Location: Algeria is the second-largest country in Africa. Located in North Africa, it is bordered to the west by Morocco, the Western Sahara and Mauritania, to the south by Mali and Niger, to the east by Libya and Tunisia, and to the north by the Mediterranean Sea.
Geographic Features: Algeria is mountainous along the coast with a high plateau in the interior and a desert in the south. Algeria has a Mediterranean climate which varies across the country and includes both summer and winter. Agriculture is mainly carried out in the northern part of the country because it is the more fertile there.
Natural Resources: Petroleum, iron ore, lead, zinc, uranium, phosphates, natural gas
Algeria has the fifth largest natural gas reserve in the world and the fourteenth largest oil reserve. Itt is the second largest exporter of natural gas.
Ethnic Groups: The Amazigh (Berbers) are the original inhabitants of Algeria; today other ethnic groups include the Almoravid, Tuareg, Arabs and Europeans
Languages: Arabic is the official language, other languages include French and Amazigh dialects.
Religion: The main religion is Islam. Other religions include Christianity and Judaism.
Economy: The main exports include crude oil, gas, refined petroleum products, zinc, mercury, iron ore and agricultural products such as wheat, barley, citrus fruits, vegetable, grapes, oats, olives, sheep, and cattle. Industries include petroleum, natural gas, mining, electrical, petrochemical, and food processing.
History: The Amazigh originally settled along the coastal areas. Since the 5th century BC different groups of people came into Algeria, such as the Phoenicians, Romans, Vandals, Arabs, Turkish, and French, and displaced the Amazigh from the coast to the interior. The Arabs spread their culture, religion, and language in the 8th and 11th century A.D and had a greater cultural impact than the other invaders.
Algeria was colonized by France in 1893. It gained independence on July 5th, 1962.
Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not claim expertise on Algeria.
Please send questions, comments, and corrections to emuseum@mnsu.edu and include the URL.
Sources
Advameg
2009 Culture of Algeria. Electronic document, http://www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Algeria.html, accessed May 2009.
CIA World Factbook
2009 Algeria. Electronic document, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ag.html, accessed May 2009.
Library of Congress
2009 Country Studies: Algeria. Electronic document, http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/dztoc.html, accessed May 2009.
U.S. Department of State
2009 Background Note: Algeria. Electronic document, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/8005.htm, accessed May 2009.
University of Pennsylvania African Studies Center
Algeria Page. Electronic document, http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Country_Specific/Algeria.html, accessed May 2009.
SpainExchange
The Culture of Algeria. Electronic document, http://www.spainexchange.com/guide/DZ-culture.htm, accessed May 2009.
Written by Esther Nalubwama, 2009.