Page last updated on February 15,

Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia

Geographic coordinates:
28 00 N, 3 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 2,381,741 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 10
land: 2,381,741 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 0 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]

Area - comparative:
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
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
998 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 32-52 nm

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
More Climate Details

Terrain:
mostly high plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow, discontinuous coastal plain

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Chott Melrhir -40 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: Tahat 3,003 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - highest point country ranks ]

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

Land use:
arable land: 3.17%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 0.28%
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
other: 96.55% (2005)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
5,700 sq km (2008)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
14.3 cu km (1997)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 6.07 cu km/yr (22%/13%/65%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita: 185 cu m/yr (2000)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - per capita country ranks ]

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

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

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
largest country in Africa