Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations.
The head of state is the president of Algeria, who is elected for a five-year term. The president was formerly limited to two five-year terms but a constitutional amendment passed by the Parliament on November 11, 2008 removed this limitation.
Religion in Algeria is dominated by Muslims at about 94% of the population. There are also almost 500,000 Christians, mostly pentecostal protestants. There are nearly 1000 Jews in Algeria. Islam, the religion of almost all of the Algerian people, pervades most aspects of life. It provides the society with its central social and cultural identity and gives most individuals their basic ethical.