Algeria

Where the name comes from

Algeria is named after Algiers, from Arabic al-Jazā’ir, “the islands”, for four islands once off the city’s coast.

First people

Indigenous Amazigh societies lived here for thousands of years, and Tassili n’Ajjer holds rock art of a once-green Sahara.^1,2

Known for

Algeria is Africa’s largest country by area; about 80% is desert, and most cities lie near the Mediterranean coast.^3,4

Outside rule

Roman rule and the Arab conquests of the 600s came first; Ottoman rule began in 1516, and French conquest in 1830 led to colonial rule.¹

The modern country

Independence came in 1962. Its people have both Arab and Amazigh roots, and Tamazight became an official language alongside Arabic in 2016.¹