Area: 2,381,741 Km² (the largest country in Africa, after the split of Sudan).
Length of land borders: 6,511 km (17th world’s rank).
With Libya: 982 km
With Mali: 1,329 km
With Mauritania: 461 km
With Morocco: 1,739 km
With Niger: 951 km
With Tunisia: 1,010 km
With Western Sahara: 39 km
Source: S. Hamam Ghania, “Preserving Territorial Integrity: A Long-Term Work”, Magazine “El Djeich” (The Army) – Special edition 2/4, November 2012, p. 48-51.
Coastline: 1,200 km (on the Mediterranean Sea).
Agreements on boundary delimitation and demarcation concluded by Algeria
With the Kingdom of Morocco |
web Link below: Ordonnance 73-20 of May 17th 1973 |
With the Republic of Niger |
web Link below: Law 83-07 of May 31st 1983 |
With the Republic of Mali |
web Link below: JORA 22 of the 31st May 1983 |
With the Islamic Republic of Mauritania |
|
With the Tunisian Republic |
See web Link: decree n° 83-378 of May 28th 1983
web Link below: Law 83-07 of May 31st 1983
web Link below: Presidential Decree No. 03-273 of 14th August 2003 |
Highest mountain:
- Mount “Tahat” is the highest mountain peak in Algeria. It sits at an elevation of 2,908 metres. Tahat is also the highest peak in the Hoggar Mountains. Its nearest city is Tamanrasset which is located 56 km to the south. Mount Tahat is of volcanic origin. It is located in an arid, rocky high plateau area of the central Sahara Desert. The Touareg inhabit this region. To the north lie the Tassili N’Ajjer Mountains, which contain cave paintings dating from a period between 8000 and 2000 BC. The rock art is pastoral, showing cattle breeding and hunting of animals that are today exclusively found in the southern Sahara’s climate.
2. Mount Chelia Mount Chelia is the highest peak in the Aures mountain ranges and is located west of Khenchela in the Bouhmama region. It sits at an elevation of 2,328 meters above the sea level and prominence of 491 meters. Before 1850, forest fires were frequent in the forests of Mount Chelia. The promulgation of laws governing land and forest use in Algeria led to a sharp decrease in the frequency of the forest fires. Tourism in the mountain is not very rampant as it is a very hard mountain to climb. A terrible weather characterized by strong winds and freezing temperatures deter nature lovers from hiking activities on the mountain.
3. Mount Lalla Khedidja Lalla Khedidja sits at an elevation of 2,308 meters and has a prominence of 1,720 meters. The mountain is the third highest in Algeria and the highest in the Tell Atlas mountain ranges. Snow always covers it during the winter. There are several notable landmarks, including such mountain passes as Tizi-n-Kouilal, Tizi Tirkabine, and Tizi Bougueni. A historical shrine, Sidi Mohamed El Arba is also found on the slopes of the mountain. The town of Illitene is located only two miles north of the mountain.
Longest Rivers in Algeria
Chelif The longest river in Algeria is the Chelif, which runs 700 Km in length. It begins near the city of Aflou which is located in the Saharan Atlas mountains, flows through the Tell Atlas, and ends in the Mediterranean Sea. One of the most important uses for its waters is for agricultural purposes. Djedi The Djedi River is 479,5 km in length, making it the second longest in Algeria. Similar to the Chelif, it begins in the Saharan Atlas mountains at around 1,400 meters in elevation. The Djedi empties into Lake Chott Melrhir, which is located at 39,62 meters below sea level, the lowest point in Algeria. Portions of the river run dry in some sections of the lower riverbed, and only the upper areas contain water year-round. The lower portion and the lake dry out in the summer. This river provides water for agricultural endeavors, particularly several date palm farms, and also feeds a number of drinking wells for nearby communities. In many areas, the soil near the river has high concentrations of salinity. Medjerda The Medjerda River runs through both Algeria and Tunisia for a total of 450,6 Km. It originates in the Tell Atlas mountains in Algeria before reaching Tunisia, where it empties into the Gulf of Tunis in the Mediterranean Sea. This river has been important to humans over hundreds of years and several civilizations have inhabited its river valley. It is currently an important water source for agricultural production. Ziz The Ziz River flows 286,1 Km through Algeria and Morocco. It begins in the Middle Atlas mountains of Morocco before it runs through the Sahara Desert into Algeria. Because of the dryness of the region, the river can, at times, be found without water. Communities along the river use its water for personal and agricultural purposes. Seybouse Located entirely within Algeria is the 255,3 Km-long Seybouse River. It originates in the Tell Atlas mountains and passes through the provinces of Guelma and Annaba before emptying into the Mediterranean Sea. The river is used mainly for irrigation.
Rank |
Longest Rivers in Algeria |
Total Length |
1 | Chelif | 435 miles |
2 | Djedi | 298 miles |
3 | Medjerda | 280 miles (shared with Tunisia) |
4 | Ziz | 175 miles (shared with Morocco) |
5 | Seybouse | 140 miles |