• Population in Canada: 28,065 (2006)
• Canadian exports to Algeria: $318 million (2009)
• Canadian imports from Algeria: $3,765 million (2009)
• GDP, per capita: $7,400 (2010, estimated)
• Unemployment: 9.9 per cent (2010, estimated)

According to a 2008 Canadian government report, relations with Algeria are friendly. A common use of French in both countries also contributes to strong ties, the report notes.

Almost two thirds of Canadian exports to Algeria are vegetable products. Most of this was durum wheat, used to make pasta, bread and couscous, which accounted for $142 million worth of trade in 2009. This was down from $580 million a year before.

Canada also invests heavily in Algeria's energy sector.

Imports from this country total nearly $ 4 billion, the highest of any country in Africa, and are almost exclusively crude oil shipments.

Farmers from the North African country visited P.E.I. in July 2010, in an effort to restart the potato trade between the province and Algeria, which was halted in 2007.

A spokesman from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada estimated the lucrative potato exports to be worth $100 million. Algerians eat an average of 40 kilograms of potatoes every year, an impressive amount, but still shy of the Canadian average of 60 kg.

The largest proportion of Algerian-Canadians live in Quebec, with most residing in and around Montreal.

(Sources: Statistics Canada and CIA World Factbook)

With files from Jonathan Hembry