Berbers, who live mainly in the northeastern Kabylie region, have been targeted by radical Islamists for their liberal interpretation of Islam. The largest ethnic minority, Berbers have sought to maintain their cultural and linguistic identity in the face of the government s Arabization program. A 1998 law made Arabic the official language of Algeria and marginalized Tamazight, the native Berber language. The law requires that all official business, national broadcast media, communications equipment, and medical prescriptions use Arabic. The 1984 Family Code, based on Sharia, discriminates against women in matters of marriage, divorce, inheritance, and child custody.
Workers have the right to establish trade unions and to strike.
About two-thirds of the labor force is unionized.