valley of the Chelif River and other interior valleys and basins, aridity and excessive summer heat have limited the development of agriculture.[2] The Grande Kabylie is a zone of impoverished small farm villages tucked into convoluted mountains.[2]

The High Plateaus and the Saharan Atlas edit

 
The Tell Atlas, High Plateaus and the Saharan Atlas area

Stretching from the Moroccan border the Tell Atlas, including the Djebel Babor formation, is the dominant northwestern mountain range. Stretching more than 600 kilometers eastward from the Moroccan border, the high plateau area (often referred to by the French name Hautes Plaines or Hauts Plateaux) consist of undulating, steppe-like plains lying between the Tell and Saharan Atlas ranges.[2] The elevation averages between 1,100–1,300 metres (3,600–4,300 ft) in elevation in the west, dropping to 400 metres (1,300 ft) in the east.[2] The climate is so dry that these plains are sometimes thought of as part of the Sahara.[2] The plateau area is covered by alluvial debris formed when the mountains eroded.[2] An occasional ridge projects through the alluvial cover to interrupt the monotony of the landscape.[2]

Higher and more continuous than the Tell Atlas, the Sahara Atlas range is formed of three massifs: the Ksour Range near the Moroccan border, the Amour Range, and the Ouled-Naïl Range south of Algiers.[2] The mountains, which receive more rainfall than those of the High Plateaus, include some good grazing land.[2] Watercourses on the southern slopes of these massifs disappear into the desert but supply the wells of numerous oases along the northern edge of the desert, of which Biskra, Laghouat, and Béchar are the most prominent.[2]

Northeastern Algeria edit

Eastern Algeria consists of a massif area extensively dissected into mountains, plains, and basins.[2] It differs from the western portion of the country in that its prominent topographic features do not parallel the coast.[2] In its southern sector, the steep cliffs and long ridges of the Aurès Mountains create an almost impenetrable refuge that has played an important part in the history of the Maghrib since Roman times.[2] Near the northern coast, the Petite Kabylie Mountains are separated from the Grande Kabylie range at the eastward limits of the Tell by the Soummam River.[2] The coast is predominantly mountainous in the far eastern part of the country, but limited plains provide hinterlands for the port cities of Bejaïa, Skikda, and Annaba.[2] In the interior of the region, extensive high plains mark the region around Sétif and Constantine; these plains were developed during the French colonial period as the principal centers of grain cultivation.[2] Near Constantine, salt marshes offer seasonal grazing grounds to seminomadic sheep herders.[2]

The Sahara edit

The Algerian portion of the Sahara extends south of the Saharan Atlas for 1,500 kilometres (930 mi) to the Niger and Mali frontiers.[2] The desert is an otherworldly place, scarcely considered an integral part of the country.[2] Far from being covered wholly by sweeps of sand, however, it is a region of great diversity.[2] Immense areas of sand dunes called areg (sing., erg) occupy about one-quarter of the territory.[2] The largest such region is the Grand Erg Oriental (Great Eastern Erg), where enormous dunes two to five metres (6.6 to 16.4 ft) high are spaced about 40 metres (130 ft) apart.[2] Much of the remainder of the desert is covered by rocky platforms called humud (sing., hamada), and almost the entire southeastern quarter is taken up by the high, complex mass of the Ahaggar and Tassili n'Ajjer highlands, some parts of which reach more than 2,000 metres (6,600 ft).[2] Surrounding the Ahaggar are sandstone plateaus, cut into deep gorges by ancient rivers, and to the west a desert of pebbles stretches to the Mali frontier.[2]

The desert consists of readily distinguishable northern and southern sectors, the northern sector extending southward a little less than half the distance to the Niger and Mali frontiers.[2] The north, less arid than the south, supports most of the few persons who live in the region and contains most of the desert's oases.[2] Sand dunes are the most prominent features of this area's topography, but between the desert areas of the Grand Erg Oriental and the Grand Erg Occidental (Great Western Erg) and extending north to the Atlas Saharien are plateaus, including the Tademaït and a complex limestone structure called the M'zab where the Mozabite Berbers have settled.[2] The southern zone of the Sahara is almost totally arid and is inhabited only by the Tuareg nomads and, recently, by oil camp workers.[2] Barren rock predominates, but in some parts of Ahaggar and Tassili n'Ajjer alluvial deposits permit garden farming.[2]

Climate and hydrology edit

 
Kabylie's hills near Azazga
 
Mount Tahat of the Ahaggar Mountains, most elevated point in Algeria at 3,003 m (9,852 ft)
 
Algeria is the ninth most water stressed country in the world.

Northern Algeria is in the temperate zone and enjoys a mild, Mediterranean climate.[7] It lies within approximately the same latitudes as southern California and has somewhat similar climatic conditions.[7] Its broken topography, however, provides sharp local contrasts in both prevailing temperatures and incidence of rainfall.[7] Year-to-year variations in climatic conditions are also common.[7] This area, the most inhabited in Algeria, is commonly referred to as the Tell.

In the Tell, temperatures in summer average between 30 and 43 °C (86 and 109 °F) and in winter drop to 10 to 12 °C (50 to 54 °F).[7] Winters are not cold, but the humidity is high and houses are seldom adequately heated.[7] In eastern Algeria, the average temperatures are somewhat lower, and on the steppes of the High Plateaus winter temperatures hover only a few degrees above freezing.[7] A prominent feature of the climate in this region is the sirocco, a dusty, choking south wind blowing off the desert, sometimes at gale force.[7] This wind also occasionally reaches into the coastal Tell.[7]

In Algeria only a relatively small corner of the Sahara lies across the Tropic of Cancer in the torrid zone, but even in winter, midday desert temperatures can be very hot.[7] After sunset, however, the clear, dry air permits rapid loss of heat, and the nights are cool to chilly.[7] Enormous daily ranges in temperature are recorded.[7]

Rainfall is fairly abundant along the coastal part of the Tell, ranging from 400 to 670 mm (15.7 to 26.4 in) annually, the amount of precipitation increasing from west to east.[7] Precipitation is heaviest in the northern part of eastern Algeria, where it reaches as much as 1,000 mm (39.4 in) in some years.[7] Farther inland the rainfall is less plentiful.[7] Prevailing winds that are easterly and northeasterly in summer change to westerly and northerly in winter and carry with them a general increase in precipitation from September to December, a decrease in the late winter and spring months, and a near absence of rainfall during the summer months.[7]

Climate data for Algiers (Houari Boumediene Airport ) 1976–2005 averages, extremes 1838–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 27.6
(81.7)
31.4
(88.5)
36.3
(97.3)
36.5
(97.7)
41.1
(106.0)
44.6
(112.3)
45.2
(113.4)
47.5
(117.5)
44.4
(111.9)
39.5
(103.1)
34.4
(93.9)
30.4
(86.7)
47.5
(117.5)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 16.7
(62.1)
17.4
(63.3)
19.3
(66.7)
20.9
(69.6)
23.9
(75.0)
28.2
(82.8)
31.2
(88.2)
32.2
(90.0)
29.6
(85.3)
25.9
(78.6)
20.8
(69.4)
17.9
(64.2)
23.7
(74.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) 11.1
(52.0)
11.7
(53.1)
13.2
(55.8)
14.9
(58.8)
18.1
(64.6)
22.2
(72.0)
25.1
(77.2)
26.0
(78.8)
23.6
(74.5)
20.1
(68.2)
15.3
(59.5)
12.6
(54.7)
17.8
(64.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 5.5
(41.9)
5.9
(42.6)
7.1
(44.8)
8.8
(47.8)
12.3
(54.1)
16.1
(61.0)
18.9
(66.0)
19.8
(67.6)
17.6
(63.7)
14.2
(57.6)
9.8
(49.6)
7.2
(45.0)
11.9
(53.4)
Record low °C (°F) −3.3
(26.1)
−1.9
(28.6)
−1.0
(30.2)
−0.8
(30.6)
2.6
(36.7)
5.5
(41.9)
9.0
(48.2)
9.5
(49.1)
8.2
(46.8)
4.1
(39.4)
−0.1
(31.8)
−2.3
(27.9)
−3.3
(26.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 81.4
(3.20)
72.7
(2.86)
55.0
(2.17)
58.4
(2.30)
41.9
(1.65)
8.5
(0.33)
4.5
(0.18)
8.2
(0.32)
28.3
(1.11)
58.8
(2.31)
89.6
(3.53)
91.0
(3.58)
598.3
(23.56)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 11.4 10.6 9.7 9.1 7.3 2.5 1.5 2.5 5.3 8.6 11.1 12.1 91.7
Average relative humidity (%) 71 66 65 62 66 66 67 65 68 66 68 68 67
Mean monthly sunshine hours 139.5 158.2 207.7 228.0 300.7 300.0 353.4 325.5 267.0 198.4 153.0 145.7 2,777.1
Mean daily sunshine hours 4.5 5.6 6.7 7.6 9.7 10.0 11.4 10.5 8.9 6.4 5.1 4.7 7.6
Source 1: World Meteorological Organization (average temperatures and precipitation, 1976–2005)[8]
Source 2: Arab Meteorology Book (humidity and sun),[9] Meteo Climat (record highs and lows)[10]


Climate data for Adrar
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 31.2
(88.2)
36.0
(96.8)
40.7
(105.3)
43.8
(110.8)
49.8
(121.6)
48.9
(120.0)
51.0
(123.8)
49.8
(121.6)
46.8
(116.2)
43.5
(110.3)
36.0
(96.8)
31.8
(89.2)
51.0
(123.8)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 20.6
(69.1)
24.5
(76.1)
28.0
(82.4)
32.1
(89.8)
36.7
(98.1)
42.5
(108.5)
45.0
(113.0)
44.3
(111.7)
40.0
(104.0)
33.1
(91.6)
26.1
(79.0)
20.9
(69.6)
32.8
(91.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) 12.4
(54.3)
16.0
(60.8)
19.4
(66.9)
23.6
(74.5)
28.1
(82.6)
33.6
(92.5)
36.0
(96.8)
35.4
(95.7)
31.6
(88.9)
25.0
(77.0)
18.2
(64.8)
12.9
(55.2)
24.3
(75.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 4.1
(39.4)
7.5
(45.5)
10.7
(51.3)
15.1
(59.2)
19.4
(66.9)
24.7
(76.5)
26.9
(80.4)
26.6
(79.9)
23.2
(73.8)
16.8
(62.2)
10.2
(50.4)
4.9
(40.8)
15.8
(60.4)
Record low °C (°F) −4.2
(24.4)
−2.0
(28.4)
0.5
(32.9)
4.8
(40.6)
8.9
(48.0)
15.2
(59.4)
18.2
(64.8)
20.0
(68.0)
15.2
(59.4)
6.0
(42.8)
−1.5
(29.3)
−4.1
(24.6)
−4.2
(24.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 2.3
(0.09)
1.3
(0.05)
2.6
(0.10)
4.1
(0.16)
0.3
(0.01)
0.1
(0.00)
0.0
(0.0)
0.2
(0.01)
0.2
(0.01)
1.5
(0.06)
0.6
(0.02)
1.4
(0.06)
14.6
(0.57)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.2 0.4 0.7 0.7 3.6
Average relative humidity (%) 52 52 40 34 30 28 26 29 36 48 59 57 42
Mean monthly sunshine hours 269.7 257.1 310.0 318.0 325.5 333.0 344.1 328.6 288.0 279.0 261.0 263.5 3,577.5
Mean daily sunshine hours 8.7 9.1 10.0 10.6 10.5 11.1 11.1 10.6 9.6 9.0 8.7 8.5 9.8
Source 1: NOAA[11]
Source 2: Deutscher Wetterdienst (extremes, humidity and sun)[12]

Terrain edit

Land use (2014 est.)
• Arable land 18.02%
• Permanent crops 2.34%
• Permanent pastures 79.63%
• Forest 0.82%
• Other 81.80%
Irrigated land 13,600 km2 (5,300 sq mi)
 
Forest Landscape Integrity Index 2018 map of Northern Algeria. Forest condition measured by degree of anthropogenic modification. 0 = most modification; 10= least.

Clearing of land for agricultural use and cutting of timber over the centuries have severely reduced the once bountiful forest wealth.[13] Forest fires have also taken their toll.[13] In the higher and wetter portions of the Tell Atlas, cork oak and Aleppo pine grow in thick soils.[13] At lower levels on thinner soils, drought-resistant shrubs predominate.[13] The grapevine is indigenous to the coastal lowlands, and grasses and scrub cover the High Plateaus.[13] On the Saharan Atlas, little survives of the once extensive forests of Atlas cedar that have been exploited for fuel and timber since antiquity.[13]

The forest reserves in Algeria were severely reduced during the colonial period.[13] In 1967 it was calculated that the country's forested area extended over no more than 24,000 square kilometres (9,300 sq mi) of terrain, of which 18,000 km2 (6,900 sq mi) were overgrown with brushwood and scrub.[13] By contrast, woodlands in 1830 had covered 40,000 km2 (15,000 sq mi).[13] In the mid-1970s, however, the government embarked on a vast reforestation program to help control erosion, which was estimated to affect 100,000 cubic metres (3,500,000 cu ft) of arable land annually.[13] Among projects was one to create a barrage vert (green barrier) more or less following the ridge line of the Saharan Atlas and extending from Morocco to the Tunisian frontier in a zone 1,500 kilometres (930 mi) long and up to 20 kilometres (12 mi) wide.[13]

The barrage vert consists principally of Aleppo pine, a species that can thrive in areas of scanty rainfall.[13] It is designed to restore a damaged ecological balance and to halt the northern encroachment of the Sahara.[13] By the early 1980s, the desert had already penetrated the hilly gap between the Saharan Atlas and the Aurès Mountains as far as the town of Bou Saâda, a point well within the High Plateaus region.[13] The barrage vert project was ended in the late 1980s because of lack of funds.[13]

Algeria had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 5.22/10, ranking it 106th globally out of 172 countries.[14]

Statistics edit

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc[1]

Natural hazards: mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides and floods in rainy season[1]

Environment – current issues: air pollution in major cities; 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[1]

Environment – international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban[1]

Protected areas edit

Algeria has a number of protected areas including National Parks and nature reserves. An example of such a protected area is the Djebel Babor Nature Reserve within the Djebel Babor Mountains;[15] the Djebel Babor is also one of the few relict habitats for the endangered Barbary macaque, Macaca sylvanus.[16]

The national parks in Algeria are: Ahaggar, Belezma, Chréa, Djurdjura, El Kala, Gouraya, Tassili n'Ajjer, Taza, Théniet El Had, and Tlemcen.

Extreme points edit

Elevation extremes:

Points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location:[citation needed]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Central Intelligence Agency (2 June 2020). The CIA World Factbook 2020-2021. Skyhorse. p. 158. ISBN 978-1-5107-5826-1.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al 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.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  3. ^ Ewan W. Anderson, Liam D. Anderson (2013). An Atlas of Middle Eastern Affairs. Routledge. p. 92. ISBN 978-1-136-64862-5.
  4. ^ Central Intelligence Agency (2011). The CIA World Factbook 2012. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-62873-181-1.
  5. ^ "Water Resources in Algeria". water.fanack.com. Fanack Water. July 30, 2019. Retrieved June 8, 2022. With 1,622 km of coastline, Algeria has begun desalinating seawater to supply drinking water to cities and towns located up to 60 km away from the coast.
  6. ^ ElKhabar (2023-06-26). "دراسة جديدة ترفع طول الساحل الجزائري". elkhabar.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Deeb, Mary-Jane (1993). "Climate and Hydrology". In Metz, Helen Chapin (ed.). Algeria: a country study. Washington, D.C.: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. pp. 74–75. OCLC 44230753.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  8. ^ "World Weather Information Service–Algiers". World Meteorological Organization. from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  9. ^ "Appendix I: Meteorological Data" (PDF). Springer. (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  10. ^ "Station Alger" (in French). Meteo Climat. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  11. ^ "Adrar Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  12. ^ "Klimatafel von Adrar / Algerien" (PDF). Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Deeb, Mary-Jane (1993). "Terrain". In Metz, Helen Chapin (ed.). Algeria: a country study. Washington, D.C.: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. pp. 75–76. OCLC 44230753.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  14. ^ Grantham, H. S.; Duncan, A.; Evans, T. D.; Jones, K. R.; Beyer, H. L.; Schuster, R.; Walston, J.; Ray, J. C.; Robinson, J. G.; Callow, M.; Clements, T.; Costa, H. M.; DeGemmis, A.; Elsen, P. R.; Ervin, J.; Franco, P.; Goldman, E.; Goetz, S.; Hansen, A.; Hofsvang, E.; Jantz, P.; Jupiter, S.; Kang, A.; Langhammer, P.; Laurance, W. F.; Lieberman, S.; Linkie, M.; Malhi, Y.; Maxwell, S.; Mendez, M.; Mittermeier, R.; Murray, N. J.; Possingham, H.; Radachowsky, J.; Saatchi, S.; Samper, C.; Silverman, J.; Shapiro, A.; Strassburg, B.; Stevens, T.; Stokes, E.; Taylor, R.; Tear, T.; Tizard, R.; Venter, O.; Visconti, P.; Wang, S.; Watson, J. E. M. (2020). "Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity - Supplementary Material". Nature Communications. 11 (1): 5978. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 7723057. PMID 33293507.
  15. ^ "Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  16. ^ C. Michael Hogan, (2008) .

geography, algeria, algeria, comprises, square, kilometres, land, more, than, which, desert, north, africa, between, morocco, tunisia, largest, country, africa, arabic, name, jazair, islands, believed, derive, from, rocky, islands, along, coastline, mediterran. 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 Geography of AlgeriaContinentAfricaRegionNorth AfricaCoordinates28 00 N 3 00 E 28 000 N 3 000 E 28 000 3 000AreaRanked 10th Total2 381 741 km2 919 595 sq mi Land100 Water0 Coastline2 148 km 1 335 mi BordersLand boundaries 6 343 kmMorocco 1 559 km Mali 1 376 km Libya 982 km Tunisia 965 km Niger 956 km Mauritania 463 km Western Sahara 42 kmMaritime claims32 52 nmHighest pointMount Tahat 3 003 mLowest pointChott Melrhir 40 m 131 ft Longest riverChelif River 230 kmClimatearid to semiaridTerrainmostly high plateau and desert mountains narrow coastal plain 1 Natural resourcespetroleum natural gas iron ore phosphates uranium lead zinc 1 Natural hazardsearthquakes mudslides floods droughtsEnvironmental issuessoil erosion desertification pollutionExclusive economic zone126 353 km2 48 785 sq mi Algeria map of Koppen climate classification zonesSatellite map of AlgeriaShaded relief map of Algeria with settlements and roads Contents 1 Size and boundaries 2 Geographic regions 2 1 The Tell 2 2 The High Plateaus and the Saharan Atlas 2 3 Northeastern Algeria 2 4 The Sahara 3 Climate and hydrology 4 Terrain 4 1 Statistics 5 Protected areas 6 Extreme points 7 See also 8 ReferencesSize and boundaries editLand boundaries Total 6 734 km 4 184 mi 1 Border countries Libya 982 km 610 mi Mali 1 376 km 855 mi Mauritania 463 km 288 mi Morocco 1 559 km 969 mi Niger 956 km 594 mi Tunisia 965 km 600 mi Western Sahara 42 km 26 mi 3 4 Area comparative slightly larger than the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Saudi ArabiaCoastline 2 148 km 1 335 mi 5 6 Maritime claims Territorial sea 12 nmi 22 2 km 13 8 mi contiguous zone 24 nautical miles 44 km 28 mi exclusive fishing zone 32 to 52 nmi 59 to 96 km 37 to 60 mi 1 Geographic regions editThe Tell edit The fertile Tell is the country s heartland containing most of its cities and population 2 Made up of hills and plains of the narrow coastal region the several Tell Atlas mountain ranges and the intermediate valleys and basins the Tell extends eastward from the Moroccan border to the mountains of the Grande Kabylie and the Bejaia Plain on the east 2 Its eastern terminus is the Soummam River 2 The best agricultural areas are the gentle hills extending 100 kilometers westward from Algiers the Mitidja Plain which was a malarial swamp before being cleared by the French and the Bejaia Plain 2 The alluvial soils in these areas permitted the French to establish magnificent vineyards and citrus groves 2 By contrast in the great valley of the Chelif River and other interior valleys and basins aridity and excessive summer heat have limited the development of agriculture 2 The Grande Kabylie is a zone of impoverished small farm villages tucked into convoluted mountains 2 The High Plateaus and the Saharan Atlas edit nbsp The Tell Atlas High Plateaus and the Saharan Atlas areaStretching from the Moroccan border the Tell Atlas including the Djebel Babor formation is the dominant northwestern mountain range Stretching more than 600 kilometers eastward from the Moroccan border the high plateau area often referred to by the French name Hautes Plaines or Hauts Plateaux consist of undulating steppe like plains lying between the Tell and Saharan Atlas ranges 2 The elevation averages between 1 100 1 300 metres 3 600 4 300 ft in elevation in the west dropping to 400 metres 1 300 ft in the east 2 The climate is so dry that these plains are sometimes thought of as part of the Sahara 2 The plateau area is covered by alluvial debris formed when the mountains eroded 2 An occasional ridge projects through the alluvial cover to interrupt the monotony of the landscape 2 Higher and more continuous than the Tell Atlas the Sahara Atlas range is formed of three massifs the Ksour Range near the Moroccan border the Amour Range and the Ouled Nail Range south of Algiers 2 The mountains which receive more rainfall than those of the High Plateaus include some good grazing land 2 Watercourses on the southern slopes of these massifs disappear into the desert but supply the wells of numerous oases along the northern edge of the desert of which Biskra Laghouat and Bechar are the most prominent 2 Northeastern Algeria edit Eastern Algeria consists of a massif area extensively dissected into mountains plains and basins 2 It differs from the western portion of the country in that its prominent topographic features do not parallel the coast 2 In its southern sector the steep cliffs and long ridges of the Aures Mountains create an almost impenetrable refuge that has played an important part in the history of the Maghrib since Roman times 2 Near the northern coast the Petite Kabylie Mountains are separated from the Grande Kabylie range at the eastward limits of the Tell by the Soummam River 2 The coast is predominantly mountainous in the far eastern part of the country but limited plains provide hinterlands for the port cities of Bejaia Skikda and Annaba 2 In the interior of the region extensive high plains mark the region around Setif and Constantine these plains were developed during the French colonial period as the principal centers of grain cultivation 2 Near Constantine salt marshes offer seasonal grazing grounds to seminomadic sheep herders 2 The Sahara edit The Algerian portion of the Sahara extends south of the Saharan Atlas for 1 500 kilometres 930 mi to the Niger and Mali frontiers 2 The desert is an otherworldly place scarcely considered an integral part of the country 2 Far from being covered wholly by sweeps of sand however it is a region of great diversity 2 Immense areas of sand dunes called areg sing erg occupy about one quarter of the territory 2 The largest such region is the Grand Erg Oriental Great Eastern Erg where enormous dunes two to five metres 6 6 to 16 4 ft high are spaced about 40 metres 130 ft apart 2 Much of the remainder of the desert is covered by rocky platforms called humud sing hamada and almost the entire southeastern quarter is taken up by the high complex mass of the Ahaggar and Tassili n Ajjer highlands some parts of which reach more than 2 000 metres 6 600 ft 2 Surrounding the Ahaggar are sandstone plateaus cut into deep gorges by ancient rivers and to the west a desert of pebbles stretches to the Mali frontier 2 The desert consists of readily distinguishable northern and southern sectors the northern sector extending southward a little less than half the distance to the Niger and Mali frontiers 2 The north less arid than the south supports most of the few persons who live in the region and contains most of the desert s oases 2 Sand dunes are the most prominent features of this area s topography but between the desert areas of the Grand Erg Oriental and the Grand Erg Occidental Great Western Erg and extending north to the Atlas Saharien are plateaus including the Tademait and a complex limestone structure called the M zab where the Mozabite Berbers have settled 2 The southern zone of the Sahara is almost totally arid and is inhabited only by the Tuareg nomads and recently by oil camp workers 2 Barren rock predominates but in some parts of Ahaggar and Tassili n Ajjer alluvial deposits permit garden farming 2 Climate and hydrology edit nbsp Kabylie s hills near Azazga nbsp Mount Tahat of the Ahaggar Mountains most elevated point in Algeria at 3 003 m 9 852 ft nbsp Algeria is the ninth most water stressed country in the world Northern Algeria is in the temperate zone and enjoys a mild Mediterranean climate 7 It lies within approximately the same latitudes as southern California and has somewhat similar climatic conditions 7 Its broken topography however provides sharp local contrasts in both prevailing temperatures and incidence of rainfall 7 Year to year variations in climatic conditions are also common 7 This area the most inhabited in Algeria is commonly referred to as the Tell In the Tell temperatures in summer average between 30 and 43 C 86 and 109 F and in winter drop to 10 to 12 C 50 to 54 F 7 Winters are not cold but the humidity is high and houses are seldom adequately heated 7 In eastern Algeria the average temperatures are somewhat lower and on the steppes of the High Plateaus winter temperatures hover only a few degrees above freezing 7 A prominent feature of the climate in this region is the sirocco a dusty choking south wind blowing off the desert sometimes at gale force 7 This wind also occasionally reaches into the coastal Tell 7 In Algeria only a relatively small corner of the Sahara lies across the Tropic of Cancer in the torrid zone but even in winter midday desert temperatures can be very hot 7 After sunset however the clear dry air permits rapid loss of heat and the nights are cool to chilly 7 Enormous daily ranges in temperature are recorded 7 Rainfall is fairly abundant along the coastal part of the Tell ranging from 400 to 670 mm 15 7 to 26 4 in annually the amount of precipitation increasing from west to east 7 Precipitation is heaviest in the northern part of eastern Algeria where it reaches as much as 1 000 mm 39 4 in in some years 7 Farther inland the rainfall is less plentiful 7 Prevailing winds that are easterly and northeasterly in summer change to westerly and northerly in winter and carry with them a general increase in precipitation from September to December a decrease in the late winter and spring months and a near absence of rainfall during the summer months 7 Climate data for Algiers Houari Boumediene Airport 1976 2005 averages extremes 1838 presentMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high C F 27 6 81 7 31 4 88 5 36 3 97 3 36 5 97 7 41 1 106 0 44 6 112 3 45 2 113 4 47 5 117 5 44 4 111 9 39 5 103 1 34 4 93 9 30 4 86 7 47 5 117 5 Mean daily maximum C F 16 7 62 1 17 4 63 3 19 3 66 7 20 9 69 6 23 9 75 0 28 2 82 8 31 2 88 2 32 2 90 0 29 6 85 3 25 9 78 6 20 8 69 4 17 9 64 2 23 7 74 7 Daily mean C F 11 1 52 0 11 7 53 1 13 2 55 8 14 9 58 8 18 1 64 6 22 2 72 0 25 1 77 2 26 0 78 8 23 6 74 5 20 1 68 2 15 3 59 5 12 6 54 7 17 8 64 0 Mean daily minimum C F 5 5 41 9 5 9 42 6 7 1 44 8 8 8 47 8 12 3 54 1 16 1 61 0 18 9 66 0 19 8 67 6 17 6 63 7 14 2 57 6 9 8 49 6 7 2 45 0 11 9 53 4 Record low C F 3 3 26 1 1 9 28 6 1 0 30 2 0 8 30 6 2 6 36 7 5 5 41 9 9 0 48 2 9 5 49 1 8 2 46 8 4 1 39 4 0 1 31 8 2 3 27 9 3 3 26 1 Average precipitation mm inches 81 4 3 20 72 7 2 86 55 0 2 17 58 4 2 30 41 9 1 65 8 5 0 33 4 5 0 18 8 2 0 32 28 3 1 11 58 8 2 31 89 6 3 53 91 0 3 58 598 3 23 56 Average precipitation days 0 1 mm 11 4 10 6 9 7 9 1 7 3 2 5 1 5 2 5 5 3 8 6 11 1 12 1 91 7Average relative humidity 71 66 65 62 66 66 67 65 68 66 68 68 67Mean monthly sunshine hours 139 5 158 2 207 7 228 0 300 7 300 0 353 4 325 5 267 0 198 4 153 0 145 7 2 777 1Mean daily sunshine hours 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 6 9 7 10 0 11 4 10 5 8 9 6 4 5 1 4 7 7 6Source 1 World Meteorological Organization average temperatures and precipitation 1976 2005 8 Source 2 Arab Meteorology Book humidity and sun 9 Meteo Climat record highs and lows 10 Climate data for AdrarMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high C F 31 2 88 2 36 0 96 8 40 7 105 3 43 8 110 8 49 8 121 6 48 9 120 0 51 0 123 8 49 8 121 6 46 8 116 2 43 5 110 3 36 0 96 8 31 8 89 2 51 0 123 8 Mean daily maximum C F 20 6 69 1 24 5 76 1 28 0 82 4 32 1 89 8 36 7 98 1 42 5 108 5 45 0 113 0 44 3 111 7 40 0 104 0 33 1 91 6 26 1 79 0 20 9 69 6 32 8 91 0 Daily mean C F 12 4 54 3 16 0 60 8 19 4 66 9 23 6 74 5 28 1 82 6 33 6 92 5 36 0 96 8 35 4 95 7 31 6 88 9 25 0 77 0 18 2 64 8 12 9 55 2 24 3 75 7 Mean daily minimum C F 4 1 39 4 7 5 45 5 10 7 51 3 15 1 59 2 19 4 66 9 24 7 76 5 26 9 80 4 26 6 79 9 23 2 73 8 16 8 62 2 10 2 50 4 4 9 40 8 15 8 60 4 Record low C F 4 2 24 4 2 0 28 4 0 5 32 9 4 8 40 6 8 9 48 0 15 2 59 4 18 2 64 8 20 0 68 0 15 2 59 4 6 0 42 8 1 5 29 3 4 1 24 6 4 2 24 4 Average precipitation mm inches 2 3 0 09 1 3 0 05 2 6 0 10 4 1 0 16 0 3 0 01 0 1 0 00 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 01 0 2 0 01 1 5 0 06 0 6 0 02 1 4 0 06 14 6 0 57 Average precipitation days 0 1 mm 0 4 0 4 0 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 2 0 4 0 7 0 7 3 6Average relative humidity 52 52 40 34 30 28 26 29 36 48 59 57 42Mean monthly sunshine hours 269 7 257 1 310 0 318 0 325 5 333 0 344 1 328 6 288 0 279 0 261 0 263 5 3 577 5Mean daily sunshine hours 8 7 9 1 10 0 10 6 10 5 11 1 11 1 10 6 9 6 9 0 8 7 8 5 9 8Source 1 NOAA 11 Source 2 Deutscher Wetterdienst extremes humidity and sun 12 Terrain editLand use 2014 est Arable land 18 02 Permanent crops 2 34 Permanent pastures 79 63 Forest 0 82 Other 81 80 Irrigated land 13 600 km2 5 300 sq mi nbsp Forest Landscape Integrity Index 2018 map of Northern Algeria Forest condition measured by degree of anthropogenic modification 0 most modification 10 least Clearing of land for agricultural use and cutting of timber over the centuries have severely reduced the once bountiful forest wealth 13 Forest fires have also taken their toll 13 In the higher and wetter portions of the Tell Atlas cork oak and Aleppo pine grow in thick soils 13 At lower levels on thinner soils drought resistant shrubs predominate 13 The grapevine is indigenous to the coastal lowlands and grasses and scrub cover the High Plateaus 13 On the Saharan Atlas little survives of the once extensive forests of Atlas cedar that have been exploited for fuel and timber since antiquity 13 The forest reserves in Algeria were severely reduced during the colonial period 13 In 1967 it was calculated that the country s forested area extended over no more than 24 000 square kilometres 9 300 sq mi of terrain of which 18 000 km2 6 900 sq mi were overgrown with brushwood and scrub 13 By contrast woodlands in 1830 had covered 40 000 km2 15 000 sq mi 13 In the mid 1970s however the government embarked on a vast reforestation program to help control erosion which was estimated to affect 100 000 cubic metres 3 500 000 cu ft of arable land annually 13 Among projects was one to create a barrage vert green barrier more or less following the ridge line of the Saharan Atlas and extending from Morocco to the Tunisian frontier in a zone 1 500 kilometres 930 mi long and up to 20 kilometres 12 mi wide 13 The barrage vert consists principally of Aleppo pine a species that can thrive in areas of scanty rainfall 13 It is designed to restore a damaged ecological balance and to halt the northern encroachment of the Sahara 13 By the early 1980s the desert had already penetrated the hilly gap between the Saharan Atlas and the Aures Mountains as far as the town of Bou Saada a point well within the High Plateaus region 13 The barrage vert project was ended in the late 1980s because of lack of funds 13 Algeria had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 5 22 10 ranking it 106th globally out of 172 countries 14 Statistics edit Natural resources petroleum natural gas iron ore phosphates uranium lead zinc 1 Natural hazards mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes mudslides and floods in rainy season 1 Environment current issues air pollution in major cities 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 1 Environment international agreements party to Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change Kyoto Protocol Climate Change Paris Agreement Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Desertification Endangered Species Environmental Modification Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Wetlands signed but not ratified Nuclear Test Ban 1 Protected areas editAlgeria has a number of protected areas including National Parks and nature reserves An example of such a protected area is the Djebel Babor Nature Reserve within the Djebel Babor Mountains 15 the Djebel Babor is also one of the few relict habitats for the endangered Barbary macaque Macaca sylvanus 16 The national parks in Algeria are Ahaggar Belezma Chrea Djurdjura El Kala Gouraya Tassili n Ajjer Taza Theniet El Had and Tlemcen Extreme points editElevation extremes Lowest point Chott Melrhir 40 metres 130 ft 1 Highest point Mount Tahat 2 908 metres 9 541 ft 1 Points that are farther north south east or west than any other location citation needed Northernmost point Cap Takouch Annaba Province or Cap Bougaroun Skikda province Easternmost point the tripoint with Niger and Libya Djanet Province Southernmost point unnamed location on the border with Mali east of the Malian village of In Abalen In Guezzam Province Westernmost point the western section of the border with Morocco Western Sahara Tindouf Province Note Algeria does not have a westernmost point the border being formed by a line of longitude See also editList of cities in Algeria Teffedest Mountains nbsp Wikimedia Atlas of AlgeriaReferences edit a b c d e f g h i j k l Central Intelligence Agency 2 June 2020 The CIA World Factbook 2020 2021 Skyhorse p 158 ISBN 978 1 5107 5826 1 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al 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 nbsp This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain a href Template Cite encyclopedia html title Template Cite encyclopedia cite encyclopedia a CS1 maint postscript link Ewan W Anderson Liam D Anderson 2013 An Atlas of Middle Eastern Affairs Routledge p 92 ISBN 978 1 136 64862 5 Central Intelligence Agency 2011 The CIA World Factbook 2012 Simon and Schuster ISBN 978 1 62873 181 1 Water Resources in Algeria water fanack com Fanack Water July 30 2019 Retrieved June 8 2022 With 1 622 km of coastline Algeria has begun desalinating seawater to supply drinking water to cities and towns located up to 60 km away from the coast ElKhabar 2023 06 26 دراسة جديدة ترفع طول الساحل الجزائري elkhabar com in Arabic Retrieved 2023 11 23 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Deeb Mary Jane 1993 Climate and Hydrology In Metz Helen Chapin ed Algeria a country study Washington D C Federal Research Division Library of Congress pp 74 75 OCLC 44230753 nbsp This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain a href Template Cite encyclopedia html title Template Cite encyclopedia cite encyclopedia a CS1 maint postscript link World Weather Information Service Algiers World Meteorological Organization Archived from the original on 18 October 2016 Retrieved 16 October 2016 Appendix I Meteorological Data PDF Springer Archived PDF from the original on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 16 October 2016 Station Alger in French Meteo Climat Retrieved 16 October 2016 Adrar Climate Normals 1961 1990 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved 21 October 2016 Klimatafel von Adrar Algerien PDF Baseline climate means 1961 1990 from stations all over the world in German Deutscher Wetterdienst Retrieved 21 October 2016 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Deeb Mary Jane 1993 Terrain In Metz Helen Chapin ed Algeria a country study Washington D C Federal Research Division Library of Congress pp 75 76 OCLC 44230753 nbsp This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain a href Template Cite encyclopedia html title Template Cite encyclopedia cite encyclopedia a CS1 maint postscript link Grantham H S Duncan A Evans T D Jones K R Beyer H L Schuster R Walston J Ray J C Robinson J G Callow M Clements T Costa H M DeGemmis A Elsen P R Ervin J Franco P Goldman E Goetz S Hansen A Hofsvang E Jantz P Jupiter S Kang A Langhammer P Laurance W F Lieberman S Linkie M Malhi Y Maxwell S Mendez M Mittermeier R Murray N J Possingham H Radachowsky J Saatchi S Samper C Silverman J Shapiro A Strassburg B Stevens T Stokes E Taylor R Tear T Tizard R Venter O Visconti P Wang S Watson J E M 2020 Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40 of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity Supplementary Material Nature Communications 11 1 5978 doi 10 1038 s41467 020 19493 3 ISSN 2041 1723 PMC 7723057 PMID 33293507 Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests Terrestrial Ecoregions World Wildlife Fund C Michael Hogan 2008 Barbary Macaque Macaca sylvanus Globaltwitcher com ed N Stromberg Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Geography of Algeria amp oldid 1205912854, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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