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Learn about Algeria, the largest country in Africa and a former French colony that gained independence in 1962. Explore its diverse culture, languages, religions, and natural resources, as well as its challenges and achievements.
- Algiers
Algiers (/ æ l ˈ dʒ ɪər z / al-JEERZ; Arabic: الجزائر,...
- Flag of Algeria
This Algerian photograph or work of applied art, which was...
- Berber
Tamazight, or Standard Algerian Berber, [1] is the...
- Emblem of Algeria
Emblem of Algeria (Coat of Arms) Versions; Armiger: People's...
- President of Algeria
The president of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria...
- Abdelmadjid Tebboune
Abdelmadjid Tebboune (Arabic: عبد المجيد تبون, romanized:...
- Algerian Arabic
Reda speaking Algerian Arabic. Algerian Arabic (Arabic:...
- Military of Algeria
The People's National Army (PNA) (Arabic: الجيش الوطني...
- History of Algeria
Algeria became the privateering city-state par excellence,...
- Demographics of Algeria
Population development of Algeria Location of Algeria....
- Algiers
Learn about the ancient and modern history of Algeria, from prehistoric times to the present day. Explore the influences of Carthage, Rome, Islam, Ottoman, and colonial powers on the country's culture and politics.
Learn about Algeria, a country in North Africa with a rich history and culture. Explore its geography, languages, religion, politics, and more through articles, images, and maps.
- Overview
- Land
- Relief
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Algeria, large, predominantly Muslim country of North Africa. From the Mediterranean coast, along which most of its people live, Algeria extends southward deep into the heart of the Sahara, a forbidding desert where Earth’s hottest surface temperatures have been recorded and which constitutes more than four-fifths of the country’s area. The Sahara and its extreme climate dominate the country. The contemporary Algerian novelist Assia Djebar has highlighted the environs, calling her country “a dream of sand.”
History, language, customs, and an Islamic heritage make Algeria an integral part of the Maghreb and the larger Arab world, but the country also has a sizable Amazigh (Berber) population, with links to that cultural tradition. Once the breadbasket of the Roman Empire, the territory now comprising Algeria was ruled by various Arab-Amazigh dynasties from the 8th through the 16th century, when it became part of the Ottoman Empire. The decline of the Ottomans was followed by a brief period of independence that ended when France launched a war of conquest in 1830.
By 1847 the French had largely suppressed Algerian resistance to the invasion and the following year made Algeria a département of France. French colonists modernized Algeria’s agricultural and commercial economy but lived apart from the Algerian majority, enjoying social and economic privileges extended to few non-Europeans. Ethnic resentment, fueled by revolutionary politics introduced by Algerians who had lived and studied in France, led to a widespread nationalist movement in the mid-20th century. A war of independence ensued (1954–62) that was so fierce that the revolutionary Frantz Fanon noted,
Terror, counter-terror, violence, counter-violence: that is what observers bitterly record when they describe the circle of hate, which is so tenacious and so evident in Algeria.
Negotiations ended the conflict and led to Algerian independence, and most Europeans left the country. Although the influence of the French language and culture in Algeria remained strong, since independence the country consistently has sought to regain its Arab and Islamic heritage. At the same time, the development of oil and natural gas and other mineral deposits in the Algerian interior brought new wealth to the country and prompted a modest rise in the standard of living. In the early 21st century Algeria’s economy was among the largest in Africa.
Britannica Quiz
Algeria is bounded to the east by Tunisia and Libya; to the south by Niger, Mali, and Mauritania; to the west by Morocco and Western Sahara (which has been virtually incorporated by the former); and to the north by the Mediterranean Sea. It is a vast country—the largest in Africa and the 10th largest in the world—that may be divided into two distin...
The main structural relief features in Algeria were produced by the collision of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates along the Mediterranean margin, giving the country its two geographic regions. The Tell, home to most of the country’s population, contains two geologically young massifs, the Tell Atlas (Atlas Tellien) and the Saharan Atlas (At...
Learn about Algeria, the largest country in Africa and a predominantly Muslim nation in North Africa. Explore its diverse regions, from the Mediterranean coast to the Sahara desert, and its rich history, culture, and politics.
Learn about Algeria, the largest country in Africa and a North African nation with a rich history and culture. Find out about its geography, people, government, economy, and more.
May 6, 2016 · An overview of Algeria, with an outline covering its people and politics.
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May 30, 2023 · Algeria is a semi-presidential republic, with local constituencies consisting of 58 provinces and 1,541 communes. Algeria is a regional power in North Africa, and a middle power in global affairs.
