View source for Geography of Algeria

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{{Infobox country geography
|name = Algeria
|map = [[File:Algeria Topography.png|300px]]<br/><br/>[[File:LocationAlgeria.svg|243px]]
|map size = 
|continent = Africa
|region = North Africa
|coordinates = {{coord|28|00|N|3|00|E|type:country}}
|area ranking = 10th
|km area = 2,381,741
|percent land = 100
|percent water = 0
|km coastline = 2148
|exclusive economic zone={{convert|126,353|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}
|borders = Land boundaries: 6,343&nbsp;km<br />[[Morocco]] 1,559&nbsp;km, <br/> [[Mali]] 1,376&nbsp;km, <br/> [[Libya]] 982&nbsp;km, <br/> [[Tunisia]] 965&nbsp;km, <br/> [[Niger]] 956&nbsp;km, <br/> [[Mauritania]] 463&nbsp;km, <br/> [[Western Sahara]] 42&nbsp;km
{{Infobox|child=yes
| label1 = Maritime claims
| data1 = 32–52 [[nautical mile|nm]]
}}
|highest point = [[Mount Tahat]], 3,003 m
|lowest point = [[Chott Melrhir]], −40 m (131 ft)
|longest river = [[Chelif River]], 230&nbsp;km
|largest lake = 
|climate = [[arid]] to [[semiarid]]
|terrain = mostly high plateau and desert, mountains, narrow coastal plain<ref name=factbook/>
|natural resources = [[petroleum]], [[natural gas]], [[iron ore]], [[phosphate]]s, [[uranium]], [[lead]], [[zinc]]<ref name=factbook/>
|natural hazards = earthquakes, mudslides, floods, droughts
|environmental issues = [[soil erosion]], [[desertification]], [[pollution]]
}}

[[File:Koppen-Geiger Map DZA present.svg|thumb|250px|Algeria map of Köppen climate classification zones]]
[[File:Algeria.A2002118.1040.250m.jpg|thumb|250px| Satellite map of Algeria]]
[[Image:Algeria Map.jpg|thumb|250px|Shaded relief map of Algeria with settlements and roads]]

[[Algeria]] comprises {{Convert|2,381,740|km2}} of land, more than 80% of which is desert, in [[North Africa]], between [[Morocco]] and [[Tunisia]].<ref name=":0">{{cite encyclopedia|title=Algeria: a country study |publisher=[[Federal Research Division]], [[Library of Congress]] |location=Washington, D.C. |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/94043019/ |last=Deeb |first=Mary-Jane|author-link=Mary-Jane Deeb |date=1993 |editor-last=Metz |editor-first=Helen Chapin |editor-link=Helen Chapin Metz |pages=69–76 |language=English |isbn= |oclc=44230753 |postscript=.{{PD-notice}} |entry=Physical Setting}}</ref><ref name="factbook" /> It is the largest country in Africa.<ref name="factbook" /> Its Arabic name, Al Jazair (the islands), is believed to derive from the rocky islands along the coastline of the [[Mediterranean Sea]].<ref name=":0" /> 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]].<ref name=":0" /> This area includes Morocco, [[Tunisia]], and the northwestern portion of [[Libya]] known historically as [[Tripolitania]].<ref name=":0" />

==Size and boundaries==
'''Land boundaries:'''<br/>''Total:'' {{Convert|6734|km|abbr=on}}<ref name="factbook" /><br/>''Border countries:'' [[Libya]] {{Convert|982|km|abbr=on}}, [[Mali]] {{Convert|1376|km|abbr=on}}, [[Mauritania]] {{Convert|463|km|abbr=on}}, [[Morocco]] {{Convert|1,559|km|abbr=on}}, [[Niger]] {{Convert|956|km|abbr=on}}, [[Tunisia]] {{Convert|965|km|abbr=on}}, [[Western Sahara]] {{Convert|42|km|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Ewan W. Anderson, Liam D. Anderson">{{cite book|author=Ewan W. Anderson, Liam D. Anderson|title=An Atlas of Middle Eastern Affairs |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n-VJAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA92|year=2013|publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-64862-5|pages=92}}</ref><ref name="cia">{{cite book|author=Central Intelligence Agency|title=The CIA World Factbook 2012 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NlqCDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA|year=2011|publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-62873-181-1|pages=}}</ref>

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

'''Coastline:''' {{Convert|2148|km|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://water.fanack.com/algeria/water-resources/ |title=Water Resources in Algeria |date=July 30, 2019 |website=water.fanack.com |publisher=Fanack Water |access-date=June 8, 2022 |quote=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.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=ElKhabar |date=2023-06-26 |title=دراسة جديدة ترفع طول الساحل الجزائري |url=https://elkhabar.com/press/article/230859/%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A9-%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%81%D8%B9-%D8%B7%D9%88%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%AD%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%B1%D9%8A/ |access-date=2023-11-23 |website=elkhabar.com |language=ar}}</ref>

'''Maritime claims:''' ''Territorial sea:'' {{convert|12|nmi||1|abbr=on}}, ''contiguous zone'': {{Convert|24|nmi}}''; exclusive fishing zone:'' {{convert|32|to|52|nmi|abbr=on}}<ref name="factbook" />

==Geographic regions==

=== The Tell ===
The fertile Tell is the country's heartland, containing most of its cities and population.<ref name=":0" /> 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 [[Isaak Mountain|mountains]] of the Grande Kabylie and the Bejaia Plain on the east.<ref name=":0" /> Its eastern terminus is the Soummam River.<ref name=":0" />

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.<ref name=":0" /> The alluvial soils in these areas permitted the French to establish magnificent vineyards and citrus groves.<ref name=":0" /> 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.<ref name=":0" /> The Grande Kabylie is a zone of impoverished small farm villages tucked into convoluted mountains.<ref name=":0" />

===The High Plateaus and the Saharan Atlas===
[[File:Les monts Atlas.png|thumb|The Tell Atlas, High Plateaus and the Saharan Atlas area|300px]]
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.<ref name=":0" /> The elevation averages between {{Convert|1100-1300|m}} in elevation in the west, dropping to {{Convert|400|m}} in the east.<ref name=":0" /> The climate is so dry that these plains are sometimes thought of as part of the [[Sahara]].<ref name=":0" /> The plateau area is covered by alluvial debris formed when the mountains eroded.<ref name=":0" /> An occasional ridge projects through the alluvial cover to interrupt the monotony of the landscape.<ref name=":0" />

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]].<ref name=":0" /> The mountains, which receive more rainfall than those of the High Plateaus, include some good grazing land.<ref name=":0" /> Watercourses on the southern slopes of these massifs disappear into the desert but supply the wells of numerous [[Oasis|oases]] along the northern edge of the desert, of which [[Biskra]], [[Laghouat]], and [[Béchar]] are the most prominent.<ref name=":0" />

===Northeastern Algeria===
Eastern Algeria consists of a [[massif]] area extensively dissected into mountains, plains, and basins.<ref name=":0" /> It differs from the western portion of the country in that its prominent topographic features do not parallel the coast.<ref name=":0" /> 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 [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] times.<ref name=":0" /> 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.<ref name=":0" /> 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.<ref name=":0" /> In the interior of the region, extensive high plains mark the region around [[Sétif]] and [[Constantine, Algeria|Constantine]]; these plains were developed during the French colonial period as the principal centers of grain cultivation.<ref name=":0" /> Near Constantine, salt marshes offer seasonal grazing grounds to seminomadic sheep herders.<ref name=":0" />

===The Sahara===
The Algerian portion of the Sahara extends south of the Saharan Atlas for {{Convert|1500|km}} to the Niger and Mali frontiers.<ref name=":0" /> The desert is an otherworldly place, scarcely considered an integral part of the country.<ref name=":0" /> Far from being covered wholly by sweeps of sand, however, it is a region of great diversity.<ref name=":0" /> Immense areas of sand dunes called areg (sing., erg) occupy about one-quarter of the territory.<ref name=":0" /> The largest such region is the [[Grand Erg Oriental]] (Great Eastern Erg), where enormous dunes {{Convert|2|to|5|m|ft|spell=in}} high are spaced about {{Convert|40|m}} apart.<ref name=":0" /> 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 {{Convert|2000|m}}.<ref name=":0" /> 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.<ref name=":0" />

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.<ref name=":0" /> 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.<ref name=":0" /> 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 people|Mozabite]] [[Berber people|Berbers]] have settled.<ref name=":0" /> The southern zone of the Sahara is almost totally arid and is inhabited only by the [[Tuareg people|Tuareg]] nomads and, recently, by oil camp workers.<ref name=":0" /> Barren rock predominates, but in some parts of Ahaggar and Tassili n'Ajjer alluvial deposits permit garden farming.<ref name=":0" />

==Climate and hydrology==
[[File:Iazzuggen.JPG|thumb|[[Kabylie]]'s hills near [[Azazga]]|300px]]
[[File:Tahat matin.jpg|thumb|[[Mount Tahat]] of the [[Ahaggar Mountains]], most elevated point in [[Algeria]] at 3,003 m (9,852 ft)|300px]]
[[File:Water_Stress,_Top_Countries_(2020).svg|thumb|Algeria  is the ninth most water stressed country in the world.]]
Northern Algeria is in the temperate zone and enjoys a mild, Mediterranean climate.<ref name=":1">{{cite encyclopedia|title=Algeria: a country study|publisher=[[Federal Research Division]], [[Library of Congress]]|location=Washington, D.C.|url=https://www.loc.gov/item/94043019/|last=Deeb|first=Mary-Jane|date=1993|editor-last=Metz|editor-first=Helen Chapin|pages=74–75|language=English|isbn=|oclc=44230753|postscript=. {{PD-notice}}|entry=Climate and Hydrology}}</ref> It lies within approximately the same latitudes as southern California and has somewhat similar climatic conditions.<ref name=":1" /> Its broken topography, however, provides sharp local contrasts in both prevailing temperatures and incidence of rainfall.<ref name=":1" /> Year-to-year variations in climatic conditions are also common.<ref name=":1" /> This area, the most inhabited in Algeria, is commonly referred to as the Tell.

In the Tell, temperatures in summer average between {{convert|30|and|43|°C|°F}} and in winter drop to {{convert|10|to|12|°C|°F}}.<ref name=":1" /> Winters are not cold, but the humidity is high and houses are seldom adequately heated.<ref name=":1" /> 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.<ref name=":1" /> 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.<ref name=":1" /> This wind also occasionally reaches into the coastal Tell.<ref name=":1" />

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.<ref name=":1" /> After sunset, however, the clear, dry air permits rapid loss of heat, and the nights are cool to chilly.<ref name=":1" /> Enormous daily ranges in temperature are recorded.<ref name=":1" />

Rainfall is fairly abundant along the coastal part of the Tell, ranging from {{convert|400|to|670|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} annually, the amount of precipitation increasing from west to east.<ref name=":1" /> Precipitation is heaviest in the northern part of eastern Algeria, where it reaches as much as {{convert|1000|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} in some years.<ref name=":1" /> Farther inland the rainfall is less plentiful.<ref name=":1" /> [[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.<ref name=":1" />

{{Weather box
|width = auto
|location = Algiers ([[Houari Boumediene Airport]] ) 1976–2005 averages, extremes 1838–present
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan record high C = 27.6
|Feb record high C = 31.4
|Mar record high C = 36.3
|Apr record high C = 36.5
|May record high C = 41.1
|Jun record high C = 44.6
|Jul record high C = 45.2
|Aug record high C = 47.5
|Sep record high C = 44.4
|Oct record high C = 39.5
|Nov record high C = 34.4
|Dec record high C = 30.4
|year record high C = 47.5
|Jan high C = 16.7
|Feb high C = 17.4
|Mar high C = 19.3
|Apr high C = 20.9
|May high C = 23.9
|Jun high C = 28.2
|Jul high C = 31.2
|Aug high C = 32.2
|Sep high C = 29.6
|Oct high C = 25.9
|Nov high C = 20.8
|Dec high C = 17.9
|year high C = 23.7
|Jan mean C = 11.1
|Feb mean C = 11.7
|Mar mean C = 13.2
|Apr mean C = 14.9
|May mean C = 18.1
|Jun mean C = 22.2
|Jul mean C = 25.1
|Aug mean C = 26.0
|Sep mean C = 23.6
|Oct mean C = 20.1
|Nov mean C = 15.3
|Dec mean C = 12.6
|year mean C = 17.8
|Jan low C = 5.5
|Feb low C = 5.9
|Mar low C = 7.1
|Apr low C = 8.8
|May low C = 12.3
|Jun low C = 16.1
|Jul low C = 18.9
|Aug low C = 19.8
|Sep low C = 17.6
|Oct low C = 14.2
|Nov low C = 9.8
|Dec low C = 7.2
|year low C = 11.9
|Jan record low C = -3.3
|Feb record low C = -1.9
|Mar record low C = -1.0
|Apr record low C = -0.8
|May record low C = 2.6
|Jun record low C = 5.5
|Jul record low C = 9.0
|Aug record low C = 9.5
|Sep record low C = 8.2
|Oct record low C = 4.1
|Nov record low C = -0.1
|Dec record low C = -2.3
|year record low C = -3.3
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 81.4
|Feb precipitation mm = 72.7
|Mar precipitation mm = 55.0
|Apr precipitation mm = 58.4
|May precipitation mm = 41.9
|Jun precipitation mm = 8.5
|Jul precipitation mm = 4.5
|Aug precipitation mm = 8.2
|Sep precipitation mm = 28.3
|Oct precipitation mm = 58.8
|Nov precipitation mm = 89.6
|Dec precipitation mm = 91.0
|year precipitation mm = 598.3
|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 11.4
|Feb precipitation days = 10.6
|Mar precipitation days = 9.7
|Apr precipitation days = 9.1
|May precipitation days = 7.3
|Jun precipitation days = 2.5
|Jul precipitation days = 1.5
|Aug precipitation days = 2.5
|Sep precipitation days = 5.3
|Oct precipitation days = 8.6
|Nov precipitation days = 11.1
|Dec precipitation days = 12.1
|year precipitation days = 91.7
|Jan humidity = 71
|Feb humidity = 66
|Mar humidity = 65
|Apr humidity = 62
|May humidity = 66
|Jun humidity = 66
|Jul humidity = 67
|Aug humidity = 65
|Sep humidity = 68
|Oct humidity = 66
|Nov humidity = 68
|Dec humidity = 68
|year humidity = 67
|Jan sun = 139.5
|Feb sun = 158.2
|Mar sun = 207.7
|Apr sun = 228.0
|May sun = 300.7
|Jun sun = 300.0
|Jul sun = 353.4
|Aug sun = 325.5
|Sep sun = 267.0
|Oct sun = 198.4
|Nov sun = 153.0
|Dec sun = 145.7
|year sun = 2777.1
|Jand sun = 4.5
|Febd sun = 5.6
|Mard sun = 6.7
|Aprd sun = 7.6
|Mayd sun = 9.7
|Jund sun = 10.0
|Juld sun = 11.4
|Augd sun = 10.5
|Sepd sun = 8.9
|Octd sun = 6.4
|Novd sun = 5.1
|Decd sun = 4.7
|yeard sun = 7.6
|source 1 = [[World Meteorological Organization]] (average temperatures and precipitation, 1976–2005)<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://worldweather.wmo.int/en/city.html?cityId=242
| title = World Weather Information Service–Algiers
| publisher = World Meteorological Organization
| access-date = 16 October 2016
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161018205356/http://worldweather.wmo.int/en/city.html?cityId=242
| archive-date = 18 October 2016
| url-status = live
}}</ref>
|source 2 = Arab Meteorology Book (humidity and sun),<ref name=climate>{{cite web
| url = http://extras.springer.com/2007/978-1-4020-4577-6/Book_Shahin_ISBN_9781402045776_Appendix.pdf
| title = Appendix I: Meteorological Data
| publisher = Springer
| access-date = 16 October 2016
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304072830/http://extras.springer.com/2007/978-1-4020-4577-6/Book_Shahin_ISBN_9781402045776_Appendix.pdf
| archive-date = 4 March 2016
| url-status = live
}}</ref> Meteo Climat (record highs and lows)<ref name = meteoclimat>
{{cite web
| url = http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/index.php?page=stati&id=15
| title = Station Alger
| publisher = Meteo Climat
|language = fr
| access-date = 16 October 2016}}</ref>
|date=January 2011}}


{{Weather box
|width = auto
|location = Adrar
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes

|Jan record high C = 31.2
|Feb record high C = 36.0
|Mar record high C = 40.7
|Apr record high C = 43.8
|May record high C = 49.8
|Jun record high C = 48.9
|Jul record high C = 51.0
|Aug record high C = 49.8
|Sep record high C = 46.8
|Oct record high C = 43.5
|Nov record high C = 36.0
|Dec record high C = 31.8
|year record high C = 51.0

|Jan high C = 20.6
|Feb high C = 24.5
|Mar high C = 28.0
|Apr high C = 32.1
|May high C = 36.7
|Jun high C = 42.5
|Jul high C = 45.0
|Aug high C = 44.3
|Sep high C = 40.0
|Oct high C = 33.1
|Nov high C = 26.1
|Dec high C = 20.9
|year high C = 32.8

|Jan mean C = 12.4
|Feb mean C = 16.0
|Mar mean C = 19.4
|Apr mean C = 23.6
|May mean C = 28.1
|Jun mean C = 33.6
|Jul mean C = 36.0
|Aug mean C = 35.4
|Sep mean C = 31.6
|Oct mean C = 25.0
|Nov mean C = 18.2
|Dec mean C = 12.9
|year mean C = 24.3

|Jan low C =  4.1
|Feb low C =  7.5
|Mar low C = 10.7
|Apr low C = 15.1
|May low C = 19.4
|Jun low C = 24.7
|Jul low C = 26.9
|Aug low C = 26.6
|Sep low C = 23.2
|Oct low C = 16.8
|Nov low C = 10.2
|Dec low C =  4.9
|year low C = 15.8

|Jan record low C = -4.2
|Feb record low C = -2.0
|Mar record low C = 0.5
|Apr record low C = 4.8
|May record low C = 8.9
|Jun record low C = 15.2
|Jul record low C = 18.2
|Aug record low C = 20.0
|Sep record low C = 15.2
|Oct record low C = 6.0
|Nov record low C = -1.5
|Dec record low C = -4.1
|year record low C = -4.2

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 2.3
|Feb precipitation mm = 1.3
|Mar precipitation mm = 2.6
|Apr precipitation mm = 4.1
|May precipitation mm = 0.3
|Jun precipitation mm = 0.1
|Jul precipitation mm = 0.0
|Aug precipitation mm = 0.2
|Sep precipitation mm = 0.2
|Oct precipitation mm = 1.5
|Nov precipitation mm = 0.6
|Dec precipitation mm = 1.4
|year precipitation mm = 14.6

|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 0.4
|Feb precipitation days = 0.4
|Mar precipitation days = 0.2
|Apr precipitation days = 0.2
|May precipitation days = 0.1
|Jun precipitation days = 0.0
|Jul precipitation days = 0.0
|Aug precipitation days = 0.3
|Sep precipitation days = 0.2
|Oct precipitation days = 0.4
|Nov precipitation days = 0.7
|Dec precipitation days = 0.7
|year precipitation days = 3.6

|Jan humidity = 52
|Feb humidity = 52
|Mar humidity = 40
|Apr humidity = 34
|May humidity = 30
|Jun humidity = 28
|Jul humidity = 26
|Aug humidity = 29
|Sep humidity = 36
|Oct humidity = 48
|Nov humidity = 59
|Dec humidity = 57
|year humidity = 42

|Jan sun = 269.7
|Feb sun = 257.1
|Mar sun = 310.0
|Apr sun = 318.0
|May sun = 325.5
|Jun sun = 333.0
|Jul sun = 344.1
|Aug sun = 328.6
|Sep sun = 288.0
|Oct sun = 279.0
|Nov sun = 261.0
|Dec sun = 263.5
|year sun = 3577.5

|Jand sun =  8.7
|Febd sun =  9.1
|Mard sun = 10.0
|Aprd sun = 10.6
|Mayd sun = 10.5
|Jund sun = 11.1
|Juld sun = 11.1
|Augd sun = 10.6
|Sepd sun =  9.6
|Octd sun =  9.0
|Novd sun =  8.7
|Decd sun =  8.5
|yeard sun = 9.8

|source 1 = NOAA<ref name = NOAA>{{Cite FTP | url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG__I/AL/60620.TXT
| server = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| title = Adrar Climate Normals 1961–1990
| access-date = 21 October 2016}}</ref>

|source 2 = [[Deutscher Wetterdienst]] (extremes, humidity and sun)<ref name = DWD>{{cite web
| url = https://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_606200_kt.pdf
| title = Klimatafel von Adrar / Algerien
| work = Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world
| publisher = Deutscher Wetterdienst
| language = de
| access-date = 21 October 2016}}</ref>
|date = June 2013}}

==Terrain==
{| class="infobox"
! Land use 
| (2014 est.)
|-
! • Arable land
| 18.02%
|-
! • Permanent crops
| 2.34% 
|-
!• Permanent pastures
!79.63%
|-
!• Forest
!0.82%
|-
! • Other
| 81.80% 
|-
! Irrigated land
| {{convert|13,600|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
|}
[[File:Flii algeria.png|thumb|[[Forest Landscape Integrity Index]] 2018 map of Northern Algeria. Forest condition measured by degree of anthropogenic modification. 0 = most modification; 10= least.|300px]]

Clearing of land for agricultural use and cutting of timber over the centuries have severely reduced the once bountiful forest wealth.<ref name=":2">{{cite encyclopedia|title=Algeria: a country study|publisher=[[Federal Research Division]], [[Library of Congress]]|location=Washington, D.C.|url=https://www.loc.gov/item/94043019/|last=Deeb|first=Mary-Jane|date=1993|editor-last=Metz|editor-first=Helen Chapin|pages=75–76|language=English|isbn=|oclc=44230753|postscript=. {{PD-notice}}|entry=Terrain}}</ref> Forest fires have also taken their toll.<ref name=":2" /> In the higher and wetter portions of the Tell Atlas, cork oak and Aleppo pine grow in thick soils.<ref name=":2" /> At lower levels on thinner soils, drought-resistant shrubs predominate.<ref name=":2" /> The grapevine is indigenous to the coastal lowlands, and grasses and scrub cover the High Plateaus.<ref name=":2" /> On the Saharan Atlas, little survives of the once extensive forests of Atlas cedar that have been exploited for fuel and timber since antiquity.<ref name=":2" />

The forest reserves in Algeria were severely reduced during the colonial period.<ref name=":2" /> In 1967 it was calculated that the country's forested area extended over no more than {{Convert|24000|km2}} of terrain, of which {{Convert|18000|km2|abbr=on}} were overgrown with brushwood and scrub.<ref name=":2" /> By contrast, woodlands in 1830 had covered {{Convert|40000|km2|abbr=on}}.<ref name=":2" /> In the mid-1970s, however, the government embarked on a vast reforestation program to help control erosion, which was estimated to affect {{Convert|100000|m3}} of arable land annually.<ref name=":2" /> 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 {{Convert|1500|km}} long and up to {{Convert|20|km}} wide.<ref name=":2" />

In Algeria [[forest cover]] is around 1% of the total land area, equivalent to 1,949,000 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, up from 1,667,000 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 1,439,000 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 510,000 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest 0% was reported to be [[primary forest]] (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 6% of the forest area was found within protected areas. For the year 2015, 80% of the forest area was reported to be under [[State ownership|public ownership]], 18% [[Private property|private ownership]] and 2% with ownership listed as other or unknown.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/a6e225da-4a31-4e06-818d-ca3aeadfd635/content |title=Terms and Definitions FRA 2025 Forest Resources Assessment, Working Paper 194 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |year=2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020, Algeria |url=https://fra-data.fao.org/assessments/fra/2020/DZA/home/overview |website=Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations}}</ref>

The barrage vert consists principally of Aleppo pine, a species that can thrive in areas of scanty rainfall.<ref name=":2" /> It is designed to restore a damaged ecological balance and to halt the northern encroachment of the Sahara.<ref name=":2" /> 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.<ref name=":2" /> The barrage vert project was ended in the late 1980s because of lack of funds.<ref name=":2" />

Algeria had a 2018 [[Forest Landscape Integrity Index]] mean score of 5.22/10, ranking it 106th globally out of 172 countries.<ref name="FLII-Supplementary">{{cite journal|last1=Grantham|first1=H. S.|last2=Duncan|first2=A.|last3=Evans|first3=T. D.|last4=Jones|first4=K. R.|last5=Beyer|first5=H. L.|last6=Schuster|first6=R.|last7=Walston|first7=J.|last8=Ray|first8=J. C.|last9=Robinson|first9=J. G.|last10=Callow|first10=M.|last11=Clements|first11=T.|last12=Costa|first12=H. M.|last13=DeGemmis|first13=A.|last14=Elsen|first14=P. R.|last15=Ervin|first15=J.|last16=Franco|first16=P.|last17=Goldman|first17=E.|last18=Goetz|first18=S.|last19=Hansen|first19=A.|last20=Hofsvang|first20=E.|last21=Jantz|first21=P.|last22=Jupiter|first22=S.|last23=Kang|first23=A.|last24=Langhammer|first24=P.|last25=Laurance|first25=W. F.|last26=Lieberman|first26=S.|last27=Linkie|first27=M.|last28=Malhi|first28=Y.|last29=Maxwell|first29=S.|last30=Mendez|first30=M.|last31=Mittermeier|first31=R.|last32=Murray|first32=N. J.|last33=Possingham|first33=H.|last34=Radachowsky|first34=J.|last35=Saatchi|first35=S.|last36=Samper|first36=C.|last37=Silverman|first37=J.|last38=Shapiro|first38=A.|last39=Strassburg|first39=B.|last40=Stevens|first40=T.|last41=Stokes|first41=E.|last42=Taylor|first42=R.|last43=Tear|first43=T.|last44=Tizard|first44=R.|last45=Venter|first45=O.|last46=Visconti|first46=P.|last47=Wang|first47=S.|last48=Watson|first48=J. E. M.|title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity - Supplementary Material|journal=Nature Communications|volume=11|issue=1|year=2020|page=5978|issn=2041-1723|doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3|pmid=33293507|pmc=7723057|doi-access=free}}</ref>

===Statistics===
'''Natural resources:''' petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc<ref name="factbook" />

'''Natural hazards:''' mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides and floods in rainy season<ref name="factbook" />

{{anchor|Environmental issues}}'''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<ref name=factbook>{{cite book|author=Central Intelligence Agency|title=The CIA World Factbook 2020-2021|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AJq5DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT158|date=2 June 2020|publisher=Skyhorse|isbn=978-1-5107-5826-1|page=158}}</ref>

'''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<ref name=factbook/>

==Protected areas==
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]];<ref>{{WWF ecoregion|id=pa0513|name=Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests}}</ref> the Djebel Babor is also one of the few relict habitats for the [[endangered]] [[Barbary macaque]], ''Macaca sylvanus''.<ref>C. Michael Hogan, (2008) [https://web.archive.org/web/20120419033431/http://globaltwitcher.auderis.se/artspec_information.asp?thingid=31757&lang=us ''Barbary Macaque: Macaca sylvanus'', Globaltwitcher.com, ed. N. Strõmberg].</ref>

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

== Extreme points ==

Elevation extremes:
* Lowest point: [[Chott Melrhir]]: {{Convert|-40|m}}<ref name="factbook" />
* Highest point: [[Mount Tahat]]: {{Convert|2908|m}}<ref name="factbook" />
Points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location:{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}

* Northernmost point – [[Cap Takouch]], [[Annaba Province]] or [[Cap Bougaroûn]], [[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==
* [[List of cities in Algeria]]
* [[Teffedest Mountains]]
* [[Réghaïa lake]]
* {{wikiatlas|Algeria}}

==References==
{{reflist|40em}}

{{Algeria topics}}
{{Geography of Africa}}
{{Africa topic|Climate of}}

[[Category:Geography of Algeria| ]]