Algeria is the largest country in Africa by area, set on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa with the vast Sahara Desert filling most of its interior. A land of Berber and Arab heritage, Roman ruins and desert oases, it won its independence from France only after one of the most bitter colonial wars of the twentieth century. Rich in oil and natural gas, it is a major energy producer and an influential nation in the Arab and African worlds.
The original inhabitants of Algeria were the Berbers, or Amazigh, who founded the kingdom of Numidia and lived under Carthaginian and then Roman rule, which left grand cities such as Timgad. The Arab conquests of the seventh century brought Islam and the Arabic language, and the land later became part of the Ottoman world, a base for the corsairs of the Barbary Coast. France invaded in 1830 and made Algeria a settler colony, ruling for over a century until a brutal war of independence ended French control in 1962.
Algeria is overwhelmingly desert: more than four-fifths of the country lies within the Sahara, a realm of dunes, rocky plateaus, and oases stretching into the deep interior. Almost all the population is squeezed into the narrow, fertile band along the Mediterranean coast and the Atlas Mountains that rise behind it. In the far south stand the dramatic mountains and ancient rock art of the Tassili plateau, recording a time when the Sahara was green.
The flag of Algeria has two vertical bands of green and white, with a red crescent moon and five-pointed star in the centre. The green and white are associated with Islam and with purity and peace, while the red represents the blood shed in the long struggle for independence. The crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam, the faith of the great majority of Algerians.
Algeria is an overwhelmingly Muslim country, and Islam, in its Sunni form, is the state religion and a central part of national identity, law, and daily life. The faith arrived with the Arab conquests and has shaped the country for over a thousand years. Small Christian and Jewish communities, once larger, have dwindled. Beneath the Arab-Islamic surface, the deep Berber heritage of the land endures in language, custom, and a strong sense of identity.
Algerian cuisine reflects its Berber roots and Arab, Mediterranean, and French influences. The signature dish is couscous, steamed semolina served with a stew of meat and vegetables, considered a national dish across the Maghreb. Slow-cooked tagines, hearty soups such as chorba, spiced merguez sausages, and an abundance of bread, olives, and dates fill the table. Sweet mint tea and strong coffee accompany meals in a culture that prizes hospitality.
Farming in Algeria is confined largely to the fertile coastal strip and the valleys of the Atlas Mountains, since the Sahara covers most of the country. Wheat and barley are the main grains, alongside citrus fruits, olives, dates from the desert oases, and vegetables. The country was once a notable wine producer under French rule. Agriculture, however, is overshadowed by the oil and natural gas that dominate the economy and fund food imports.
Roman Numidia, the spread of Islam, and the corsair era all shaped Algeria, but its defining modern event was the war of independence from 1954 to 1962. The conflict was exceptionally violent, costing immense loss of life, and it became a symbol of anti-colonial struggle worldwide. Independence in 1962 founded the modern republic, which built itself on its energy wealth and played a leading role among newly free nations.
Algeria has a population of around 45 million people, the overwhelming majority Arab-Berber Muslims. The population clusters along the Mediterranean coast and in the northern mountains, leaving the vast Saharan interior almost empty. The capital and largest city is Algiers, a historic port on the sea. While Arabic and Berber are both official languages, French remains widely used, a lingering trace of the colonial era, and the population is notably young.
