A is for Algeria.  Or to be more correct: the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria.  This northernmost country of Africa has been called the gateway between Africa and Europe.  Algeria is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea on the north.  On the south are Mauritania, Mali and Niger.  It is bordered on the west by Morocco and Western Sahara and on the east by Tunisia and Libya. 

Algeria has a total area of 919,590 square miles which is nearly four times the size of Texas.  According to  2009 figures, the total population was 34,178,188.  The population is mostly concentrated along the Mediterranean coast  while the Saharan region, which is nearly 85% of the country is almost uninhabited.  Mount Tahat, the highest point in the the Sahara, rises to 9,850 feet.


Life is hard in Algeria.  While the birth rate was reported to be 16.9/1000, the infant mortality rate was 27.7/1000.  Life expectancy is 71 years for men and 74 years for women according to the United Nation's figures.

Algiers, the capital city, was founded in the 10th century by the Romans and is still one of the most exotic destination in the world.  The city's population is an estimated 3,917,000 in the metro area.  Other cities, each much smaller than Algiers are Oran, Constantine, Batna and Annaba.

Major languages are Arabic, French and Berber.  The major religion is Islam.  The monetary unit is the dinar.

Oil and gas reserves were discovered in the 1950"s.  Oil reserves are estimated at nearly 12 billion barrels. Exports of natural gas and oil to Europe are the backbone of Algeria's economy.

Algeria had not had a peaceful history.  More than a million Algerians were killed in the fight for Independence from France in 1962 and the country has been engaged in an internal conflict since 1992. More recently, the country has suffered  from a campaign of bombings by a group called the AlQueda in the Land of Islamic Maghreb (AQLIM).

Algeria was originally inhabited by Berbers before they were conquered by the Arabs in the 7th Century.  Today they make up about 30% of the population.

Poverty remains widespread and unemployment is high, particularly along the nation's youth. Government corruption and poor public services are sources of popular dissatisfaction.



Algiers, Algeria