Geography
Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia
Geographic coordinates:
28 00 N, 3 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total area:
2,381,740 sq km
land area:
2,381,740 sq km
comparative area:
slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total:
6,343 km
border countries:
Libya 982 km, Mali 1,376 km, Mauritania 463 km, Morocco 1,559 km, Niger 956 km, Tunisia 965 km, Western Sahara 42 km
Coastline:
998 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone:
32-52 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
part of southeastern region claimed by Libya; land boundary dispute with Tunisia settled in 1993
Climate:
arid to semiarid; mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers along coast; drier with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau; sirocco is a hot, dust/sand-laden wind especially common in summer
Terrain:
mostly high plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
lowest point:
Chott Melrhir -40 m
highest point:
Tahat 3,003 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc
Land use:
arable land:
3%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
13%
forest and woodland:
2%
other:
82%
Irrigated land:
3,360 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
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
natural hazards:
mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mud slides
international agreements:
party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
Geographic note:
second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)
