Government

	Algeria	Morocco
Country name	conventional long form: People's Democratic Republic of Algeria conventional short form: Algeria local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash Sha'biyah local short form: Al Jaza'ir etymology: the country name derives from the capital city of Algiers	"conventional long form: Kingdom of Morocco conventional short form: Morocco local long form: Al Mamlakah al Maghribiyah local short form: Al Maghrib etymology: the English name ""Morocco"" derives from, respectively, the Spanish and Portuguese names ""Marruecos"" and ""Marrocos,"" which stem from ""Marrakesh"" the Latin name for the former capital of ancient Morocco; the Arabic name ""Al Maghrib"" translates as ""The West"" "
Government type	presidential republic	parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Capital	name: Algiers geographic coordinates: 36 45 N, 3 03 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)	name: Rabat geographic coordinates: 34 01 N, 6 49 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1 hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions	48 provinces (wilayas, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Ain Defla, Ain Temouchent, Alger, Annaba, Batna, Bechar, Bejaia, Biskra, Blida, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Bouira, Boumerdes, Chlef, Constantine, Djelfa, El Bayadh, El Oued, El Tarf, Ghardaia, Guelma, Illizi, Jijel, Khenchela, Laghouat, Mascara, Medea, Mila, Mostaganem, M'Sila, Naama, Oran, Ouargla, Oum el Bouaghi, Relizane, Saida, Setif, Sidi Bel Abbes, Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanrasset, Tebessa, Tiaret, Tindouf, Tipaza, Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen	11 regions (recognized); Beni Mellal-Khenifra, Casablanca-Settat, Draa-Tafilalet, Fes-Meknes, Guelmim-Oued Noun, Laayoune-Sakia al Hamra, Oriental, Marrakech-Safi, Rabat-Sale-Kenitra, Souss-Massa, Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima note: Morocco claims the territory of Western Sahara, the political status of which is considered undetermined by the US Government; portions of the regions Guelmim-Oued Noun and Laayoune-Sakia al Hamra as claimed by Morocco lie within Western Sahara; Morocco also claims a 12th region, Dakhla-Oued ed Dahab, that falls entirely within Western Sahara
Independence	5 July 1962 (from France)	2 March 1956 (from France)
National holiday	Revolution Day, 1 November (1954)	Throne Day (accession of King MOHAMMED VI to the throne), 30 July (1999)
Constitution	history: several previous; latest approved by referendum 23 February 1989 amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or through the president with the support of three-fourths of the members of both houses of Parliament in joint session; passage requires approval by both houses, approval by referendum, and promulgation by the president; the president can forego a referendum if the Constitutional Council determines the proposed amendment does not conflict with basic constitutional principles; articles including the republican form of government, the integrity and unity of the country, and fundamental citizens’ liberties and rights cannot be amended; amended several times, last in 2016 (2016)	history: several previous; latest drafted 17 June 2011, approved by referendum 1 July 2011; note - sources disagree on whether the 2011 referendum was for a new constitution or for reforms to the previous constitution amendments: proposed by the king, by the prime minister, or by members in either chamber of Parliament; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by both chambers and approval in a referendum; the king can opt to submit self-initiated proposals directly to a referendum (2016)
Legal system	mixed legal system of French civil law and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various public officials including several Supreme Court justices	mixed legal system of civil law based on French law and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts by Constitutional Court
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal
Executive branch	chief of state: President Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA (since 28 April 1999) head of government: Prime Minister Ahmed OUYAHIA (since 16 August 2017) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in two rounds if needed for a 5-year term (2-term limit reinstated by constitutional amendment in February 2016); election last held on 17 April 2014 (next to be held in April 2019); prime minister nominated by the president from the majority party in Parliament election results: Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA reelected president for a fourth term; percent of vote - Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA (FLN) 81.5%, Ali BENFLIS (FLN) 12.2%, Abdelaziz BELAID (Future Front) 3.4%, other 2.9%	chief of state: King MOHAMMED VI (since 30 July 1999) head of government: Prime Minister Saad-Eddine al-OTHMANI (since 17 March 2017) cabinet: Council of Ministers chosen by the prime minister in consultation with Parliament and appointed by the monarch elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch from the majority party following legislative elections
Legislative branch	description: bicameral Parliament consists of the Council of the Nation (upper house with 144 seats; one-third of members appointed by the president, two-thirds indirectly elected by simple majority vote by an electoral college composed of local council members; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years) and the National People's Assembly (lower house with 462 seats including 8 seats for Algerians living abroad); members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms) elections: Council of the Nation - last held on 29 December 2015 (next to be held in December 2018); National People's Assembly - last held on 4 May 2017 (next to be held in 2022) election results: Council of the Nation - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; National People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 164, RND 97, MSP-FC 33, TAJ 19, Ennahda-FJD 15, FFS 14, El Mostakbel 14, MPA 13, PT 11, RCD 9, ANR 8, MEN 4, other 33, independent 28	description: bicameral Parliament consists of the Chamber of Advisors (120 seats; members indirectly elected by an electoral college of local councils, professional organizations, and labor unions; members serve 6-year terms) and the Chamber of Representatives (395 seats; 305 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 90 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - in the national constituency, 60 seats are reserved for women and 30 reserved for those under age 40 elections: Chamber of Advisors - last held on 2 October 2015 (next to be held in fall 2021); Chamber of Representatives - last held on 7 October 2016 (next to be held in fall 2021) election results: Chamber of Advisors- percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party NA; seats by party - PJD 125, PAM 102, PI 46, RNI 37, MP 27, USFP 20, UC 19, PPS 12, MDS 3, other 4
Judicial branch	highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of 150 judges organized into 4 divisions: civil and commercial; social security and labor; criminal; and administrative; Constitutional Council (consists of 12 members including the court chairman and deputy chairman); note - Algeria's judicial system does not include sharia courts judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the High Council of Magistracy, an administrative body presided over by the president of the republic, and includes the republic vice-president and several members; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Council members - 4 appointed by the president of the republic, 2 each by the 2 houses of Parliament, 2 by the Supreme Court, and 2 by the Council of State; Council president and members appointed for single 6-year terms with half the membership renewed every 3 years subordinate courts: appellate or wilaya courts; first instance or daira tribunals	"highest court(s): Supreme Court or Court of Cassation (consists of 5-judge panels organized into civil, family matters, commercial, administrative, social, and criminal sections); Constitutional Court (consists of 12 members) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the Superior Council of Judicial Power, a 20-member body presided by the monarch and including the Supreme Court president, the prosecutor general, representatives of the appeals and first instance courts - among them 1 woman magistrate, the president of the National Council of the Rights of Man, and 5 ""notable persons"" appointed by the monarch; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Court members - 6 designated by the monarch and 6 elected by Parliament; court president appointed by the monarch from among the court members; members serve 9-year non-renewable terms subordinate courts: courts of appeal; High Court of Justice; administrative and commercial courts; regional and sadad courts (for religious, civil and administrative, and penal adjudication); first instance courts "
Political parties and leaders	Algerian National Front or FNA [Moussa TOUATI] Algerian Popular Movement or MPA [Amara BENYOUNES] Algerian Rally or RA [Ali ZAGHDOUD] Algeria's Hope Rally or TAJ [Amar GHOUL] Dignity or El Karama [Mohamed BENHAMOU] Ennour El Djazairi Party (Algerian Radiance Party) or PED [Badreddine BELBAZ] Front for Change or FC [Abdelmadjid MENASRA] Front for Justice and Development or El Adala [Abdallah DJABALLAH] Future Front or El Mostakbel [Abdelaziz BELAID] Green Algeria Alliance or AAV [Bouguerra SOLTANI] (includes Islah, Ennahda Movement, and MSP) Islamic Renaissance Movement or Ennahda Movement [Mohamed DOUIBI] Justice and Development Front or FJD Movement of National Understanding or MEN Movement for National Reform or Islah [Djilali GHOUINI] Movement of Society for Peace or MSP [Abderrazak MOKRI] National Democratic Rally (Rassemblement National Democratique) or RND [Ahmed OUYAHIA] National Front for Social Justice or FNJS [Khaled BOUNEDJEMA] National Liberation Front or FLN [Djamel OULD ABBES] National Party for Solidarity and Development or PNSD [Dalila YALAQUI] National Reform Movement or Islah [Djahid YOUNSI] National Republican Alliance or ANR [Redha MALEK] New Dawn Party or PFJ [Tahar BENBAIBECHE] New Generation or Jil Jadid [Soufiane DJILALI] Oath of 1954 or Ahd 54 [Ali Fawzi REBAINE] Party of Justice and Liberty [Mohammed SAID] Rally for Culture and Democracy or RCD [Mohcine BELABBAS] Rally for Hope in Algeria or TAJ Socialist Forces Front or FFS [Mustafa BOUCHACHI] Union of Democratic and Social Forces or UFDS [Noureddine BAHBOUH] Vanguard of Freedoms [Ali BENFLIS] Youth Party or PJ [Hamana BOUCHARMA] Workers Party or PT [Louisa HANOUNE] note: a law banning political parties based on religion was enacted in March 1997	Action Party or PA [Mohammed EL IDRISSI] Amal (hope) Party [Mohamed BANI] An-Nahj Ad-Dimocrati or An-Nahj [Mustapha BRAHMA] Authenticity and Modernity Party or PAM [vacant] Constitutional Union Party or UC [Mohamed SAJID] Democratic and Social Movement or MDS [Abdessamad ARCHANE] Democratic Forces Front or FFD [Mustapha BENALI] Democratic Oath Party or SD Democratic Socialist Vanguard Party or PADS [Abderrahman BENAMROU] Democratic Society Party [Zhour CHAKKAFI] Environment and Development Party or PED [Karim HRITAN] Green Left Party [Mohamed FARES] Istiqlal (Independence) Party or PI [Hamid CHABAT] Ittihadi National Congress or CNI [Abdesalam EL AZIZ] Labor Party or PT Moroccan Liberal Party or PML [Mohammed ZIANE] Moroccan Union for Democracy or UMD [Jamal MANDRI] National Rally of Independents or RNI [Aziz AKHANNOUCH] Neo-Democrats Party [Mohamed DARIF] Party of Development Reform or PRD [Abderrahmane EL KOHEN] Party of Justice and Development or PJD [Abdelillah BENKIRANE] Party of Liberty and Social Justice [Miloud MOUSSAOUI] Popular Movement or MP [Mohand LAENSER] Progress and Socialism Party or PPS [Nabil BENABDELLAH] Renaissance and Virtue Party [Mohamed KHALIDI] Renaissance Party [Said EL GHENNIOUI] Renewal and Equity Party or PRE [Chakir ACHEHABAR] Shoura (consultation) and Istiqlal Party [Ahmed BELGHAZI] Social Center Party or PCS [Lahcen MADIH] Socialist Party [Abdelmajid BOUZOUBAA] Socialist Union of Popular Forces or USFP [Driss LACHGAR] Unified Socialist Party or GSU [Nabila MOUNIB] Unity and Democracy Party [Ahmed FITRI]
Political pressure groups and leaders	Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights or LADDH [Noureddine BENISSAD] SOS Disparus [Nacera DUTOUR] Youth Action Rally or RAJ	Democratic Confederation of Labor or CDT [Noubir EL AMAOUI] General Union of Moroccan Workers or UGTM [Mohamed KAFI CHERRAT] Justice and Charity Organization or JCO [Mohammed ben Abdesslam ABBADI] Moroccan Employers Association or CGEM [Miriem BENSALAH-CHAQROUN] National Labor Union of Morocco or UNMT [Abdessalam MAATI] Union of Moroccan Workers or UMT [Miloudi EL MOUKHARIK]
International organization participation	ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BIS, CAEU, CD, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)	ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CD, EBRD, FAO, G-11, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), PCA, SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNSC (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Madjid BOUGUERRA (since 23 February 2015) chancery: 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-2800 FAX: [1] (202) 986-5906 consulate(s) general: New York	chief of mission: Ambassador Lalla Joumala ALAOUI (since 24 April 2017) chancery: 1601 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 462-7979 FAX: [1] (202) 462-7643 consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador John P. DESROCHER (since 5 September 2017) embassy: 05 Chemin Cheikh Bachir, El Ibrahimi, El-Biar 16030 Algieria mailing address: B. P. 408, Alger-Gare, 16030 Algiers telephone: [213] (0) 770-08-2000 FAX: [213] (0) 770-08-2064	chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Stephanie MILEY (since 20 January 2017) embassy: Km 5.7 Avenue Mohammed VI, Souissi, Rabat 10170 mailing address: Unit 9400, Box Front Office, DPO, AE 09718 telephone: [212] 537 637 200 FAX: [212] 537 637 201 consulate(s) general: Casablanca
Flag description	two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white; a red, 5-pointed star within a red crescent centered over the two-color boundary; the colors represent Islam (green), purity and peace (white), and liberty (red); the crescent and star are also Islamic symbols, but the crescent is more closed than those of other Muslim countries because Algerians believe the long crescent horns bring happiness	red with a green pentacle (five-pointed, linear star) known as Sulayman's (Solomon's) seal in the center of the flag; red and green are traditional colors in Arab flags, although the use of red is more commonly associated with the Arab states of the Persian Gulf; the pentacle represents the five pillars of Islam and signifies the association between God and the nation; design dates to 1912
National anthem	"name: ""Kassaman"" (We Pledge) lyrics/music: Mufdi ZAKARIAH/Mohamed FAWZI note: adopted 1962; ZAKARIAH wrote ""Kassaman"" as a poem while imprisoned in Algiers by French colonial forces "	"name: ""Hymne Cherifien"" (Hymn of the Sharif) lyrics/music: Ali Squalli HOUSSAINI/Leo MORGAN note: music adopted 1956, lyrics adopted 1970 "
International law organization participation	has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt	has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
National symbol(s)	star and crescent, fennec fox; national colors: green, white, red	pentacle symbol, lion; national colors: red, green
Citizenship	citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: the mother must be a citizen of Algeria dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years	citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Morocco; if the father is unknown or stateless, the mother must be a citizen dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years