Shopping in Algeria
Look around carefully, try to get a hold on what are good prices. In most cases, you will be able to find the same products even in the next town, so never feel pressed to buy in one specific place. Depending on how much you get for your money when changing into Algerian dinars, there are quite a lot of nice things to buy in Algeria. There are a good lot of carpets to find around, patterns that vary from one region to another, and which are distinct for Algeria. Jewellery and wood items are other fine things to look around for. However, remember that Algierian products put out for sale in front of you, might be designed for tourist’s taste more than representing Algerian traditions. Carpets, jewellery, and wood items are bought by Algerians too, and represent the genuine souvenir. Prices and quality vary much.
In larger Algerian cities, there are state run shops selling almost any kind of handicrafts you’re likely to be interested in. Even if these places do not offer the very, very best price, they are a great place to check out, in order to find out approximately how much things really cost in Algeria. Just as valuable, you will get a feeling of what the relation between prices of different goods is. Algeria today offers more ease for those traveling with cash, and the value of having a credit card at hand must not be overrated. These things will change soon after a real armistice is reached between the fighting parts in the civil war.
Related Travel Information
Algeria - Health and Welfare
There are no major dangers to your health during a stay in Algeria. Put travelers should note that bottled water is sometimes difficult to find, especially if you set out into Sahara. Diarrhea will be unavoidable for most travelers staying in Algeria for some time, or who travel around the country.
Health and Education is Algeria
Schooling is compulsory, and lasts 9 years, and is attended by almost all Algerian children (primary: 97% of boys, 91% of girls). The educational system of Algeria has mostly been of good quality, and has been going through a process of Arabization starting at the independence in 1962. Algeria has 10 universities and 7 university centres and a number of technical colleges with about 352,000 students (1995/6).
Algeria long enjoyed a well run health care system, which has been free of charge for its users. This system, one of the most impressing in the third world, faced
ALGERIA - CLIMATE AND GEOGRAPHY
Algeria has been in trouble for 10 years, involving civil unrest, terrorism against the population from both the government and from militant Islamists. This has strongly effected the economy, and today living conditions are far from as good as in the beginning of the 1990's.
Algeria's north is fairly fertile with agriculture land in between forested mountains. There are two mountain ranges dominating this region, Atlas and Kabylia.
The desert starts quickly after leaving the coastal area, at first only as stone desert, but soon with large areas with sand desert. Desert dominates large parts of Algeria's vast
Algeria - Information in brief
Algeria has had its appeal in low tourist numbers, and a cultivated and hospitable people. Today however, normal traveling in Algeria is very difficult and heavily restricted due to the ongoing conflict of the country. Algeria has been a country of better living conditions than what has been prevalent in North Africa, but with heavy corruption and unsuccessful politics, living conditions worsened in the 1980s, leading up to today's situation of civil strife and terrorism. Presently, the government side seems to have the upper hand.
Algeria is a Sunni Muslim country, and has three languages, Arabic,
Geography of Algeria
Inhabitants: 33 million (2003 estimate).
Population growth rate: 1.7%
Total area: 2,381,740 kmē
Density: 14 per kmē
Border: 6,643 km (Morocco 1,559 km, Western Sahara 42 km, Mauritania 463 km, Mali 1,376 km, Niger 956 km, Libya 982 km, Tunisia 965 km).
Coastline: 998 km
Highest point: Tahat 3,003 m
Arable land: 3.2%
Capital: Algiers
