About Algeria

Algeria is Africa's second largest country, covering an area of nearly 2.5 million square miles. Algeria's indigenous Berber people has been under foreign rule for much of the last 3000 years.

 The Phoenicians (1000 BC) and the Romans (200 BC) were the most important of these. With the incursion of Muslim Arabs in the 7th-8th century into the region, Islamic influence came to the Berbers and almost a millenium of domination by Arab dynasties.

In the beginning of the 16th century the region was placed under protection of the ottoman Sultan of Istanbul, followed by reigns of ottoman beys, pachas, and aghas, brought to an end with the beginning of the French colonization in 1830.

 The French occupation condemned Algeria's population to economic, social and political inferiority and caused an armed resistance lasting for decades. After a century of rule by France, Algeria became independent in 1962 and Arabic became official language - with a little help of Quran teachers from Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Since then le pouvoir ("the power"), an elite of business leaders and generals behind a democratic façade has run Algeria.

Algeria is a member state of the League of Arab States

border countries: Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Tunisia

related countries: France