بالشّعب وللشّعب
“By the people and for the people”
Quick Overview
- Official Name: People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria
- Nickname: none?
- Capital: Algiers
- Important Cities: Oran, Annaba, Constantine, Tlemcen, Ghardaïa
- Shares a border with: Tunisia, Libya, Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Western Sahara, and Morocco
- Coastlines: Mediterranean Sea
- Area: At 919,595 square miles, Algeria is just a bit smaller than Alaska and Texas combined. It’s the 10th largest country in the world and is the largest country in Africa
- Population: Almost 44 million people live in Algeria. That’s roughly the same as California and Oregon combined.
- Languages: Arabic, Berber, French
- Age: After being part of the Ottoman Empire and then being conquered by the French, Algeria became an independent nation in 1962.
Photo Gallery
Click a photo to open a full-screen slideshow.
Constantine, Algeria. Photo by Ahmed El Amine Nakib 
Tell Atlas mountains in northern Algeria. Photo by nasro azaizia 
Roman ruins in Batna, Algeria. Photo by Jamil Kabar
Books and Films
- Assia Djebar
- Albert Camus
- Jean Sénac
- Henri Kréa
- Mouloud Feraoun
- Mohammed Dib
- Malek Haddad
- Tahar Djaout
- Rachid Boudjedra
- Battle of Algiers
- The Winds of the Aures
- Chronicle of the Years of Fire
- Omar Gatlato
- Bab El Oued City
- Living in Paradise
Food
- Couscous served with a meat and vegetable stew
- Mutton, lamb and poultry
- Figs, dates, almonds, and honey
- Unleavened breads
- Brik (meat pastry)
- Merguez (beef or lamb sausage)
- Lamb or chicken stew
- Strong sweet coffee
- Mint tea
Street Food
Women
Music and Dance
- raï (style of music)
- Wahrani
Stuff to make you look smart
- If you’re a fan of The Crown, you’ll know that Margaret Thatcher’s son, Mark, got lost in Algeria for several days while competing in the annual Paris-Dakar rally in January 1982. In season 4, The Crown presents the event in a mostly historically accurate way.
- The population of Algeria is 99% Muslim.
What surprised me
- Northern Algeria is seismically active with major earthquakes happening in 1954, 1980, 1989, and 2003.