Country code: 213.

Roaming agreements exist but coverage is mostly limited to main towns.

There are Internet cafes in Algiers, Constantine and Oran.

Mail posted in any of the main cities along the coast takes three to four days to reach Europe; posted elsewhere, it could take much longer. Parcels sent by surface mail may take up to two months to reach Algeria.

Post office hours: Generally Sat-Wed 0800-1700; Thurs 0800-1200; but the main post office in Algiers (5 boulevard Mohamed Khémisti) is open 24 hours.

Algeria's TV and radio stations are state-controlled, but there is a lively private press which is often critical of the authorities. Although there is no overt censorship, legislation sets out prison terms and fines for insulting or defaming the president, MPs, judges and the army.

• Daily newspapers are printed in Arabic or French.
• The main French-language dailies are El Watan, Liberté, Le Quotidien d'Oran and La Tribune.
• El Khabar is one of the leading Arabic-language dailies.
• Another daily, Horizons, has an English section.

• Enterprise Nationale de Télévision (ENTV) is state-run.
• The use of satellite dishes is widespread; some satellite TV stations, such as BRTV, a Berber station based in France, target viewers in Algeria, and European channels are widely watched.

• Algerian Radio, operated by state-run Radio-Télévision Algérienne, runs national Arabic, Berber and French networks and several local stations.